The Secret to Hummingbird Cake, book #29

So this was interesting read.  It didn't take me too long before I realized this was not a Christian Fiction book.  Not that I am a complete snob, but when that is what you are used to reading and then you read a book that isn't, it takes me by surprise.  Reading books like this, and watching the TV shows I do, are a reminder to me that not everyone lives like I do.  Having the privilege of knowing Jesus makes me wonder how people in this world can live without Him.

In the South you always say “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am.” You know everybody’s business. Football is a lifestyle not a pastime. Food—especially dessert— is almost a religious experience. And you protect your friends as fiercely as you protect your family— even if the threat is something you cannot see.  In this spot-on Southern novel brimming with wit and authenticity, you’ll laugh alongside lifelong friends, navigate the sometimes rocky path of marriage, and roll through the outrageous curveballs that life sometimes throws . . . from devastating pain to absolute joy. And if you’re lucky, you just may discover the secret to hummingbird cake along the way. (picture and description from Amazon)

This book was about Carri, Ellie Rae and Laine; three best friends from childhood.  There are funny parts too it, but it is a whole lot more sad and I really didn't care for it as much as I thought it did.  

But, like I said, it's time for Christmas books!

O:)
Melissa

The Saturday Night Supper Club, book #28

Love Love Love this fun book we read for Book Club.  Makes me want to start a Supper Club, just for fun!

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion. Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal. Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life―and love―outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well? (picture and description from Amazon)

Next up in Book Club?  It's November, time for Christmas books!

O:)
Melissa

Beyond the Waves, book #27

I just have one word: snoozefest. Again.  Feel free to pass this one up ...

Can a Love Shattered by the Sands of Time...Rise Beyond the Waves?

Taysia Green nearly chokes on her water when Officer Kylen Sumner shows up in her office claiming he’s back in town because he loves her. Since he’s broken her heart more than once, and she recently started dating youth pastor Blaine Pittman, she wants absolutely nothing to do with Kylen. But he’s been asked to stand in as the mediator between Taysia and wannabe model Sophia Clinesmith, who twisted her ankle in the parking lot of Taysia’s business and is threatening a lawsuit.  If she didn’t need him to help save her gym, Taysia would tell Kylen to take a long midnight walk on a short cliffside trail.  She’s perfectly happy with her life just the way it is. So why is it that just the sight of Kylen Sumner sets her traitorous heart to dancing faster than it did the time Blaine kissed her?
(picture and description from Amazon)

Just keep moving .... the next one I read will be one for Book Club next week because I just realized it is next Tuesday!!

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Laugh It Up, book #26

Sorry, not much laughing in this book.  I have heard several interviews with her - and of course seen the video - but this book did not deliver what I hoped it would.  I think I was expecting more of an autobiography and this had pieces of her story but mostly it was a "Go be Happy" book ...

The world knows Candace Payne as “Chewbacca Mom,” the wife and mother of two from Dallas who captured the hearts of nearly 200 million people around the world with nothing but a toy Chewbacca mask, a smart phone, and infectious laughter.  Candace’s viral moment of simple joy became Facebook Live’s top video. But what the video doesn’t show is Candace’s storied journey of daunting obstacles on the way to the joy-filled life—extreme poverty, past trauma, and struggles with self-worth.  Laugh It Up! tells the rest of the story behind the woman in the mask. Like most of us, Candace has often felt overlooked, undervalued, and insignificant. But she has also discovered the secrets to unshakable joy that no circumstance can take away, and Laugh It Up! will help you discover and experience the same. Join Candace to discover the gift God has given us all to experience life to the fullest. All you need to do is answer “yes” when joy, whom Candace personifies as a friend, calls you to come and play.

·         Do you feel tempted to give up on your dreams? Joy stays the course.

·         Do your knees knock when thinking about the future? Joy hopes for what can be.

·         Do you feel unseen and unnoticed? Joy is content whether backstage or center stage.

·         Do you feel crushed under the weight of regret? Joy loves you enough to weep with you, but also enough to help you move on.

When life punches you in the gut, it can be difficult to muster a smile—much less a laugh. But with humor and power, wit and wisdom, Candace lights the way forward to a life that is free indeed. (picture and description from Amazon)

Nothing to see here ... moving on ....

O:(
Melissa