Welcome to our yearly Recap Book Chat Awards for the year 2025.

Most whimsical: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – Its dreamy, childlike philosophical tale of a young prince traveling planets, full of wonder, imagination, and gentle absurdity, captures pure whimsy more than any other on the list. BFG and Much Ado About Nothing also fit this category.

Grittiest: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – Depicting extreme poverty, injustice, prison brutality, prostitution, child suffering, and revolutionary violence in raw detail, it unflinchingly explores human misery and societal cruelty. 

Most unique format: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Vol. 1 or 2) – Written entirely as witty, personal diary entries from a quirky Victorian-era heroine, this journal style stands out distinctly among traditional narratives, plays, and prose.

Best opening line: The Green Ember by S.D. Smith “Heather had invented the game, but Picket made it magic.” 

Most unpredictable: The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner – Filled with shocking twists involving deception, bigamy, and survival amid the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, its plot revelations keep readers guessing.

Most intense: Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon-Family killed in front of her, captured by Indians, yet in love with an Indian man. 

Most impactful in society: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo – A monumental critique of social injustice that influenced reforms, human rights discourse, and popular culture worldwide through adaptations highlighting redemption and inequality.

Most creative: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – Inventing an entire mythology, languages, maps, and world (Middle-earth) showcases unparalleled imaginative world-building.

Best leading lady: Emmalyne Knox from The Quarryman’s Bride by Tracie Peterson – Intelligent, resilient, compassionate, dealing with trauma from loss of sisters, home and betrothed. 

Best leading man: Aragorn from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien. Brave warrior, wise strategist, skilled healer, humble leader, stoic strength and empathy. Aragorn demonstrates a balanced masculinity free of pettiness, unjust anger or despair. He epitomizes patience and loyalty beyond today’s imagination! 

Best ending: Ferris by Kate Dicamillo, what a beautiful story of reconciliation and  community, Here Be Dragons by Melanie Shankle ends with her teaching her daughter to navigate the dragons (aka mean girls) in life.

Changed our lives: Seeing the Unseen by Joe Beam, preparing yourself for Spiritual Warfare along with the bishop in Les Miserables whose kindness changed Jean Valjean’s life! 

Stands the test of time: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – Decades later, it remains a cultural cornerstone, influencing fantasy and enduring as a beloved classic.

Best overall book: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien – Masterful storytelling, rich themes of friendship, heroism, and good vs. evil, combined with enduring influence and depth, make it a standout masterpiece. Happy New Year dear readers!!!

Let’s journey to Middle Earth together! Readers meet Frodo, the unsuspecting beneficiary of Bilbo’s ‘Ring’. This gift turns the innocent hobbit’s world upside down. Frodo and his friends, Sam, Merry and Pippin set out on a quest to meet up with Gandalf the Grey which is no small task as Black Riders are trailing the travelers. 

Along the way they meet a Ranger, tall, lean, dark, who goes by the name of Strider. He tells Frodo his carelessness with the Ring has announced to the evil people that the hobbits are in town. 

Frodo receives a note of warning from Gandalf NOT to use the ring again. He also tells him his friend, Strider, (aka Aragorn) will help him get to Rivendell where he hopes to meet with him.

Sacrifice and camaraderie are themes throughout the book. When plans fail there is no blame game. When mistakes are made, they are owned, when tensions arise options are given.

When Gimli, the Dwarf, refuses to abide the elves' rule for him to be blindfolded, Aragorn suggests that their whole party be blindfolded.

Won’t you join us for the journey? We wish each one of you a Merry Christmas!!!

It’s the season of curling up with a good book before a cozy fire and reading a favorite book. 

It’s also gift giving time. Maybe our lists can help you match your loved ones to the perfect book!

We each share our 5 favorite adult and children's books to light up your holiday season! 

Kate and Sheila’s Picks:                

Adults’                                       Kids’ 

• Living Fearless Wingfeather Saga

• Hiding Place Little Pilgrim’s Progress

• Lineage of Grace The Hobbit

• Unoffendable The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Narnia Chronicles 😀)

• Mere Christianity Way of the Warrior Kid

• Undefeated The Education of Little Tree

• Theo of Golden Everything Sad Is Untrue

• Seeing the Unseen The Green Ember series

• Hannah Coulter Call of the Wild

• Red Badge of Haven 

  Courage

Thank you for listening! Happy Reading! The authors are listed on our website.https://recapbookchat.com/2025/12/16/episode-208-top-ten-books-blessings/

Blessings to you and your family!

For episode 208, Kate and Sheila recap The Quarryman’s Bride, by Tracie Peterson.  The story is set in 1880’s in St. Cloud, MN. The contrast in characters is amazing! Emmalyne’s kindness and loyalty contrasts wildly with the bitterness and hardness of her father.  Emmalyne and Tavin were two weeks away from marriage when the tragedy of losing her sisters changed her father’s mind. He announced she could not marry Tavin, but must care for him and her mother instead because it was a Scottish custom. Tavin wanted to elope Emmalyne could not. She surrendered to do her duty instead of following her heart. Tavin’s so devastated he leaves town immediately, the Knox family leave as well. 

Eleven years pass and the Knox family returns. Mr. MacLachlan hired Mr. Knox as his accountant at the quarry. There is much tension at the quarry because the pressure to join the union is applying. Tavin’s mother sent him a letter saying how much he was needed at home.

Emmalyne cares for her sick mother with the help of a young handsome doctor. Emmalyne prays for God to bless her family. She struggles to love her father and tells him of her struggle. Her mother’s health is revived when her son comes down with the measles.

“You can begin by doing and saying loving things…Love is not an emotion but an act.”

Forgiveness, redemption, and transformation are woven throughout The Quarryman’s Bride. Won’t you join us for the ride! 

https://recapbookchat.com/2025/11/13/the-quarrymans-bride-a-tale-of-love-and-sacrifice/

The period of Judges and Ruth was dark. God raised up Samuel as a prophet, priest, and judge when He answered childless Hannah’s fervent prayer. Samuel was committed to doing what was right in God’s sight, sadly Eli, the current priest, and sons were not. Eli’s dealings with his erring sons teaches us we have to do more than just talk. From Samuel, the last judge, to Saul, the first king, is a tumultuous time. Fear becomes Saul’s focus trumping growth in his relationship with God. Amazingly, Saul’s son, Jonathan, shines because he does put God first. Fearless faith enables Jonathan to humbly embrace David as the next king instead of himself.

David was anointed king before his famous fight with Goliath in chapter 17. We notice the timeline between David’s anointing as king and him actually becoming king was quite a gap. David’s brothers were about as encouraging as Joseph’s. Was it jealousy? Brothers can be a blessing or a burden, this is true in all relationships, let’s choose to be a Johnathan not an Eliab! The end of the first book of Samuel gets ugly for  King Saul, he’s blinded by jealousy and cannot stop chasing David, he’s not listening to Samuel, and he’s not obeying God. After Samuel dies, Saul decides to have a medium bring him up. Sad picture of lost opportunities, we can learn much for Saul. Carpe Diem - Seize the Day!

2 Samuel depicts the ups and downs of King David’s life. We learn that sin separates and that no one sins in a vacuum, we can get forgiveness most assuredly sin has consequences. David’s children suffered. Kudos to Nathan, who had the hard talk with David using the vehicle of story!

Through it all, David is a man after God’s own heart. Are we following his example as we meet the ups and downs of our earthly walk? Please join Kate and Sheila as they recap these two insightful books in God’s Holy Word! Blessings to you dear listeners, may we all GROW closer to God each day!

Emma M. Lion returns with gusto in volume 2 by Beth Brower. Do you like underdog stories? Emma may be in a precarious predicament but she’s not one to throw in the towel! 

Advice from Emma’s father, “You must be fighting fit, Emma, whatever else. Most of life is the ability to be ready for what comes your way.”

Young Hawkes (the unlikely vicar) informs Emma that her cousin has been confessing his sins and a much longer list of her sins while showing the scar from the teapot Emma tossed at him long ago following much provocation. 

The Tenant aka Niall Pierce attempts to solve the mouse problem with a cat. He and Emma communicate by sending messages through a hole in the wall that divides the garret, like the following:

I REPORT THAT TYBALT HAS TAKEN A MOUSE.

Your news proves to be the chief triumph of my day.

WITH NO WISH TO CAST ASPERSIONS, I WONDER HOW THAT COULD BE THE TRIUMPH OF AN ENTIRE DAY?

Tea with my Aunt, the Lady Eugenia Spencer, in which I was instructed how to behave in public: namely, like an unobtrusive but on the window.

