Rachelle J. Christensen

Romance, Suspense, Mystery Author

Book Review: Better Than Happy by Jody Moore

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

Learn how to recognize the thoughts that influence your actions

I’m a huge fan of Jody Moore and all that she teaches as a life coach. Better Than Happy is excellent! I love the premise: Connecting with divinity through conscious thinking.

Jody Moore teaches how we can reframe the way we look at things. With a slight shift in perspective, we can become aware of our thoughts and then ask if they are serving us or not. Rather than stay stuck in limiting beliefs and thoughts, we can break free from old patterns and embrace a better version of life that is better than happy.

This book has real-life examples, anecdotes, great resources, links to examples of coaching, and so much more. It’s a self-improvement book, but so much more because as you read you’ll feel like you’re sitting down with a good friend and brainstorming how to understand your own thoughts better!

Here’s more about the book:

Our unconscious thought patterns determine our relationships, our spiritual life and our connection to God to a much greater extent than we know. That’s an alarming thought, because the subconscious mind is a mysterious realm that is really difficult to access and influence…right? No. It’s really not! And it’s the most urgent and impactful thing we can do. This book will show you how.

How do I choose faith over fear when my loved ones are making poor choices?
Why don’t I feel happier if I’m reading and praying like I’ve been taught?
How can I stop feeling like I’m just not good enough?
What am I to do when my spouse is judgmental of me?
How do I trust in Christ when everything seems to be falling apart?

Get answers to these and other tough questions in the context of Christ-centered principles throughout this book.
Jody Moore is a Master Certified Life Coach who has taught and coached tens of thousands of women through her in-person and online workshops and podcast. She brings her characteristic clarity, wisdom, humor and disarming honesty to this groundbreaking book.

In Better Than Happy, Jody shows how a simple 5-step model she uses in every session with her clients can reveal the unconscious patterns of thoughts that keep us from deeper and healthier connection with ourselves, with our loved ones and with God. Jody then shows how, once we clear the debris of our unconscious patterns of thought, new streams of understanding of Christ’s teachings begin to flow.

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Book Review: I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 by Lauren Tarshis

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

Powerful story packed into a quick read

I read this book aloud to my kids and they loved it. I loved reading it because it is rare to find an early middle-grade novel written with such excellent description and a moving storyline. The author did a wonderful job of dropping the reader right into the earthquake of 1906. We were riveted and my boys were begging me to read more each night.

It’s a quick read with fascinating facts. The I Survived books are great and my 12 year old son was so impressed that he went hunting on our bookshelf and found another book in this series to read on his own. Now I call that a win!

Here’s more about the book:

The terrifying details of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake jump off the page!

Ten-year-old Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco — not only does he get to make some money to help his family, he’s free to explore the amazing, hilly city as it changes and grows with the new century. Horse-drawn carriages share the streets with shiny new automobiles, new businesses and families move in every day from everywhere, and anything seems possible.But early one spring morning, everything changes. Leo’s world is shaken — literally — and he finds himself stranded in the middle of San Francisco as it crumbles and burns to the ground. Does Leo have what it takes to survive this devastating disaster?The I SURVIVED series continues with another thrilling story of a boy caught in one of history’s most terrifying disasters!

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Book Review: Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

The Must-Read Novel About Suicide You Must Read

When I picked up Swimming in a Sea of Stars my daughter said, “Are you sure you want to read that one?” I said, “Yes, I love everything Julie Wright writes!” But I knew where her hesitation came from. This book is about a suicide attempt and as a survivor of suicide I was well aware that it might be difficult for me to read. I’m so glad that I mustered the courage to read it. Julie Wright has crafted a beautiful, original story that touches the heart, inspires the mind, and moves us to understand this devastating issue that is not going away just because we try to ignore it.

I devoured this book. I cried. I highlighted passages. I felt like Julie Wright had peeked inside my soul and understood the pain I feel because my husband died by suicide. I imagine that every person reading this book will have a different experience, but for sure they will experience something that will change the way they see the world. I also imagine that in a couple years when I read this book again I will cry in different parts and feel my heart warmed in others.

I sobbed over this line from the book:

“That was the thing I realized when it was almost too late. If I had succeeded, it wouldn’t have just been something I did to myself. It would also have been something I did to everyone who cared about me.”

Suicide is a problem that happens because of mental illness and we need to talk about it. Read this book, share this book, talk about this book, pass this book along. Please. Let’s give people the words they don’t know how to speak or understand–they are written here by Julie Wright for all of us.

Here’s more about the book:

Journal entry: Heading to school. I know what everyone will say. There goes the girl who tried to kill herself.

Addison is no stranger to feeling stressed, insecure, and sad. Her therapist recommended she keep a journal to help her understand those feelings better, which she really needs today. It’s her first day back to school, several weeks after she survived her suicide attempt. She knows there are rumors about why she did it: A lousy home life? Bullying? Heartbreak? None of them are true, but it doesn’t matter because Addison still feels like she’s drowning. She still holds secrets she’s not ready to share.

During the school day, Addison encounters four other students struggling with their own secrets:

Booker is anxious about seeing Addison. They were sort of a couple until he tried to kiss her. She fled and then tried to end her life. Those two things couldn’t be related, could they?

