- Lightlark by Alex Aster
Author Archives: Stephanie Carroll
2025 Books
1. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
2. Best House on the Block by T. R. Ragan
3. The Book of Ayn by Lexi Freiman
4. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
5. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
6. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
7. Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
8. The Wedding People by Alison Espach
9. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
10. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley
11. The Trap by Ava Glass
12. High Impact at Low Decibels by Mike Schiller
13. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
14. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
15. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
16. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
17. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
18. The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
19. The Prophetess by Jill Eileen Smith
20. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
21. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
22. The Boomerang by Robert Bailey
23. Talk to Me Nice by Minda Harts
24. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
25. Awake by Jen Hatmaker
26. The Second Chance Book Club by Stephanie Butland
27. The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
28. The Midnight Bookshop by Amanda James
29. The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes
30. The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes
31. The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal
32. My Friends by Fredrick Backman
33. Yours for the Season by Uzma Jalaluddin
34. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
35. The Will of the Many by James Islington
36. Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov
37. Merry and Bright by Ali Rosen
38. All Wrapped up in You by Rosie Danna
39. You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa
2024 Delights
Sunday afternoon naps
Trying new restaurants with family
Family conversations during church when we shouldn’t be talking
A good poem that resonates with you
A walk on a beautiful day
Birdsong
Short chats in the office with coworkers
Making someone smile
Seeing a friend unexpectedly
Someone thinking of you and sending you a picture
Daughter taking sunrise/sunset pictures
A new episode of a podcast you like
When people make themselves laugh
Lunch with my husband
A good, healthy meal
A slow walk around the neighborhood
Super silly family conversations
2024 Books
1. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffe
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
3. Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
5. Maame by Jessica George
6. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
7. Islam Explained by Ahmad Rashid Salim
8. The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman
9. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
10. The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
11. All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
12. Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
13. The Maid by Nita Prose
14. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
15. Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, M.D.
16. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
17. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
18. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
19. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
20. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
21. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
22. The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
23. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
24. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
25. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
26. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
27. Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
28. Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
29. Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
30. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
31. Funny Story by Emily Henry
32. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
33. The Accounting Game by Darrell Mullis & Judith Orloff
34. The Women by Kristin Hannah
35. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
36. The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
37. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
38. Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
39. The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown
40. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano
41. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
42. What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
43. Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
44. Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
45. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
46. The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
47. The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden
48. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
49. The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
50. Camino Island by John Grisham
51. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
52. The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
53. Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand
54. The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris
55. Camino Winds by John Grisham
56. There’s Only One Noon Yeah by Rob Bell
57. Camino Ghosts by John Grisham
58. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
59. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
60. By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
61. The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman
62. The Anti-Heroes by Jen Lancaster
63. The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer
64. In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros
65. Cupid’s Match by Lauren Palphreyman
66. Drop Dead Sisters by Diane Coombs
67. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
68. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
69. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
70. Nobody’s Perfect by Sally Kilpatrick
71. The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
72. The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
73. If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
74. By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
75. Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Cordova
76. Tangled up in You by Christina Lauren
77. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
78. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
2023 Books
1. Survival by K. A. Riley
2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
3. Spare by Prince Harry
4. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
5. The Measure by Nikki Erlick
6. Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkeurst
7. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
8. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
9. The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson
10. Things we Never Got Over by Lucy Score
11. The Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
12. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
13. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
14. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
15. A Beginner’s Guide to Trauma by Reshie Joseph
16. The Best Strangers in the World by Ari Shapiro
17. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
18. Happy Place by Emily Henry
19. Homecoming by Kate Morton
20. The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
21. Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn
22. All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore
23. American Royals III: Rivals by Katharine McGee
24. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
25. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
26. Reign by K. A. Riley
27. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
28. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
29. It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
30. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
31. With Love from London by Sarah Jio
32. Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore
33. The Humans by Matt Haig
34. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
35. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
36. Never Lie by Freida McFadden
37. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
38. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
39. A Soul of Ash and Blood by JenniferArmentrout
40. Rememberings: Scenes from My Complicated Life by Sinead O’Connor
41. The First Ladies by Marie Benedict
42. Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere by Ree Drummond
43. The Summer of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther
44. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
45. The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
46. Reign by Katharine McGee
47. Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score
48. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
49. Hello Beautiful by Ana Napolitano
50. Where’d You Park Your Spaceship? By Rob Bell
51. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
52. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
53. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
54. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
55. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
56. Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
57. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
58. Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
59. Snowed In by Catherine Walsh
60. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
61. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
62. Weyward by Emilia Hart
2022 Books
1. Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
2. Spring House by Mary Ellen Taylor
3. The Words We Whisper by Mary Ellen Taylor
4. Gilded by Marissa Meyer
5. Here We Go Again by Betty White
6. The Princess Purge by Cordelia Castel
7. Development Through the Lifespan by Laura Berk
8. War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
9. These Tangled Vines by Julianne Maclean
10. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
11. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeno
12. Finale by Stephanie Garber
13. The Cure by K. A. Riley
14. Awaken by K. A. Riley
15. Ascend by K. A. Riley
16. The Restaurant by Pamela M. Kelley
17. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
18. Family Therapy by Samuel T. Gladding
19. The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
20. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
21. Fallen by K. A. Riley
22. Introduction to Educational Research by Craig A. Mertler
23. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
24. Sankofa by Chibundo Onuzo
25. Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
26. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
27. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
28. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
29. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
30. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
31. A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab
32. Signal Moon by Kate Quinn
33. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
34. The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen
35. Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer
36. She’s Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino
37. Foundations of Addictions Counseling by David Capuzzi
38. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout
39. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer Armentrout
40. The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer Armentrout
41. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
42. The War of Two Queens by Jennifer Armentrout
43. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
44. When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
45. The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
46. The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel
47. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
48. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
49. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
50. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
51. The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman
52. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
53. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
54. Verity by Colleen Hoover
55. Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
56. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
57. From Trauma to Transformation by Debra Laaser
58. The Royal Games by Jamie Sanders
59. Recruitment by K. A. Riley
60. Render by K. A. Riley
2021 Books
1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas – 8
2. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – 8
3. Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn – 9
4. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn – 9
5. An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn – 8
6. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn – 9
7. To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn – 9
8. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn – 9
9. It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn- 7
10. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn – 8
11. Learning the Art of Helping: Building Blocks and Techniques by Mark E. Young – school book. No rating 😁
12. Affirming: A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality, and Staying in the Church – 9
13. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – 9
14. Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mes – 7
15. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas – 7
16. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey – 8
17. Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey – 8
18. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah – 9
19. Sexuality Counseling: Theory, Research and Practice by Christine Murray, Amber Pope, Ben Willis – school book. No rating.
