The Great Gatsby review

Title:  The Great Gatsby

Author:  F. Scott Fitzgerald

Ch: 9

Pg:  208

Series:

Genre:  Classic

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Penguin 

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of my favorite classics in high school. And with this reread that hasn’t changed. This short novel only 9 chapters wasn’t popular during Fitzgerald’s lifetime, and would have slipped away if it hadn’t been for WWII and the troops loving the book.

My thoughts about the characters haven’t changed I still feel the same about the characters as I did in high school. The villain of the story isn’t obvious to first time readers but on a second read and maybe as an older reader this time I can tell easily who the villain is.

If you go into this book thinking it’s a romance does both the book and the reader a disservice.

 

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. 

First Line Friday

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Chapter One 

“It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged that a teenage girl in possession of a double-digit jeans size must be in want of a diet. I’m just not a part of that universe.””

Active Defense by Lynette Eason review

Title:  Active Defense

Author:  Lynette Eason

Ch: 26

Pg: 288

Series: Danger Never Sleeps  

Genre: Christian suspense with a hint of romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Revell

 

Active Defense is the third book in the Danger never sleeps by Lynette Eason. This one follows Heather Fountine a former army doctor and Travis Walker a security expert. Heathers got baggage in her past that Travis wants to help carry if she’ll let him.

This one was my favorite in series. Heather was the heroine that was the most stubborn a perfect match for Travis. That while Travis is a hero who wants to protect the heroine he does so while treating her life an equal. You don’t get that often enough in romantic suspense. Which brings up my other point that I love about Eason’s writing her novels are the majority suspense with only a hint of romance which is how I love my suspense novels. I look forward to the next book in the series.

 

I received a complimentary copy Active Defense from the publishers. I was not required to provide 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. 

First Line Friday

 Hosted by Hoarding Books Blog

Chapter One

September

Kabul, Afghanistan

“Dr. Heather Fontaine strapped her feet into the sandboard and pushed off.”

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White review

Title:  Dreams of Savannah

Author:  Roseanna M. White

Ch: 26

Pg:  400

Genre:  Christian Historical fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Bethany House

         While Dreams of Savannah is out of my historical fiction wheel house I did however this new historical from Roseanna M White. It did start out slow but picked up after a few chapters. I loved Cordelia Delia from the very first page but it took me a while to Phineas Phin. But throughout the book as he grew and changed he grew on me.

What I loved about the novel was both Delia and Phin both realized that they had a lot to learn about themselves, each other and the world around them. And it changed both of the them. Delia’s love or story and wanting to tell others stories really hit home with the history nerd and genealogist in me. She felt like a kindred spirit. Though I think Luther is my favorite character from the book. I loved his wisdom and the fact that he tells Phin what he needs to hear even if he doesn’t want to hear it.

While Dreams of Savannah is set during the civil war Roseanna M. White handles the subject with grace and truth. It is a timely book with a message that is still needs to heard today. And it shows that we still have a lot to learn.

 

I received a complimentary copy Dreams of Savannah  from the publishers. I was not required to provide 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. 

Dreams of Savannah

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.

As the War Between the States rages ever nearer and Savannah’s slaves start sneaking away to the islands off the coast to join the Yankees, both Phin and Cordelia get caught up in questions they never thought they’d have to ask–questions that threaten the very dreams of a future they’d cherished.

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About the Author 

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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First Line Fridays

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Chapter One 

Savannah Georgia 

May 1861 

"Cordelia Owens had dreamed of this day a Hundred times." 

Tidewater Bride by Laura Frantz review

 Title:  Tidewater Bride

Author:  Laura Frantz

Ch: 46

Pg:  416

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance, Christian Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Revell

 

Laura Frantz has done it again. Just when I don’t think she can’t out do the previous book she goes and proves me wrong. Even though this one is outside her historical wheel house, it still has Laura’s one of a kind writing style. As you read you can tell that she took the time to research the time period as she does with all her novels before she put pen to paper.

