Chick Lit Challenge

I have joined the Chick lit reading challenge over at http://chicklitplus.com/chick-lit-challenge-2012-sign/

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2012

over at http://www.existingstricky.blogspot.com/ and goodreads
The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 and ends December 31, 2012.

2. There are four levels to this challenge: Lady In Waiting 1-3 Books, Earl 4-6 Books, Prince 7-10 Books, Queen 12+ Books


I am choosing queen 12+ books.  You don't need a blog to do the challenge you can post the books on goodreads as you finish the books. 

Favorite books from 2011

Now that it's the year is almost over I thought I would posted my favorite books from this year.

Favorite books from 2011

Christian Historical fiction

·         The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz

·         The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller

·         Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

·         To Win her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Christian Fiction Western

·         Out of Control by Mary Connealy

·         Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

·         Sharpshooter in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

·         A Texans Promise by Shelley Gray

·         The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander

Christian Fiction

·         Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett

·         Save the Date by Jenny B Jones

·         Simply Sara by Hillary Manton Lodge

·         Double Shot by Erynn Mangum

Teen Fiction

·         Roadside Assistance by Amy Cliptson

·         Home for the Holiday’s by Heather Vogel Frederick

·         What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

·         Caleb and Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma

·         Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasly

Love Inspired

·         The Cowboy’s Holiday Blessings by Brenda Minton

·         Yuletide Hearts Ruth Logan Hearne

·         Firefighter Dad by Betsy St. Amant

Love Inspired Historical

·         Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams

Non Fiction

·         Growing up Colt by Colt McCoy, Brad McCoy, Mike Yorkey

·         Through my eyes by Tim Tebow

·         Playing with Purpose by Mike Yorkey

Off the Shelf 2012

 To read books that have been sitting on your bookshelf. Books that you have gotten prior to 2012.

I am choosing to read Tempted– Choose 5 books to read

Non-fiction Non-memoir reading challenge

I am choosing to read Elementary- 5 Nonfiction books

Historical Fiction reading challenge 2012

I am choosing struggling addiction:  10 Books 

2012 Support your local library Challenge

2012 Support your Local library Challenge hosted by the Eclectic bookshelf

I am choosing Level 4- read 37+ books 

Review of Road Side Assistance

Title: Roadside Assistance

Author: Melody Carlson

Series:   no

Chapters: 21

Pages: 278

Genre: Christian teen fiction

Rating:  5 stars

     Emily Curtis feels like she’s lost everything including her faith. She has recently lost her mother to cancer. She and her father have to sell everything including the car she was rebuilding to move in with her aunt and uncle. Emily feels that she doesn’t fit in with her cousin Whitney, that they are just too different.

     It’s when she meets Alexander (Zander) Stewart the boy next door and fellow motor head that things start looking up. Zander’s faith is strong; Emily’s has gone past hanging by a thread. Even though she’s falling for him she doesn’t want to lose his friendship. Then Emily goes and does something that cause’s her to lose Zander’s friendship, and she’s tested even more with her faith is  shaken even more.

     Will Emily reconnect with God? Will she rekindle the close relationship she once had? Will hers and Zander’s friendship mend and will they become more than friends?

     My favorite scene in the book is when Zander shows up for their “date” in Emily’s dream car. I thought it was cute that he went out of his way to find her dream card. When I was a teenage I would have that. Zander is a strong Christian who truly loves Emily for who she is, and doesn’t want to change her.

     Even though this is a book for teenage girls any teenager guy or girl will enjoy reading Emily and Zander’s story. Adults would even enjoy this book. With her love of cars Emily is not your typical teenage girl.

     All Christians can relate to having a time when their own faith was hanging by a thread. I could relate to what Emily was going through in the since that when I lost my grandpa as a sophomore in high school I felt like I had lost my faith, but thinks to  a good friend like Zander and others praying for me I ran back to my Heavenly Father’s arms.

     Roadside Assistance is a book for everybody. Amy Clipston’s Amish novels are great, but she also speaks to teens with this book. I hope she writes more teen fiction books in the future. 

Merry Christmas

 Something that my cat would do,

Review of A Soldier for Christmas

Title: A Solider for Christmas

Author: Jillian Hart

Series:   The Mckaslin Clan/ Love inspired

Chapters: 16

Genre: Christian Romance

Rating:  4 ½ stars

     A solider for Christmas by Jillian Hart is another book in her McKaslin Clan series. It’s one of the books that is technically not about a Mckaslin. Kelly Logan has given up on love and her dreams of a family. She just wants to finish school at twenty-four she has be working her way through college to become a social worker.

     Mitch Dalton a Marine home on leave walks into the bookstore Kelly works at trying to find a birthday gift his mom. Mitch and Kelly went to high school together, but they really weren’t friends. Mitch asks Kelly for help finding his mother a birthday present, and ends up starting a friendship even though he’s leaving on a deployment. The two strike email correspondence why he’s deployed. The two start falling in love with each other. Kelly doesn’t want to admit her feelings to Mitch or even to her-self for fear of getting hurt.

 Will Mitch break down the walls that Kelly has around her heart? Will Kelly let herself dream again? A Solider for Christmas doesn’t really focus too much on Christmas the book goes from the summer through Christmas Eve when Mitch gets leave again.


