Dear Friends,

I finished my final round of book reviews, finally feeling caught up! So, I’m excited to share them with you! Hopefully, one, two, or all three of these wonderful books will find themselves on your TBR that’s close to toppling over. 😊

Have you ever struggled with faith? In the midst of feeling blue, does the beauty still shine through? Do you long to get in the kitchen to create something fancy, especially during this holiday season? Look no further, and if you would like to visit the authors’ blogs, simply click on their names.

Finding My Father’s Faith by Wynne Leon is proof that civil conversation about beliefs can bring peace and understanding to the forefront which then reduces gaps in relationships. Leon expresses that she finds “peace, healing, and joy” by carving out moments for meditating, but her story is about finding common ground and respect with her father, Pastor Dick Leon. Her father exuded patience, understanding, and kindness, and wasn’t judgmental when he would listen to her views. These are qualities that any child, regardless of age, want parents to possess. Children want to be heard, and they need to know that their parents support them, even though they may not understand or agree.

Authenticity is found in every nugget of Leon’s memories about struggling with faith, such as in this statement, “I didn’t find the truth or comfort in the church that my dad did. I didn’t rebel hard against it, just found myself falling away from it in college.” Leon opens up about her divorce, realizing that although her marriage didn’t mirror her parents’ lasting partnership, when she embarks on one of her climbing adventures, “defeat can mean I had survived to climb again.”

My husband and I have backpacked, so I really enjoyed learning about Leon’s incredible mountain climbing experiences. The details she conveys with such clarity are jaw-dropping, but they’re also profound because the climb isn’t the end-all. It’s how Leon feels when she reaches the top of a mountain. “It feels like a Divine test…it’s a physical realization of the spiritual – everything is momentous, the view, the accomplishment, the exhilaration, and yet I can’t stay there because I’m tiny. I see the manifestation of my place in the universe, I’m small, my concerns are small, and this life is huge, far more than I can see or understand.”

Leon offers insight through her introspection, and the pages aren’t only a beautiful tribute to her father and a lens into their loving relationship, but they are an honest and compelling account of her journey to discovering faith. Highly recommended for you who have grappled with your faith, or who find comfort in immersing yourself into touching stories about family. If you read this soul-stirring book, you won’t feel alone as you do your own soul-searching.  

The Blues and the Beautiful by Nicole Sara is her second poetry collection. I loved her first book so much that I knew I was in for another treat with this publication. In this compilation with a cover so calming, Sara shares her heart through beautiful thoughts that were penned in the last three years. She writes about many layers in life and nature such as “The Beauty in Broken” and an “Interview with a Rose.” Stunning, color photographs enhance the reader’s experience. As I read each verse, absorbing its beauty and message, it felt like taking a slow ride on a cloud, almost reaching the sky or touching my very own glimmering star. I felt like I was entering into a storybook of charm and whimsy.

Sara writes with such elegance, and her soft rhymes merrily dance on the pages. The poems in this lovely collection explore the beauty of life and nature not only when elation is at play, but also during the times of sorrow. Sunrises and sunsets have always been a huge part of my photo collection, so “Golden Song Sweeping Clean” touched my heart and soul:

Golden has to be the horizon…
Golden as the sun rising clean,
Golden
With a silvery trimming,
Bathing soft smiles through dream…

In “Reflections” Sara begins with a quote from Henry David Thoreau. He expresses that “A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature” and since my husband and I have our favorite lake in the Sierra Mountains that we vacation at each year, this poem resonates…

mirrors
and seasons,
evenings and mornings
spinning whispers together
of summer through winter serene,
and spring rippling over the weather…

Take time out for you and give yourself a beautiful gift of this poetry that will invite you into a world of charm and whimsy, steeling you away from any chaos desiring your attention. Cozy up with your copy while watching the sun rise or witnessing another glorious sunset. Highly recommended!

 Something Fancy by Robbie Cheadle is a delightful book to enhance your holiday festivities. The cover alone made me smile, wanting to discover the delicacies within the pages. This book is everything artistic from delicious recipes to masterpiece creations, from Christmas Cakes to Gingerbread Houses. Cheadle’s photos, recipes, and memories evoked wonderful memories of my childhood, playing with paper dolls and paper mâché. I enjoyed her recollections with Granny Joan and other family members who introduced her to the magical world of art. They nourished her love for reading, then writing, and her mum taught her about baking. Now, the backstory is known! Cheadle has always been an experimenter, and the outcomes of her fondant and elaborate cakes prove that she reaches success. But she didn’t stop at baking; she dived into drawing and painting, and her work is exquisite.

Learning about the history of Christmas Cakes and the variety around the world is fascinating. It is fun to see Stollen included because German heritage runs in my family. My mom used to spend hours in the kitchen, baking her Christmas sugar cookies that I bake each holiday, along with creating Stollen for our holiday festivities. I felt nostalgic, remembering those kitchen moments and gatherings by the Christmas Tree – my parents who aren’t with us anymore, the chatter and laughter, the togetherness. Cheadle also includes her wonderful poetry among the mouthwatering recipes. After most of us indulge in food and drink during the holidays, this micro poem resonated:

Post-Christmas fatigue/Couch beckons enticingly/Rejuvenation

As for cakes, the Jack Frost Cake is incredible! Cheadle shares interesting facts about the famous German Fairy Tale, Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm. She even inserts Covid into her art and poems. I’ve always been a baker just like my mom, but my patience level doesn’t stretch as high as Cheadle’s for the intricate recipes she follows. The color photos are amazing, and I found the conversion chart in the back to be very helpful. As a special feature of my review, I made the Lemon Shortbread in which I’m sharing before and after photos of this delicious recipe. I highly recommend this delightful collection of poetry and sweets, and if you ‘fancy’ mixing up ingredients to create your own masterpiece, skip the class, and read this book!

Robbie’s Lemon Shortbread

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed my reviews and won’t leave here empty-handed. And did you happen to try the lemon shortbread? If so, let me know what you think! 😉 Thank you for visiting, and my last post before the holiday break will be on Tuesday. Until then, I wish you love, peace, and an abundance of happiness during this holiday season. ❤️🎄

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their adult son and daughter live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, the family of four remains close. Lauren has published four poetry collections, a memoir, and her first children’s book. Her latest poetry collection is a tribute to her family’s Chocolate Labrador who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in spring 2025. Lauren is a recent Pushcart Nominee and has been a guest on several podcasts. Her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is also shared on Gobblers and Masticadores. Her muse discovers inspiration from her family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.