This Month’s Books to Read: Fireside Book Club No. 58 ~ White Arrows Home

It’s the beginning of the year and everyone is setting new reading goals.

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What was the best book you read in 2025? My favorite was My Name is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner who also wrote a book I loved years ago recommended by my grandmother, called These is My Words about a woman in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800s.

My Name Is Resolute is a sweeping historical novel that follows the life of Resolute Talbot, a young English girl kidnapped by pirates in the early 1700s and sold into slavery in colonial America. Through captivity, hardship, and personal loss, Resolute grows into a fiercely determined woman, navigating the challenges of survival, family, and freedom in a new land on the brink of revolution. Richly detailed and emotionally resonant, the story explores themes of resilience, identity, and the power of the human spirit to endure and adapt across decades. I couldn’t put it down!

Reading Challenges

There are so many fun reading challenges to kick off a new year. Ways to get motivated and excited to get through your book stack of TBR (To Be Read) books abound. There are all kinds of ways to chart, graph, color and journal your reads as you go.

You can find some ideas in THIS POST.

Try one of the ideas and share with me what you plan to do. Whether you decide to follow along with one of these or already have a motivating and creative idea. I would love to hear in the comments.

HOW TO MAKE TIME TO READ

Do you struggle finding time to fit in reading? Here’s the strategy I created years ago that helps me fit in more books.

What I’m Reading

Here’s what I’ll be reading this month.

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Quiet Time Book

This month I’m reading The Nature of Rest by Eryn Lynum.

Eryn gently invites readers to rediscover Sabbath as more than just a day, but a divine rhythm woven into creation itself. Through Scripture, nature’s patterns, and soul-deep reflections, she shows how real rest isn’t about escaping our lives, but entering into them more fully, the way God intended. With six weeks of devotional insight and journaling prompts, this book helps move from burnout to balance, reminding us that rest is not a reward we earn — it’s a gift we’re given.

Read The Nature of Rest with me!

Wait Time Book

This month I’m reading Age Like A Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz. A few years ago I read her bestseller, Fast Like a Girl ,and learned a lot. So now that I’ve entered my 50s the timing is great for her to release her new book.

This isn’t just another cookbook — it’s a food‑and‑body manifesto built to help women eat with intention, support their hormones, and honor the natural rhythms of their metabolism. Dr. Mindy Pelz shows how what you eat — not just when you eat — can influence energy, blood sugar stability, gut health, and hormone balance. With over 100 delicious recipes for both plant‑based and omnivore eaters, practical guidance on blood sugar and hormonal “windows,” and a philosophy that treats food as medicine rather than deprivation, this book empowers women to reconnect with their bodies and eat in a way that feels good and works for their unique biology.

Read Age Like A Girl with me!

For the Love of Reading

I’ve decided to read (or reread) the Classics. I’ve made a list of American Literature, British Literature, and German Literature (my son in law is German) to start reading through. I’m starting with a popular one from my British Lit List, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Read Pride and Prejudice with me.

Join my Fireside Book Club over on Facebook. Request to join HERE.

Chore Time Book

This month I’m listening to Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. My mom was reading it during Christmas and really enjoyed it.

The transformative power of curiosity, kindness, and connection fill this book. When an older man named Theo arrives one spring in the small southern city of Golden, he’s drawn to a coffee shop wall filled with 92 pencil portraits of locals — and decides to buy and return each one to its “rightful owner,” one by one. What begins as a mysterious mission of creative generosity soon ripples through the town, forging friendships, illuminating hidden stories, and gently changing lives. At its heart, the book is a celebration of seeing and being seen, the wonder of human connection, and the quiet ways small acts of kindness can bind a community together.

TIP: As you get used to listening to audiobooks you can speed up the sound by touching the 1X in the bottom left corner of your device. I usually listen at 1 1/2 and am able to get through books much quicker and make time for more!

Read or Listen to Theo of Goldenwith me!

Looking For More Ideas?

You can find links to other books I shared HERE. I keep a Pinterest Board called “What to Read Next”. You can start one too pinning the photos from this post.