Mail Order Christmas Brides, books #109 - #112

To round out the year, I started on these quick little novellas about mail order brides in the winter.  I was able to finish four before the end of the year, unless I read another one by tomorrow night, which I may.  

These are fun and quirky little stories that give you a pretend peek into what it might have been like if you were a mail order bride in the Montana territory in the late 1880s.  Of course, all these stories had happy endings but many, many did not.  The girls themselves had absolutely no control over what their groom was really like until after they arrived.  

The stories I have read are:

Christmas Hearts
Mistletoe Kiss in Dry Creek
Home for Christmas
Snowflakes for Dry Creek

There was not a synopsis at Amazon, as they were written to be purchased all together.

Looking forward to all the good books awaiting us in 2016!

O:)
Melissa

All is Calm, All is Bright, books #107-#108

 This was a Book Club book.  I read it so close to the last one that when we met this past week and were discussing it (as we sometimes do ... ) I kept getting confused as to which story was which!!  I liked both of them, but All is Bright was like a visit "home" in that it tied together many of the character of the Hope Beach series.  It made me want to go back and reread all of those books, but since my list of books to read that I haven't yet read before I am dead is so long that I will never finish, I'm not sure I can justify that!

Return to two of Colleen Coble’s most beloved settings—Bluebird Ranch and Hope Beach—for holiday romance and mystery!

All Is Calm
It’s going to be an unexpectedly romantic Christmas at Bluebird Ranch.
Brendan Waddell has always considered Bluebird Ranch a little piece of heaven: an idyllic ranch that pairs abused children with abused horses, run by one of his Marine buddies. Now, it seems just the place to spend Christmas recovering from an on-the-job injury.
Lauren Everman first came to the ranch as a foster kid, but now knows it’s the perfect hideout. As the witness to a murder, Lauren needs somewhere to lie low. Her beauty immediately catches Brendan’s attention—but so does her secretive behavior. This Special Ops Intel man knows a woman on the run when he sees one. Can he trust her, or is she putting the ranch at risk? One thing is certain: he’s going to do everything he can to keep her safe so he can see what magic Christmas brings.

All Is Bright

A romantic Christmas wedding at Tidewater Inn gives Delilah’s unique gifts a chance to shine. But will her light be snuffed out before the bride and groom say “I do”?
As manager of the Tidewater Inn, Delilah Carter has been planning a spectacular Christmas wedding for her friend, Elin Summerall. But when Delilah’s car is forced off the road and into the ocean, she finally has to admit that the strange phone calls she’s been receiving lately may be more than just pranks.
Sheriff Tom Bourne has always had a soft spot for Delilah, and he’s determined to protect her. He hopes to win her heart by giving her the surprise gift of a lifetime . . . but first he has to make sure nothing happens to her before Christmas Day.
It’s the season of miracles. But will both Elin and Delilah get the ones they need this holiday season?  (picture and description from amazon)

And we actually got a picture of my dear Book Club Buddies from this week!

Keep reading, and feel free to join us one month at Book Club!

O:)
Melissa

The Cowboy's Christmas Plan, book #106

Sweet, sweet book that I thoroughly loved!!!

Sometimes the most unexpected circumstances lead to the best adventures...
Cadence Greer’s plans for a happy-ever-after are quickly derailed when her fiancé runs off with his secretary a week before their wedding. Homeless, jobless, and jilted, she escapes to Grass Valley, Oregon, where she takes a job as a housekeeper and cook to seven cowboys on a sprawling ranch.
Trey Thompson is a well-respected pillar of the community, running a successful ranch with his brother. All he wanted was someone to cook meals and keep the house clean. When he hires Cadence Greer for the job, he gets more than he ever planned on, including a sassy little redheaded orphan.
Spend Christmas in Grass Valley at the Triple T Ranch, where mistletoe hangs in abundance and holiday magic floats in the air. (picture and description at amazon)

Happy Reading!
 
O:)
Melissa 

A (kinda) Country Christmas, book #105

My sweet friend Krista never disappoints!!


