15. Inventions of the Heart

Inventions of the Heart. (The Lumber Baron's Daughters #2) Mary Connealy. 2022. [July] 304 pages. [best guess] [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "At least you know you can trust me." Michelle Stiles slashed a hand about an inch from Zane Hart's face.

Premise/plot: The Element of Love introduced readers to the plight of the Stiles sisters--Laura, Michelle, and Jilly. These three are on the run from their stepfather. Each sister is seeking to find a good man to marry as quickly as possible. Well, with the exception of Jilly who emphatically states time and time and time again that she will never, ever, ever, ever marry anyone ever. The sisters are still juggling about twelve dangers collectively. The second book, Inventions of the Heart, stars Michelle. She is living with Zane Hart on his ranch--along with half a dozen other people. She's still got her heart set on inventions and mechanics. She's also possibly maybe falling hard for Zane too. 

My thoughts: I think authors have three possible speeds--realistic, dramatic, and melodramatic. Mary Connealy almost always packs her "romantic comedies" with melodrama. The problem is that more isn't always better. Sometimes less is better. Especially when it comes to close calls, near misses, and tight squeezes. After about the millionth "dangerous" moment, you start rolling your eyes. Okay, maybe it doesn't take a million close-calls. I feel her books could benefit from a little less conflict. Dial it down a bit. Yes, almost all books require conflict--but it doesn't have to be taken to an extreme so that everything becomes a caricature. Perhaps the melodrama is supposed to be funny??? 

I find it hard to care about characters when everything is much too much. Characters are what matter most to me when I'm reading. With so much melodrama thrown in "for good measure" I suppose, the characters get buried in the mix. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2022 Bible Reading #12

Bible reading for 19 - 25 March 2022

I am reading the NASB Schuyler for my Book of Common Prayer Daily Offices. 

• Psalm 95-119:104
• Proverbs 19-25
• Exodus 
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Matthew 1-12

The Bible I am using for my morning tea devotional time is the ESV Readers' Bible. I do not have a specific plan. But I am trying to read whole books in one sitting when possible. 

• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings 
• 2 Kings
• Haggai
• Philippians
• Colossians

The Bible I am using for my afternoon tea devotional time is the NASB 2020. I am using the Power 60 reading plan.

• Isaiah 32-66
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel 1-28

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.

• In March, I will be reading Daniel 5-8 thirty times: NASB 77, ESV, NKJV, NASB 77, NRSV, ASV, ESV,
• In March, I will be reading Isaiah 11-17 thirty times: NASB 77, ESV, NKJV, NASB 77, NRSV, ASV, ESV

My miscellaneous Bibles:

Great Bible 1539 

• Psalm 30-150

NKJV

• Isaiah 1-39

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

14. The Element of Love

The Element of Love. (The Lumber Baron's Daughters #1) Mary Connealy. 2022. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: They were running away from the threat of misery, pain, and degradation. And running straight toward danger. Deadly danger. Margaret Stiles Beaumont chose danger. What's more, she chose it for her daughters and prayed without ceasing that she'd chosen right. Even worse, the girls had to face that danger alone. Going back by herself was the only way to be sure the girls made their escape. 

Premise/plot: Laura, Michelle, and Jilly (Jillian) Stiles are running away from their (evil) stepfather. They've left their mother (and their home) behind. They need to--all while finding a place to hide away--find husbands. All three young women need to find husbands--the sooner the better. Laura feels led to join a preacher in his new mission. The "town" of Purgatory is the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of the barrel. If you can live anywhere else, you do. This is a shanty town of sorts with nothing going for it except folks down on their luck. But Caleb along with the Stiles sisters (along with others part of the new mission) want to make a difference to those in Purgatory. And it starts with Laura searching for some milk cows to buy communally for Purgatory. That brings in the Hart ranch (with eligible men). But Laura, well, has her eyes set on Caleb. Even being bold enough to propose to him very very early on in their acquaintance. 

My thoughts: This one has a super-fast pace. I really found the first half super compelling and enjoyable. I was enjoying all three sisters. I was hooked on the story. About the 80% mark, unfortunately, I began losing my enthusiasm for the story. Up until this point, there was plenty of tension and conflict. Plenty. Any more conflict and the story would become unbalanced and ridiculous. So, of course, the book turned ridiculous to the point of obnoxiousness. It's hard to recover from that. So up until that point, it was a definite five stars for me. The last twenty percent, however, was one star. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2022 Bible Reading #11

Bible reading week of 12 - 18 March 2022

I am reading the NASB Schuyler for my Book of Common Prayer Daily Offices. 

• Psalm 62-94
• Proverbs 12-18
• Genesis 27-50
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Job
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Luke 9-24
• Acts

The Bible I am using for my morning tea devotional time is the ESV Readers' Bible. I do not have a specific plan. But I am trying to read whole books in one sitting when possible. 

• Exodus 19-40
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Ephesians

The Bible I am using for my afternoon tea devotional time is the NASB 2020. I am using the Power 60 reading plan.

• Psalm 55-150
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs
• Isaiah 1-31

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.

• In March, I will be reading Daniel 5-8 thirty times: CSB, KJV, BSB, ESV, RSV, NASB 95, NASB 77.
• In March, I will be reading Isaiah 11-17 thirty times: CSB, KJV, BSB, ESV, RSV, NASB 95, NASB 77.

My miscellaneous Bibles:

Great Bible 1539 

• Esther
• Job
• Psalm 1-29

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2022 Bible Reading #10

Bible reading week of 5 - 11 March 2022.

I am reading the NIV 84 (and NASB Schuyler) for my Daily Offices from the Book of Common Prayer. (I finished the NIV 84 mid-week).

NIV 84

• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel
• Hosea
• Micah
• Nahum
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• John 6-21
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Revelation

NASB 95

• Genesis 1-26
• Psalm 24-61
• Proverbs 5-11
• Luke 1-8

The Bible I am using for my morning tea devotional time is the ESV Readers' Bible. I do not have a specific plan. But I am trying to read whole books in one sitting when possible. 

• Genesis 
• Exodus 1-18
• Job
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs
• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Galatians

The Bible I am using for my afternoon tea devotional time is the NASB 2020. I am using the Power 60 reading plan.

• 1 Chronicles 24-29
• 2 Chronicles 
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther
• Job
• Psalm 1-54

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.

• In March, I will be reading Daniel 5-8 thirty times: NKJV, NKJV, NASB 77, NASB 95, RSV, NASB 95, NASB 2020
• In March, I will be reading Isaiah 11-17 thirty times: NKJV, NKJV, NASB 77, NASB 95, RSV, NASB 95, NASB 2020

My miscellaneous Bibles:

Great Bible 1539 

• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

13. Suffering Wisely and Well

Suffering Wisely and Well: The Grief of Job and the Grace of God. Eric Ortlund. 2022. 193 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: This book is about suffering both wisely and well as a Christian. 

Suffering Wisely and Well is mostly a commentary on the book of Job. Ortlund works through the book of Job. His approach is mainly to look at what each person (and God) has to say. (There are also chapters on the introduction and conclusion to the book of Job.) I believe his lens of reading is a practical one. What can you--the reader--learn from the book of Job. Even the super-messy wrong-ness of Job's friends is spun as a lesson of how not to interact with modern-day sufferers. At times the present is stressed so much that the focus is never on the past context. 

One thing that I definitely appreciated was how each chapter ended in a very straight-forward, no-nonsense summary; it was even numbered. It was as if the author was saying: here are the important points I was making in this chapter.

This one definitely has some insights. Like, "Job's friends are actually his tormentors, and no matter how much stage time they are given, they cannot manage to say a single helpful thing to him."

Suffering Wisely and Well isn't your traditional commentary on Job. It opens almost by pretending to be something it's not. The opening chapter makes it sound like it's going to be about ALL types of suffering and how you can use these principles of suffering to discern in what ways you (and others) are suffering and learn how to do it wisely and well. But literally every other chapter in the book is a commentary from the book of Job. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

4. NIV (NIV 84) Young Discoverer's Bible

NIV Young Discoverer's Bible. 1985. Zondervan. 1979 pages. [Source: Childhood copy]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

There is something incredibly special about going back to your childhood Bible. I've had this Bible since fourth grade. It hasn't always been "my number one" meaning my daily go-to Bible. But two things keep me coming back again again. First, I love HOW large the font is. And because it's old school--1985--there is little to no bleed through or ghosting. So the combination of LARGE PRINT + NO GHOSTING + BLACK LETTER text means that the layout is just about as perfect as you can get. Second, I love the 84 edition of the New International Version translation. This is the version that I almost exclusively read for a little over a decade. And it was that first decade of faith as well. I was in college before I started accumulating other translations---like the NKJV and NASB. There is something HOME-y and JUST RIGHT about going back to revisit this translation as an adult. 

I do wish that the publishers hadn't sought to obliterate the 84 edition of this translation. They *could* have left it readily available online even if they didn't want to keep it physically in print. Online Bibles and e-Bibles could have been kept "alive" even after the 2011 was released. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2022 Bible Reading #9

Bible reading week of 26 February - 4 March

I am reading the NIV 84 (and NASB Schuyler) for my Daily Offices from the Book of Common Prayer

NIV 84

• Job 20-42
• 1 Kings 
• 2 Kings
• Psalm 119:105-176; Psalm 120-150
• Proverbs 26-31
• Isaiah
• Mark 14-16
• Romans
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter
• Jude
• John 1-5

NASB 95

• Psalms 1-23
• Proverbs 1-4

The Bible I am using for my morning tea devotional time is the Berean Study Bible. I am using the Five Day Bible Reading Plan. (I finished this week!!!)

