Book picks similar to
He Gave Me Barn Cats by Maria Santomasso-Hyde
first-reads
contemporary-fiction
freebies
grief
Men Like Air
Tom Connolly - 2016
Nineteen-year-old Finn has just arrived in the city with his irrepressible and volatile girlfriend, Dilly, determined to even the score with his older brother Jack for abandoning him in the UK in the aftermath of their parents’ deaths. Across town, successful gallery owner Leo Emerson is haunted by loneliness, unsettled by the contrast between his life and that of his brother-in-law and oldest friend Isidor, who is enviably contented in his faith and his marriage. When Finn wanders into Leo’s gallery, a series of unexpected and interconnected events unfold, changing the lives of all four men, for better or worse. Leo and Isidor’s settled existences are overturned by events outside of their control, while Jack and Finn’s complex relationship reaches its long overdue showdown. Beautifully orchestrated and richly comic, Men Like Air explores the romance and solitude of cosmopolitan life, the transformative power of art, and the impact we have on one another’s lives—and what happens when the ties that bind us are tested or broken. It is an intense and uplifting story of growth and renewal, mapping the complex workings of the human heart across the streets of New York City.
Untouchable
Scott O'Connor - 2011
A year has passed since Lucy Darby's unexpected death, leaving her husband David and son Whitley to mend the gaping hole in their lives. David, a trauma-site cleanup technician, spends his nights expunging the violent remains of strangers, helping their families to move on, though he is unable to do the same. Whitley--an 11-year-old social pariah known simply as The Kid--hasn't spoken since his mother's death. Instead, he communicates through a growing collection of notebooks, living in a safer world of his own silent imagining.As the impending arrival of Y2K casts a shadow of uncertainty around them, their own precarious reality begins to implode. Questions pertaining to the events of Lucy's death begin to haunt David, while The Kid, who still believes his mother is alive, enlists the help of his small group of misfit friends to bring her back. As David continues to lose his grip on reality and The Kid's sense of urgency grows, they begin to uncover truths that will force them to confront their deepest fears about each other and the wounded family they are trying desperately to save.
Forgiveness Unforgettable
Nikki Lee Brannon - 2015
Take a walk into this riveting true story of terror,survival,faith and finally forgiveness as Nikki reveals explicit first-hand accounts of her memories.
Ruined
Ruth Everhart - 2016
Reeling with fear, insecurity, and guilt, Ruth believed she was ruined, both physically and in the eyes of God. In the days and weeks that followed, Ruth struggled to come to grips with not only what happened that night but why. The same questions raced through her mind in an unrelenting loop--questions that would continue to haunt her for years to come: "Why me? Where was God? Why did God allow this to happen? What am I being punished for?" Told with candor and unflinching honesty, Ruined is an extraordinary emotional and spiritual journey that begins with an unspeakable act of violence but ends with tremendous healing and profound spiritual insights about faith, forgiveness, and the will of God.
Forging On
Catherine Robinson - 2017
He's in his element when he's outside in the country air, not stuck in a classroom wasting his youth and the beauty of Yorkshire. When he starts as an apprentice farrier, his first few days are a baptism of fire. His fellow apprentice is a wind-up merchant and his gruff boss, Stanley, ribs him mercilessly about his tea drinking habit. But in this chaotic environment, the three of them form a brotherhood, and soon, Will realises that the coming year is going to teach him a lot more than how to shoe a horse properly...
Fractured Not Broken
M. Weidenbenner - 2015
She can’t remember what happened until her mother arrives and tells tells Kelly she was hit by a drunk driver and is paralyzed from the neck down.Earlier that day, Kelly vacationed at a dude ranch in Colorado with her family and boyfriend—able to ride horses and participate in all the athletic events. She was supposed to return to college, to her cheerleading life, to study elementary education and eventually marry her basketball star boyfriend. Now she couldn’t move. In a sweeping narrative and heart-wrenching story, Kelly exposes the truth about what happened after a drunk driver took away her independence and the life she knew. She shares how she found her way back—through faith and pain, her community, her family, and the love of a man she prayed for. Fractured Not Broken is a true story of loss, faith, and a rare love that could only happen in real life. Miracles come in many obscure moments. I’ve spent most of my life awaiting my big break. I expected my miracle to be in the form of a pill, injection, or surgery that would enable my spine to heal and give me the mobile freedom I’ve been praying for. "My miracle came unannounced, and in an odd package. It looked different from what I imagined--untimely, unexpected, unpretentious--yet it fit perfectly. Divinely constructed solely for me." - Kristen Jongen
Lost for Words
Deric Longden - 1991
She was first featured in Diana's Story, which Longden wrote some years after his wife's death. Now the author's mother appears as the central character in this book, which takes the story forward to the time after Diana's death, and also back to Deric Longden's childhood. She makes her eccentric way through Marks & Spencer, converses with her two cats, offers comments on the fresh developments in her son's life, and finally endures the stroke that led eventually to her death.
Battle Scream
Mark Romang - 2013
Andrew Maddix will answer the call. An ex-Navy SEAL and an unabashed patriot, Maddix will fulfill an ancient prophecy known only to those residing in Heaven. Maddix will lead a secret resistance against mankind’s greatest enemy: Satan. Armed with a flaming sword given to him by the archangel Gabriel, and a pouch of manna that enables him to see the spirit world, Maddix will fight back against the smothering darkness.But behind every great man is a great woman. Sara Kendall will come alongside Maddix and join the resistance. Once an Olympic kayaker and now a wilderness guide, Sara will lead Maddix into the mysterious slot canyons of Southwestern Utah and straight into a demonic stronghold where few have made it out alive, and those that have couldn’t be recognized. But the Father of Lies will not go down easily. Convinced the Rapture is imminent; Satan floods the churches of Earth with demons in a desperate attempt to stymie the spreading Gospel. And soon the entire world wants to arrest Andrew Maddix and Sara Kendall. It will take a SEAL’s courage and skillset, and a wilderness guide’s knowledge to enable them stay free long enough to help usher in mankind’s most anticipated event: the Rapture.In the battle between good and evil, one man and one woman will make the ultimate sacrifice.
Stealing Jenny
Ellen Gable - 2011
A neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.
Your Words Hold a Miracle: The Power of Speaking God's Word
John Osteen - 2012
It may be for us, a family member, or a troubled child. It might be a mountain of family or financial trouble, or some unseen force that fills us with fear.The late John Osteen has good news for us. We can have a miracle from God, for God is a miracle worker. And He has recorded many of His miracles in His Word, the Bible. Rather than running around searching for needed miracles, Osteen shows us how to put the power of God's Word into daily practice. When we agree with, believe in, and confess the Word of God, miracles reveal themselves.
Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet
Moira Anderson Allen - 1987
Treats this serious subject with sympathetic feelings. An excellent guide allowing us to understand that we are not alone with our grief. Anyone who has a pet should read it. -Dog Week Written with compassion and understanding; truly required reading for any pet owner. -Dog World Coping with Sorrow addresses every aspect of pet loss and grief. Written in a clear, friendly style. It takes a pet owner by the hand and walks him through the stages of bereavement, offering explanations and coping strategies at every step. -Canine Concepts A small gem of a book. Anderson's book fills the need for a comprehensive, yet easily read, publication on pet loss and owner bereavement. The message is one of love, common sense, and practical information. -The Delta Society This book has been needed for a long time-like forever! The wealth of information given by pet owners makes the book come alive. It's a lovely thing, beautifully and generously written from the bottom of a superb writer's heart. -Dog Writers Association of America It gets right to the heart of the issue of pet loss, right to where people are hurting. [Its] warm, down-to-earth language reaches out to a pet owner on the level of friend to friend. -Bloodlines
The Truth About Butterflies: A Memoir
Nancy Stephan - 2011
And, yet, the caterpillar lives in the butterfly and they are but one.” - John HarricharanThey belong to each other. Nancy and Nicole—mother and daughter. They’re two halves of a whole, two facets of the same breath—until the day Nicole exhales. . . and never inhales again. After the death of her daughter, and quickly losing her own battle with grief, Nancy moves from the house she can no longer bear to live in. While packing, she finds a box in the attic. Inside she uncovers treasures she didn’t know existed and evidence that her and her daughter’s lives had been more divinely entwined than she could’ve imagined.The Truth About Butterflies is a true story of grief, hope, and transformation, and a single enduring truth: Life cannot be restrained by death._______Nancy Stephan was named Georgia Author of the Year at the 48th annual GAYA Banquet. Stephan’s book, “The Truth About Butterflies” won in the “Memoir” category. Over 100 authors were nominated in 12 categories. The Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) are the oldest literary awards in the Southeast.
Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress
Lee Woodruff - 2009
Lee delivers a collection of 17 brief, plainspoken essays about being a busy mother to four kids and a loving wife, daughter and friend who doesn't always know the right answers.
Love Again
T.K. Chapin - 2014
Just as Jillian was getting acquainted with a life without love, she meets Jake. Jake is in his mid-twenties and visiting the little town of Suncrest to take care of his Grandfather’s estate. When Jillian’s eyes fall onto Jake’s, it immediately resurfaces emotions she thought were buried with Brad. Can true love happen more than once in a lifetime?
Twice a Slave
Randy Willis - 2014
When the son of a Cherokee slave determines to find his purpose and discover his identity, he becomes a slave a second time. This fictional account of the life of Joseph Willis is rooted in early American history and filled with drama: a forbidden romance, faith molded by tragedies, and the courage to forgive. A half-English/half-Cherokee slave changes the course of Louisiana history when a fresh wind blows across his heart.