 I really enjoyed reading the book, but I was a little confused by the title saying solider when the book says that Mitch is a Marine. I guess I am only hung up on that phrase, because I was raised in a military family and notice things like this. It's still a great read especially if you have read the other  McKaslin Clan books. 


The Book has been released from Love Inspired with another of Jillian's books Holiday Homecoming.  Another McKaslin Clan book this month. 

Title: The Cowboy’s Holiday Blessings

Author: Brenda Minton

Series: Love Inspired Cooper Creek   

Chapters: 16 plus epilogue

Pages:215

Genre: Christian Romance

Rating: 5 stars

     The Cowboy’s blessings is the first book in the Cooper creek series about the Cooper family. I first discovered Brenda Minton’s books when I read Jenna’s Cowboy Hero and discovered a whole “cowboy” series after which I was hooked. I love reading about cowboys.

     Jackson Cooper is a reformed bad boy who has finally come to the Cooper ranch. He’s given up riding bulls to train horses and run his own ranch. It seems his mom’s and grandmother’s prayers are seeing fruit.

     Madeline Patton is a school teacher who wants to put down roots in the small town. That is if she can keep her past from catching up with her. Madeline knows that she is not Jackson’s type, but she can’t help falling for him.

     When a teenage girl shows up on his doorstep, Jackson turns to Madeline for help with Jade. A 33 year old bachelor he has no clue of what to do with a teenage. Even though he sure he’s not Jade father he takes her in so that’s she not alone at Christmas. The only thing that Jade wants for Christmas is a family of her own.

     Will Jackson admit that he loves Madeline? Will Madeline see that Jackson truly has changed and really does love her? Will Jade get a family in time for Christmas?

     I first discovered Jackson’s Character in The Cowboy’s Sweetheart where he was still the town’s bad boy, and again in The Cowboy’s Family. In The Cowboy’s Homecoming you see Jackson start to change. Brenda Minton’s “cowboy” series is a series in the since that the books have the same characters. You don’t have to read the books in order, but it helps since you don’t find out how other books end by reading newer books first. 

Fall reading Challenge Wrap up

books to read this fall

·         Nightshade Ronie Kendig

·         An Eye for an eye Irene Hannon

·         Stand –In Groom Kaye Dacus

·         The Amish Nanny Mindy Starns Clark Leslie Gould

·         Heidi Johanna Spyri

·         Sketchy Behavior Erynn Mangum

·         Love Starts with Elle Rachel Hauck

·         The Cubicle Next Door Siri Mitchell

·         Paid in Blood Mel Odom

·         Double Take Melody Carlson

·         Love finds you in Humble Texas

·         Too Close to Home Lynette Eason

·         Heist Society (Heist Society)  Ally Carter

·         The Brotherhood Jerry B. Jenkins

·         Double Minds by Terri Blackstock

Non-fiction to read

·         Growing up Colt by Colt McCoy October

·         King of the Cowboys by Ty Murray

·         A Woman’s Passionate Pursuit of God: Creating a Positive and Purposeful life by Karol Ladd

·        

Books to finish reading this fall

·         Roadside Assistance Amy Clipston

·         Soul Surfer Devotions Bethany Hamilton

·         All that’s Bitter and Sweet Ashley Judd

·         The Wilder life by Wendy McClure

 Books to read for school during the fall semester

·         CJ 2011 James A Fagin

·         Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication Ronald Adler

·         Psychology a Journey Dennis Coon

·         The Working Poor: Invisible in American David K shipler

Other goals

·       4 down 1 to go    Read through my TBR pile of Love inspired books make it through at least 5 read

1.  The Doctor’s family, and

2.  Marrying Miss Marshall,

3.  Phoebe’s Cowboy groom,

4.  At Home in his heart,

5.  The Loner’s Thanksgiving

6.  The Prodigal’s Christmas Reunion

7.  The Christmas Child 

·         Read through the pile of country weekly magazines that I have

·         Read at least three mysteries Murder on Sister’s row

·         Listen to at least three audio books in the car on the way to school and home from school.

Review of A Texan's Promise

Title: A Texan’s Promise

Author: Shelley Gray

Series:   The Heart of a Hero

Chapters: 24 plus Epilogue

Pages: 350

Genre: Christian Historical/ western

Rating: 5 stars

     A Texan’s Promise, is a western novel by an author that normally see write Amish fiction. I really enjoyed the book. At first I wasn’t too fond of the heroine she seemed too much like a China doll.  But after everything that Vanessa went though at the hands of her step-father my respect for her grew. Though the novel she grew stronger mentally, emotionally and in her faith. Vanessa Grant ran to the only person she could trust; Clayton Profitt. She’s loved Clayton for years, but she’s afraid to let him know.

     Clayton will risk everything to protect Vanessa for two reasons. One he promised her father he would protect her, and because he loves her. Once on the trail they enter into a marriage to protect Vanessa. Will Clayton and Vanessa admit their feeling for each other? Will their marriage ever be a true marriage? Will Vanessa finally find peace away from her step-father?

     Clayton is a hero that every girl dreams about, if they dreamed of cowboys. I know I did. Clayton is one of the good guys and a Christian. I normally don’t like the hero on the cover, but the face and the Silhouette of the hero on horseback works.

     A Texan’s Promise is the first book in The Heart of the Hero series; I am already looking forward to the second book in the series that is coming out next year.