Celebrate the holidays with this sweet inspirational romance novella (with a splash of humor!) about a woman who is surrounded by Christmas and a man who could - eh- do without it. Sadie Jenkins lives and breathes Christmas every, single day of the year. Owner of Bethlehem's Boutique in the tourist mountain town of Gatlinburg, TN, she has no room for the bad boys of her past and devotes her whole life to the struggling boutique and her teenage daughter, Maribelle. She's perfectly happy with her country-living life until he walks into her store. Nate Myers travels the globe for his job and has the bank account to prove his success. The former "bad" boy is in town for a short visit with his sister and is determined to not get caught up in all the Christmas hype. But then he falls for the beautiful shopkeeper—quite literally. Will these two (sorta) opposites be able to find a happily-ever-after together? (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

The Santa Society, book #104

 Read this for book club.  It was weird.  My opinion only.

The real Santa Claus isn't anything like you've imagined. Get ready for the Christmas love story of a lifetime. Last Christmas, Erin Sinclair came home to be with her dying mother. This Christmas will be a year, and Erin still can't move on. Fortunately, everything in her life is about to change. A behemoth dog named Klaus and Reason-the-handsome-realtor enter the picture, and together they turn Erin's life upside down...in a good way. Reason offers to help Erin sell her mother's house, an effort that turns into a circus of fiascos. Just when it seems her luck can't get any worse, Erin finds herself falling in love with Reason, the man of chaos himself. But he's more than he seems, and now Erin is immersed in the clandestine world of the Santa Society, a centuries old secret organization that protects the truth behind Christmas. (picture and description from amazon)

Happier Reading ...

O:)
Melissa


 

Christmas Brides Collection, books 95 - 103

Well, I actually did it.  I read 100 books.  And it's not even December.  Granted, I didn't read 100 separate books, more like 100 stories, but still that is pretty amazing I think!

This one was a treat because it has my pioneers (mainly) that I love and Christmas that I love!  Some stories were good, some not so much, but overall I'd give it 4 stars!


Journey back into history to experience Christmas alongside nine brides-to-be whose wedding dreams are overshadowed by doubts and troubles. Meet an English immigrant wanting to return home. A ranchero’s daughter being forced to marry a despicable man. A soldier’s fiancee facing realities of war. An optimist who believes a lie.  A snowbound woman near death. A do-gooder fighting for orphans. A bride sought only for an inheritance. An orphan protecting her father’s land. A motherless daughter wishing for yesterday. Will love shine its light of hope and truth into each life?  (picture and description from amazon)
 
Now on to our book club book!

O:)
Melissa

A Time to Laugh, Romance Collection; books 90-94

Now that I am a working woman I will still squeeze in time to read, but my posts are here will be mainly just the info from Amazon or I will never be able to keep up.  And I like keeping track of all the books I have read.

Calling this books 90-94 might be a stretch, but there are 5 short stories in here.  

Also, this should be properly be called A Time to NOT Laugh because while these stories were cute, they were not funny enough to laugh.

Get set for five lighthearted adventures in romance from three leading authors. Lois rebounds into the arms of a clown. Shy Tabby takes a ventriloquism class. Distrustful Shannon has a secret admirer. Carolyn is pursued by man who is opposite of her dreams. Tangie puts a Broadway career on hold. Enjoy a few laughs as the brokenhearted learn that a little bit of playful romance can turn life’s disappointments around.  (picture and description from amazon)

Keep Reading!!

O:)
Melissa 

I, Saul, book #89

So when I started reading this book for Book Club I wasn't too into it part of it.  This book switches back and forth for each chapter between modern day and Bible times, specifically when Paul was in the jail right before he was beheaded.  I wasn't really in the mood for a Bible times book, but decided to take one for the club.

But of course, the more I read it, the more intriquing it became and before I knew it I was in hook, line and sinker.  Basically, the modern day part is a group of people looking for texts that Paul wrote about his life as Saul that was never published.  And the Bible times part is Paul writing these texts as a memoir with Luke.  But that is all I want to say about that so I won't give it all away!  