• Ezekiel 22-48
• Daniel
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther
• Zechariah
• Malachi
• Job
• Psalm 2, 29, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 134, 135, 138, 139, 140, 141, 150
• John 8-21
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Revelation

I began the Power 60 Reading Plan and am using the NASB 2020

• 1 Samuel 11-31
• 2 Samuel 
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles 1-23

I have TWO ongoing year-long 30 Day MacArthur plans going.

• In February, I will be reading Daniel 1-4 thirty times: RSV, LSB, 
• In February, I will be reading Isaiah 6-10 thirty times: RSV, LSB, 
• In March, I will be reading Daniel 5-8 thirty times: NASB 95, NRSV, ESV, New English, 
• In March, I will be reading Isaiah 11-17 thirty times: NASB 95, NRSV, ESV, New English,

My miscellaneous Bibles:

Great Bible 1539 

• 1 Chronicles

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

3. Berean Study Bible (BSB)

Berean Study Bible. God. 2020. 1504 pages. [Source: Gift] 

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The Berean Study Bible is a (relatively) new translation recently made available in print. It has been available online at Biblehub.com since 2016 (I believe.) It is important to realize, however, that it is not your traditional "study" Bible. It is a text-only Bible. The study element is what you put into it by being a Berean (Acts 17:11). You put in the work, the effort, the energy--and it will be a study Bible

Because it is so new and perhaps you haven't heard of it or learned of it, I'll take a few extra steps in this review. From their website, "The Berean Study Bible is a completely new translation based on the best available manuscripts and sources. Each word is connected back to the Greek or Hebrew text, resulting in a transparent and honest text that can be studied for its root meanings. The Berean Study Bible text is the result of a careful translation and styling process to maintain core meanings and produce an English text of high literary quality, effective for public reading, study, memorization, and evangelism. We believe that the Scriptures are meant to be studied and shared freely. Just as Paul encouraged the churches to pass on his letters, we are developing digital resources that will be free to access and free to share in websites, apps and software."

I first read this translation in 2021. I read it the second time this year (2022). I used the Five Day Bible Reading Plan. I started on January 1, 2022 and finished March 4, 2022. I read multiple "days" per days. Some days reading just three or four days' worth of readings. And some days reading five to seven days' worth of readings. This plan takes a somewhat chronological approach. I wouldn't say it's strictly chronological. The psalms seem to be almost completely randomly sprinkled throughout the readings. If there was an order or reason for their arrangement, it went way over my head. 

I discovered that while I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the translation. (Still think I'm holding back a little bit on how much I love this translation). I am not a big fan of the 5 day reading plan. 

I am so glad I gave into my urge to reread this one so soon after finishing it the first time. It does feel like coming home; the translation does feel JUST RIGHT. 

About the print edition, the layout is great. Good size font. A good bit of space on each page. (Perhaps not enough for notetakers, but this isn't claiming to be a notetaker's edition). Nothing looks crowded or crammed. It is black letter!!! The only slight negative is that it is a bulky Bible. It is a bit heavy. But once you've got where you're going, once it's on your lap or on the table/desk in front of you, you forget all that. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

12. A Heart Adrift

A Heart Adrift. Laura Frantz. 2022. [January] 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: With his back to the coastal win, Henri Lennox settled his arms around Esmee Shaw, guiding her soft, pale hands with his tanned, callused fingers as they let the long silken line out. The pear-shaped kite caught on a gust, tugging at the string till it threatened to snap.

Laura Frantz's newest historical romance is set in Colonial Virginia. The prologue is set circa 1745--our lovers, Henri Lennox and Esmee Shaw, are madly in love. But their love is not to be--something comes between them--the sea. Ten years later (1755) the couple may just get a second chance at love. 

I enjoyed this one. I have long been a fan of Laura Frantz's novels. Her historical novels always make me giddy. This one is no exception. I would say it isn't your traditional (or traditional paced) novel. And that's true enough. Their story is their own. 

This one isn't focused on the courtship or the early days of love (falling in love). This is a story of a couple who has been apart for ten years, who find themselves reflecting on the past relationship after they have several accidental meetings in town. She begins thinking of him; he begins thinking of her. 

It isn't only a romance. Readers are immersed in the community meeting half a dozen or so characters. (Including her father, her sister, her brother-in-law, etc.) The setting is unique. Part of it is set on an island off the coast of Virginia. 

I would say this one has a LOT of kissing and quite a surprising bit of unchaperoned time. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible