book review
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Books and Babies: How Motherhood Has Changed My Reading Habits
Throughout my first four months of motherhood, I have continued to read, perhaps even more than before. It is, after all, easier to read a book during nap time or while nursing at 3:00 a.m. than to enjoy most other noisy, baby-stimulating occupations. But my reading habits have changed in ways that I find worth… Continue reading
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Lessons from My Favorite Fictional Mother
Throughout Little Women, Mrs. Margaret March—fondly called “Marmee” by her daughters—seems to be a background character. We are told about the appearances, idiosyncrasies, aspirations, relationships, and weaknesses of the four March sisters, but are given very little information about Marmee. Instead, whatever glimpses we catch of her come through conversations with and among her daughters.… Continue reading
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In All Things Thee to See
Throughout church history, one encounters many shepherds who, like David, were also masters of verse. Consider Martin Luther, writing hymns to restore and invigorate congregational singing, and Isaac Watts, who versified the Psalms for corporate worship. Or John Donne, unflinchingly describing his love for God in terms of romantic passion, and George MacDonald, who used… Continue reading
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The Freedom of a Lower Reading Goal
Last year, I intentionally set my GoodReads goal lower than the year before. Admittedly, I still ended up reading 76 books, but having a lower goal led to more discerning, attentive, and formative reading—both of dense classics and the occasional “brain candy” book. If you’re looking to read better—not just more—this year, consider keeping your… Continue reading
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What If I Don’t Like My Church’s Music?
When visiting Crossway’s headquarters over the summer, the publishing team and I were chatting about how wonderful God’s timing is. Without necessarily planning to do so, Crossway ended up releasing several resources for musical worship within the same few months including The Sing! Hymnal, Spirit-Filled Singing: Bearing Fruit as We Worship Together, and What If… Continue reading
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Books I Can’t Wait to Read with My Children (Fiction)
Recently, I shared some of my mixed feelings about pregnancy. But I do genuinely love children and you know what I have always looked forward to? Reading with my kids. My childhood revolved around books. My mom was an English teacher, so I grew up immersed in words, words, words. My dad would frequently take… Continue reading
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Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age
I’ve been working on my dissertation proposal and have decided to focus on Christian writers maintaining spiritual well-being in the digital age. Where better to start than with this acclaimed book on digital wisdom by author, blogger, and editor, Samuel James? About & Review Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age is not… Continue reading
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Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age
It’s summer, which means my musical work slows down. I always plan to spend the long, warm days reading, writing, and studying—enjoying refreshment through contemplation and creativity. But then, it happens: the twitching fingers. The urge to check my phone, answer a few emails, and maybe scroll through reels for a minute on Instagram. Or… Continue reading
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Scrolling Ourselves to Death
On April 10th of this year, a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing everyone on board: a family of five and the pilot. Within minutes, my weather app sent me a notification to alert me of the crash and invited me to “tap to stay informed.” I am not a first responder. I have… Continue reading
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On Netflix and Narnia: Three Questions and a Convicting Scene
You may have heard that Meryl Streep is in talks to potentially voice Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s new Narnia adaptation. At first I thought this was an April Fool’s joke, so I thought little of it. But when April 1st came and went without a “Gotcha!” my only reaction was grim resignation. I wish I… Continue reading
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Nostalgia & Narrative: My Review of “Sunrise on the Reaping”
As a reviewer for several Christian publishers, I regularly post my thoughts on non-fiction releases. However, I am also constantly reading fiction from a wide variety of genres. Because so many readers are talking about the latest Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, I thought I’d share my thoughts below. Backstory I was a… Continue reading
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Ryanne Molinari 