Chris Fabry (remember, a fav of mine!) had an interview with Jerry Jenkins about this around the time that the book came out, but now I can't find it.  If I ever do I'll post it here.

A MURDERER who would change the WORLD

From multi-million copy best-selling novelist Jerry Jenkins comes a compelling international thriller that conveys you from present-day Texas to a dank Roman dungeon in A.D. 67, then down the dusty roads of ancient Israel, Asia, and back to Rome.  A young seminary professor, Augustine Knox, is drawn into a deadly race to save priceless parchments from antiquities thieves and discovers a two- thousand-year old connection with another who faced death for the sake of the truth. I, Saul consists of two riveting adventures in one, transporting you between the stories of Augustine Knox and Saul of Tarsus. Filled with political intrigue, romance, and rich historical detail, I, Saul is a thrilling tale of loyal friendships tested by life-or-death quests, set two millennia apart, told by a master storyteller. (picture and description at amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

A house divided, book #88

Finally!  A new Robert Whitlow book!  If you have been reading here long you know he is one of my VERY FAVORITE AUTHORS OF ALL TIME!!! When I saw the picture and ad for this in the new LifeWay sale catalog I sent my hubs a message and asked him nicely to drop everything at work and run to the LifeWay store right there and get it right away!  He was at first skeptical about why on earth we needed more books, but I calmly explained to him the importance of buying Robert Whitlow books because, well, because I love them!!!

Unfortunately I was busy reading other books and did not have time to start it that night, but when I did finally get started it did not disappoint.  This one seemed to be a little "legal" heavy (remember the problem I had with the last Harry Kraus book? Same here ... ) but once I kept reading and kept looking up words I didn't understand it all starting making sense.  I absolutely loved how it ended, when the book started I would have never imagined it ending like it did.

If you like legal books, little lawyer takes on big company, and family forgiveness, then this will be a new favorite of yours also.

Corbin Gage can stand up to anyone . . . But his own divided house will bring him to his knees.  Corbin, a longtime legal champion for the downtrodden, is slowly drinking himself into the grave. His love for “mountain water” has cost him his marriage to the godliest woman he knows, ruined his relationship with his daughter, Roxy, and reduced the business at his small Georgia law firm to a level where he can barely keep the bill collectors at bay. But it isn’t until his son, Ray, threatens to limit Corbin’s time with his grandson that Corbin begins to acknowledge he might have a problem.  Despite the mess that surrounds his personal life and against the advice of everyone he knows, Corbin takes on a high-stakes tort case on behalf of two boys who have contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma due to an alleged chemical exposure. The defendant, a fertilizer company, is the largest employer in the area. The lawsuit becomes a tornado that sucks Corbin, Ray, and Roxy into an increasingly deadly vortex. Equally intense pressure within the family threatens to destroy, once and for all, the thin threads that connect them.  Corbin must find the strength to stand up to his personal demons. Justice for two dying boys depends on it . . . his family depends on it. (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

The Song, book #87

When it come to reading novelizations, I am always filled with a bit of trepidation.  Most that I have read were written AFTER the movie came out and the author tries to fill in some back story but it is just poorly done.  Or there are ones that take the script and just "make it" a story, but that proves very hard to read.   

So, when we mixed things up this summer for Book Club we decided to read this book then watch the movie.  This time it was a complete flip!  I knew if Chris Fabry wrote it, it would be good.  All he writes is good.  And, I was not disappointed.  This book could be a stand alone, not even have the movie made, and it would be a hit.  

Then we watched the movie, and thought, "Hunh?"  Yes, I know when they take a book and make it a movie they have to chop out about half of it.  (Well, except Holes, the only book-made-to-movie EVER that follows right along and doesn't miss a beat!)  Yes, I guessed as I was reading what would be missing, but a lot more was missing than I thought.  And, well, maybe it was from after reading the detailed book .... but the acting was not that good.  I have been so encouraged by excellent Christian films lately that I thought this one might be a good one, but I was not overly impressed.  Again, maybe because the book was so good that a movie could not keep up.  

