Why I'm Only Reading Books That Take Four Hours or Less

This year, I've made a decision that might sound strange to some readers: I'm mostly going to read books that would take four hours or less to listen to as an audiobook.

Why?

Because I've learned something about myself as a reader. Most books that are much longer than that feel full of filler.

Now, before anyone gets upset, this is just my personal preference. If you love long books, that's wonderful! You have every right to enjoy reading books that take eight, ten, or even twenty hours to finish. But I've finally accepted that those books usually aren't for me.

Over the years, I've tried a lot of longer books. Time after time, the same thing happens. I get about four hours into the story, and then I start feeling bored. 

The plot slows down, extra scenes get added, and it often feels like there are pages and pages that don't really move the story forward.

Many times I've thought, "If you took this chapter out completely, the story would still make perfect sense."

After starting and abandoning so many books, I finally decided to stop fighting against the kind of reader I am.

My new rule is simple:

Read books that take four hours or less to get through.

Will I occasionally pick up a longer book? Sure. There are always exceptions. 

But my main goal is to enjoy reading again, and shorter books help me do that.

One thing I've noticed is that many junior novels are exactly the length I enjoy.

They're short, sweet, and focused. The authors don't spend pages and pages

 wandering away from the story. They get to the point and keep things moving.

Some of my favorite series are:

• The Boxcar Children

• Nancy Drew Clue Crew

• Jennie McGrady Mysteries

In fact, I love the length of the Jennie McGrady books. They're around four hours long as audiobooks, and for me, that's just about perfect. The stories move along at a good pace, and I rarely feel like I'm reading unnecessary material.

I've started several books this year, and almost every time a book was significantly longer than four hours, I ended up quitting it. That was frustrating at first, but now I see it as valuable information. Instead of forcing myself to finish books I don't enjoy, I'd rather spend my time reading books I actually look forward to picking up.

Another thing I've realized is that reading preferences can change with different seasons of life.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of Karen Witemeyer books, and I truly enjoy her writing. She's a talented author, and her stories are well written. But many of her books focus heavily on romance and falling in love.

I don't want to spend all my reading time thinking about romance. At this point in my life, I'm content being single until God says otherwise. I want my mind focused on other things, and reading story after story centered around romance just isn't what I'm looking for right now.

So for this season, I'm choosing books that fit who I am and where I am in life.

• Shorter books.
• Mysteries.
• Adventures.
• Stories that keep moving.
• Stories without a lot of filler.
• Most importantly, stories that make me excited to read.

I've spent too much time trying to be the kind of reader I thought I should be. Now I'm giving myself permission to be the kind of reader I actually am.

And honestly?

Reading has become a lot more enjoyable because of it.

My New Christmas Album: It Was Away in a Manger

🎄Hi friends! I’m so excited to tell you about my brand-new Christmas album called It Was Away in a Manger. It came out on October 31st, 2025, and I’ve been waiting to share it with you!

This album is really special to me because all the songs are original — my dad wrote them himself! They’re not the same old Christmas songs you’ve heard before. Each one has its own story, melody, and feeling that came straight from my heart.

Songs I Love Most

One of my favorite songs on the album is the title track, “It Was Away in a Manger.” It’s a soft and sweet song that reminds me of peaceful nights and the quiet magic of Christmas.

Another one I really love is “Joy to the World.” Even though it has the same name as the classic carol, this one’s totally new — it’s full of happiness and light, and it always makes me smile when I sing it.

Why I Made This Album

When we started writing these songs, we wanted to make music that felt warm and comforting — like sitting by the fire, watching snow fall, or being with the people you love. We hope these songs make you feel that way too.

You can listen to River and Me Ministries It Was Away in a Manger on all the music apps — and I really hope it becomes part of your Christmas season.

Thanks for listening and for sharing this special time with me. ❤️

Listen to the full album

A New Album, a new music video and what's new with River and Me Ministries

✨ Hi everyone!

I hope this finds you well and blessed. It’s been such a full and beautiful season, and I wanted to take a moment to share what’s been happening lately — and to thank you for all your love, prayers, and encouragement along the way. 💛

🎶 A Big Milestone: My New Album Release!

Last month was especially exciting because… I released my music album!

It’s part of River and Me Ministries Music. Each track carries a piece of my heart — stories and melodies that have come 

from moments of joy, waiting, and deep faith.

Every song is a reflection of God’s faithfulness, peace, and love through life’s ups and downs. From quiet prayers whispered in the dark to joyful praise for His goodness, my hope is that these songs remind you that God is always near and always working for our good.

You can listen to the album on our ministry platforms.

