A Royal Christmas Wedding, book #30

Rachel Hauck is one of my favorite authors!  This series of Royal Weddings has been a lot of fun to read, with her wit and humor and tenderness in each of the stories.  The series started with Suzanna in Once Upon a Prince, and then moved onto Regina's story in Princess Ever After.  Next came Corina's story in How to Catch a Prince and then she tied the stories up in a sweet little bow with this one.   

Avery Truitt aches for true love—the kind she once shared with Prince Colin. Can she dare to hope for happily ever after, or is a fairy-tale ending beyond reach?  College volleyball star Avery Truitt has not seen her former flame, Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom, since he suddenly pushed her away five years ago. But now, the sadness of losing her father and the joy of her sister Susanna’s pregnancy have brought Avery back to Brighton just in time for Cathedral City’s enchanting Christmas season.  Avery knows she can’t avoid seeing Colin—now the Kingdom’s most eligible bachelor—whether or not her heart is ready to relive the pain. But seeing him again might bring her the closure she needs after all this time.  When Colin finds himself at the center of a centuries-old Brighton tradition, he must decide whether to follow the path laid out before him or follow his heart to the only woman for whom he would ring the Pembroke Chapel Bell.  Can Colin convince Avery to meet him at the chapel on Christmas morning—as tradition dictates—or will Avery run back to her St. Simons home and pursue a coaching career as planned?  In the fourth installment of the Royal Wedding Series, New York Times bestselling novelist, Rachel Hauck, weaves a charming story of holiday romance as two broken hearts seek the love they once knew. (picture and description at amazon)

It is sad to reach an end to these lovely families, but that just means more time for new "friends" to be made in the pages of the next book!

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Christmas Letters, book #29

I ran into a problem when I finished my last book. I had no new Christmas books to read!  I have several new books I am anxious to start on, but during the months of November and December I need to read Christmas books.  So I went on my ever faithful Amazon and found this little goody! Back in 2013 I came across the Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber and thoroughly loved them!  I have another one in the series beside my bed for "just the right time" but when I found this one (and for only $5.99!) I knew I had to get it!  

It was a delightful, if not predictable, little book. I'm not entirely sure how the title is a good "summary" of the book, but don't let it fool you.  Read it anyway, you won't be disappointed!

Katherine O'Connor often spends her days at a cozy café on Blossom Street in Seattle—where she writes Christmas letters for other people. She's good at making their everyday lives sound more interesting. More humorous. More dramatic. But for Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who also frequents the café, Christmas means lies and deception. In fact, the renowned child psychologist recommends that parents "bury Santa under the sleigh." Katherine, however, feels that his parenting philosophy is one big mistake—at least, based on her five-year-old twin nieces, who are being raised according to his "Free Child" methods.  She argues with Wynn about his theories, while he argues that her letters are nothing but lies. They disagree about practically everything—and yet, somehow, they don't really want to stop arguing.  As the days—and nights—move closer to Christmas, Katherine and Wynn both discover that love means accepting your differences. And Christmas is about the things you share…. (picture and description from amazon)

Next up, A Royal Christmas wedding ~ from the amazing Rachel Hauck!

O:)

Melissa

The Christmas Town, book #28

Lauren Gabriel spent many years of her childhood in foster homes, wishing her mother would come back for her and be the family she needs. Now twenty-years-old, she still longs for a place that she can truly call home. Her work as a cashier is unfulfilling, and at Christmas it’s unbearable with the songs and carols and chatter of Christmas that she hears throughout the day.
When Lauren ends her shift one night, she finds herself driving aimlessly in order to avoid returning to her lonely apartment. And when she witnesses a car accident she is suddenly pulled into the small town of Grandon, first as a witness but then as a volunteer for the annual fundraiser for Glory’s Place, a center for single mothers and families who need assistance. Could this town and its people be the home she has always longed for?  (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Partners, book #27

Meh.  Half of the book was spend talking about Dale and not as much about George so I had no idea which way this book was going until they finally connected.

A knock at Dale Hathaway’s door changes the course of her life. Who would abandon a child on the steps of a boardinghouse on such a blustery night? Journalist George Rand is determined to find out, but first, he and Dale must work together to rescue the child. United in their efforts, can a lasting friendship develop for two lonely people?  (picture and description from amazon)

Can't wait to see my Book Club peeps this week!

O:)
Melissa

Second Chance Cinderella, book #26

"I'll Wait for You Forever." 

Heartbroken when her childhood love never returned, Rose Smith soon learned she had even greater worries—she carried his child. Ten years later as a housemaid in London, she encounters Samuel Blackstone. The kind youth she adored has turned bitter with success. Feeling out of place in Sam's high-society world, Rose fears what he may do when he learns of their son….