Overall it was a good story, and I felt the frustration on both sides.  It made me think about all these singer/performers who make it bigger than they ever thought they would ... they get what they wanted then realize it may be not what they really wanted at all .....

Jed King's life has been shaped and scarred by the songs and mistakes of his famous father. He wants to sing his own song, but the words and melody are elusive. Jed’s dreams of a successful music career seem out of reach . . . until he meets Rose.  Inspired by his love for the vineyard owner’s daughter, Jed pens a new song― a song with such emotional power and longing that it catapults him into stardom. But with this life of fame comes temptation, the same temptation that lured his father so many years ago and now threatens to unravel his marriage. The pull of “The Song” takes Jed and Rose on a journey that will force them to deal with failure, the pain of loss, and the desire to be who God created them to be. Together they will test the limits of the promise that love is the power that heals. Lyrical and deeply honest, The Song asks hard questions of love and forgiveness. When even the wisest of men is a fool for love, can true love persevere?   (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

The letter, er, The timepiece, book #86

 Funny thing happened the other day ... so for Christmas my mom gave me a beautiful hardback copy of The Letter with a paper cover on it.  I was familiar with the author but had not read the stories in this series.  Since I had been busy with other things this one has been sitting in the pile by my bed (probably not even an official pile in the piles to work through) but I was looking for a quick book to read before I started the book club book and picked this one up.  The synopsis on the back didn't sound very intriguing to me, but I started in anyway.  

Evans' style of writing is so beautiful that I feel he could rewrite a scientific journal and you would not even know you were reading something so mundane.  I mean, just listen to this, "Just then, a cuckoo clock erupted in festive announcement of the second hour, followed by a gay, German melody accompanying tiny, brightly colored figurines waltzing in small circles on a wooden track." "Through the heroic efforts of the fire corps, the fire had been isolated to the east wing, though the stench of smoke permeated the entire mansion.  The house itself had escaped serious structural damage, but the damage inflicted upon its occupants was of far greater consequence."  Beautiful, I tell you.  

Unfortunately, the story itself is rather sad, but in the end it all shows how the characters grew through the turmoil.  

However ..... there was no mention of a letter.  You know, The Letter.  I kept thinking it was going to be one of those where the last chapter, last paragraph, last sentence explained the title, but nope.  Not one mention of a letter in the entire book.  

I was perplexed.  I kept flipping the book around and around, but for the life of me I could not figure it out.  At one point the paper cover fell off and I realized what had happened.  The book I read was actually The Timepiece, not The Letter.  I figured that since my mom purchased this book for me at a used book store (her favorite type!) probably whoever donated it just got the covers mixed up and who knows where The Letter actually is.  Chalk it up as funny story.

So the next day I called my mom and told her the funny story.  She gets to sorting through her books and finds she has a copy of The Timepiece that someone gave her.  But wait.  (You see it coming, don't you?)  HER copy of The Timepiece is NOT The Timepiece but, you guessed it!  The Letter!!!  She was the one who accidentally got the covers mixed up somehow!  Of course, knowing my mom - and I've done it too! - she probably read both of these books before giving me one and that is how the covers got mixed up!!  

"Of all, clockmakers and morticians should bear the keenest sense of priority-their lives daily spent in observance of the unflagging procession of time... and the end thereof."
-DAVID PARKIN'S DIARY. JANUARY 3, 1901 So begins Timepiece, the unforgettable story of hope and the source of the wisdom MaryAnne Parkin shared with Richard in The Christmas Box. With the help of David Parkin's diary, Richard discovers the mystery of the timepiece and the significance of MaryAnne's request.  Nineteen years previous, only eleven days before her death, MaryAnne Parkin had bequeathed a beautiful rose-gold timepiece to my keeping. "The day before you give Jenna away," she had said, her voice trembling as she handed me the heirloom, "give this to her for the gift." I was puzzled by her choice of words. "Her wedding gift?" I asked. She looked at me sadly, then forced a fragile smile. "You will know what I mean."
(pictures and description from amazon) 

Finishing up one more quick short story before starting on our book club book!