I RETRACT MY PREVIOUS QUESTION.

Cousin Arabella bravely declares that, “Emma can’t live with Maxwell’s ghost forever…As painful as it is, however desperately we miss him, Maxwell has been dead for three years…Allow him to go.”

  Mary, Emma’s friend and fellow survivor  from Fortitude enlists Emma’s help in solving a problem involving retrieving a confiscated  copy of Jane Eyre and Jack (Mary’s rented cousin).

In the midst of Emma’s comings and goings she intersects with the Duke of Islington’s diary which she was unable to resist reading from cover to cover before returning it!

We love Emma and her ability to move forward in spite of the trials her cousin places upon her. Won’t you join the journey? Blessings!

Naomi has lost her husband and two sons in Moab so she decides to return to her homeland. However, she does not lose her daughter-in-law even after Naomi repeatedly encouraged Ruth to return to her mother’s house. 

Ruth's reply was and still is so powerful. “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Ruth exhibits the traits described in the Proverbs 31 woman. She gave Naomi space to grieve while she gleaned fields from early morning till evening. Her focus was on serving Naomi not herself. What a wonderful lesson for us all!

Her character and work ethic received the attention of Boaz, the owner of the field and a relative of Naomi. Layer by layer, Naomi works through her grief and becomes a matchmaker. What a beautiful love story evolves out of heart-brokeness!

Boaz’s mom was Rahab, who had also, like Ruth, left pagan life to follow YHWH. He is drawn to this young woman who is an outsider, like himself, when he sees who she  gladly gleans for her mother-in-law.

R uth refused to return to her parent’s abode,

U nbelievable work ethic, she carried the load-

T rusted God wholeheartedly, she never feared,

H umbly followed Namomi’s instructions no matter how weird!

Won’t you journey with us back to the turbulent time of Judges as we recap the amazing book of Ruth! Let’s strive to absorb the lessons that can be gleaned from this selfless servant-minded young widow!

Join Kate and Sheila as they journey through Judges, a book of disobedience, oppression, crying out to God, judge (aka leader) appointed, deliverance, and peace cycling over and over. God was clear- take over the land, but instead His people intermarried and started to worship idols. Downward spirals are never pretty, but they can teach a great deal.

•  In chapter 2, the text says they failed to teach the next generation.

• Ch. 4-Deborah the prophetess helps her insecure commander, Barak (Be Brave-God’s in control)

• Ch. 5-the resourceful Jael bravely uses what she has on hand (a tent peg) to kill the man Barak was afraid of (Serve God with what we have on hand)

• Ch. 6-Gideon’s story shows the patience of God and how He meets people where they are

• Ch. 8 Gideon goes from “the Lord will rule over you” to building an ephod that became a snare to the people

• Ch 11- Jepthah’s unwise vow that cost his daughter’s life (Watch our words closely)

• Abimelech killed his 70 half-brothers on a stone (the youngest escaped) (he received 70 silver coins-is money ever the answer?)

• Abeimelech was killed by a millstone a woman dropped out of a tower (Another resourceful woman)

• Samson – never trust someone (Delilah) who seeks to weaken you (Pick your friends carefully)

• “In those days there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.” Judges 17:6 and 21:25 (Ask what does God want me to do instead)

Talk about a rollercoaster ride! Please join us & discover how this book can guide, real change always starts from the inside! 

In today’s visit we dive into The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by the very talented Beth Brower.

“It takes a courageous man to marry a woman with a mind.” 

Emma M. Lion is definitely a woman with a mind! She lives in London in the house she inherited but is quarantined to just the garret thanks to Cousin Archibald.

In 106 pages you are swept back to 1883 England. One journal entry shows a wordsmith in the making.

“The scurry.

The scrape.

The scratch.

Followed by an all to earthly squeak.

The garret has mice.

I weep.”

Emma lost her parents at 13 and is now trying to survive and thrive in dire circumstances until she turns 18 in a few months.

She had to sell her father’s extensive library to pay for schooling, which turned out less than optimal. Her cousin delivers a trunk that contains her mother’s Bible and her father’s illustrated works of Shakespeare. (Her father annotated texts long before it was cool. Margins are made to record the thoughts of the reader. Emma treasures this book. “I will read them through slowly, stretching the delight as far as I can.”

Are you ready to meet the colorful Emma M. Lion? Please join us as we discuss the wonders of this witty wordsmith!