The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn review

Title:  The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

Author: Lori Benton 

Pages:400

Genre: Christian Historical fiction, Christian Historical Romance 

Rating: 5 star 

Publisher:  5 stars 

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is the third book by Lori Benton that I have read, and I have to say that it is my favorite that I've read.  Tamsen is a woman whos determined to save herself but she also knows when she needs help though it is hard for her to ask for help.   Jesse Bird is by far one of my new favorite historical fiction heroes. Lori Benton even pens one of my favorite lines from a book to describe him ”A knight in greasy buckskin" and I have to say it suits him.   He's a man who doesn't know his past he was captured by the Shawnee as a child adopted, and then lost his Shawnee home and has since been raised by Cade a half Delaware half white man. But there's more to that relationship than Jesse knows. 

I was hooked from the first sentence of the audiobook of the book. I wanted to find out what happened but on the same note, I didn't want the book to end.   I loved the North Carolina setting especially the mountains.  As well as the brief trek into what would eventually become modern-day Tennessee.

I look forward to catching up on the rest of Lori's books but I don't think any others will top this one.

I recommend this book to fans of Christian Historical Fiction and Christian Historical romance. As well to fans of Laura Frantz's Courting Morrow Little. 

Review of Burning Sky

Title:  Burning Sky 

Author: Lori Benton 

Pages: 416

Genre: Christian Historical fiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Waterbrook

Burning Sky is the second book that I've read by Lori Benton that I've read and it is her first book.  Willa Obenchian who was renamed Burning Sky when she was abducted by the Mohawk has returned to the New York Frontier that she called home before she was kidnapped. Along the way, she rescues Neil MacGregor and his dog.  However, not everyone is happy that Willa has come back from the dead so to speak.  Many of her former friends see her as ruined goods from her time among the Mohawk.  Others still want her father's land and will go to any means to get it.

I enjoyed this one but I didn't like it as much as I did the first book that I read, but I did like the fact that she wrote about the Mohawk and other Natives in a truthful and respectable way.  Not many historical fiction writers do that.  They seem to want to make the Natives the villain of the story from the get-go even if actual history wasn't that black and white. There were a lot of gray areas. History can't be tied up in a neat little bow even if we would want it to.  

Most readers might think that there's a slight love triangle in the novel, but to me, there wasn't one at least not from Willa's point of view. 

I look forward to reading other books by this author. 

Reading this week

Finished

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Mountain Top Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey

Heroism Begins with Her by Winifred Conkling

Must Love Pumpkins by Tracy Joy Jones

Reading

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Trapped by Irene Hannon

Non-fiction reading

Classic

Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery

Christy by Catherine Marshall

Audio on the Way to Work

Trapped by Irene Hannon

Getting ready to read

Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

The Farmer’s Son by John Connell

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

Six Goodbyes we Never Said by Candace Ganger

Book reading for bookclub at work

Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman

Reviewing

Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard

Beauty’s Rose by Shonna Slayton

She’s Prays: A 31-Day Journey to Confident Conversations with God by Debbie Lindell

Strong Brave, Loved: Empowering Reminders of Who You Really Are by Holley Gerth

Devotional reading

Did not Finish

Reviews Posted this week

Discussion 4 Christy Read Along

 Christy Read along Discusion 4

Discussion 4- Christy Read Long

Christy Chapters 19-25

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general Impressions, and three questions to answer for each week’s reading

Favorite Quotes*

“The church is a fellowship of people, you and me and folks like us who want Christ to be their Head or leader.”

“Let it pour out, Christy. I don’t blame you. But this is the real you talking now, not some character you’re trying to be.”

General Impressions

The book is starting to pick up. I am enjoying getting to know the people of the cove. And seeing Christy starting to find her place in the cove. It’s almost like she starting to find the woman that she’s suppose to be.  It seems like going to cove has been good for her.

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these Questions in the comments section or in your own blog post!