O:)
Melissa

The Christmas bargain, book #85

So I decided to look for a quick read and have a little Christmas in July, since I never seem to have enough time to read all the Christmas books I want to in December.  This one pretty much fit the bill and it started out great, but started going downhill in a way I did not care for.

This book encapsulated all my favorites ... pioneers, small towns, a little love, underdog ... Luke Granger, the banker, was just trying to have a client pay off his debt.  Mr. Booth, however, had no money at all and whenever he did have money he'd spend it in the saloon.  He did, however have a daughter, who took care of the house.  She seemed to be a homely character with serious self confidence issues, so afraid of her father.  When Luke shows up at the homestead demanding payment, he discovers Mr. Booth has nothing and was planning to "trade" his daughter to the saloon to pay off his debt there.  Not that Luke had any need for a wife or housekeeper, and the girl was not much to look at, he could not let her be given to the saloon.  So he agrees to take the girl for his payment and they are off.  

To find out what happens, you need to read it for yourself.   Your opinion may very well differ from mine!  

As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. When he calls in a long overdue loan, Luke reluctantly accepts a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt. Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, she is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, she isn’t prepared to marry Luke as part of a crazy Christmas bargain. (picture and description from amazon)

I've already started another book to hold me over before I dig into this month's Book Club book!

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa

52 Steps to murder, book #84

This book exhausted me.  I'm so glad I finally finished. I thought it would be a like a modern day Agatha Christie when I started, but all it did was confuse the goodness out of me and left me hanging till the very end.  Moving on ....

An elderly woman is found poisoned in the upstairs bedroom of her home whose from door stands 52 steps above the street in an old-fashioned whodunit that blends clues, red herrings, suspects, and humor. (picture and description at amazon)


O:)
Melissa

The guest book, book #83

In case you are wondering, no I did not read this in two days.  We were at the beach last week (holla!) and the Good Hope Road book I had was an old, falling apart book of my mom's and I did not want to take it to the actual beach in case it got more messed up.  (Which was a good thing, since thanks to the windy conditions my copy of this book will not be fit for the library now!)  So, since this is our Book Club Book for this month anyway I was reading it in between the other.

Loved this book!  It was a book that kept me sucked in the whole time, constantly wondering what was going to happen next!  There was just enough "Jesus" in it to make me feel good, but not so much that it made me feel like she slathered it on to classify it as Christian fiction.  The characters were very believeable and even though the story had a few more details than certain friends would prefer I found it a natural flow and not like she was pushing them on the reader.  

All in all I highly recommend it!


When Macy Dillon was five years old her father encouraged her to draw a picture in the guestbook of a Carolina beach house. The next year, Macy returned to discover a drawing by an unidentified little boy on the facing page. Over the next eleven years the children continue to exchange drawings … until tragedy ends visits to the beach house altogether. During her final trip to Sunset, Macy asks her anonymous friend to draw her one last picture and tells him where to hide the guest book in hopes that one day she will return to find it―and him. Twenty-five years after that first picture, Macy is back at Sunset Beach―this time toting a broken family and a hurting heart. One night, alone by the ocean, Macy asks God to help her find the boy she never forgot, the one whose beautiful pictures touched something deep inside of her. Will she ever find him? And if she does, will the guestbook unite them or merely be the relic of a lost childhood? (picture and description from amazon) 

Now its time to decide what's next!! 


Happy reading!
O:)
Melissa

Good Hope Road, book #82

Well let me just say this book took some getting into.  And getting through.  It is supposed to be in a "series" with Tending Roses but I never saw the connection at all until reading the end notes from the author.  So this is more like a "connections" series as compared to a "chronological" series. Whatever.  I'm just glad I'm done.  

Not that this was a bad book, it just isn't what I was in the mood for.  After all my precious and light, fluffy pioneers I wasn't expecting to jump into the depths of tragedy and read through a personal growth, letting go of the past story.  Man but it wore me out!!

So, in lieu of a review I found several quotes that real stuck out to me.

I thought about all the times I had passed those fancy houses on the lake, and hated those people with their money and their brand new cars and their attitudes.  I realized now how wrong that was.  It seemed back then that they were so different from us, but now I could see the thin line that separated us -- just houses, cars, clothes.  All things that could be swept away in an instant. (Jenilee, p.63)

You have a use for everyone you meet in life, and God don't put in any extras.  (Eudora, p. 78) 

Except God don't create accidents.  We only think there are accidents because we don't know what God has in mind.  (Eudora, p. 115)

When you are afraid of everything, the thing you are most afraid of is happiness.  You're afraid to step into even a little piece of it, because you know that as soon as you do, someone will slam the door, and you'll be trapped in the darkness again, remembering how the light felt. (Jenilee, p. 217)

"It ain't like either of us have to regret our lives.  We had good lives, both of us.  Not the lives we might have had, but good lives." [June - a man]
 
I turned away from Ivy, away from the past, and thought about my life.  I thought about Olney and his trains.  I thought about the farm, and the children we made, and the grandchildren who ran to me with their open arms.  I understood that if I had gone a different path, none of that would be.  All of the things that mattered to me, all of the things that would last, would never has come into being.  The other life, the one I could have lived with June, might have been good, but so was this one, and it wasn't over yet.  (Eudora, p. 269)

Had I not suffered the loss of everything I thought would matter, I would have missed everything that truly mattered in my life .... (Jenilee recalling letter she found, p. 279)

If you are in the mood for a good redemption story, then jump on this one.  If not, wait until you are.  I might have appreciated it at a different time.  

Twenty-year-old Jenilee Lane whose dreams are as narrow as the sky is wide, is the last person to expect anything good to come out of the tornado that rips across the Missouri farmland surrounding her home.  But some inner spark compels her to rescue her elderly neighbor, Eudora Gibson, from the cellar in which she's been trapped.  To make her way to the nearby town of Poetry, where the townspeople have begun to gather.  To collect from the landscape letters, photographs, and mementos that might mean something to people who have lost everything.  Brought close by tragedy, Jenilee and Eudora will learn lessons about the resilience of the human spirit and the ties that make a community strong.  They will travel to a place they never would have imagined. (picture and description at amazon)

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa 

Dreams beyond tomorrow, book #81

 

I decided I couldn't resist and started the next book.  And finished it in just a few days since it is so short.  

Ok, I will admit.  This book, this series probably does not have a lot of likes here in the 2010s because it isn't even close to some of the stuff I read, but I still like it.  Yes, they made it to Oregon, but Cole is still gone all the times and poor Rachel starts in imagine if Cole really even does like her, even though every short time he comes home he tells her that.  They finally got to move their marriage to the next level, so to speak, but then he left again.  Star has kept her happy and starting classes has been fun.  Luckily Yolanda finally got her eyes opened to the scoundrel that Julius was, unfortunately it was a lesson she had to learn the hard way.  We think Cole may be home for a while now, at least I hope!  What fun is a pioneer story when the woman -- who already has to work really hard on the trail and at a new place -- and man aren't even together?!?!?  

Will you wear the ring - be my wife, my real wife - forever and ever?... After the long, hard journey, they stood on the little knoll - feasting their eyes on the beauty of Oregon's fertile fields. Rachel Lord, Colby's wife in name only, longs for the chance to finally make their wedding into a marriage. But Cole is a man with a dream which takes him away from the tiny settlement... widening the gap in Rachel's insecure heart. As Rachel strives to keep his dream of a city alive in the minds of the settlers, she is faced with the hardships of pioneer life and the agonies of love so long denied. Cole's trusted friend, Buck, becomes Rachel's much-needed shoulder to lean on. But can he protect her from the mystery behind Superstition Mountain and the threat of hostile Indians? Then it happens. The horrible event which will change the way of life forever in the settlement. Rachel finally realizes only her faith can sustain her and only God can fulfill her...  (description from here and picture from amazon) 

I believe next I will move back to the smaller series from my mom.  

Keep reading!!

