Saturday, November 30, 2019

Beauty's Rose Review


Beauty's Rose by Shonna Slayton | GoodreadsTitle:  Beauty’s Rose

Author: Shonna Slayton

Series: Fairy-tale Inheritance book 4

Chapters:38
  
Genre: fairy tale retelling

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher:  Amaretto Press
     Beauty’s Rose by Shonna Slayton is a Beauty and Beast retelling set in France during the 80s. And I have to say that it is one of my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling that I’ve read. Margot was an easy character to relate a slightly awkward bookworm.
     I enjoyed finding little bits in the story that reminded me of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast even though the retelling isn’t based on the movie. As well as bits from other versions of the story.
     Though it’s part of a series this one can be read as a stand-alone. Reading this book it almost feels like you’ve been transported to a village in France.   I’ve always loved the story of Beauty and the Beast I mean what’s not to love about a nerdy girl that stays true to who she is.

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

Friday, November 29, 2019

Beyond a Reasonable Stout review


Free and Hot New Release Cozy Mysteries for the Weekend Ahead - SARAH JANE WELDONTitle:  Beyond a Reasonable Stout

Author:  Ellie Alexander

Series: Sloan Krause book 3
  
Pages:288

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher:   Minotaur Books

Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander the third book in the Sloan Krause series, takes us to Leavenworth Washington in the quiet season.  Oktoberfest is over but the hustle and bustle of the Christmas markets haven’t started yet.  Sloan is also hoping that the quiet time also means no murders. But she’s wrong and finds herself involved in trying to solve another murder.

     This one was my favorite of the series so far. I guess because it’s the one in which the village is preparing for the winter season. And since Leavenworth is supposed to be like a German village this one gave me German Christmas feels. Though I would love to see one of the books in this series be set during December and the Christmas market season.  Each of these books just gets better than the last. I look forward to the next book in this series.


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

Monday, November 25, 2019

Deadly Deceit Review


Deadly Deceit (Harbored Secrets, #2) by Natalie Walters | GoodreadsTitle:  Deadly Deceit

Author:  Natalie Walters

Series: Harbored Secrets book 2

Chapters: 33

Pages: 332

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Rating: 4.5 Stars

     I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about I would feel about Deadly Deceit as I wasn’t to fond of the heroine Vivian DeMarco  after how her character behaved in the first book Living Lies  in the series. But I also couldn’t wait to read a book in which Deputy Ryan Frost  was a main character after being a secondary character in Living Lies.
     Just like the first book in the series I was hooked from the first page.  I just had to find bout what happened.  As much as I liked Ryan in the first book I loved him even more in this one. I also enjoyed getting more of the characters back story’s.
     Deadly Deceit also doesn’t stuffer from second book syndrome it’s just as good as the first book in the series. And I look forward to the next book in this series and anything else by this author.  This suspense is fast paced but not so fast that the reader misses any part of the story.


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

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Review of Protecting Tanner Hollow


Protecting Tanner Hollow (Tanner Hollow, #1-4) by Lynette Eason | GoodreadsTitle:  Protecting Tanner Hollow

Author:  Lynette Eason

Pages: 375

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Rating: 4 stars overall


Protecting Tanner Hollow is a collection of four  novellas Lethal Homecoming, Lethal Conspiracy, Lethal Secrets, and Lethal Agenda  by Lynette Eason that take place in a fictional small town in North Carolina called Tanner’s Hollow forty five minutes from Ashville. While each of the novella can be read as a stand alone its still best to read them in order. Otherwise there’s small spoilers for other novella’s if read out of order.  I enjoyed all four novellas and even got a story I wanted since I read the Blue Justice series. Derek St John’s story.  Which was my favorite of the novella’s my only complaint is simply that it was too short.
 I received a copy of this book from the publisher as 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 Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Reading this week


Finished
Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey
 Alaskan Sanctuary by Teri Wilson
A Down Home Christmas by Liz Talley
Living Lies by Natalie Walters
A Soldier’s Prayer by Jenna Mindel

Reading

Non-fiction reading

Classic
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery

Audio on the Way to Work

Getting ready to read
Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett
Courage under Fire by Sharon Dunn

Book reading for bookclub at work

Reviewing
Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard
Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason
Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters

Devotional reading


Did not Finish
Six Goodbyes we Never Said by Candace Ganger

Reviews Posted this week




Saturday, November 23, 2019

Mom's favorite books


In honor of what would have been my mom’s 57th birthday and the fact that she was a reader I thought I would just do a list of her favorite books.

