Saturday, February 1, 2020

January Wrap Up


I started the month with (41) unread books. Brought (1) books.  Got my owlcrate book (1) Book of the month (0) Got (1) book for review Won a book in a giveaway() Got books for gifts ()  which brought my total to (44). Read (4) owned books. DNF’d (1) So I am ending the month at books (40) unread books and hoping to get back on track with the whole read 5 physical books before I buy anymore.  I read a total of 12 books.

An UnCommon Woman by Laura Frantz (owned)
Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason (owned)
The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Krista Davis
Trained to Defend by Christy Barritt
Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penney
On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna W White (owned)
There’s A Murder Afoot by Vicki Delany
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw (owned)
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (kindle)
 Heidi by Johanna Spyri (Kindle)
Read and Buried by Eva Gates
 The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin (kindle)

Friday, January 31, 2020

Heidi Read along Discussion 4



Hosted by Amber at Seasons of Humility
~ ~ ~
Heidi: Chapters 5-9 (Part 2)

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading
Favorite Quotes*
“I must read one of the hymns now; Heidi told me to,” he went on to inform them’
“God arranges everything for us, so that we need have no more fear or trouble or may be quite sure that all things will come right in the end.”
“But then we must never forget to pray, and to ask God to remember us when He is arranging things so that we too may feel safe and have no anxiety about what is going to happen.”
“I have been thinking all day what a happy thing it is that God does not give us what we ask for even when we pray and pray and pray, if He knows there is something better for us; have you felt like that?”
“My dear Uncle! My dear Uncle! How much we have to thank you for! It is all your doing! It is your caring and nursing-“
“And God’s good sun and mountain air.” He interrupted here, smiling.”
“So you see, Peter, God is able to bring good out of evil for those whom you meant to injure, and you who did the evil were left to suffer the unhappy consequences of it.”
“ Nothing strengthens our belief in a Kind Heavenly Father who never forgets even the least of His creatures so mush to know that there are such people, full of goodness and pity for a poor useless creature such as I am.”
“Heidi, read me one of the hymns! I can feel I can do nothing for the remainder of my life but thank the Father in Heaven for all the mercies  he has shown us.”



General Impressions
I loved this sweet story overall.  I was sad to see it end but I did I like the ending. It was nice to see all of the people that Heidi cared about being in the same place. It was also good to see Klara getting better.  After reading this book I now want to watch the movie. This is one of a hand full of books from my childhood that I’ve separate memories of reading the book then watching the movie.  I remember the book because I read it, not because I’m confusing it with the movie, and the Shirley Temple Heidi is still my favorite.


Discussion Questions

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

1. What did you think of Peter's reading lessons and Heidi's teaching methods? I think that Heidi can of tricked him into learning to read. She had be a little sneak when she wants to be. It reminder me of when I try to help my cousin to learn to read we were the same age but I had started reading at four and his teacher in first grade was teaching in a way that was getting through to him.

2. Which scene did you find the most beautiful or memorable in these last chapters?  The grandfather’s talk with Herr Sessaman to make sure that Heidi was taken care of when the time came for the grandfather to leave this earth. It showed that out of Heidi’s two remaining relatives he was the one that truly to did love and care about.

3. If you could step into the pages of the book, what would you be most eager to experience? (A night gazing at the stars from the loft? Waking up to the sound of the wind through the fir trees? Sitting among the flowers and goats on the mountain? Or something else?) For me if I could step into the pages of the book I would chose to spend as much time as I could with the grandfather, it would be a bit like having my own grandfather back if only in the pages of a book or my dreams.

Thank you so much for joining the Heidi read-along!
It's been a joy to read and discuss the book with you. :)
*Johanna Spyri, Heidi,(A Public Domain book)  247, 269, 295, 301, 302, 313, 322, 326

First Line Friday



First Lines Friday hosted by Hoarding Books Blog

The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy, #1)

Kerrville, Texas 
Saturday, June 14, 1914

'Wyatt Paxton never realized that coming home could be as bittersweet as leaving." 

