5. KJV MacLaren Large Print Reference Bible and more...

5. KJV (King James Version) MacLaren Large Print Reference (Thomas Nelson). 2021. 1504 pages. [Source: Gift] [5 stars, Bible, King James Bible]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Start date: April 23, 2026

Finish date: July 9, 2026

I love the King James Bible. I love new King James Bibles. I love old King James Bibles. There are pros and cons to both old and new. This one is decidedly new. It uses comfort print font. It is 10.5 font size. The chapter and verses are in a distinctive blue. The copy I read was imitation or trutone or "leather" like. It was decent. DOUBLE column, not single. Words of Christ in BLACK. The cross references appear at the BOTTOM of the page. There are paragraph headers though it is verse by verse reference edition. This one is not broken into syllables with a pronunciation guide. (Older KJV Bibles often are like this). 

It is relatively light weight. The size of the font makes for a mostly comfortable reading experience. It isn't GIANT print or SUPER GIANT print. 

It would be a good introduction to the King James Bible. It isn't particularly intimidating, it has many of the things you'd expect in a "modern" Bible. It is line-matched. It does lay flat. 

   

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Sunday June 28, 2026

KJV MacLaren Large Print Reference

Joshua 20-24; Jeremiah 10-14; Romans 1-3

NASB 1971 Reference

2 Kings 8-12;

NASB 95 Inductive Study Bible 

Jeremiah 1-8

Monday, June 29, 2026

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Jeremiah 14-29; 

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Jeremiah 30-33

NASB 2020 Music Bible

Matthew 1-6, Genesis 1-14;

Thursday, July 2, 2026

Jeremiah 34-52; 

NKJV Alexander MacLaren Study Bible

2 Samuel 1-5; 1 Corinthians 1-6;

Friday, July 3, 2026

Lamentations

NASB 2020 Music Bible

Matthew 10-12

Saturday, July 4, 2026

Ezekiel 1-7; 

NKJV Alexander MacLaren Bible

2 Samuel 6-8

   

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Sunday June 21, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference 

Deuteronomy 12-14, Isaiah 21-24; John 18-21

Tyndale NT 1534 

Hebrews

NASB 1971 Reference

1 Samuel 16-31

Monday, June 22, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference

Deuteronomy 15-32; Isaiah 25-39; Acts 1-2;

Tyndale NT 1534

James, Jude, Revelation

NASB 1971 Reference

2 Samuel 1-8

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference

Deuteronomy 24-28; Isaiah 40-42; Acts 3-7

NASB 1971 Reference

2 Samuel 9-13

NASB 95 XL

Song of Songs; Isaiah 1-25

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference

Deuteronomy 29-34; Isaiah 43-53; Acts 8-12;

NASB 1971 Reference

2 Samuel 14-24

NASB 95 XL

Isaiah 24-39

Thursday, June 25, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference

Joshua 1-4; Isaiah 54-66; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Acts 13-14;

NASB 1971 Reference

1 Kings 1-11; 

NASB 95XL 

Isaiah 40-45

Friday, June 26, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference

Joshua 5-9; Jeremiah 1-4; Acts 15-24;

NASB 1971 Reference

1 Kings 12-22

NASB 95 XL

Isaiah 46-59

Saturday, June 27, 2026

KJV MacLaren Reference 

Joshua 10-19; Jeremiah 5-9; Acts 25-28;

NASB 1971 Reference

2 Kings 1-7

NASB 95 XL

Isaiah 60-66

   

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16. The Lumber Baron's Wife. Lynn Austin. 2026. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [Christian fiction, historical fiction, dual timelines, multiple narrators, three stars]

First sentence: It's long past midnight but I cannot sleep, consumed with worry for my friend.

The Lumber Baron's Wife has THREE narrators. (Is that too many narrators???) Hannah and Kate narrate the "past" timeline in the novel. Hannah is the doctor's wife. (His name is John). They've lost their children to disease, they were exposed through her husband's work. They are newly moving to Michigan. Kate is the lumber baron's wife. (His name is Henry). He is old. She is young. She isn't just younger than him. She is different in every way imaginable. Everyone thinks it would be a good idea if Hannah "coaches" her in behavior. The longer Kate and Henry are married, the more frustrated he gets with his wife. Meanwhile, Hannah barely tolerates John because she blames him for the death of their children. The "present" timeline in the novel is narrated by Ashley. Her husband is David. He is a conservationist? environmentalist? Something to do with trees and nature and wild things. She loves museum work. He "insists" they move to Michigan. She leaves her happy, happy job so he can have his happy, happy job. Which might be completely and absolutely okay if he gave any proof of being a decent human being. (He does not.) Because we're thrown into the middle of this troubled, tension-filled marriage, there's not much reason for me to like him. She wants to restore the lumber baron's mansion--that is join the community effort. He wants her to find steady work, the higher-paying the better. And he absolutely under no circumstances wants her to have the baby they've conceived. His pressuring her to have an abortion in a dozen or so chapters is the most obnoxious thing I've ever read in a Christian book. 

The stories are tied together because of the setting--obviously--but also in trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Kate. 

I did not like this one very much. I didn't love Kate and Henry. I didn't. I could tolerate John and Hannah. But I despised and loathed David. 

A bright side for this one could be that it does tackle difficult issues. Spousal abuse, manipulation, grief, abortion, etc. Most of the characters are not Christian. There's some will they or won't they become Christian by the end of the novel. This might be a plus for some readers. There is plenty of WHY is this happening if there is a God. Hannah questions God after losing her children. Her husband wants her to share the gospel with Kate, but, Hannah is struggling to believe the gospel herself. Kate is struggling with the basics of the gospel. She doesn't believe that grace could actually be grace. Henry and John aren't really characterized super well, though we do know that HENRY is a horrid, horrid man. David, as I mentioned, is despicable. He is angry at God. And he's super controlling and manipulative. And Ashley is not a Christian. She isn't open to the idea of spending time with Christians just in case they share the gospel. But she makes a friend who is a Christian and their mutual interest in restoring this historic house brings them together. There's some gospel presentation. But it isn't always received well. Which I think is probably realistic. 

   

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