When Christmas Comes, book #25

Almost like reading a Hallmark Movie ... sweet, crazy, and even though once you work through all the surprises you know how it is going to end, you still want to keep reading ....

Through an internet site, Charles Brewster and Emily Springer arrange to swap houses over Christmas. Emily, a widow, wants to celebrate in Boston with her only daughter. Charles, history professor and curmudgeon, wants to avoid the holiday altogether. He figures a prison town should be nice and quiet over the holidays—except he’s thinking of the wrong Leavenworth, and ends up in Washington State—in Santa’s village! Through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, amid the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge in unexpected ways. Because everything changes at Christmas! (picture and description from amazon)

Wondering if I have time to squeeze in one more Christmas book or not .. hehehe!

Merry Christmas!

>O:)

Melissa

The Christmas Secret, book #24

Quick read ... fun book!

Beloved, bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter tells a heartrending story from 1880 Pennsylvania.  Elizabeth Canning discovers an awful secret in her deceased mother’s diary. Believing her chances for a happy marriage are spoiled, she leaves her fiancé a letter and flees town thinking all hope of a marriage to David is lost. Praying that distance will heal her broken heart, she takes refuge in her grandparents’ Pennsylvania home.  Anticipating a Christmas Eve wedding with Elizabeth, David Stinner is confused by her letter and desperate to find her. Can David root out the truth about the past and bring back his bride? Or is the truth destined to bring an ultimate end to their romance? (picture and description from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa

The Paper Bag Christmas, book #23

Sweet story in the end, but didn't care for the telling of it ...

Dr. Christopher Ringle is the last person you'd expect to find moonlighting as Santa Claus at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving. But it is there that he meets a young man named Molar Alan, who desperately needs a new perspective on the underlying value of Christmas. Dr. Ringle recruits Mo and his older brother as volunteers at a nearby children's hospital for the holiday season. At the hospital, Mo is tasked to help bring holiday cheer to the young cancer patients on the fifth floor. His biggest challenge is befriending a decidedly angry girl who is so embarrassed by her scarred appearance that she hides her face behind the safety of a paper bag. Almost in spite of himself, Mo finds that Christmas joy emanates from a source far greater than the North Pole, while the young girl learns that she is more beautiful than she had ever imagined.(Picture and description from amazon)

Wonder is up my stocking next?

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Quilted by Christmas, book #22

This my second Christmas book was an ok book, I liked the plot but surprisingly I did not like the extra details she had in it.  Normally I'm a "the more the better" when it comes to details to help me smell it, hear it, feel it, etc but the details she wrote about were more superficial.  It took me a while to get started with it, but I'm glad I stuck it out!

Taryn McKenna believes she's easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree—something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches. When Taryn's grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have? (picture and description at amazon)

Looking forward to our Christmas Novella for Book Club next week!

O:)
Happy Reading!

Christmas at Carnton, book #21

Sigh.  I loved this book.  There was so much in here that I loved and I'm so glad Robi picked it for us to read.  

I love Christmas.  I love Civil War stuff when written from the Confederate side.  (Not trying to pick battles here, just a personal choice)  I love that this is written about a place just down the road from me.  I love that she tied in real people (with poetic license I am sure) with the characters.  I love that the author lives right here in my town.  I love the redemption that book held for Aletta.  I love the descriptive details she used when writing.  I'm pretty sure I'd love that sweet Andrew, as I can just imagine his light brown hopping up and down as he and Winder ran around the farm, similar to brother's hair when he was young like that. I am also pretty sure I'd love Tempy and can imagine she gives some of the best hugs of comfort, despite how life has treated earlier.  

In short, I highly recommend this book!

Amid war and the fading dream of the Confederacy, a wounded soldier and a destitute widow discover the true meaning of Christmas - and of sacrificial love.  Recently widowed, Aletta Prescott struggles to hold life together for herself and her six-year old son. With the bank threatening to evict, she discovers an advertisement for the Women's Relief Society auction and applies for a position - only to discover it's been filled. Then a chance meeting with a wounded soldier offers another opportunity - and friendship. But can Aletta trust this man? Captain Jake Winston, a revered Confederate sharpshooter, suffered a head wound at the Battle of Chickamauga. When doctors deliver their diagnosis, Jake fears losing not only his greatest skill but his very identity. As he heals, Jake is ordered to assist with a local Women's Relief Society auction. He respectfully objects. Kowtowing to a bunch of "crinolines" isn't his idea of soldiering. But orders are orders, and he soon discovers this group of ladies - one, in particular - is far more than he bargained for. (picture and description from Amazon.com)

Happy Reading!
O:)
Melissa

Murder on the Orient Express, book # 20

After truly enjoying my first Agatha Christie book back in December 2013, I knew I wanted to read another one at some time.  Well, that sometime came now when I found out they were making a movie of this classic.  Even though I start reading Christmas books in November, I decided to squeeze this one in beforehand, and indeed I am glad I did!  