This one is an older title but it's the book I'm currently reading in preparation of the final book in the series coming out February 4, 2020.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Verse and Vengeance review


Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower | GoodreadsTitle:  Verse and Vengeance

Author:  Amanda Flower

Series: A Magical Bookshop Mystery book 4
  
Pages:307

Genre: cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

     Verse and Vengeance is the fourth book in the A Magical Bookshop Mystery series, Violet has entered a bicycle race with her boyfriend police chief David Rainwater that ends with both of them finding a dead body. 
     No Violet must try to solve the murder even though David doesn’t want her to in order to keep herself from becoming the next suspect all while keeping a very big secret for David because she thinks telling him will drive him away.

     I will admit that this is my favorite of the series so far. I loved the end even if it left me a slight cliff hanger. I’m looking forward to the next book in the 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.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Heidi read Along discussion 3


Hosted by Amber at Seasons of Humility

Heidi: Chapter 14 (Part 1)
and Chapters 1-4 (Part 2)

Discussion format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and three questions to answer for each week's reading
Favorite Quotes*
“At last he too folded his hands, and with bowed head said in low voice, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy son.’ And two large tears rolled down the old man’s cheeks.”
“Come along, Heidi! The sun is up! Put on your best frock, for we are going to church together!”
“God was good to me when He sent you to my hut.”

General Impressions

I love that Heidi is getting used to being back home. Reading Hymns to the grandmother but more importantly her child like Faith leading her grandfather to repent and also finding Joy in the Lord.  The grandfather keeping his promise to move to the village for the winter so Heidi can go to school.  And he starts taking her to church.  Reading this book as an adult I didn’t realize how much Faith plays apart in the lives of some of the characters.

My grandma finally finished unpacking from her move downsizing into an apartment and found my grandfather’s copy of Heidi that she gave me. It’s another book that I’ll treasure because I’ve discovered that it has notes in it he made from while he read the book to me as a child.  
I looked up the meaning of Heidi and discovered that it’s a pet form of Adalheid and means Noble one.  

Discussion Questions

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

1. Which scene in this section made you the most happy when you read it? Heidi’s childlike faith leading the grandfather to repent and find his own relationship with God.

2. In what way has one of the characters inspired you? Heidi and her child like Faith.  To me it’s an example of the kind of faith God wants us to have.

3. How would you feel about living in the "mansion" in Dörfli where Heidi and her grandfather spend the winter?  Short term I wouldn’t mind it but I am a sucker for central heat and electricity. But it would be a nice little escape for a short period of time. 

*Johanna Spyri, 
Heidi, Kindle version (A Public Domain Book) pg, 188, 189, 192
Join us next Friday for our fourth and final discussion
! (Part 2: Chapters 5-9)

Monday, January 27, 2020

The Dating Charade Review


The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson | GoodreadsTitle:  The Dating Charade

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Pages: 336

Genre: Christian Fiction, Rom Com

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson  

     I’m not going to lie the first thing that drew me to this book was the Brady Bunch feels.  Cassie and Jett have an awesome first date but when they each end up with three kids each they hide the kids from each other. Thinking that the other didn’t want kids.  
     They go through the charade pretending that nothing’s  changed. But like any rom com chaos happens. I didn’t know how would feel about this book because Rom Com’s in book form have been a miss for me here lately. But after reading this one I’m willing to get back into reading them. The Gatlinburg setting was neat and not something that I remember reading in books before, and it was neat to read a book set in the place that we went on family vacations when I was child. I also look forward to reading future books by Melissa Ferguson.

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

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Painted Castle review


The Painted Castle (Lost Castle #3) by Kristy Cambron | GoodreadsTitle:  The Painted Castle

Author: Kristy Cambron

Series: Lost Castle Book 3

Pages: 381

Genre: Christian Fiction/dual time

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

The Painted Castle is third and final book in the Lost Castle series by Kristy Camron. This is a multiple time period novel. We have Kiera Foley in the modern day, sister to the heroes in the first two books in the series.  Amelia Woods during WWII and Lady Elizabeth in Victorian England.
I love novels that take place in multiple time periods especially when the stories intertwine with each other like they do in this one. I also like that this book wrapped up the series as a whole at the end of the book. Even though each book focuses on different characters it is still best to read the books in order otherwise you will be spoiled for previous books.

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