1. Did this section make you want to read faster (because of the suspense) or slow down (because of the heavy topics)? This section made me want to read faster because of the suspense because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I read the section literally in one day. I couldn’t put it down.
2. Imagine yourself in one of these tense situations: hearing Uncle Bogg’s story at the working, listening to David’s sermon, or coming upon Prince in his sad condition. How would you respond? Prince in his sad condition I would try to rig something up that would keep the flies off of him while his tail hopefully grows back.  I would also do like Christy did and use it for a teaching tool to show the school children that you’ve not suppose to do what got done to Prince to a horse, because he needs his tail to help keep flies at bay and shoo them off.
3. If you could help the McHones in even a small way, what would you do? In a small way if I could I would find away to give Tom the occasional odd job in order to find a way to give him money since we know he won’t take charity. And I would find reasons to invite Opal to get togethers in subtle way to get good food into her.

Join us next Friday for our fifth discussion!

                (Chapters 26-32)

*Catherine Marshall. Christy.(NewYork: Avon, 1968)286, 327

Love and Other Mistakes review

Title:  Love and Other Mistakes 

Author: Jessica Kate 

Chapters: 44 plus epilogue 

Pages: 352

Genre: Christian Contemporary, Christian Contemporary romance, rom-com   

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson 

Love and Other Mistakes is the first book by Jessica Kate that I have read.  It's basically a rom-com in book form. But a Christian rom-com. It's an enemies to friends trope that is actually well done.   Natalie Groves life hasn't gone the way she thought it would, first, her fiancé left then they find out her father has cancer.  Now seven years later she has a chance to follow her dreams, but the only job that she can get to work around her internship is as a nanny to her ex-fiancé child.  Jeremy needs someone to help with his infant son and his niece he just didn't expect it to be Natalie. Both Natalie and Jeremy have different views of the past and neither one sees it the exact same way.   Jeremey was a bit of a bad boy growing up and couldn't seem to measure up to what his father wanted, who just happens to be the chief of police.   As the daughter of a law enforcement officer, I know that that can sometimes be hard to do.  

From the first chapter of this book I was hooked I kept reading I just had to know what happened.  My favorite character in the book I have to say had to be Jeremy's son with Natalie being a close second.  The characters grew and changed over the course of the book and that was great to see.  Most of the characters were different at the end of the book than they were at the beginning but not all. And just the same with life not everyone changes for the better or even grows.

I look forward to reading Jessica's next book and I would love for this one to become a movie because we need more Christian rom-com. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Review of Spin the Dawn

Title:  Spin the Dawn

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Series: The Blood of Stars book 1

Chapters: 37

Pages: 392

Genre: teen fantasy 

Rating: 5 stars 

Publisher:  Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

The tag for this book was Mulan meets project runway.  And to me this is spot on. Maia Tamarin wants to be a tailor but the only problem is she's a girl and that's not done.  When her father is summoned to court for a tailoring contest, she goes in her father's place pretending to be her brother.   I didn't know how I was going to feel about this book but after the second chapter, I was hooked.  Maia is a tough and determined young woman who will do anything for her family but still wants to follow her dreams.  Edan is the court magician who side you don't really know who's side he's on.  

After reading Spin the Dawn I've come to the conclusion that I'll read anything Elizabeth Lim writes and even though this book ended on cliff hanger, it wasn't that bad of a cliff hanger. The only thing that it did is have me waiting impatiently for the second book in this series. 

In Memory

On this day 36 years ago. 241 US  Military service members were killed. Including 220 Marines when their Barracks in Beirut was bombed by a terrorist group. Most people don't know the importance of this day October 23, bu tI grew up hearing about and knowing about it.  My dad lost his Marine brothers on that date.  We must always remember our fallen. They weren't at war when this happened they were on a Peace Keeping mission.

