Seamless, book #15

Loved, loved, loved this Bible Study I quickly did!  Since our dear Lifeway stores are going out of business :( I grabbed this book up because I had had my eye on it for a good while.  Katie actually did this earlier this year and really enjoyed it.  Neither of us watched the videos that went with it, but we didn't feel like we missed anything.  There may have been extra nuggets we didn't get, but not watching the videos did not take anything away from it.  

Even though I may not have learned too much new from it, I loved her easy writing style that made you feel like she was actually at the table having coffee with you.  She honestly admits she is not a Bible scholar, but you can tell she did extensive research, with probably only about 1/4 or less of what she learned actually in the book.  Her purpose for the book was not an in depth study, but more of an overview of how all the stories in the Bible fit together in God's big plan for us, His beloved bride.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who may not have had as much time in the Word - or new Christians - or old Christians who may never have gotten it - to see how all the stories come together with one purpose.  

In 7 sessions, Seamless covers the people, places, and promises of the Bible, tying them together into the greater story of Scripture. Whether you've grown up hearing Bible stories or you're exploring Scripture for the first time, the full story of the Bible can be overwhelming. Experience the Bible as a whole as you gain clarity and confidence in your understanding of Scripture. Discover a biblical context that reshapes and brings to life stories from the Old and New Testaments. (picture and description - and more info - at Lifeway Stores)

I am now simultaneously trying to finish up my book club book AND some of my book club buddies and I are starting a new Bible Study!!

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Just a Kiss, book #14

Sweet, quick read while I was in a Denise Hunter mood.  Finished out the Callahan brothers series.  

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.  Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.  But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.  Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.  As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in? (picture and description from Amazon)

Deciding whether to take a reading break since I have been going nonstop for the last few weeks or just get right back in...

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Summer by the Tides, book #13

Similar to the other book I read, but different just the same.  Loved this for sure!!

When her grandmother goes missing from the family beach house, Maddy and her estranged sisters converge in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and free-spirited Emma in the home where their family broke apart is a struggle Maddy is not in the mood to face, especially since she's recovering from her ex-boyfriend's betrayal.  As the sisters wait for word of their grandmother, they begin to pack up the family belongings--and unpack memories of the idyllic summers of their childhood. But with those memories come long-buried secrets, and Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven. Meanwhile, Gram's neighbor, Connor Sullivan, seems overly interested in Gram's whereabouts. Maddy is drawn in by his quick smile and steady gaze in spite of herself.  Undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull the family under again, maybe for good this time. As tensions rise, the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they've become--and Maddy must decide if falling in love again is worth the potential heartbreak.  (picture and description from Amazon)

Hope by Book Club Buddies love it as much as I did!

O:)
Melissa

Just 18 Summers, book #12

Poignant.  Fitting.  Sad.  Happy.  Sigh ...

After the tragic death of Butch Browning's wife, Jenny, four families begin to realize how precious―and fleeting―their time together is. Each is at a different stage in life: Butch is facing single parenthood. The O'Reillys are expecting their first child. The Andersons are approaching an empty nest, and the Buckleys are so focused on providing their children with everything that they've forgotten what they truly need. With just eighteen summers before their children are grown, how do they make the most of that time when life so often gets in the way? As summer flies by, each of these parents must learn about guilt and grace . . . and when to hold on to their kids and when to let go.  (picture and description at Amazon)

Keep reading!

O:)
Melissa

On a Summer Tide, book #11

Sadly, our local Lifeway store is going out of business.  There are layers to the sadness of this, but it is a fact of life and there is no turning back.  While visiting the store one of the last times for book club last week, BFF Deanie picked up several fiction books to think about purchasing.  She changed her mind about this one and another one, but then I decided I wanted them so I bought them. I was not disappointed!!

Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.  Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.  (picture and description from Amazon)

We have picked another book similar to this for book club this month which is on my paperwhite.  However, we are going to the beach next week (HALLELUJAH!!!) so I think I'm going to take a paperback to read instead.  On our vacation I plan to spend as many waking hours as possible ON THE BEACH!!!

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Calico Spy, book #10

So sweet Katie got this book from my mom for Christmas and she said she was really enjoying reading it, but the lure of Youtube videos is pretty strong in that one.  :)  I had been itching to read this, so finally she just gave it to me and told me to tell her what happens.  I gladly took it off her hands and consumed in less than a week.  You know me, it's hard to go wrong with 1880s westerns, especially with a handsome sheriff like Branch Whitman!

Pinkerton operative Katie Madison’s newest case takes her to Calico, Kansas, where two Harvey House restaurant waitresses were murdered in mysterious circumstances. Calico’s sheriff, Branch Whitman, has never met a Pink he liked and is stunned to learn the pretty redhead’s true identity as she works undercover as a Harvey girl. A tornado hits town, and a past deception puts Branch’s eight-year-old-son in danger. Now the Sheriff has no choice but to work with Katie—or chance losing everything he holds dear.  (Picture and description at Amazon)

For more information on Harvey girls, check out this website!

This week is Book Club, so we will have to wait and see what is next ... or I could still start on my new books I got for my birthday!!
Keep Reading!!

O:)
Melissa

GI Brides : Love Letters Unite Three Couples Divided by World War II, Book #9

Although I do love me some Grace Livingston Hill, I wasn't quite feeling it this time around.  This collection actually has three books in it, so we decided this month we would just pick however many of the three wanted to read and report back at Book Club.  I chose to read just one, More Than Conqueror.

When Charlie Montgomery, a handsome soldier, declares his love for Blythe Bonniwell, she realizes she should be offended. But she isn't -- in fact, she's honored! Blythe returns Charlie's love, and promises to remain faithful to him while he is away at war. Though thrilled at Blythe's response, Charlie knows all too well that the special mission he has been assigned to means that he is facing almost certain death. He can offer Blythe little hope for his return, or for their future happiness. Yet, in the midst of fear and peril, Charlie and Blythe find a source of strength and peace that will keep them united forever. (picture at Amazon, description at Google Books.)

I got some amazing new books for my birthday that I have been anxious to get into, so I'll just have to chose which one is next!

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa