The Orphan’s Wish by Melanie Dickerson - Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break. Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn’t enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he’s an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune. Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain?

What I love about this book: I’ve read and enjoyed the other books in Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim Fairytale Romance series, but this one really stuck out to me. Usually, when you hear about the story of Aladdin, what comes to mind? Do you think of the wishes? The genie? A cave of wonders and temptation?Well, what fascinates me about The Orphan’s Wish, is how the author decides to focus on the redemption of Aladdin. As a child, he stole money and food to survive. But when he escapes that life and becomes friends with the duke’s daughter, it becomes Aladdin’s mission to become more than his past. In a way, this version of the story feels more real to me. Now, I know the original is folklore and isn’t meant to feel real, but the fact that Dickerson’s Aladdin finds a way to achieve his new life without magic wishes is a lot more inspiring.

To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke - Modern life increasingly makes us feel more wired, chaotic, and burned out. To Hell with the Hustle fights back. Jefferson Bethke shows you how to:

Quit the cycle of more, more, more
Question the noise all around us
Set boundaries and cultivate discipline
Push back the demands of contemporary life
And rediscover the fundamentals that make us human

If you are weary of the pressure to be more, do more, have more, you have permission to opt out. To Hell with the Hustle is your necessary guide to resisting our culture’s frantic madness and embracing the pace of Jesus.

What I love about this book: I’d be lying if I said that my life wasn’t busy and stressful. And that’s why when I first read To Hell with the Hustle, I found that the author had a lot of good points on slowing down and finding ways to really be in the presence of Jesus in your daily life. Jefferson speaks to the individual reader where their at in their fast-paced chaotic life.

The Chronicles Of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - The most well-known out of the seven, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe tells the story of the four Pevensie children who enter the magical land of Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe. Through their adventures, they meet talking animals and learn of a prophecy that speaks of them defeating an evil witch who has terrorized Narnia with an eternal winter. With the help of a powerful talking lion named Aslan, the children defeat the witch and become kings and queens of Narnia. And so followed a prequel story and five more adventures in the magical land of Narnia. These books are known for their religious themes. Featuring parallels to Genesis, Revelation, Jesus’ resurrection, and several stories about redemption as well.

What I love about this series (I expressed this in another post a few months ago): https://www.kcmifm.com/blog/2024/10/1/whats-new-at-the-cross-reference-library-something-pretty-awesome