The beautiful language, the descriptive storytelling, the thought that goes into this, the page turning excitement!  I hope to read more Agatha Christie books - and I hope it won't be another four years! - but I'm not sure I could read them back to back.  I am definitely going to see this movie next Friday when it comes out!!  I only hope I am not disappointed!

“The murderer is with us—on the train now . . .”

 Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.

 Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.

 “What more . . . can a mystery addict desire?”—New York Times 

(picture and description from amazon)

And now, on to Christmas!!

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa

Traces of Guilt, book #19

Good book.  Good choice for Book Club.  Highly recommend it.

Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job. Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have.  When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be key to those answers.  (photo and description amazon )

Because there are so many Christmas books I like to read and never have enough time, I usually read them in November and December.  However, I am debating one more regular one before I start in with those.  Maybe Murder on the Orient Express since I want to see the movie???

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

To Wager her Heart, book #18

Ahhh ... finally .... a book I can love again ....

Set against the real history of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a powerful love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won.  Sylas Rutledge, the new owner of the Northeast Line Railroad, invests everything he has into this venture, partly for the sake of the challenge. But mostly to clear his father's name. One man holds the key to Sy's success--General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. But Harding is champagne and thoroughbreds, and Sy Rutledge is beer and bullocks. 

 

Sy needs someone to help him maneuver his way through Nashville's society, and when he meets Alexandra Jamison, he quickly decides he's found his tutor. Only, he soon discovers that the very train accident his father is blamed for causing is what killed Alexandra Jamison's fiancé--and has shattered her world. 

   

Spurning an arranged marriage by her father, Alexandra instead pursues her passion for teaching at Fisk University, the first freedmen's university in the United States. But family--and Nashville society--do not approve, and she soon finds herself cast out from both.

   

Through connections with the Harding family, Alexandra and Sy become unlikely allies. And despite her first impressions, Alexandra gradually finds herself coming to respect, and even care for this man. But how can she, when her heart is still spoken for? And when Sy's roguish qualities and adventuresome spirit smack more of recklessness than responsibility and honor?  Sylas Rutledge will risk everything to win over the woman he loves. What he doesn't count on is having to wager her heart to do it. With fates bound by a shared tragedy, a reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory and a Southern Belle bent on breaking free from society's expectations must work together to achieve their dreams - provided the truth doesn't tear them apart first. (picture and description at amazon)

Not sure what is up next, but I'm going to make sure it is good!

O:)

Melissa

Missing, book #17

I read it.  I will be interested to discuss this with my Book Club Buddies.  The end.  Moving on ....

Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Families of Honor, Seasons of Sugarcreek, and Sisters of the Heart series, returns with another page-turning romance set in Amish country. Gray’s eagerly anticipated fourth series, The Secrets of Crittenden County, begins with Missing, a poignant and compelling tale of an unlikely romance born of tragedy. When the shocking death of a young man rocks a quiet Amish community, the dead man’s former girlfriend and his “Englisher” best friend find themselves murder suspects. But they are strengthened by their faith, and by an unanticipated love that awakens. Readers of Christian romance and inspirational fiction are captivated by stories of love among the Amish, as proven by the phenomenal success of Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, Cindy Woodsmall, and the previous novels of Shelly Shepard Gray. With The Secrets of Crittenden County this accomplished and much beloved storyteller reaches a new level. (picture and description from Amazon)

Here's to happy reading!
Melissa

Between Heaven and Hollywood, book #16

I was excited to read this book because I do love his movies so much, but I was fairly disappointed.  Interestingly enough, in the front matter he writes a part called, "Save your Receipt", but it is really more about if you think it is a self help book you will be disappointed.

So, it wasn't a self help book, but there was not as much biography part as I thought there would be.  A lot of it did include "pep talks" and places where it seemed scripture was inserted because it made sense, not like that was the jumping off point.  

Between Heaven & Hollywood is David’s inspirational journey from the wheat fields of his Mennonite home outside of Dodge City Kansas, to the bright lights of Los Angeles. This story of perseverance will assure you that your dreams aren’t frivolous. They might be the most important part of your life. White has starred in more than twenty-five movies and produced forty films, including the blockbuster God’s Not Dead. He serves as a Managing Partner of Pure Flix, the largest faith-based movie studio in the world. With his signature wit and sidesplitting hilarity, David’s story of faithfulness, grounded in the biblical truth that no dream is too big for God, will inspire you to relentlessly pursue your dreams, and in the process, bring the reality of God’s kingdom a little closer to the here and now. God has planted a dream in your heart that is both unique to you and essential to the world. White reminds us that there is no one too common, too uneducated, too poor, too inexperienced, or too broken that he or she cannot be used by God. (picture and description from amazon)

Let's go back to Book Club books, shall we?