A wealthy stockbroker, Sam is used to getting what he wants. And when he learns that Rose bore him a son, he wants to claim his family. But he'll have to convince Rose to trust him again if he's to have any hope of meeting the boy…or recapturing her heart.  (picture and description from amazon)

Cute story that was a quick read, but in Chapter 14 where the son meets the dad is a pretty far stretch from reality.


O:)
Melissa

Covenant Child, book #25

This book was not on any list I currently have.  Not on my paperwhite.  Not on the side of my bed.  Not in the stack under the side of my bed.  Not in the stack across the room.  So why did I read it?  Well, I guess it was God.  

This book was returned to the library when I was working this week (our book has a different cover) and I hastily thought, "Hhm, that sounds interesting." So I brought it home and started in.

At first (and actually for over half of the book) I hated it.  Just like I hated The First Gardner. (Sorry Denise!) Just like I hated The Swan House.  It was just sad, sad, sad!!  Nothing funny, I never laughed once in this book.  I'm not really a crier when it comes to books, but if I was I probably would have been bawling my eyes out.  

Somewhat brief summary:
Dad is a son of a rich billionaire who grew a company from scratch.  Mom was a runaway who got Jesus.  Met dad, fell in love and got married.  Had sweet twins, then died in a car wreck.  Dad (who also got Jesus and doesn't want any of his dad's money) carries on the best he can with these two toddlers.  When they are three, Dad falls in love with Amanda and she embraces the girls as if they were her own, especially since she can't have any.  Well, a few months after they get married Dad and the rich grandparents all die in a plane wreck.  All the money/mansion/company/etc goes to Amanda, who doesn't even want it, like Dad didn't.  However, on the day of the funeral Mom's parents (who are trash from the scum) come to claim the twins, saying they are blood relatives and should raise them.  (Of course we all know they really just want the money.)  Since Amanda's adoption of the girls had not finished going through the process, the judge had no reason not to let them go with trashy grandparents (TG).  Tears ensue all the way around, except for TG who take them to their trashy dirty house and lock them in separate closets when they cry.  Amanda would give the TG everything, just to have the girls back since she promised she would take care of the girls no matter what for Dad.  However, the company that made them rich was falling apart due to bad lower management and since rich granddad was dead, that made Amanda the one to go in and get it back the way it needed to be.  She had no experience in running a huge company like that, but had two friend advisors come along and help her.  She didn't want to do it, but friend/advisors assured her taking care of the company would be taking care of the girls because it would be saving all the money for them for later.

Girls end up alone (TG go to the casino all night and sleep all day) and fall into all sort of bad trouble, have to fend for themselves, quit school, just all around yuck.  However, all the while, Amanda has been keeping tabs on them.  So TG convince them to sue Amanda for all their money when they turn 18 and tell them all sorts of lies about her.  When their birthday comes along, Amanda shows up with a free gift of everything, as long as they come live with her and follow her rules (which are really simple).  One twin does go, but the other still believes the lies.  The twin left behind goes forward with the suit against Amanda, but Amanda has made it clear she is not giving in.  It is all free already if only she will come.  

After a few more scraps, bumps, and all out catastrophes, other twin does come around and the good guys end up happily ever after.

Quotes that gripped me:

Lizzie, the twin who went with Amanda, explaining about what life was like at the mansion ~

"Kara, I feel like I was in a prison for most of my life, with cruel, greedy people lying to me and making me think that it was my fate to be there.  They kept us down, Kara.  They controlled us.  They made us into people without hope.  And it was a life sentence.  You're accepting that sentence, Kara, when the doors to that prison are open now.  But you won't walk through them.  We can go back to the family in the pictures of this photo album.  We can know peace and joy." 
"On her terms!" 
"Yes, on her terms.  They're good terms, Kara.  I've never felt more free in my life.  The whole world is open to me now.  I have a hope and a future.  Things are happening to me that I never even knew to hope or imagine.  For the first time in my life I feel like I'm standing on steady ground.  And I feel strong, because it's not just me, Deke and Eloise's tattered granddaughter.  I have all of Amanda's resources behind me, and she's there rooting for me and guiding me.  It's all about love, Kara.  Not money."

~
 
Less than two days after Kara got married. her husband beat her and threw her in a closet.  She found a way to escape, through a window, but it was narrow. 

"Gritting my teeth, I slid my feet through the window's opening, then scooted my body down until my rump rested on the sill.  It was like being reborn, pushed into a whole new world, frightened and damaged, but I managed to slip the rest of the way out and dropped to the ground."