O:)
Melissa

Journey to love, book #80

Aaaah, my precious pioneers.  I know most of you all think I am silly but I have to believe there are some of you out there that love pioneer books also!!

Fleeing an alcoholic father who was trying to sell her, Rachel joined a wagon train bound for Oregon and married Colby Lord, a man she met only once when he tried to collect on a loan to her father. Angry and proud at first, Rachel finds her heart changing as the usual disasters strike the wagon train and teach her to put her faith in God.  (picture and description at amazon)

A little confusing and a little unbelievable at times, but since we have no idea what it was REALLY like in those times I think it is hard to say what is and isn't believable.  

This was a short one, so I might have to read the next one instead of skipping to another pile!

Keep reading!

O:)
Melissa

Tiffany girl, book #79

I can't believe I actually finished this book as fast as I did.  Remember me telling you it was thick book?  Yep, 544 pages!  I figured it would take me a good two weeks, but sure enough it was still a week.  I am still not entirely sure how that happened. 

See, 544 pages is a lot to read.  And there were boatloads of big words and descriptive words used for things relevant to the 1890s.  (Made me wish I was reading it on my Paperwhite once again!) But, despite all the details it really is a good story and that is what helped me move along so quickly.

I can already hear what my book club buddies are going to say about it.  "It was a good story, but I couldn't get to it because there were TOO MANY DETAILS!! Who cares about all the intricacies of their clothes or the surroundings!!"  But as always, I'm going to have to stick to my guns and say I LOVE DETAILS!!! To me it just makes the story come alive!  Even if I didn't know half the words used in the descriptions I could use context clues or just make up what I thought it meant.  And with the details, I could not only read the story, but I could SEE the story, I could SMELL the story, I could HEAR the story.  I could EXPERIENCE the story with them!!

As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen. But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.”
Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world. As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?  (picture and description from amazon)

Up next? Probably time to move on to the pile under my nightstand  and start on a pioneer book!!  

Keep reading!

O:)
Melissa

A side of hope, book #78

While debating whether to start that thick Book Club book or read something else before I start, I remembered I had not read this short novella yet.  It was the perfect thing to pick up after this nutty week of thought provoking movies.  (Age of Adeline, Selma, Still Alice and Interstellar)  

Two years ago in February 2013 we read Krista's first book in the series, Sandwich, with a Side of Romance. The fun continued last fall when we read A Side of Faith.  In October, after reading this book, she came to our Book Club since she is a local author.  It is always a treat to meet the authors, and especially when we find out she is a mom just like us in the throws of everyday crazy life but also an author who has contacts with other famous authors.  She gave us some insight in to the world of Christian Fiction writing and shared a lot about the process, about book contracts, about self publishing, about many things we had no idea!!  It was so interesting to learn some "behind the stage" stuff from these books we just pick up.  

This books ties into the others in that it is the same group of friends, just each books tells one person's story and then another book moves on to another person's story. As with all her books, I loved this one and the way that it IS worth it to hold on to hope, even when you don't realize you are.  


Tilly Davis is meeting her forties head on. Happy and healthy, she doesn't need a man to complete her. But as she blows out her candles, she makes a halfhearted wish for maybe just a little excitement to spice up her life. God must have misunderstood her wish, though, because moments later, He brings her the one person she never wants to see again. Her husband. (picture and description from amazon.)

Now to decide if I have time to read another book or just start in on Tiffany Girl.

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Lip reading, book #78

So, I decided to go with a medical mystery.  Usually I thoroughly enjoy the books written by Harry Kraus, but this one was not one of my favorites.  For those not familiar with Harry Kraus, his main genre is medical mystery and always includes a tie in to Africa, Virginia, and the medical world.  Why?  Well, because that is what he knows!  He is a doctor who lives in Virginia and travels often to Africa to do mission work.  The other book I read by him is here.

This one, however, was a little too medical for me.  In his other books you could still understand the story without having a medical degree.  I could still get the main gist of the story but if it had of been a little lighter on the medical jargon that would have made me happy too.

She Could Save Millions, or Save Herself

She just needs a little longer. She’s really close. Dr. Rebecca Jackson, a medical researcher, stands on the verge of a breakthrough that will transform medicine. But she soon discovers the reason behind the miraculous progress in her research, and it leaves her with a nearly impossible choice . . . and little time to decide. More than her research is at stake. And more threatens it than this latest revelation. Something she’s tried hard to cover up. There is a high cost to some things in medicine and it’s not always the patient who pays. Can Rebecca find the faith and wisdom she needs to make the right call? The clock is ticking and the pressure is on.  (picture and description at amazon)

Happy Reading!!

O:)
Melissa

 

How to catch a prince, book #77

Ahh, another sweet Rachel Hauck story with our dear friends in Brighton, a mysterious pretend country that sounds  a lot like England.  In the other books in this series, Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After, we met the royals of Brighton and their sister island, Hessenberg.  This book just continues, and I think, rounds out her Royal Wedding series. As with all her books, I highly recommend it!!


An American heiress and a crown prince seem destined to be together. Will the devastation of war keep them apart forever?  American heiress Corina Del Rey caught her prince once. But the tragedy of war kept her too long in a fog of grief. Now she’s shifting her life forward, reigniting her career as a journalist. Still, nothing can relieve her of the secret and the love she carries in her soul. Prince Stephen of Brighton is one of the world’s most eligible bachelors and a star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life. His days in Afghanistan with the Royal Air Command will mark him forever. And he can’t shake their dark shadow. But when his brother, King Nathaniel, confronts him with a document the prince thought long buried and forgotten, Stephen is forced to face the pain of his past and the love he left behind. With a little heavenly help, Prince Stephen and Corina embark on a journey of truth. But when the secrets are revealed, can they overcome, move forward, and find love again? (picture and description at amazon.)

Next up? I have no idea!!  But I'm thinking its going be a mystery!

Keep Reading! 

O:)
Melissa

The honorable imposter, book #76

If you will remember, back in January I had this dilemma.  After a few ups and downs and, oh, READING THE BIBLE THROUGH IN 90 DAYS, I got a little off track.  Well, I did read this book from one stack but I haven't had the time to officially start on the rounds.  So, we start again.  (Isn't that how life is?)

This book is from the big stack that follows a family through multiple centuries here in America.  I was quite anxious to read them -- and I still am -- I just realized it is going to take a long time to do so, unless for some reason I get bed-ridden.  

I really did like this book, but on several occasions I was wishing I was reading it on my Paperwhite instead, because it used a LOT of big words.  Most of them were related to the Mayflower boat itself, however Mr. Morris is a very descriptive historical writer and many of the references to clothing, fencing techniques, the homes, etc were words I were not familiar with.  I tried to use context clues as much as possible, but some stuff I just never figured out.  (Like the poop deck people kept going to all the time!)  

So this book starts us out in the early 1600s in England.  The story itself is almost too complicated to explain, I think the description covers it best.  But the story follows the Pilgrims and their move to America via Holland.  It is really an interesting story and he does not gloss over any of the challenges they had.  When the poor folks finally showed up in New England in November, half already dead and half starved, it was a bad bad situation.  But the faith they had and the faith they clung to just put me on my knees.  Most church goers today have no where near the faith these people had to believe that God was on their side despite every thing that happened around them. 

If you are up for the challenge I encourage you to read this!

They had faith, a vision, a dream of freedom that both enthralled and frightened him.  Could he trust them with his future?  Forced by his family to become a minister in the Church of England, Gilbert Winslow is offered a dangerous and challenging task by one of the most powerful nobles in Britain.  Taking the post offers fortune and escape from a life he despises, but Winslow discovers it also means becoming a spy.  His mission is to infiltrate a group of religious separatists and to ferret out the whereabouts of their leader, who is accused of dissension against the King.  In spite of his initial uneasiness, infiltration proves to be an easy matter.  But will the ultimate betrayal be so simple?  With the influences of good and evil, faith and doubt, compassion and selfishness pulling him apart, to whom could he turn? (picture from amazon.)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa