The Boundless Bookshelf

About the Book: ✦ Title: Scrolling Ourselves to Death ✦ Author: Brett McCracken ✦ Genre: Christian nonfiction ✦ Series: A standalone book ✦ Recommend for: 14+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 📖 Synopsis The rapid advance of digital technology is reshaping our world and warping our minds. The onslaught of social media and smartphones has brought an appetite for distraction, an epidemic of loneliness, and increased rates of mental unhealth. For Christians, the digital revolution has profound implications for spiritual formation and mission. How should believers respond to the theological and discipleship challenges of scrolling life? On the 40th anniversary of Neil Postman's prophetic book  Amusing Ourselves to Death  (1985),  Scrolling Ourselves to Death  gathers today's most incisive writers to think critically about the shaping power of contemporary technology. This book explores Postman's insights, connects them to the challenges facing Christians today, and turns diff...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: Chords of Green and Gold ✦ Author: Sarah Beran ✦ Genre: Clean fairytale retelling (Frog Prince and Rumpelstiltskin) ✦ Series: Book #1 in the Tales of Eukarya ✦ Recommend for: 13/14+ My Overall Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Synopsis Prince Dorian of Anura has been looking a little green lately...literally. After an encounter with a disgruntled princess, a curse has left him with a rather frog-like appearance. Desperate to find a woman to break his son's curse, King Ion decides to host a lavish, golden ball. The only problem? The kingdom is short on funds, and the king's grand plans could send their small kingdom into bankruptcy. Lydian Miller has always been her father's pride and joy. In fact, he is so proud of her skills as an artist that he drunkenly claims one night that she could turn straw into gold if she wanted to. These claims reach the king of Anura, and before she knows what is happening, Lydian finds herself locked in a room full of straw. The king ha...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: First Comes Marriage...Then Comes Murder ✦ Author: Donna Mumma ✦ Genre: Christian historical murder mystery ✦ Series: Book #2 in The Women of Wynton ✦ Recommend for: 15/16+ My Overall Rating ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 📖 Synopsis Vivien’s Bridal Creations Found at Murder Scenes   Mid-century glam meets murder mayhem in a series of cozy mysteries at Wynton’s Department Store.   It is 1956 in Levi City, Florida. Vivien Sheffield, renowned bridal gown designer and consultant for Wynton’s Department Store, is facing the greatest challenge of her career. Someone has been killing brides who wore one of her custom gowns in their wedding! Vivien’s fellow employees and close friends—Audrey, Mary Jo, and Gigi—and her assistant Mirette spring into action to save Miss Vivien and the young brides of Levy City before the murderer succeeds at destroying Vivien’s business at Wynton’s. . .and her reputation. 💭 My thoughts I really enjoyed The Women of Wynton's by this author, so ...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: Flash of Magic ✦ Author: Allison Tebo ✦ Genre: Clean fantasy -- Tales of Ambia short fiction collection ✦ Series: Companion to the Tales of Ambia ✦ Recommend for: 14+ My Overall Rating ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 📖 Synopsis A Flash Of Magic is a magical and rambunctious compilation featuring eight stories with eight characters as you have never seen them before. The Tales of Ambia series returns with this charming collection of short stories and novelettes offering a deeper look into a fairytale land like no other. Whether it’s an intimate look at Ella’s wedding day, a hilarious glimpse of Burndee’s holiday baking, or an explosive first meeting between a prince and his godfather, there is adventure for everyone in A Flash Of Magic. 💭 My thoughts Overall, this was a really fun collection of short stories, letters, diary entries, etc., from the world of Ambia! I of course liked some better than others, though. A couple stories or entries were just a little boring to me, but s...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: A Searching Heart ✦ Author: Janette Oke ✦ Genre: Christian historical fiction ✦ Series: Book #2 in A Prairie Legacy ✦ Recommend for: 14+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Synopsis Virginia Simpson's faith is tested when troubles come her way at the end of her time in college, including the medical problems that complicate her sister's first delivery and the Dear Jane letter she receives from her boyfriend.  💭 My thoughts This was just alright. Similar to the previous book in this series, I thought it was a little melodramatic and preachy for my taste. Not bad, and had some good lessons within, but I don't think this series is going to be a favorite of mine. ⚠️ Broad content notes Infant death, grief, faith struggles, relationship drama 🌹 Was this review helpful? Please  consider  following The Boundless Bookshelf! Bookishly yours,  Lottie M