Amanda’s heart broke as she watched them drive her beloved twins away. She resolved to hope . . . and to fight for them to her last breath.  Kara and Lizzie are heiresses to one of the largest fortunes in the country. But when their father dies suddenly, the toddlers are taken from the arms of Amanda, their loving stepmother, and given to relatives who only want the children’s fortune for themselves.  Kara and Lizzie grow up questioning their worth . . . until the day when they learn the truth.  Intensely involving, emotionally charged, and infused with hope, Covenant Child is an inspiring story that challenges us to embrace the life God holds out to us. (picture and description from amazon)

Here's to happy reading next time around!

O:)
Melissa  

Unashamed, book #24

Decided to clear off a book from my bedside table and picked this one up.  Complete turn from everything I had been reading ~ this is an autobiography!  

Not sure how many of you all have heard of Lecrae.  The only reason I knew his name was from my short stint in Adult Hip Hop years ago, where I was introduced to his music through God is Enough.  

This book was a quick read, but it was LOADED DOWN with some GOOD STUFF!!!  His story is like so many others for black kids "in the hood" ... never knew dad, raised by mom, lots of bad influences, abused as a child in many ways, sex, drugs, alcohol, in trouble all the time, etc.  He never fit in anywhere.  When he was in high school his step dad got a great new job and they moved to a nicer area and he was in a school with more opportunities for him.  However, it wasn't too long before he again didn't fit in.  The new area was predominately white and although he could get good grades and was super talented with his rapping and drama, others just still saw him as "the black kid".  His life just spiraled up and down over and over again until he was in college and started hanging out with the Christian kids because he didn't have anywhere else to go.  He ended up going to an amazing conference one Christmas break and really felt the Lord calling him.  He was saved that night and had his first true revelation about his life.  

Long story short .... he starts making music (he writes and performs his own material) and does really well, then the Lord brings him down to open his eyes to the next step He wants him to take.  Through all the various hills and valleys he finally has reached a point where he realizes he is exactly where he belongs.  Yes, he is a Christian, but his music is for everyone.  It reaches Christians and main stream because he writes from the heart ~ his heart.  His trials and tribulations.  His longings and weaknesses.  His victories through Jesus.  

Quotes that jumped out at me:

"I had finally been set free, but I was about to find out if I could live free.  A person can be removed from slavery in an instant, but it takes a lifetime for slavery to be removed from a person." 

"I'd been liberated from slavery, but slavery had not been liberated from me." 

"We fool ourselves into thinking that when we're 'born again' we come out of the womb walking.  But spiritual infants are like physical infants.  When a child begins to learn how to walk, they fall a lot." 

"All my life, I'd been hiding pieces of myself and putting up a front.  I'd been hiding my weakness so everyone would think I was hard.  So that people would like me.  I finally let go of all that and surrendered.  Now I refused to hide my struggles and imperfections, my temptations and my problems.  I refused to exhaust myself trying to conform to others' expectations or fit in their boxes.  For the first time in my life, I was free to live.  Unashamed."

Once he 'crossed over' to doing main stream, he got a lot of flack from his Christian fans who thought he was leaving them and turning back to his old ways.  

"But the critics don't know the whole story.  Critics almost never do.  They claimed I had been seduced by the money.   They didn't know that I was actually losing money at many of those mainstream events ....
The critics said I was just chasing fame by trying to become friends with famous people.  But they didn't know that I was an outsider at many of these events ....
The critics claimed I was a sell-out for being friends with people like Kendrick. .. They didn't know that he and I were constantly dialoging about faith.  The critics hated that I was loving this community instead of attacking them.  They didn't know that rappers would often come find me after a show--sometimes high and out of their minds--and ask me to help figure out what God wanted for their lives."


If you live for people's acceptance, you'll die from their rejection.
Two-time Grammy winning rap artist, Lecrae, learned this lesson through more than his share of adversity—childhood abuse, drugs and alcoholism, a stint in rehab, an abortion, and an unsuccessful suicide attempt.  Along the way, Lecrae attained an unwavering faith in Jesus and began looking to God for affirmation. Now as a chart-topping industry anomaly, he has learned to ignore the haters and make peace with his craft. The rap artist holds nothing back as he divulges the most sensitive details of his life, answers his critics, shares intimate handwritten journal entries, and powerfully models how to be a Christian in a secular age.  This is the story of one man's journey to faith and freedom.   
(picture and description from amazon)

To hear a bit of his music, go here.

O:)
Melissa

Secondhand Cowboy, book #23

Iris Tatum hasn't seen her high school sweetheart, Callum Stewart, since he left years ago without a single word. Then she witnesses a horrific hit-and-run accident and comes face to face with her past - and Cal's triplets. A volunteer paramedic, Iris can't walk away...no matter how much she wants to.
Bull rider Callum Stewart was run out of town at age 20 and vowed never to return. Only one thing could bring him back: building a future for his sons. Now, thanks to the accident that left him with a broken leg, he needs help to care for his boys. He has no choice but to accept Iris's grudging help.
As they rediscover a friendship - and the sparks that never faded between them - Callum's secrets are brought back with a vengeance. How can they keep the past from destroying their future? (picture and description from amazon)

Another quick read that was really cute!

O:)
Melissa

Home is Where the Heart Is, book #22

Ten years ago, Violet Collingsworth left the town founded by her family, eager to escape a domineering grandmother and a past filled with hurt. Finally able to pursue her own dreams, Violet has spent the last decade traveling and enjoying adventures in the outdoors she loves so much. But now her grandmother's death has brought her back to Collingsworth and to the conflicted familial relationships of her past. Settling down anywhere, let alone Collingsworth, was not part of her agenda, but a run-in with the town sheriff has her reconsidering. Sheriff Dean Marconett has heard plenty about the Collingsworth sister who loved to travel, but he never imagined he'd be so drawn to her when they finally met. Hoping to win her heart, he keeps secret the one thing that might scare her away. Will he be able to convince Violet to consider settling down in the town she fled from so long ago before his secret is revealed? Or will her adventuresome spirit and the hurts and fears of her past, along with his secret, drive her away from a chance at love?  (picture and description from amazon)

Read on!

O:)
Melissa

Sixteen Brides, book #21

Sigh.  My pioneers.  It was good to be home.  :) Absolutely LOVED this book, definitely of my new favorites!


Sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledgling community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival! Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be. (picture and description from amazon)

Wonder what I'll read next?

O:)
Melissa

The Doctor's Bond, book #20

For the less than two people who follow this blog, and are fans of Lee Tobin McClain's series The Sacred Bond you may realize I made a grievous error back in January.  When I read His Baby Bond I am beginning to think that somehow I was reading the wrong book. I am not sure what happened, but the book I have now on my Paperwhite IS the right one, and now I need to go back and read it because I am pretty sure I'm hooked on these guys now.  

In the words of the author, "The Sacred Bond series spotlights four former delinquents who grow up to become heroes due to a bond they made as teenagers." This particular book is #4 in the series and had I of read the right book with His Baby Bond (#1) this might have made more sense.  But that is water under the bridge.  

This Christian romance novel features Bad Boone McDermitt, who's back in Pleasant Haven, Florida to help his troubled nephews ... not to romance the preacher’s daughter! But the handsome doctor sees a kindred spirit in restless, talented Abby Smith, and he’s drawn to her spirituality as much as to her beauty. The problem is, Boone doesn’t think he’s good enough for Abby, and a few small-minded church people agree. As for Abby, she must choose between a dutiful life with the clean-cut minister dear old dad’s chosen for her and the dangerous, passionate freedom Boone represents. It’ll take a lot of prayer and an assist from the Sacred Bond brothers to teach Boone and Abby that sometimes, the biggest risk is in not following your heart. (description, quotes and picture from amazon.)

Of course, now the end makes sense because "The Doctor's Bond brings to a close the Sacred Bond series of Christian romance books." 

Sigh ... I need Amazon gift cards for Christmas.   

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa 

A Soldier's Promise, book #19

Quick read before I started on our Book Club book, but I just realized it is next week so I better get started soon!

Reeling from a broken engagement that resulted in a small town scandal, ER nurse Julie Crain just wants to be left alone over the Fourth of July Holiday weekend. But when single dad, Derek Ryerson and his young daughter need a place to stay to recuperate from a car accident, Julie can't ignore their plight. She knows she needs to protect her heart, but little Lexi needs love and support. But soon she realizes the former soldier has a secret that could tear them apart.  (description from amazon)

Shadowed by Grace, book #18

Roger got me this book for Christmas and since it had been sitting in the pile by the bed for awhile I decided to take a break from the Paperwhite and read a "real book".  

Here's the thing I will always love about reading ~ it takes you away!  Just today I was finishing this book up and I was sitting outside while some girls I gave birth to flitting around and making all sorts of loud noise.  But I was so entranced in my book, all that felt 1000 miles away and in reality I was in Florence, Italy in 1944 and there were Germans shooting at me .... 