Celia feels trapped by her mother’s abusive boyfriend. She can guess why Addison did what she did.

Damion is TikTok-famous and thinks befriending Addison could boost his followers. But what no one knows is he needs the world to remember him since his sick mom doesn’t anymore.

Avery is considered a loner and doesn’t know Addison, but they have neighboring lockers. With Avery’s older brother in jail for dealing drugs, Avery is desperate for meaningful human connection.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars is a poignant and gripping novel about how we’re all interconnected, like the stars in the night sky that form constellations and map out the universe, and if even one star goes missing, the effect is profound.

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Book Review: The Unexpected Deliverer by Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

“If we hold on too tightly to what should have been, we will miss what god is doing where we are.”

This little book is packed full of nuggets just like that one. I love the stories, the understanding of events of the Savior’s life and how His sacrifice makes my life better. In every way.

I enjoyed Emily Belle Freeman’s and David Butler’s perspectives on pivotal moments in the Savior’s life. Jesus Christ is a miracle worker and he truly is the unexpected deliverer. I love how they taught me to look at my situation differently, to try to see what He is making of me.

The Unexpected Deliverer is an excellent gift book and it’s one I look forward to reading again.

Here’s more about the book:

When you look back at scripture, it rarely feels unexpected. We know how it all turns out. But imagine if you were the people living it. If you didn’t know He was coming back. If you were Mary and Martha after Lazarus dies, you would have thought He came too late. If you were Peter, you would have been appalled that the Master would lower Himself into your mess to wash your feet. If you stood at the foot of the cross and heard it was finished, you would have believed it was.

What shifted? What allowed them to discover hope within the hopelessness? The witness of their change in perspective teaches us of an unexpected Christ. One who shows up, turning defeat into victory, and despair into deliverance.

If He did it for them, He will do it for you. The story of Easter teaches us the truth of Jesus in every unexpected season. Through Him, you can expect hope in unlikely places.

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Book Review: The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

Juniper comes off the grid and into your heart

This middle-grade book was incredibly good and so timely for me and my family. You see, Juniper Berry is a girl who has been living off the grid and she loves the adventure with her family in the woods of California. Her parents teach her everything and they homeschool in the woods, but then something happens that forces the family back to society. Juniper has to navigate public school with its challenges at the same time worrying over the challenges in her own family.

I read The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry aloud to two of my boys, age 12 and 8. The 12 year-old was a bit resistant at first, but soon fell in love with the characters. We laughed out loud at Juniper’s antics and the learning curve of figuring out society’s ways vs. the woods.

The reason why this book was so timely is that I am sending my kids back to public school this year after 3+ years of homeschooling. My husband passed away so that changed everything for our family, including the option to homeschool. Juniper Berry’s story showed us all that we can do hard things and we can change and do more hard things.

I’m so grateful for the talent of Chad Morris & Shelly Brown and their ability to weave this tale of total fun and adventure that slipped in some golden nuggets of courage and wisdom that my family desperately needed right now. No matter your situation, I urge you to grab this book and start reading! Juniper has something for you to laugh and learn about as well!

Here’s more about the book:

Juniper Berry knows how to handle bobcats, bears, and mountain lions, but can she survive the toughest predator of all—middle school?

Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is pretty exciting, but her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and they move to the city to be closer to the hospital. Juniper and her older sister end up living with cousins they hardly know and attending public school for the first time, which is harder to navigate than the wild woods ever were. Juniper feels like a wolf cub separated from her pack.

As the hospital bills for her brother start piling up, Juniper knows they’ll need to be paid before the family can go back to the woods, so she decides to make enough money to help out. With her cousin Alayna’s support, Juniper starts posting videos filled with her wisdom from the woods, hoping to get a following. But what if it doesn’t work? What if the bills never get paid? Not going home to the wild is Juniper’s worst nightmare. While she’s stuck in the city, she might as well make the most of it, like sticking up for Alayna, who’s being bullied by her supposed friends, for starters.

The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths.

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Book Review: The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

A dash of humor, intrigue, and history in this romance

The Art of Love and Lies was a unique read set in Manchester, England 1857. The premise is that Rosanna Hawkins paints forgeries which are called “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces. This was a common practice at the time with a lot of unscrupulous sellers taking advantage of unsuspecting buyers. Rosanna gets tangled in the web of illusion she has created with her recreations.

When she meets Inspector Martin Harrison, an unlikely friendship begins that adds a layer of intrigue to this clean Proper Romance.

I enjoyed the playful banter between Rosanna and Martin and the way their games at the art gallery turned into something so much more. I liked the layer of mystery and intrigue added to the storyline that sprinkled this romance with a dusting of suspense. I also enjoyed the true to life connection of what actually happened at the Art Treasures Exhibition. It’s always fun to learn about history while enjoying a great read.

Here’s more about the book:

Manchester, England, 1857

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England opens in Manchester, Rosanna is excited to visit. She meets the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison, who is head of security, and is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and portrait-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art, and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

But when they discover the theft of some of the paintings—and all the evidence points to Rosanna—she must convince Inspector Harrison she is innocent and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michaelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Inspector Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to paint their own happily ever after.

Other books you may enjoy:

Isabelle and Alexander (Proper Romance) by [Rebecca Anderson]   

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