I’d love to hear which song speaks to you most. 💿✨

🎥 Music Video & Creative Projects

I also had the joy of creating a music video for one of the songs I wrote and sang! It’s been such a fun and faith-filled experience — from writing the lyrics and recording vocals, to seeing the visuals come alive. Watching it reach hearts and encourage others has been such a blessing.

If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s available on our My YouTube Channel

🌊 What’s New with River and Me Ministries

The YouTube channel has been growing and changing a lot lately! 

Along with music, we’re creating:

• 🎭 Silly puppet videos that share uplifting messages in fun ways

• 🎨 Animations that tell Bible stories and simple truths of faith

• 🎵 Original songs that glorify God and bring joy to families

It’s been wonderful to see how creativity can point hearts back to Him. If you haven’t yet, please consider subscribing — your support helps us reach more people with encouragement, light, and laughter.

💌 Thank You from My Heart

Thank you all for supporting me, praying for me, and walking beside me in this journey. Whether you’ve shared a kind word, watched a video, or simply prayed — it means more than I can ever express.

I’m so grateful for each one of you and for the way 

God connects us through His love.

With love and blessings,
Bre 💖

Happy Easter and Happy Birthday To My Momma!

We had such a good Easter Sunday. We went to Church with our good friends.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Not only was it Easter, but it was my mom's birthday.

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful, loving, and strong woman I know! On your special day, I just want to remind you how deeply loved and appreciated you are, not just today, but every single day.

God truly blessed me when He gave me you for a mom. Your love has been my safe place, your wisdom has guided me through so much, and your kindness has shaped me into who I am. I’m so grateful for your constant support, your prayers, your hugs, and all the little things you do — the ones that often go unnoticed but mean the world.

You have a heart that gives without limits and a spirit that shines so bright. I pray this year brings you as much joy and peace as you’ve always given me. You deserve the very best that life has to offer, and I hope today you feel surrounded by love, happiness, and all the sweet things that make your heart smile.

I love you more than words could ever express. Happy, happy birthday, Momma! May God bless you abundantly in this new year of life.

Why I Took Social Media Apps Off My Phone

For a long time, I found myself constantly checking social media—scrolling, refreshing, and getting lost in the endless cycle. It left me feeling drained.

That’s when I made the decision to remove all social media apps from my phone. (This includes YouTube) 

Now, if I want to check my socials, or watch a YouTube video, I can only do so from my laptop.

At first, it felt a little strange not having everything at my fingertips, but I quickly noticed a huge improvement in my mental health. Without the constant notifications and temptation to mindlessly scroll, I feel so much more present in my day-to-day life. And I have more time to focus on my blog.

This change has helped me refocus my energy on things that truly matter—spending time with God, being creative, and enjoying real-life moments without distraction. I no longer feel the pull to check my phone every few minutes, and that in itself is freeing.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by social media, I highly recommend trying this. You might be surprised at how much lighter and more peaceful you feel when you’re not constantly plugged in.

Jesus is my everything

*Finding Purpose in His Love*

My journey with Jesus is the core of everything I do—whether it’s writing children's books, vlogging about faith, or creating stories that encourage others. Jesus is the foundation of my creativity and ministry, inspiring me to share His love through every avenue of my life. 

*Living by Faith*

From reading my KJV Bible to reflecting on scripture in my YouTube channel, River and Me Ministries, I am constantly seeking to grow in my relationship with Christ. My faith in Him not only guides me personally but also shapes the content I create, where I explore topics of spiritual growth, often alongside my mom.

*Creativity Rooted in Him*

Whether I’m scrapbooking, developing a new children's story, or imagining adventures for my band of preteen girls in my latest fiction project, everything stems from my desire to honor God. He gives me the creativity to write, design, and share stories that reflect His goodness.

*Daily Walk with Jesus*

In my day-to-day life, from e-bike rides with my Maltese Abby, to listening to audiobooks, Jesus is present in all that I do. He is my guide in every creative project, every faith-based video, and every personal moment of reflection. Through it all, I am constantly reminded of His grace, His wisdom, and His plan for my life.

*"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."* — Jeremiah 29:11

This is my life in Christ—a journey of faith, creativity, and purpose, all for His glory.

My Reading Nook: In My Tiny House

I used to have my loft filled with books, DVDs, and all sorts of media. 

It was a cozy little nook that reflected my love for reading and entertainment. 

But as time passed, I felt inspired to transform the space into—

a Doll Loft! I wanted a place where my doll collection could truly shine.

If you'd like to read more about this transformation, 

be sure to check out my blog post by clicking here.

To make room for the new setup, I moved most of my media into storage. 

However, I knew my books had to stay. 

After all, what kind of author doesn’t have her own personal library, right? 

So, I came up with a creative solution. 

I took three cube storage units and stacked them one on top of the other. 