I love this book about the Monuments Men.  I had never heard about them until we watched the movie with Matt Damon and George Clooney, but then I was very intrigued.  I'm so glad he got me this book!  Hang on tight til the end!

Shadowed by Grace is a dramatic story inspired by the Monuments Men of World War II by acclaimed author Cara C. Putman. Desperate to save her dying mother, Rachel accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy to capture images dangerously close to the front lines of WWII. Her real motive - to find the father she never knew -- an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive. It's an unlikely situation for love and faith to flourish, but soon Rachel not only finds herself, but also her long-lost earthly father, and ultimately, the man her Heavenly father created to cherish and provide for her.

In other reading news, I finally got my Paperwhite books in an order that is easily searchable.  If you will remember, not long after I started piling books on it I immediately ran into a HUGE problem!  While you can "flip through" the titles and covers of the books on your e-reader, you cannot see the summary on the back to know what the book is about!  And you can't see how thick it is!  So I have now undertaken the monstrous project of organizing all that information together with my good friend Excel.  I made a whole bunch of sheets in one document that breaks out all the books I have by Alpha, Fiction/Nonfiction Alpha, Fiction/Nonfiction number of pages, Series, and Fiction/Nonfiction summaries.  So now I can get on my one file and see what I want to read next.  I'm debating adding a sheet with Genres also, but I got tired of looking at all those titles!  

Happy Reading!!

O:)
Melissa

The Seventh Hour, book #17

Well, this month for Book Club we went with an oldie, a dear Grace Livingston Hill book.  I do love her writing, but I honestly wasn't in the mood.  I have been reading some fun, light, catchy books and didn't start out enjoying the expressive writing and heavy details, but alas ... as time wore on I again fell in love this book.  If you will remember, it was here that I fell in love with her.

Interestingly enough, this book has two different synopses, depending on which site you visit.  I chose this book from Amazon, since that is where I get all my Paperwhite books.  It says:

Dana Barron was raised by a godly father and had no contact with his mother who took his sister and abandoned the family over twenty years ago. But on his deathbed, Dana’s father asks him to be reunited with his mother and sister. Reluctantly, Dana enters New York society, dragging his friend Bruce along for moral support. Faced with a world foreign to his own and full of greed and danger, Dana pledges to show his sister a better way and take her to a place of safety. 

I specifically wanted to read this book based on this summary.  (This is also the summary at Lifeway) However, when I went to see if there were summaries on other sites, I found a completely different description, this one from Good Reads:

Beautiful, willful Caralie is in love at last with a wonderful man of faith, but will her turbulent past keep them apart? Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.

I think I would have been pretty disappointed had I started reading this book had I only read the second synopsis because it takes it in a completely different way than the first review does.

Whether you are a fan of "old books" or heavy description or not, I highly recommend reading at least one Grace Livingston Hill books!

O:)
Melissa

Belonging, book #16

Oops!  Forgot about this one I read before the other!  I really liked this one also!

In the high desert town of Frenchman’s Bluff, Idaho, Felicia Kristoffersen has set out to create a future for herself that is better than her painful past. Alone in the world with only her faith to sustain her, she must prove herself as this tiny community’s new school teacher. She cannot, must not, fail. But, there are those who never wanted her there to begin with. Five years after the death of his wife, local merchant Colin Murphy cares about just one thing: raising his daughter, Charity. Colin wants to give her the educational advantages he never had. The new schoolmarm’s inexperience doesn’t sit well with him, and if this teacher up and marries like the last one did, Charity’s heart will be broken once again. A woman who hasn’t known love. A man who lost the love he had. In the midst of the wide, sage-covered plains, each is about to discover that life’s bitterest circumstances truly can work together for good. Tender, evocative, and beautifully written, Belonging is a journey about love after loss, and about two hearts destined to become one—despite their stubbornness! (picture and description from amazon)

Happy reading!

O:)
Melissa

Grounded, book #15

Fun Fun quick read.  Again, like the Amish book I just read, I was reading part of this on our bizarre flights home and I would look at the flight attendant and think to myself, "Hhm, I am getting a peek into your world!" Of course, you could tell how the book was going to end half way through, but it was still fun to see sub plots come together.

Also loved all setting of Beulah's house, a large farm "in Kentucky" somewhat near Lexington.  I could so see Beulah just like Grandma Campbell and her big old farm .... made me almost want to pack up everything and go back to claim the farm, but Annie had the luck of having Beulah teach her how to plant, how to garden, how to harvest, and how to can.  I'm not sure I could do it with just my BFF "the internet" ..... 

New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor is grounded, putting a halt to weekends in Rome and her jet-setting lifestyle. Soon her noncommittal boyfriend’s true nature is revealed, and to top it all off, she loses her apartment.
With nowhere else to go, Annie leaves the city for the family farm in Kentucky, a place she’s avoided for years. She finds a shotgun-wielding grandmother, a farm in disrepair, and a suspicious stranger renting the old stone house. The country quiet haunts Annie with reminders of a past that can’t be changed. She tries persuading her grandmother to sell the farm, but is met with stubborn refusal? Yet in the midst of her crashing life, Annie sees a glimmer of hope for a second chance.   Jake Wilder is contemplating jumping off the corporate ladder to follow his passion for sustainable farming. He’s almost ready to propose to Camille, a girl who wants more, not less. Annie believes Jake is about to make a terrible mistake, but does she have the right to tell him? As the summer heats up, so do Annie’s unexpected feelings for Jake and her interest in the land. When a sudden phone call comes from New York, Annie is forced to choose between coming to terms with her past or leaving it all behind. (picture and description from amazon)

Happy reading!

O:)
Melissa 

Falling to pieces, book #14

Book Club read for July.  It was a nice, easy read that I did enjoy.  A little cheesy at times, but what was interesting is that as I was reading this up in Philly I saw several Amish people at the hospital.  And in my mind I was like, "Hey, I'm getting another peek into your world."  Maybe because I'm just weird like that ...

In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books—faith, community, simplicity, family—with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt. When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.  (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Summer Reading!!
O:)
Melissa

Fancy Pants, book #13

 
Read this for Book Club and I really get to go!!  Loved it!


When "Big Tim" Creighton spies the mincing fop headed toward Forsaken Ranch, he is appalled. Thankful his boss isn't around to witness the arrival of his kin, Tim decides he'll turn "Fancy Pants" Hathwell into a man worthy of respect. Lady Sydney Hathwell never intended to don men's attire, but when her uncle mistakenly assumed she was a male, the answer to her problems seemed clear. Her disguise as "Syd" was meant to be temporary...but the arranged marriage she's fleeing, her uncle's attitude toward the fairer sex--and her own pride--compel her to continue the guise far longer than she had intended. When her deception is exposed, will she be forced to abandon her hopes for family...and true love? (picture and description from Amazon)

Deciding what to read next!!

O:)
Melissa

The Swan House, book #12

Been waiting forever to read this book, but when I finally did it was not what I expected. (Hint, not on my personal list of favorites)

Mary Swan Middleton has always taken for granted the advantages of her family's wealth. But a tragedy that touches all of Atlanta sends her reeling in grief. When the family maid challenges her to reach out to the less fortunate as a way to ease her own pain, Mary Swan meets Carl and everything changes. For although Carl is her opposite in nearly every way, he has something her privileged life could not give her. And when she seeks his help to uncover a mystery, she learns far more than she ever could have imagined.
(picture and description at amazon)


Here's to reading our next Book Club book!

O:) 
Melissa

Let's Get Katie Walking!

Thin Ice, book #11

Luckily, there is a happy ending to the last post.  I decided to go ahead and start reading Book Club Book, thinking with the crazy week or two I would potentially have I would pace myself and finish just in time.

Whatever.

Inhaled this one in like three days, staying up till 12:30 last night to finish.  I can 100% guarantee to you that Irene Hannon will NEVER disappoint.


After losing her parents in a car accident and her sister to a house fire, Christy Reed has been mired in grief. Life is finally starting to feel normal again when an envelope arrives in the mail--addressed in her sister's handwriting. And the note inside claims she is still alive.  FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case, but he's coming up with more questions than answers. If Ginny Reed is still alive--who is the woman buried in her grave? Where is Ginny? And is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game--or the target of a sinister plot? As he digs deeper, one thing becomes clear: whoever is behind the bizarre ruse has a deadly agenda. (picture and description from amazon)

Wonder what is next for me?

O:)
Melissa

Bright New Murder x2, book #10

I'm not even posting a picture I'm such a freak.  As you will remember,  last time I posted I said I was going to look for a short book to hold me over before I started on the Book Club Book.  As we were going to be in the hospital, I wanted to take my Paperwhite, so I looked through my options of short books and found Bright New Murder. It was short and seemed like it would be funny, so I decided to read it.

Well, as I was reading I kept thinking, "This seems so familiar, but I can't remember what happens."  Over and over and over.  So I read it.  I found out what happened.  The end.  

So I finally have time to update the blog and decide to see if, indeed, I have read it.  Guess what.  I did. In October of 2014.  What a waste of time when there are so many other amazing books to read.  I debated even counting it, but I read it so I'm counting it.  Then end.  Again. 