Nancy Drew Mystery series by Carolyn Keene

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Hardy Boys mystery series by Franklin W Dixon

The Last of The Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne


Sunday, November 17, 2019

Christy Read Along Final Discussion


Seventh and Final discussion! (Chapters 40-46)
Christy Sixth Discussion (Chapters 33-39)  
Discussion Format: Your favorite Quotes General Impressions, and three questions to answer for each week’s reading.
Quotes*
“I’ve known a few girls in my life, Christy, but I don’t believe I’ve ever met one as stubborn and as know-it-all as you are.”
“You mightn’t guess it, but Neil is a man who carries dreams in his heart.”
“Lord you are the Creator; I am the created. I am helpless, as helpless as all other men. As a doctor I thought I knew something. Now there is nothing more that I can do for Christy. Nothing at all. So I offer back you this love you gave. It’s all I have to give You, God. Here are our lives-hers and mien- I hold them out to you. Do-with us-as You Please.”
General Impressions
      I have to say I was surprised by the ending, but in a good way. I was happy to see that Doc MacNeil realized that he needed God. I just wish it didn’t take Christy being so ill.  To me though the ending did seem a bit sudden and rushed.  But I did enjoy it. I’m going to miss almost all the characters as well as Cutter Gap. I’m now on a mission to find the TV show I am hoping it’s on DVD now. 
     Reading my mom’s copy of the book that was my grandma’s before her with both their notes in the book was like reading the book with them.  I was able to discuss the book with my grandma so that added another layer to my reading of the book. And reading my mom’s detailed notes in the book was like having her here with me as I read the book. And writing my own notes in the book was almost like sharing my thoughts with her. I just wish I had read Christy sooner when my mom was still here to talk about the book with me. But even though it’s cliché to say I know things happen for reason.  And as readers we tend to read some books at the right moment even if at first it doesn’t make sense to us then.   I know kind of want to read other books by Catherine Marshall 
Questions
1.  Which Story of Sickness, whether hopeful or heartbreaking affected you the most?  Christy’s mainly because it showed MacNeil that he had no control over life.  Which I believe was a turning point for him.
2.  Were you satisfied with the conclusion of the story? If so, what did you like most about these last chapters? If not, what do you wish might have been different? I was satisfied with the ending even though it did seem a bit rushed. Because of the simple fact that Christy didn’t choose to be with either MacNeil or David. The fact that the book ended the way it did didn’t bother me because Christy really wasn’t in a place to choice.  
3.  What was your favorite part about Christy? Do you plan to read the other by Catherine Marshall, either fiction or nonfiction?  My favorite part about Christy was simply watching her grew through the course of the novel. I do plan to read other books by Catherine Marshall and  I think I am going to start with Julie next.
*Catherine Marshall. Christy. (New York: Avon,) 500, 508, 558

Reading these past two weeks


Finished
Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Beauty’s Rose by Shonna Slayton
Christy by Catherine Marshall
Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman
The Little Book of Boby James Bowen
The Nanny’s Secret Baby by Lee Tobin McClain
The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor
A Down Home Christmas by Liz Talley
Conceal, Don’t Feel by Jen Calonita
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey
 Alaskan Sanctuary by Teri Wilson
A Soldier’s Prayer by Jenna Mindel

Reading

Non-fiction reading

Classic
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery

Audio on the Way to Work

Getting ready to read
Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett
Courage under Fire by Sharon Dunn

Book reading for bookclub at work

Reviewing
Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard
Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason
Living Lies by Natalie Walters
Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters

Devotional reading


Did not Finish
Six Goodbyes we Never Said by Candace Ganger

Reviews Posted this week

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Words of Comfort for Women review


Words of Comfort for WomenTitle:   Words of Comfort for Women 

Author: Carolyn Larsen

Pages:192

Genre: non-fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Revell

Words of Comfort for Women by Carolyn Larsen is 90 Devotional that gives bite sized comfort.  Each Devotional has a Bible verse that goes with it.  Perfect for someone with a busy day to get scripture reading.  The design of this Devotional makes it easy to read one a day for 90 days. Or When you need words of comfort, because each Devotional has a section heading hinting at which words of comfort can found in the Devotional.
I personally found it much easier to read the different Devotional when I needed those words of Comfort rather than reading one a day.   This allows the Devotional to appeal to more readers.



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. 

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Christy Read-Along Discussion Six










Christy Sixth Discussion (Chapters 33-39)  
Discussion Format: Your favorite Quotes General Impressions, and three questions to answer for each week’s reading.

Quotes*
“Deserve! Child, none of us deserves anything. We couldn’t, no matter how had we tired.”
“She grew up to be a tall beautiful woman with large expressive blue eye-like yours Christy. And expect that your hair is darker, you look enough like my daughter to be her twin.”
“Then gradually there came the realization that while Asheville had not changed much, I had.”
“It was the difference between a plaster-of-paris saint and flesh-and-blood woman who had been through the fires and had emerged, not unscathed, but a stronger woman with a deeper compassion.” 
“In light of Miss Alice’s story, I understood that the reason we have to accept other people is simply because God receives us just the way we are. Yes, all of us to the last person- even Bird’s-Eye Taylor and to Lundy. It was ironic that someone like Opal McHone had understood that better than I.”
“God is.”

General Impressions
     I have to Say that this section got emotional.  Miss Alice’s story was heartbreaking. But after hearing that her daughter who was married to MacNeil kind of looked like Christy makes me wonder was MacNeil attracted to Christy for herself or because she reminded him of his deceased wife. I vaguely remember watching the TV show with my mom as a child, but I don’t remember enough of it, to actually remember MacNeil’s wife in it. So learning the truth about his wife was a bit of a shock to me.  I did love reading my mom’s notes in the margins of the book and for some reason despite the age difference she made a comment that she preferred MacNeil to David. I found that interesting as I am still on the fence about both of them.  
 I also thank that David again jumped the gun proposing to Christy, because one minute he’s treating her like the woman he wants to marry and the next he’s treating her like a child. 
     I did feel sorry for Christy when she had to watch her friend Fairlight pass away, and then being there as the only adult in the cabin with Fairlight’s children.  I was never more thankful for Doc MacNeil showing up than I was at that point in the book.  I could even understand Christy’s doubts after Fairlight’s death and wanting answers because I even had doubts after my mom passed away for short period. But a wise woman my Miss Alice if you will was there to remind me of Who’s I am.  So this section was a bit emotional for me. I’m sad that next week is the last readings but I’m also excited to find out how the books going to end.
Questions
1.  What do you think of the Folk School idea that Mrs. Browning shared with Christy? Do you like it would be beneficial to the people of the Cove?  I think the Folk School idea that Mrs. Browning is indeed a good idea. A school designed for adults that missed out on traditional schooling is something worth looking into. It reminds me of the Moonlight schools in Eastern Kentucky, called so because they met on nights the moon was full enough to give light for the adults who wanted to learn to read and basic schooling.  Since they met at night in a rural area they needed to light of the moon.  I do think it would be beneficial to the people of the cove because if done right it would help them learn to read and possibly other skills that would help them, and I can’t believe David pretty much told Christy it wouldn’t work.
2.  2 Do you find nighttime and darkness bothersome or appealing? Have your feelings changed since childhood?  As an adult I don’t find nighttime nor darkness neither bothersome or appealing However, that being said I do find it a time of reflection and quiet. I tend to do most of my in-depth Bible reading in the evenings before bed. Since I have a 45-minute commute to work in the mornings I don’t have time to do more that my morning devotion in the morning a short reading and one Bible verse.  My feelings have changed since childhood we I was terrified of the dark.
3.  What are some of the things you hope will happen or be resolved in the last chapters? (Or, if you’ve already read the book, has anything stood out differently so far while reading the book this time around?) What I hope will happen or be resolved in the last chapters is Christy choosing to do what’s right for her and listen to God’s plan rather than do what’s expected of her by her parents though I hope she listens to their concerns and what David wants.  If he can’t listen to her dreams and plans and questions without calling her a child or childish I don’t see them having much of a future.  I would also like for MacNeil to find Faith.