  About the Book: ✦ Title: Poppy's Peril ✦ Author: Allison Tebo ✦ Genre: Clean fairytale retelling (The Goose Girl) ✦ Series: Book #3 in The Tales of Ambia ✦ Recommend for: 13+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐.5 📖 Synopsis Princess Poppy doesn’t feel very royal, and she certainly doesn’t feel ready to marry. But when her father decides that a marriage to a foreign duke would benefit their small kingdom, Poppy obeys. Stepping into an unknown world full of hidden dangers, Poppy must navigate betrayals she never anticipated and discover the inherent royalty and strength within her own heart. 💭 My thoughts This companion novella serves as a prequel to book #2, "A Royal Masquerade" but I would recommend reading it after. This is the story of Poppy, a primary character in "A Royal Masquerade" , and all that had happened to her to bring her to that point. Because the reader knows what will eventually transpire with Poppy after this novella, it wasn't overly stressful or...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: The Midnight Blizzard ✦ Author: Mary Mecham ✦ Genre: Clean fairytale retelling (Cinderella) ✦ Series: Book #6 in The Christmas Chronicles by various authors ✦ Recommend for: ages 15+ My Personal Rating ⭐.5/ ⭐ ⭐ 📖 Synopsis 💭 My thoughts My thoughts regarding this book can be boiled down into two main things: 1) I hated the main girl. 2) I hated the romance.  Noelle was such an immature, annoying character (e.g., thinking only of kissing someone when in an extremely risky situation) and I did not connect with her any point of the book. I also couldn't care less about the whole "Mage Rights" things and felt a little like a hidden agenda, in my opinion. I did guess both of the twists, but they weren't all that unique so it makes sense.  I know one shouldn't expect a book like this to have much depth, but this one did not have any. The day after I finished reading it I couldn't even really remember the point of the story, and as I'...

About the Book: ✦ Title: Once Upon a Dime ✦ Author: Perry Elizabeth Kirkpatrick ✦ Genre: Clean spy comedy novella ✦ Series: Book #6 in The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbot ✦ Recommend for: ages 13+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐.5 📖 Synopsis It's all coming to a head... or tails. Emily Abbott is accidentally in danger. Targeted by the 10,000, a mysterious group of rogue spies, she’s been relocated to a safe-house, placed under the protection of an ICS agent, and given a new, temporary job in a political campaign’s call-center. But when Brent calls her in a panic to say a bomb threat has been made against the campaign, she can’t help but become involved. As the threats ramp up, stolen RFID tech disguised as a pair of dimes shows up in Phoenix. Is it a coincidence? Emily doesn’t think so. What are the 10,000 planning? Only time will tell, and once the dimes are used, time is something Emily and Brent don’t have. 💭 My thoughts This is probably one of my favorites since book 1. Very exciting...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: A Royal Masquerade ✦ Author: Alison Tebo ✦ Genre: Clean fairytale retelling (The Goose Girl) ✦ Series: Book #2 in the Tales of Ambia series (see review for prior book here !) ✦ Recommend for: ages 12/13+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 📖 Synopsis Burndee can barely tolerate the mischievous Prince Colin, but the two of them are invariably thrown together in a way that keeps them at one another’s throats. While attending a noblewoman’s wedding, Burndee and Colin’s private feud comes to a climax when Burndee loses his temper and does the unthinkable. With Prince Colin unable to attend to his royal duties and Burndee bound by an inconvenient spell, can the two of them work together long enough to unsnarl the mysterious goings-on around them? A madcap and magical novella of The Goose Girl from a unique perspective. 💭 My thoughts I thoroughly enjoyed this novella! I loved how the author did the retelling of the Goose Girl (read the Author's Note in the beginning),...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: The Tender Years ✦ Author: Janette Oke ✦ Genre: Christian historical fiction ✦ Series: Book #1 in the Prairie Legacy series ✦ Recommend for: a ges 14+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Synopsis Twenty years have passed since youngest daughter Belinda's story in "Love Finds A Home." Marty and Clark Davis's spiritual heritage has been lovingly passed on to their later generations. And now granddaughter Virginia faces the test of her young life. Caught in the difficult period between childhood and adulthood, feeling that she doesn't fit in, Virginia struggles against what she considers to be unreasonable restrictions and expectations. A new girl at school represents the daring and freedom that Virginia thinks she wants -- until one fateful day . . . 💭 My thoughts It has been a while since I read this book, and all I really remember is that I found Virginia incredibly obnoxious towards the first half of the book. Also, the last few chapters we...

  About the Book: ✦ Title: A-Spying We Will Go ✦ Author: Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick ✦ Genre: Clean spy-comedy novella ✦ Series: Book #5 in The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbot (see reviews for prior three books here! ) ✦ Recommend for: ages 13+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Synopsis Camping doesn't lead to kidnapping... usually. When Emily goes on a group camping trip in Northern Arizona, she suspects her biggest danger will be mosquito bites and bear-sightings. The trip becomes far from relaxing, however, when she hears from a family friend that they can't get in touch with her dad. Unable to call, due to spotty cell phone reception, she manages to send a text asking for Brent's help in checking on her dad. But the spy has been incommunicado for several days, and it turns out he's up North too--trying to locate a missing ICS agent with information about the Ten Thousand. Not everything is as it seems. More than bears roam the woods, and information could cost a life. 💭 ...