O:)
Melissa

Sea Rose Lane, book #15

Book Club Book for July ... makes me long for when I can move to the beach ...


After a devastating layoff, attorney Eric Nash heads back to the town where he grew up--only to discover that his childhood home is being transformed into a bed & breakfast. Instead of plotting his next career move in peace, he's constantly distracted by noise, chaos--and BJ Stevens, the attractive but prickly blonde architect and construction chief who's invaded the house with her motley crew.  As for BJ, her client's son might be handsome, but after a disastrous romance, dating isn't high on her agenda. Yet when they join forces to create a program for Hope Harbor seniors, might they also find healing, hope, and a new beginning themselves? (picture and description from amazon)

O:)
Melissa

The Prodigal Daughter, book #14

The book for this month's Book Club was The Prodigal Daughter, which was one of the stories in this collection.  I was really looking forward to it, but it took a while for me to get into it.

Treasure an exclusive 3-in-1 collection of timeless stories from America’s best-loved storyteller, Grace Livingston Hill. A stranger salvages a wedding gone awry for one desperate bride. Believing he is a murderer, a young man hides his identity. A rebellious teenager’s escape brings more than she bargained. With charming 1920s settings, these beloved romances capture the enduring power of faith—and love. (picture and description at amazon)

Looking forward to our new Irene Hannon book!

O:)

Melissa

The Knight and the Dove, book #13

I do love the oldies!  When Robi suggested we read this for May I wasn't too thrilled, because I had already read it about 100 years ago. (Meaning, I don't want to waste my time reading books I have already read when there are over 200 just waiting on my Paperwhite alone.)  But, I am a good sport and read it anyway.

Surprise!  I honestly did not remember any of it at all and I absolutely LOVED it!! While I do love me some historical fiction, this time period (1500s) is not a go to for me.  But see .... we just have to expand our boundaries and try new things!  Or old things, as the case may be!  I don't know that I will reaching for medieval again any time soon, but this story was timeless.  It could have just as easily (in general) been set in any time and still been awesome!
 
When the king commands Bracken to marry, high-spirited Megan is chosen to fulfill the edict. Unskilled in the ways of love, Bracken finds Megan captivating, yet cannot seem to voice his feelings until he almost loses her forever.  (description and image from amazon)

Happy reading!

O:)
Melissa

The Magnolia Story, book #12

One of the fun presents I got for my birthday was this book by the beloved Chip and JoJo.  I must admit I still love them, but I haven't watched their show in a while because it seems sort of "cookie cutter" ~ as in it has the same story line over and over.  But I still love Chip and Jo! And I have been to the Bosque Shop! 

Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people? What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.  The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day. (picture and description from amazon)

Next up? Book Club book!

O:)

Melissa

A thousand voices, book #11

I must admit, I liked this book more than I ever imagined.  It does make me want to go back and scan through all the other ones again, but I pleasantly surprised myself!

Adopted at thirteen, Dell Jordan was loved, mentored, and encouraged to pursue her passion for music. Now, at twenty, after a year abroad with a traveling symphony, a scholarship to Julliard is within reach. But underneath Dell's smoothly polished surface lurk mysteries from the past. Why did her mother abandon her? Who was her father? Are there faces somewhere that look like hers-blood relatives she's never met?  Determined to find answers, Dell sets off on a secret journey into Oklahoma's Kiamichi Mountains, drawn by the only remaining link to her origins- a father's Native American name on her birth certificate. In the voices of her Choctaw ancestors, she'll discover the keys to a future unlike anything she could have imagined.  (description and picture from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)

Melissa

Drenched in Light, book #10

Well, its been a while since I have read in this series, but it didn't take me too long to get back into it.  In fact, it was in 2015 when I read the first and second books in this Tending Roses series.  I know I also read the third book, but I must have forgotten to record it when I did.  I must say, I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, because I'm not as much into "coming into oneself" books but by the time I was half way through I was hooked.  Each book in this series has been its own "coming of age" book, which is probably why I can't read them all in a row, but since this one has just one more I'll probably go ahead and read it and mark this series off my list.  


Once a gifted ballet dancer, Julia Costell buckled under the demands of a professional dance career, and has landed with a thud in an unglamorous job as a guidance counselor at a performing arts high school. Living back home with her parents and feeling lost, she is afraid she’ll never soar again…until the day young Dell Jordan is sent to her office, carrying an essay.  In Dell’s writing, Julia sees luminous sparks of hope. But as she fights to forge a brighter future for one disadvantaged student, she is drawn into startling undercurrents of conflict and denial within the academy. Only when she is tested in ways she never could have imagined does she begin to discover where real meaning and fulfillment lie—and realize that even though her life has seemed off course, she’s been on the right path all along. (description and picture from amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa