Rekindled, and a bunch of books in the Bible, books #74-81

Tamara Alexander, you slay me.  It has been a while since I have read any of hers and I thought I had already read everything she has out so far, but lo and behold, I found I had not read the Fountain Creek Series, her first set of books she wrote! I know some writers have to ease into awesomeness, but she just hits it right out of the park in the first book!  

Ten years ago Kathryn Jennings made a vow. For better or worse. And that promise still holds true, even though her marriage has not turned out as she expected. When her husband fails to return home one stormy winter night, she struggles to keep their ranch, but her efforts are blocked at every turn. After a shocking glimpse into her husband's past, Kathryn uncovers a hidden truth. What she wouldn't give to turn back time and be able to love her husband for the man that he was, not for the man she always wanted him to be. Larson Jennings has spent his entire life running from a broken past, unable to trust, reluctant to try again. One fateful night, his life takes an unexpected twist, and soon he is forced to make a choice. Whatever he chooses, his decision may cost him his life.  (picture and descriptions at Amazon)

I gotta tell you, this book right off made me go "Wait, what?!?" and left you wondering what was going on.  And it took a turn I did not see coming.  But I just absolutely LOVE the way she kept tying everything back to Jesus and forgiveness ~ forgiving yourself and forgiving others.  Needless to say, it's a 5 star must read from me!

The exciting news is she has a new book coming out in November which will be be set in modern times, which is new to her.  I'm certain, however, that it will still be amazing and I can't WAIT to read it!

In other news. I have been back at reading on my BIble plan and have worked through Mark, James, Colossians, Proverbs (for the 8th time!), Micah, Nahum and Acts (also for the 8th time!).  I believe I am down to 25 days!!

Happy reading!

Melissa

 

Memories of Glass, book #73

 

1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese’s son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese’s dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.  Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life―and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried. (picture and description on Amazon)

Keep reading, even when they are hard books like this.

Melissa

The Engagment Plot and a few Bible books, books 70-72

 

Well, it's been a crazy few weeks with my work best friend being out and having to do both of our jobs (not easy!) and a quick trip to DC to visit Rebecca, but I am glad for a small slow period for a change.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the fun part is that the author is a local mom!  I think I met her once when she came to book club when we read her first book. Sandwich with a side of Romance.  She's just regulor mom doing regular things with a regular job, then popping out awesome books AND THIS ONE IS A HALLMARK MOVIE!!  Is that crazy or what?!?

Can Hanna and Will Find True Love Amid the Bright Lights of Reality TV? Six months ago, William stole Hanna’s heart and shattered it in front of millions of people on a reality TV dating show. Now he’s asking for forgiveness, but she refuses. When the media erupts with even worse accusations, teaming up and pretending to be engaged seems to be the only way to salvage their reputations. But scandal and rumors follow them, causing Will to lose his job and Hanna to return home, more wounded than before. When all seems lost, it’s only with help from above that Hanna and Will may find their happily-ever-after. (photo and description at Amazon)

I have not been as faithful in all the craziness about my Bible reading, but I did work through Philemon and Philippians.  

For Book Club this month we are going to get together at my house and watch the movie.  And probably tear it all part about how different it is from the book  😄 

Keep Reading!

Melissa

Murder Simply Brewed, book #69

 

It's been awhile since we've read an Amish book and this was a fun one to read.  The only thing tricky was trying to remember who was Amish and who wasn't, as there were both Englischers and Amish working together.  But it comes highly recommended ~ I can't wait to read the rest in the series!

Spring has arrived in Middlebury, Indiana, and Amber Wright is optimistic about the growing profit from her collection of Amish shops—until she receives a call that Ethan Gray is dead. Hurrying over to A Simple Blend, she finds a solitary hole in the front window and the store manager lying next to the espresso machine, dead from an apparent heart attack. All the money is still in his register.  When Amber hires a young Amish woman, Hannah Troyer, to take over the shop’s duties, the two women become fast friends—as well as amateur sleuths. The police believe Gray’s death is a by-product of vandalism, but Amber and Hannah aren't convinced.  Clues that don't add up, a neighbor who is pulled into the midst of the investigation, a town with secrets to hide, and a blossoming romance—all will combine to push Amber and Hannah into unfamiliar roles in order to reveal answers to the mysteries around them. (picture and description from Amazon)

I am sure I also read some more books of the Bible, but that will have to wait for next time to update.

Keep Reading!

Melissa

Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton and more Bible Books, books #62-68

 

Many years ago I found a funny mama on Facebook called Whoa Susannah and I followed her for a very long time (I still do!)  After some life events she changed her Facebook page to just Susannah B. Lewis, but her website still has the throwback charm of Whoa Susannah.

I knew she was a very talented writer and that she had written several books, but for some reason I had never gotten around to reading them.  But now I have, and all I have to say is how sorry I have not started reading them sooner!  They are absolutely amazing and I highly recommend them.  

What I especially love about this book is that it hearkens back to what GOOD Christian fiction should be.  Of late, we are have great difficulty finding good Christian fiction books to read in our book club, even from our usual authors that we love.  It was so refreshing to see humor, tears, growth and Jesus just naturally mixed in.