This created the perfect bookshelf, just the right size to showcase my collection of books.

Now, every time I see this space, it brings me so much joy. 

I can’t wait to show you how I decorate my tiny house for Christmas—

stay tuned for pictures of the festive transformation!

My Doll Loft: In My Tiny House

As you may know I live in a Tiny House. 

My dad and mom built it for me in 2020.

I have enjoyed living in it for four years. 

I like to change up the look of it by displaying different things in different places.

In the past I kept my doll collection in my old room in my dad and mom's house.

One of my favorite hobbies is collecting dolls, and over the years, 

I’ve built a diverse and cherished collection. 

Each doll holds a special place in my heart, and they all have their own unique stories.

I’ve always been drawn to the vibrant and fashionable My Scene dolls.

Then, there are my Reborn dolls, which are so lifelike and detailed—

holding them feels like holding a real baby! 

I also love my Rainbow High dolls for their bold colors that really stand out on display.

Of course, I can’t forget about my beloved Disney princess dolls. 

Each one reminds me of the timeless stories I grew up with. 

Then I have a American Girl doll named: Samantha. I grew up loving her story.

My mom bought me Samantha when I was an adult collector. We found her at a garage sale.

The other doll: Kit belongs to my mom. But I have her's on display with mine. 

Collecting these dolls brings me so much joy, and I love adding new pieces to my collection!

So now I have my dolls in my loft. I love this display.

I might change it up someday. But for now, I love how it looks. 

Follow me on Instagram

Click here to do so

Audiobooks and Bike Riding

Reading is something I love to do.  My favorite way to experience books is through audiobooks. There's something incredibly convenient and immersive about being able to listen to stories, and Hoopla has become my go-to platform for that. I especially love tuning in to audiobooks when I’m out on my daily bike rides—it’s the perfect combination of movement and adventure. Listening while I ride adds a whole new level of enjoyment to my routine, making the miles fly by as I lose myself in the latest story. Right now, I’m in the second book of Helena Bradley's mystery series, and it’s been keeping me on the edge of my seat.

On this blog, I plan to share my thoughts on the books I read, including summaries, ratings, and recommendations for those who might be looking for their next great read. I’d love for you to join me as I dive into these adventures and explore new stories together.

Bre's Faithful Journey YouTube channel

 Hello, and welcome to my little corner of the internet!

I'm thrilled to share a bit about myself and the exciting journey I've been on. As some of you may know, I have a passion for exploring Bible topics and sharing my reflections with others. That's why I decided to start my YouTube channel, Bre's Faithful Channel. It's a place where I not only dive deep into scripture but also share vlogs about my everyday life, faith, and creative pursuits.

One of the things that bring me the most joy is being a children's author. I've written several books that are available on Amazon, and it's been such a rewarding experience to see how these stories resonate with young readers. Writing for children allows me to blend my love for storytelling with my desire to impart valuable lessons, all while sparking imagination and wonder.

But that's not all! When I'm not writing or filming, you'll often find me indulging in one of my favorite hobbies: scrapbooking. I absolutely love being creative, whether it's putting together a beautiful scrapbook page, designing something unique, or simply playing around with new ideas. Creativity is such a powerful outlet for expressing oneself, and it complements my other passions perfectly.

Of course, I can't talk about my life without mentioning my adorable Maltese, Abby Gail. She's my constant companion and brings so much joy and love into my life. Abby Gail even makes an appearance in some of my vlogs, so if you're a dog lover like me, you'll definitely want to check those out!

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Whether you're here for Bible insights, a peek into my life as a children's author, or just to see what creative projects I'm working on, I hope you'll find something that inspires and uplifts you. Don't forget to check out my books on Amazon and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content!

Blessings, Breana

Eliminating Distractions

Yesterday during my prayer time, I sought God's guidance to deepen my connection with Him and show me ways to draw nearer. I sensed a prompting in my spirit that eliminating distractions, particularly excessive YouTube consumption, was necessary. Despite the content being clean, I realized it wasn't aiding my spiritual growth.

Therefore, I've made the decision to cut back on YouTube viewing and engage in content that aligns with my spiritual journey, seeking videos that enrich my relationship with Jesus. I'm prioritizing activities that foster spiritual growth, recognizing the importance of utilizing my time wisely.

Ultimately, my focus is on pursuing a deeper connection with Jesus by forsaking distractions and centering my attention on Him.

I challenge you to do the same. 

Happy New Year! 2024 is here!

 2024 is here!

What are your plans for 2024?

I have a lot of things I want to happen this year. 

But I'm not sure if it's God's timing for these types of things to happen.

So, I'll wait and see what this new year brings.

I'm so happy for another year! Another year to live for Jesus!

I get to study more, pray more. Love more! Praise the Lord for all He has planned for this year.

7 days till Christmas

With only a week remaining until Christmas, my anticipation is out of this world.

It's astonishing to think that Christmas is just around the corner, arriving next Monday.

We're in the final stretch of Vlogmas, with just six more days to capture and share the days leading up to Christmas. Plus I'll be posting a Vlogmas episode on Christmas day.

I want to tell you a little story: Yesterday presented a close call for me. My mom suggested, "Let's sing our Christmas song for your vlog." It dawned on me—I didn't make today's Vlogmas episode!

So we went to work on the vlog, managing to produce a surprisingly good last-minute Vlogmas episode.

Another highlight from yesterday involved creating memories with my mom's aunts, who are sisters to her father.

They're currently at my auntie's house, so we connected with them via video chat on my auntie's iPad.

It was a delightful experience; they're all incredibly kind. I miss them, but there's hope for us to see them next year, particularly for me, as I'm planning on attending my cousin's wedding and they plan on attending the wedding as well.

So that's something to look forward to. I'm so excited to see what the Lord has planned for our family in the year 2024.

I'm going to start posting every Friday on my YouTube channel. This will take effect in 2024.

I'll be making a lot of Faith-based podcast episodes.

Anyway, I'm going to end this blog post with a Bible scripture: Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Blog Post 12/17/23

 Vlogging is easier for me to do. Which is funny, because I'm an author.

You would think blogging would be easier for me.

But I want to give blogging a go. I want to blog at least once a week.

And I'm going to be blogging about my life.

Like some of you know, I've been doing vlogmas.

Vlogmas is something video creators do from the 1st of December until Christmas.

I'm on Vlogmas Day 17. It's been fun. The last eight days my mom and I are singing Christmas songs.

Yesterday we sung Frosty the snowman while my dad played the piano. 

If you have any song suggestions comment them down below. 

Yesterday was a fun day. My mom and I watched a Christmas movie, then we went bike riding.

I spent a lot of the day editing videos.

My mom and I did some reading. For the past two years we've been reading The Boxcar Children series.

We're on book 19. This is the last book the orginal author wrote. I can't wait to see if the style changes after this book. Sometimes other authors keep the same style. Other times it's different.

I own the first 25 books (i think) and then I bought some books from a garage sale. But those aren't in order. One is like book 99 😳😮

I can't believe there's over 100 books of The Boxcar Children. It's crazy. I also saw that they made a series about Jessie Alden. They are mystery books.

I thought that was neat. Anyways, I have a goodreads account. And on there I had a goal to read 23 books this year. And I only read...Nine! LOL I horrible at this.

Last year I meet the goal. Oh well. I'm not too worried about it. I'll try better next year.

My New Book Is Out!!!

Click Here To View My New Book on Amazon

The Gift Of Giving
Join Tiger River as he tries to figure out what he wants for Christmas.

October 3rd 2023

At the age of four, I asked my mom and dad about becoming a Christian. Some people might think that four years old is too young to understand a true relationship with God. But I beg to differ.

All you need to become a Christian is faith in Jesus. And asking Him to forgive us of our sins.

I was capable of doing this at four. In fact, the Bible says we must come as a little child to Christ.

(Mathew 18:3)

Yes, I didn't understand all the things of being a Christian. But I had a deep love for Jesus at such a young age. I'm so happy I made this decision so early in life. It has saved me much heartache and pain.

That doesn't mean I have never encountered heartache and pain. But having Jesus and taking his burden and yoke has made life easier to live. I would never want to live without Christ.

As I grew older, my faith in Jesus continued to grow and evolve. Through Bible study and prayer, I gained a deeper understanding of the teachings of Christianity and the love of Christ.

Being a Christian means striving to live a life that aligns with the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

Christianity has taught me the importance of compassion, empathy, and kindness towards all individuals. Following the example set by Jesus, I have discovered a profound sense of fulfillment and joy in helping others and making a positive difference in the world.

My personal walk with Jesus has been an amazing journey. There's been good times and bad times.

But living for Christ has helped me through the bad times. And helps me celebrate in the good times.

Christ means everything to me. Does He you? Living for Jesus is the best thing.

Please consider giving Jesus your life. And if you have already, GREAT. Keep living for Him.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I will be posting again very soon.

Who is Breana Pope?

Breana Pope is a children’s author. 

She wrote her first children’s book when she was a child. 

Then when she was a teenager her dad worked on finishing her books. 

Her books are now available on Amazon. 

Her books are about a tiger named River, 

who loves to teach children about Jesus. 

Breana is now an adult who enjoys spending time with her family.

"Don't Let Your Dreams Fade Away. Live Your Dreams Today." 

~ Breana Pope