Having been to the Jamestown it’s easy to picture the setting and with my love of history it’s easy to put in the historical time period. But a James Town setting isn’t something I’ve read before in fiction before and when movies try to do it they get it historically wrong. Like previous novels Laura write the Indigenous people’s with truth and grace.

Xander the hero of this novel while not perfect no hero can be, but he is a man of faith, honor and his conviction. They you can see throughout the novel. I think he has become my favorite hero of hers, sorry Seamus. And Selah the heroine is Laura’s most unique to date and not just because of her. She’s strong willed and has a mind of her own. Especially when’s she says she won’t be a tobacco widow. I’ve heard the term heard it growing up but never seen written in a book. But most importantly she has a heart of gold.

There’s a scene that I don’t want to give to much a way but Laura writes it such emotion that you feel what Xander is going through, that all tobacco farmers feared even in to the 20th century. As well some of my favorite lines that Laura has written in this novel. Tidewater Bride will stay with me for a while.

 

I received a complimentary copy Tidewater Bride from the publishers. I was not required to provide 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. 

Happy Release Day For Tidewater Bride

 

Happy Release Day

 Happy Release Day Dreams of Savannah 

January TBR

TBR jar pick: Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl  

 

Kindle Jar Pick: The Red Canary by Rachel Scott McDaniel

 

Nonfiction: When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped  Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning

 

Audio books: Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

 

Classics: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

Review books to read

 

Tidewater Bride by Laura Frantz

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M White

Active Defense by Lynette Eason

2021 Goals

Get my TBR books down to 20

 

Read the books on TBR shelf that I’ve owned prior to 2021

 

Read at least 5 classics (I read 7 this year 3 of which is due in Part to Rachel’s Read Along s Hosted by Rachel McMillian. One due to another read along.

     The Classics I would like to read this year are:

     Dear Enemy by Jean Webster

     Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

     The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

     Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery

     Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

 

 

Read 12 Nonfiction books one a month

 

Listen to 12 audio books one a month (Possibly help with the classics)

 

Finish five unfinished series on my TBR list I have 48 unfinished series

 

Read Sarah Sundin’s back list 

 

Actually use my TBR Jar

 

Finish my current work in progress

 

Out my WWII dual time/time travel idea that won’t leave me alone

 

Find my Peter Pan retelling I started writing and actually finish it

First Line Friday

 Hosted by Hoarding Books Blog

Chapter one 

James Towne, Virginia Colony

Spring 1634

"Alas, she was not a tobacco bride, but she had been given the charge of them."

 

2020 Reading Wrap Up

     This I read a total of 179 books across 52,759 pages. Listened to 7:44 hours of audio. And DNF’d 10 books which is something I am finally starting to not feel guilty about.  I read 78 print books, 90 digital books, 13 audio. 169 of the books I read were fiction, 12 were non-fiction. 151 were adult, 5 were kids/middle grade, and 26 were young adult.

     11 Books I read were by male authors while 171 were by female authors.  I read 62 Back listed books and read 117 books published this year.  Of the books I read 36 were from my own TBR, 31 were books purchased in 2020. Though I purchased more than that this year. 54 books were from the library. 57 were review copies and 5 were books I borrowed from friends and places other than the library.

     Of the books I bought 14 were from amazon. Mostly kindle books and mostly under 5 dollars. 13 books were bought from Barnes and Noble (at least a brick and mortar store). But only 4 books were bought from Indie stores. My goal is to do better in 2021.

     Of the books I read this year my most popular genre was   Mystery/crime with 63 books. Followed by historical with 39, romance with 38. Fantasy with 14 which actually shocked me as that’s a genre that I tend to not read.  General fiction was 9. Which is mostly books I didn’t know how to classify.  I read 5 classics and 6 comics.

     For nonfiction I read 4 general nonfiction, 8 memoir/biography, and 2 books classified travel and food.

I gave 3 1 Stars

     7 2 Stars

     49 3 Stars

     8 3.5 stars

     76 4 stars

     4  4.5 Stars

     30 5 Stars

     My favorite book of the year was The Land Beneath us By Sarah Sundin, followed as a close second An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz.

     I’m finishing the year with 47 unread books and 48 Unfinished series.