Sorcery of Thorns review

Title:  Sorcery of Thorns 

Author: Margaret Rogerson 

Chapters: 36 Plus Epilogue 

Pages: 453

Genre: Teen fantasy, Teen Steampunk 

Rating: 5 stars 

Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

     When I heard the premise of Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson I knew that I had to read it.  Elisabeth grew up in a library, I mean what bookworm hasn't wished that they could live in a library.  However, the libraries in these worlds don't hold books to be read instead they keep books contained. Away from people so they don't fall into the wrong hands.  But then something happens and she becomes public enemy number one.  Forcing her to have to team up with her enemy sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn.  Nathaniel has become one of my new literary heroes.  He may be rough around the edges and slight pain in the butt be he uses that to hide a heart of gold. 

Part of me didn't want to put this book down, but the other part of me didn't want the book to end.  I loved Elisabeth and Nathaniel together, their banter is perfect.  Sorcery of Thorns gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes and I loved it. To me, the ending wrapped up the story perfectly though it did leave an opening for a sequel which I wouldn't say no to it.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.  I would recommend this book to fans of Beauty and Beast retellings, fantasy and steampunk. 

Discussion 3- Christy Read Along

  Christy Read long Tag

Christy: Chapters 12-18

Discussion Format, your favorite Quotes, General Impressions, and three answers for each week’s reading.

Favorite Quotes*

The Mountain type of friendship was a tie of substance between people with a sort of gallant fealty about it.

General Impressions

In this section of the reading I’ve noticed that Christy is slowly starting to find  her place and is realizing how she can reach not only her students, but the adults of the Cove.   Her willingness to teach Fairlight Spencer how to read. That she realizes that her students have needs that go beyond school children in a city.  The fact that she sews buttons on Mounties coat during the lunch break.

The feud between the two families of the cove doesn’t really shock me as that was normal for that area. And because I call the state home that was the site of one of the biggest and bloodiest feud in history: The Hatfields and McCoys.

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments sections or your own blog post

1.  Of Christy’s Students, which one has left the biggest impression on you so far, whether positive or negative?

 There are two students that have left an impression on me that I think is positive.  One being Mountie O’Teale excitement over the buttons that Christy sewed on her coat and the scarf.  And Creed being upset about his dog, because I could have seen myself responding the way he did when I was his age. And Christy sending word to his parents to bury the dog deeper.

2.  What are your thoughts on the Sewing Circle? If you were in attendance, how might you contribute to the gathering (hosting, providing snacks, reading scripture, sharing ideas)? How might you interact with the women of the Cove?

I think the sewing circle is neat. It gives the women of the cove a chance to get together and hear the Bible being read.   I might contribute by hosting, and providing snacks because I like to cook, bake and put together snacks. As well as share ideas because I love to quilt another gift my mom passed on to me. I would stay reading scripture but I don’t like to read out loud because I still have a bit of stutter left over from childhood that has a habit of reappearing  when I read out loud.

3.  Which character’s attitude and perspective has inspired you the most so far in the book?

Fairlight Spencer attitude and perspective has inspired me the most in the book. Because her bravely as adult wanting to learn to read. And then doing what she can to improve that skill even outside Christy’s lessons. Because to me once you learn to read you can continue to learn.  My grandpa instill a love of reading in me, he only had an eight grade education and he was one of the smartest person I knew.

*Catheriine Marshall. Christy.(NewYork: Avon, 1968). 228

Reading this week

Finished

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Death by Jack O Lantern by Alexis Morgan

A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Christy by Catherine Marshall

Audio on the Way to Work

Mountain Top Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

Getting ready to read

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

The Farmer’s Son by John Connell

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

Six Goodbyes we Never Said by Candace Ganger

Must Love Pumpkins by Tracy Joy Jones

Book reading for bookclub at work

Reviewing

Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard

Devotional reading

Did not Finish

Reviews Posted this week

 Jealousy Filled Donuts

Review of Unscripted

Review of Breaking Anxiety's Grip

The Horse of My Dreams review

A Distance Too Grand review

A Distance Too Grand book Review

Title:  A Distance TOO Grand 

Author:  Regina Scott 

Series: American Wonders Collection book 1 

Chapters: 30

Pages: 384

Genre: Christian Historical fiction 

Rating: 5 stars 

Publisher: Revell 

I'm not going to lie the first thing that drew me to the book was the cover. A young woman standing on a cliff with what looks almost like the Grand Canyon in the background with a camera, and I was hooked even more when I learned that it was about a female photographer in the 1870s when that wasn't a field really opened to women. I've always been a huge fan of photography I guess I have my mom to think for that.  She was the one who introduced to me my favorite photographer, Dorothea Lange who was most known for her dust bowl era photographs. 

So I was excited to read a story about a fictional female photographer 60 years before.  Meg Pero is determined to take her father's place on the survey crew as the photographer even if Captain Ben Coleridge doesn't want her there.   These two have a bit of a history together when he was a cadet at West Point and her father was the school's photographer until something happened that caused the two to be separated.  But neither knowing why.  Meg wants to prove that she can make it as a photographer in a male-dominated field and follow in his footsteps.  Ben wants to be the solider that his father wanted him to be. 

Regina Scott is an author that I've never read before so I didn't know anything about her books or her writing but with this being historical fiction one of my favorite genre's I had high hopes and I was not disappointed.  I was hooked from the first chapter.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series and well as picking up other works by this author.  For readers who enjoyed Karen Barnett's Vintage National Parks series, I think they will enjoy this book and future series about the areas of the country before they were national parks as the next book in the series will take place in the United States oldest National park. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Review of The Horse of My Dreams edited by Callie Smith Grant

Title:   The Horse of My Dreams; True Stories of the Horses We Love 

Author:    edited by Callie Smith Grant 

Pg:  224 

Genre:  non-fiction 

Rating:   4 stars 

publisher:  Revell 

As a kid, I was horse crazy I read every book about horses that I could get my hands on.  Including two different series about girls and their horses.   So when I saw The Horse of My Dreams; True Stories of the Horses we love edited by Callie Smith Grant. I knew that I had to read it.   I enjoyed the fact that each story was written by a different author.  And while each story focused on some aspect of horses each story was so much more than that as well as unique to the person writing the story. 

Each story in this book will not only show you something about the author but it will also show you something about yourself beyond the love of horses.   I would recommend this book to anyone who was that horse-crazy kid.   This book is a walk down memory lane for the writers and readers alike. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

Breaking Anxiety's Grip review

Title:  Breaking Anxiety's Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises  

Author:  Michelle Bengston 

  

Pages: 368

Genre: non-fiction 

Rating: 3 stars 

Publisher:  Revell 

Breaking Anxiety's Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God promises is a nonfiction book by Michelle Bengston about dealing with Anxiety God's way.  Because Anxiety doesn't come from God but he does want to help you through it.  I picked this book up because for as long as I can remember I have moments where I've dealt with Anxiety and most things had worked but only for a season. This book armed with scripture and even songs for different types of Anxiety. 

Not every chapter in this book is going to be for everyone.  But with the set up of this book, the reader can pick and choose which chapters are best for them.  However, this book shouldn't be used to replace professional help for your Anxiety. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

Unscripted Review

Title:  Unscripted 

Author: Davis Bunn

  

Pages:368

Genre: Christian fiction 

Rating: 3 stars 

Publisher:  Revell 

Unscripted is my first book by Davis Bunn and while it was a well-written story the author's writing style just wasn't for me.  Danny is accused of a crime he didn't commit.  Megan is the lawyer that first hears about his case and while she can't take the case she finds a lawyer who can. 

I do have to say that Unscripted is a story about second chances as well as learning to trust God.  Both the main characters don't realize it but they both have a chance and second chance.  Though with Megan it doesn't seem like it. 

Even though I didn't really like this one. I am willing to give another book by this author a try. I'd recommend this book to fans of the author as well as for fans of Christian fiction.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.