Buried Secrets, book #9

Irene Hannon never disappoints.  It has been a while since I've read a good detective story like this, I pretty much consumed it in about 3 days.  All 364 pages.  Ok, it may have been 4 but who is counting?  


After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.  Master storyteller Irene Hannon is back with an exciting new series featuring former special forces operatives now in the thick of the action in civilian life. Hannon is at the top of her game in this can't-put-it-down thriller that will have readers up until the wee hours devouring every page. (picture and description from amazon.)

But now I have a problem.  We are reading Book 2 in this series for Book Club, but it doesn't meet for two more weeks.  Now that I know I will probably inhale that book also, I will have to find another one to hold me over.  I suppose I could work on finishing my Jen Hatmaker book, because I really was trying to read a non-fiction book.  I just love my fiction ones so much more!!!

O:)
Melissa

They called her Mrs. Doc, book #8

Book #8?  Since February?  Yes, folks, it is true.  Life has been a roller coaster of twists and turns and upside down and right side up and corkscrews and every other THING that can happen on a coaster and reading of most any sort is just downright impossible.  I have been working through a Jen Hatmaker book, but had to pause that to read this for Book Club.

It was a sweet little story, and I'm always a sucker for pioneers.  Not much depth, not many plot twists, but a good story about her life and how she lived it out through her ups and downs, and how the LORD helped her through it.

The only daughter of a noted Montreal physician and educator, Cassandra Dell Winston enjoys all the opportunities of eastern society and affluence. She has never dreamed of any other life.  Then a serious and conscientious young doctor begins coming to dinner, turning her world upside down. As Mrs. Samuel Smith, Cassandra agrees to move with her husband to the frontier. But nothing has prepared her for the difficulties of life out west. Dare she pray that the move is only temporary and they will soon return to the city? Will she ever be able to embrace life as "Mrs. Doc"?

Since we chose a book #2 in a series for Book Club for April, I'm going to make an attempt to read #1 before starting the other one.  We shall see how that goes ... 

O:)
Happy Reading!

Snow Angel, book #7

Deanie said we needed a Winter book for February Book Club so this is what we chose.  It did start out in the winter so that counts!

I did enjoy this book because it has to do with sort of pioneers ~ the setting was the Alaska area during the gold rush.  So even though other places may have been more settled, out in Alaska it was still pretty rough.  

When Noah Wesley heard the faint sound outside the door of his remote Alaskan mountain cabin during a violent nighttime blizzard, it was no less than the voice of God that urged him to take a closer look, soon to discover his snow angel. Unconscious and more than half frozen to death, her name, as Noah would later learn after boldly saving her life, was Elizabeth, a beautiful young woman, fragile yet fierce, and intent on discovering gold like so many others in that region during the late 1800s. But why Elizabeth was so drawn to the gold, and why she would chase it even through a pounding storm that no man would dare face, was a secret to be shared with no one else, not even at the invitation of Noah's deep blue trusting eyes. First time novelist Jamie Carie pens a can't-put-down debut in Snow Angel, a masterfully romantic story wherein cold and lonely hearts risk everything to be forever warmed. (picture and description from amazon)

Trying to decide what is next ... as always!!

O:)
Melissa
 

Job's Niece, book #6

Decided to go with one beside my bed.  I thought it would be a quick read since I thought most of the books by Grace Livingston Hill were, but it was not.  I still enjoyed it, although I didn't exactly put together the plot and the title until about half way through.  The book was written in 1927 and I loved reading the "thickness" of the story, using more proper words, more wordy words to describe what was going on.  Obviously that is a skill I have not developed!

Interestingly enough, according to her website, Grace Livingston Hill is credited as being the originator of the modern day Christian Romance books!  Here is brief tidbit about her if you are unfamiliar with her books.  

Follow Doris Dunbar through the ups and downs of a daunting future. An unwise business investment leaves John Edward Dunbar’s children practically penniless after his death—and his eldest daughter, Doris, to bear the brunt of the trials that come. Between the bill collectors, her demanding stepmother, and her brother’s hasty marriage to a gold digger, it’s hard for Doris to keep hope alive. Until Scottish businessman Angus MacDonald offers a picture-perfect solution to Doris’s dwindling hope. But despite the seemingly easy salvation, will this blessing yield more hurt than help?  (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!
 
O:)
Melissa 

His Baby Bond, book #5

There's probably a good reason this book was free for Kindle.  Not recommended unless you want a quick read and don't mind the inconsistencies.  Spoiler alert: the "baby" is 8 years old.  Amazingly it has 763 reviews with an average of 4.5 stars.  And actually the description on Amazon doesn't even describe the book at all.  Makes me wonder if this is even the book I read ... Strange indeed.

Midnight on the Mississippi, book #4

"Wait," you say. "How can this be book #4?" Well, counting the last two of this series, and then this book, so that brings us to Midnight on the Mississippi, book #4 I read for 2016.  I'd say we're on a pretty good roll!

This is our book club book for January I thoroughly enjoyed it!

New Orleans--Hunter Galen, a stock and securities broker, suspects his business partner, James Nowak, may be involved in embezzling their clients' money, but he's reluctant to jeopardize their friendship based on suspicion alone. After James turns up dead, Hunter realizes his unwillingness to confront a problem may have cost James his life. Nicki Price, a newly minted PI, intends to solve the stockbroker's murder, recover the missing millions from the client accounts, and establish herself in the career she adores. As she ferrets out fraud and deception at Galen Investments, Hunter's fiancee, Ashley Menard, rubs Nicki the wrong way. Nicki doesn't trust the ostentatious woman with an agenda longer than the Mississippi River. Ashley seems to be hiding something, but is Nicki's growing attraction to Hunter--a suspected murderer--her true reason for disliking Ashley?  As they encounter sophisticated shell games, blackmail, and murder, Nicki and Hunter's only option is to turn to God as they search for answers, elude lethal danger, and perhaps discover love along the way.  (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

New Year, New books to read!!

Well, another year has now started and it brings with us a new chance to read many more books.  Some I will love, some I will hate, some I could care less about, some will become my new favorites, some I will want to throw across the room when I am done .... BUT!  I won't know anything about them until I read them!  

Here one of the amazing things about reading ... it transports you back and forth between different worlds, different times, different places.  I remember last year reading this book while waiting at the tumbling studio with Katie.  During this particular instance I am thinking of, in the book they were on the Mayflower during the treacherous trip over the seas.  So here I am reading this book, practially seasick myself reading it, then I glance up to see what Katie is doing and BOOM!  Back in 2015.  Ok, just boring cartwheels, back to the book.  BOOM!  Back on the ship getting dizzy, wrapped up in their lives, but wait!  BOOM!  They have moved on the back handsprings!  Will she get it this time?  No, not yet.  Back to the book.  Drama ensues over who is going to be in charge once they land.  How will it be handled?  Wait!  Did I just miss her getting her handspring? No, just stretches. Ok, back to the book.  And so it goes  .....  this is just one example of how you can so easily be in two places at one time.

I did finish reading the last two books in the Mail Order Brides series and thoroughly enjoyed nearly all of them.  Sometimes when you have a series of short stories like that with 6 stories which were nearly all the same it can get boring, but actually each story had a small twist to it.  And, as I was reading all those cold books (pioneers always have cold, snowy Christmases!) and reading about all the work they had to do to make sure there was enough wood, taking caring of the animals, etc it made me glad.  I do love reading about pioneers, watching movies about pioneers, visiting pioneer sites, (I'd really love to take a covered wagon trip!) but the reality is that I'm pretty happy here in 2016 with my warm house, my Kroger close, no animals I have to take care of, my microwave, refrigerator, full pantry, etc.  

So, after I finished those books, I again had my bibliographic dilemma. One morning I was trying to get ready for work quick and had to decide on the next book to read so I could take it with me to read at lunch.  Too early to start Book Club book, want to read a physical book, not pioneers, not a long one .... I ended up with The Language of Sycamores, in the series from my mom.  I wasn't that excited about reading it, but I was going to go ahead with it to make an attempt to clear out that pile.  At first I was not enjoying it that much, as this book had more about the feelings of the characters, the past, etc and not as much about the events in the story.  (It was interesting to me, though, that I could remember bits and pieces about the first book in the series and how the second book, which I did not like at all, now makes sense.)  In the end, though I absolutely LOVED how it all came together!!  


Karen Sommerfield has been hiding from life-immersing herself in a high-powered job-until the day the company downsizes her out of a job and the doctor tells her that she may have cancer. It's a double blow that sends Karen on a search for herself in the last place she ever thought to look: Grandma Rose's old farm.  As Karen's hectic schedule falls away, she opens up to the unexpected. In the quiet of the Missouri Ozarks, she hears the soft, secret language of the sycamore trees, and discovers answers and a joy to make her life complete.  (picture and description from amazon.)

Now?  Well, its time for Book Club book, which is a modern day murder mystery.  Oh yeah, bring it on ....

O:)
Melissa