20. What every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know About Sex by Stephanie Buehler – school book. No rating.
21. My Hero Academia: Vol. 1 by Kohei Horikoshi
22. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – 7
23. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory- 7
24. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – 7
25. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory- 7
26. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – 7
27. Colorblind by Mia Sanders
28. Colorstruck by Mia Sanders
29. Groups: A Counseling Specialty by Samuel T. Gladding
30. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes – 7
31. Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory – 7
32. The Survivors by Jane Harper – 7
33. Sandcastles by Luanne Rice – 7
34. The Burning: The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan – 6
35. One Two Three by Laurie Frankl – 7
36. Career Development Interventions by Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey (school book)
37. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – 9
38. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – 7
39. The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy – 7
40. A Woman Like Her by Marc Levy – 7
41. Abnormal Psychology by Beidel et al.
42. A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer – 7
43. The Betrothed by Kiera Cass – 7
44. Love at First by Kate Clayborn – 7
45. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
46. The Upside of Falling by Alex Light – 7
47. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
48. The Princess Trials by Cordelia K Castel
49. The Princess Games by Cordelia K Castel
50. The Princess Crown by Cordelia K Castel
51. This Tender Land by William Kent Kreuger
52. Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans
53. The Heir by Kiera Cass
54. The Crown by Kiera Cass
55. The Paid Bridesmaid by Sarah Wilson
56. Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling by Remley & Herlihy
57. Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
58. The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper
2020 Books
- Know My Name by Chanel Miller
- The Breakout (Genesis Book 1) by Rachelle Harp
- The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
- The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer
- The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer
- Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel
- Native by Kaitlin Curtice
- The Land of Stories: An Author’s Odyssey by Chris Colfer
- There There by Tommy Orange
- Fierce, Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker
- The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
- The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer
- Chasing Vines by Beth Moore
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
- When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
- The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
- Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi
- Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
- Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
- Chair Time by Dan Southerland
- Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor
- Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
- The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
- Open Book by Jessica Simpson
- Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
- Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
- American Royals by Katharine McGee
- American Royals II: Majesty by Katharine McGee
- Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- Counseling Today: Foundations of Professional Identity by Darcy Haag Granello & Mark E. Young
- Children of time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
- How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
- A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
- Counseling Theory and Practice by Edward Neukrug
- Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
- The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2019 Books
- Awakening the Creative Spirit: Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction by Christine Valters Paintner and Betsy Beckman
- The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert
- Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
- True Places by Sonja Yoerg
- Bring: The Last Beholder by Megan Beam and Erin Hicks
- Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
- Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction by David G. Benner
- Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott
- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Seeking God Together by Alice Fryling
- Still Me by Jojo Moyes
- Gather: The Last Beholder by Megan Beam & Erin Hicks
- A Curve in the Road by Julianne Maclean
- The Saturday Evening Girls Club by Jane Healey
- Confidential by Ellie Monago
- The One by John Marrs
- Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano
- Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber
- Reap by Casey L. Bond
- Resist by Casey L. Bond
- Reclaim by Casey L. Bond
- The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
- Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
- The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
- Spiritual Companioning by Angela H. Reed, Richard R. Osmer, Marcus G. Snicker
- Spiritual Direction by Sue Pickering
- Trustworthy Connections by Anne Winchell Silver
- The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson
- Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard
- The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
- The River by Peter Heller
- Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
- The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
- Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
- Enchantee by Gita Trelease
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
- Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
- My Glory Was I Had Such Friends by Amy Silverstein
- Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
- The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali
- The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne
- The Beholder by Anna Bright
- Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
- Legend by Marie Lu
- Prodigy by Marie Lu
- Champion by Marie Lu
- The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood
- Crown of Midnight by Sarah Maas
- Heir of Fire by Sarah Maas
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
- Queen of Shadows by Sarah Maas
- Empire of Storms by Sarah Maas
- Tower of Dawn by Sarah Maas
- Kingdom of Ash by Sarah Maas
- Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
Adventure Weekend 2018
Once a year, I go away for a weekend by myself to pray, spend time with God, reflect, plan, rest and have fun. I like to think of it as going on an adventure with God. Chris does one of … Continue reading