Join us next Friday for our Seventh and Final discussion! (Chapters 40-46)

*Catherine Marshall. Christy. (New York: Avon, 1968, 408,416, 417, 417, 418, 479


Monday, November 4, 2019

Discussion 5 Christy Read Along



Christy: Chapters 26-32
Discussion Format: Your favorite Quotes General Impressions, and three questions to answer for each week’s reading.

Favorite Quotes*

‘It’s been the delight of my life to find God far more common-sense and Practical than any human I know. The only time I ever find my dealings with God less than Clear-cut is when I’m not being honest with him. The fuzziness is always on my side, not His.” 
 “Ask questions, never be afraid of the truth.”
“The Master cares. He suffers with us. He weeps when we weep. He aches when we ache. He cares. “
“Preach the gospel, David, teach it, reach to the hearts of men. That’s your business. Then the fruits, including the reforms in other areas, will follow as fruits.”
“You’d be surprised how much Children can tell us ossified adults, if we’d only stop to listen.”

General Impressions

     With this week reading I’m finding that I liking Miss Alice even more.  It’s easy to see that she does indeed have a strong Faith. That believe is stronger than David’s. And I have to say David jumped the gun in proposing to Christy.  The fact that Christy stayed overnight at Opal’s despite her own fear because she didn’t really want Opal and the kids to be alone and also because she didn’t want to go back to the mission and have the men campout outside Opal’s to think that Christy was trying to take back a message. It does that Christy is trying to and slowly learning the ways of the mountains and her people. Also on a personal note I loved how my favorite quotes in this reading was also some of my mom's favorite as well. 

Discussion Questions

Answer any or all three of these questions in the comments sections or in your own Blog Post!
1. What turn of events shocked or surprised you the most in this section?  I mean technically the feud should shock but seeing as I live in the state and neighboring that was home to one of the most famous family feuds in history the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s it doesn’t. What shocked me the most was the fact that Isaak’s grandfather was pretty much making him dig his father’s grave by himself. And like Isaak said he didn’t know how far down to dig.  But I was glad to see that Rob stopped on his way to go finish to him dig and then David took over for Isaak and finished the digging.
2. What do you think drove Christy to climb a mountain? Have you ever been driven to something out of the ordinary or especially challenging to you? What was the experience like?  I think the simple fact that Christy wanted to be able to prove to herself that she could do it drove her.    For me challenging for me was either going whitewater rafting or repelling for the first.  It was terrifying at first but after a few minutes when I realized I was actually doing it; it was actually fun.
3. What was your favorite part or performance from the School’s last-day festivities?   My favorite part of the last day festivities for the school was Mountie O’Teale giving the opening. She’s come a long way from the child who couldn’t speak without stuttering to being able to speak in front of room full of people including classmates and parents and neighbors.  As well as the people waiting outside.

*Catherine Marshall. Christy. (New York: Avon, 1968)341, 365,365, 369, 374

Join Us Friday for our Sixth Discussion (Chapters 33-39)  

Reading this week


Finished
Trapped by Irene Hannon
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
Sleepy Hollow by Irving Washington

Reading
Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes


Non-fiction reading

Classic
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery
Christy by Catherine Marshall

Audio on the Way to Work

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

Devotional reading


Did not Finish

Reviews Posted this week