Heidi's Haven

Hey guys! I'm back again already with yet another book review!  Today I'm reviewing Furthermore , a new middle grade novel by Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me series. The book is being released on September 1, 2016. This book follows Alice, who has just turned 12. Alice lives in Ferenwood, a village where magic comes from color. However, Alice is devoid of pigment in her skin and hair, so she has no color. She teams up with a boy called Oliver to travel to the strange land of Furthermore, where Oliver says her dad is, who disappeared years ago. Alice and Oliver must navigate the strange, Wonderland-like Furthermore in order to save her father. I devoured this book; I just could not put it down. The story was just so fun and creative, and I was fully immersed in the world. The story wasn't predictable, and I found myself surprised many times. The writing style, too, was so fun and made reading so enjoyable. The narrator is speaking to the reader, a...

Hello everyone! I just finished reading Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the "Rules"  by Jacqueline Bussie and I'm going to share my thoughts on it. This book is all about how the unspoken "rules" of modern Christianity actually does more harm than good, and can even end up pulling us away from God. Rules such as never getting angry at God and comforting using only Christian cliches need to stop for Outlaw Christians.  An outlaw Christian is defined in this book as "a new, life-giving faith for those who ache for a more authentic relationship with God and other people by no longer having to hide their doubt, anger, grief, scars, or questions", or "an honest, outside-the-law faith for those seeking a hope that really speaks to the world's hurt." I completely agree with both of definitions, and I think that's what Christianity should be about. In my opinion, doubt and questions are necessary in or...

Hello friends! Last Saturday, I turned 21. It's crazy to think that I'm already that old! I had an amazing birthday, though. I'm lucky enough to have been able to spend my birthday in Ireland! First of all, here's me at midnight right when I turned 21! I was pretty excited. I took a day tour on my birthday, and the first stop was at this beautiful castle ruins in Cashel. Next up was Blarney Castle! I got to kiss the Blarney Stone! The final stop on the tour was the city of Cork, where we did a little shopping. Once we were back in Dublin, my friend and I went for a night out, complete with tiara and "birthday princess" sash!