When Rae Sutton's mama passes away and leaves her the house where she grew up, Rae can't imagine how the little old place might restore her broken life. Mourning the recent loss of her marriage, she takes the house and settles back into her tiny hometown with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Molly Margaret, and their overweight dog.  There she’s embraced by her mother's close-knit circle of friends, the Third Thursday ladies. Though almost half their age and far less confident of positive outcomes, Rae joins their ministry-slash-book-club-slash-gossip circle and allows the women to speak wry honesty and witty humor into her tired heart. As a new career and a new romance bring their own complications, Rae relies on the unlikely family she's found and begins to wonder if her future holds more hope than she ever could have imagined. (picture and description from Amazon)

There were so many amazing quotes in this book ~ funny and serious ~ I wish I could share them all, but this one really struck with me, as I see my aunts and uncles and parents and in-laws age:

"It's just sad to watch, isn't it? To watch our parents grow old and feeble? To watch their hands wrinkle and their eyesight fade and their steps slow? They're no longer young and vibrant and energetic.  No longer those young adults picking us up from elementary school with long, beautiful hair and bright eyes and stylish clothes.   And then they're gone.  Too soon.  And it means we're pushed right to the head of the line."

I am very anxious to now dig into her other books, but they will have to wait for later, as I just realized Book Club is next week and I need to hurry and read THAT book 😃

It has been hard to keep up with my Bible reading plan now that school has started, but I was able to knock out a few more books: Jonah, Ephesians, 1 & 2 TImothy, Titus and 2 Chronicles.

As always, keep reading!

Melissa

The Fifth Aveune Story Society and many more Bible books!, books #50-61

 

Trying out a new font on the blog, since I figured out how to add fonts to Blogger!  Be patient with me if they turn out funky, I'm a sucker for fun fonts.  It goes with my life saying, "Why be boring when you can be fun!!" 😊

This past month I got around to reading this book from my Paperwhite.  I didn't have to read my Book Club book since I had previously read it, so I decided to go with this one.  It was a really good book, as Rachel Hauck rarely disappoints.  

When five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.  Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.  Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.  Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.  Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.  Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.  Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.  (picture and description at Amazon)

Here are some amazing quotes that stuck out to me in the book:

p109: 

    Ed laughed.  "Nothing in the world like the spark between men and women.  What a marvelous and mysterious combination.  Two sides of the same coin, you know.  We both want the same thing, to give and receive love, to be cared for, respected.  We just come at it from a different point of view.  Points of view we both need, you know.'

p268: (note: Storm is Jett's brother who was creamated.  They are having a ceremony to scatter his ashes)

    As eerieness swept through him.  To a stranger, Storm's ashes would be no different from the wood ashes from the firepit.  It was as if he had never been flesh and bone, as if he'd never possessed a beating heart or breath in his lungs.

    ... As he dug into the polished urn, his emotions swelled.  The moment he touched his brother's soft dust, Storm's heartbeat pounded in Jett's chest.

And since I had a good 4-5 weeks off for my half summer break I read several books in my reading plan: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Matthew, Galatians, Obadiah, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 2 Corinthians.  I can't believe I am actually down to just under 40 days left on this 250 day reading plan.  You know, that I started in 2018ish ..... 

Keep reading!

Melissa 

Atomic Habits, A Novel Proposal, and many Bible books!, books #42-49

 

It has been a while since I have updated this, I have STILL been running crazy the last month!  I almost can't wait to go back to work for things to calm down! 😂

The first last book I read since the last time I updated is Atomic Habits by James Clear.  I didn't realize I had put it on my Amazon Book List but Katie saw it and when she was looking for a birthday present for me she got it.  Apparently everyone has heard of it, I just forgot how it ended up on my list! :)  Nonetheless, it was a good read, but I got behind on my reading time when I decided to eat lunch with my friends at work instead of hiding in my office to read.  And let's face it, even if it is a good non-fiction book, it's still going to take longer to read.  I will say, however, it gave me several good ideas to work on some GOOD habits and get rid of BAD habits!

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.  If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.  Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:

make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);

overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;

design your environment to make success easier;

get back on track when you fall off course;

...and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal. (picture and description at Amazon)

The last book I read was A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter.  Luckily it was a fairly quick read as I had four days before Book Club to read it!  It had 40 short chapters, so my goal was to read 10 chapters every day.  Mission accomplished!

When novelist Sadie Goodwin is forced to stop writing westerns and charged with penning a contemporary romance novel to rescue her lackluster sales, there’s only one tiny problem: She’s never been in love.  Desperate to salvage her career, Sadie begins devouring romance novels. Knowing she must devote herself to this confounding genre, she accepts an invitation to hole up at her friend’s beach duplex for the summer. Where better to witness love in bloom than on the beautiful North Carolina shore?  However, once ensconced in the charming ocean-front home with her sweet maltipoo Rio, she finds many ways to procrastinate. First there’s the beach, right outside her backdoor, with all its interesting visitors (research). Then there’s the free library she decides to build and set up by the back deck (She has to do something with all those romance novels). To say nothing of Sam Ford, the grumpy neighbor on the other side of the duplex . . . who she can’t seem to stop annoying.  A social butterfly by nature, Sadie soon gets to know all the beach regulars—sunbathers, walkers, and surfers alike. The free books draw a crowd right up to the house for nice little book chats, which further irritates her reclusive neighbor, to break up her “writing.” But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie opens a recently-placed novel to find a secret compartment—and tucked inside is a beautiful engagement ring. To whom does the ring belong? Sadie is convinced she needs to find the owner and save the man’s proposal from certain doom.  She draws a reluctant Sam into the project, and slowly their connection begins to develop. Are these weird fluttery feelings the first stirrings of love? Has Sadie managed to stumble upon the very subject about which she must write—and wouldn’t Sam make the perfect alpha hero?  Will Sadie find the ring’s rightful owner? And will she manage to pen a career-saving romance novel by summer’s end? (picture and description at Amazon)

And of course we can't forget all the Bible books I've been reading as well!  I have worked through Songs of Solomon, Proverbs, Deuteronomy, 1 Corinthians, Revelations and Acts (once again!).

Keep reading!

Melissa