My First ARC

I just finished Heartwood Box by Ann Aguirre. It was my first ARC and I loved it! The storyline kept me guessing until the very end!

Synopsis:

Heartwood Box is a dark, romantic YA suspense novel with an SF edge from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found.

When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to stay with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind.

To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried…

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I signed up to receive these ARCs on NetGalley It’s a really cool site that will let you have books that haven’t yet been published in exchange for a review on the book.

Have I died and gone to heaven? Free books?? Loving this!

The next book on my list is The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

I just noticed that it is part of a series so I’m going to have to find the other books.

Synopsis: 

What if you have waited to find love only to be rejected when it finally comes?
 
Lenore Lapp is an Amish schoolteacher in her late twenties still living at home with her parents and grandparents. She thought love had passed her by until she meets Jesse Smucker, a widower with a baby daughter. She quickly falls in love with them both and accepts Jesse’s proposal of marriage, but Jesse breaks off their engagement when he realizes he can’t marry only for convenience.
 
Resigned to living single, Lenore throws herself into caring for her elders. While working in her grandmother’s garden, she digs up an old jar. Will Lenore find healing for her broken heart and solve long-buried family secrets by reading the note contained inside?

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I’m finally getting back into reading! I seem to get into these ruts from time to time where I stop reading. I’ll then end up picking up a new book and it gets me hooked, leaving me thirsty for more!

WWW Wednesday-June 5th

I’ve never done a  WWW Wednesday post before. So here we go!!

To take part all you need to do is answer the following questions:

~What are you currently reading?
~What did you recently finish reading?
~What do you think you’ll read next?

~What are you currently reading?

I recently signed up with NetGalley which will send you books to read in exchange for a review of the book. I saw this book, Heartwood Box and was instantly intrigued by the synopsis so I requested it.

Heartwood Box:

Heartwood Box is a dark, romantic YA suspense novel with an SF edge from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found.

When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to stay with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?

Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind.

To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried…

 

I am also rereading the Hary Potter series. I’m on book 1

“Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter ‘H’.”

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

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~What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary.

Synopsis:

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open-minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.

My thoughts: The Flatshare is a book I most likely won’t read again. The storyline is good but there was too much foul language. This book was a recommendation from a coworker who absolutely LOVED it. I liked the premise of the book but can’t get past the foul language.

I also finished reading Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I highly recommend it!

Synopsis:

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best-laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke

My Thoughts: I’m not normally a big reader of historical fiction. However, this book changed my views. I absolutely LOVED this book and intend on buying it to add to my collection. I am going to start giving historical fiction a chance now!
~What do you think you’ll read next?

There are tons of books I want to read. I haven’t decided which to read yet. As you know, I work in a bookstore (Barnes and Noble) and for two weeks twice a year we get an additional 10% on top of our 35% discount. Well, the extra discount started on Monday and once I get paid on Friday I plan on buying some books!!!!

I Love to Read….Do You?

Photo by Mike Bird on Pexels.com

It is no secret that I love to read. I’ve been reading all my life and came out of Kindergarten reading on a 2nd grade level. (I had the best teacher….my grandmother! She was my kindergarten teacher. But don’t for one second think I got special treatment. Nope, none. Nada. Well, actually, maybe on the occasion that the boys were bothering me. I was the only girl in a class of 5 so when they were bothering me my grandmother let me switch to another table.)

But I digress. LOL

Naturally, I’ve hit reading slumps from time to time but oh, when I pick up that book that makes me want to read,read, read….it’s exciting!

I just finished reading a book called Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It was recommended to me by a coworker. (Oh yeah, I work in a bookstore…..it just adds to the madness of my love of books!) Anyway, she recommended Edenbrooke to me and I checked it out from the library and man! Y’all…I will be buying this book to add to my collection. Here is the synopsis:

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

My friends all know that my absolute favorite author is Karen Kingsbury, the queen of Christian fiction! She has written soooo many books that I’ve lost count. My favorite series of hers is definitely the Baxter series which starts with the book Redemption closely followed by the Angels Walking series.

Reading is a way for me to unwind from the stressors of life. To engage in another world for a little while. Karen Kingsbury has a wonderful way of drawing the reader in. I have been known to finish one of her books in 1 day. Yep, 1 day.

How about you? Do you love to read? What are some of your favorite books?

 

 

Kind Is The New Classy

Candace Cameron Bure came out with this book, “Kind Is the New Classy” back in 2018. I found it today at Ollies for $4.99!! I haven’t started it yet but it looks really good!

Here’s a synopsis:

As a woman in today’s world, you know what it’s like to feel pressure on all sides from clashing cultural expectations. How can you stay true to who God has uniquely created you to be in the face of the script you’ve been given? What’s more, how can you stand your ground with grace?

The classy confidence you know and love—whether it’s on set at Full House or Fuller House, Dancing with the Stars, The View, or Candace’s Hallmark films—is no act. But it hasn’t come easy. In fact, learning to stay true to herself with grace has been one of the biggest fights of Candace’s life.

The secret, she has learned, is kindness: it’s classy, unexpected, even counter-cultural, and ultimately wins the day.

In Kind Is the New Classy, Candace reveals the thought patterns and practices that have empowered her to stay centered in who she is while practicing radical graciousness toward others. Whether you’re navigating major life choices, questions of calling and career, relationships, or personal goals, this book will show you how to:

• Keep your cool under pressure
• Respond to criticism with grace
• Stay grounded yet go places in life
• Stay true to who you are despite the expectations of others
• Stay centered in what ultimately matters the most

Kind Is the New Classy is your permission to go off-script, to say goodbye to society’s “should’s” and to step into a new way to flourish as a woman today.

I’m really looking forward to reading this! I’ve always admired Candace and the way she lives for Jesus. She’s not ashamed to stand up for her beliefs.

Have you read it? Did you like it?

Books I’m Reading

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I am currently reading two books at the moment. Some people may wonder how I can do that but hey, I’ve been known to read up to 3 books at a time. I enjoy taking a break from one subject and picking up the other book. Basically, I just love to read. 🙂 I have 4 bookshelves overflowing with books.

Anyway, the first book I’m reading is by Eric Geiger called “How to Ruin Your Life: and Starting Over When You Do.” Sounded really interesting so I had to pick it up.

It’s really good! Here’s the synopsis:

You can blow up your life.  

To bring strong and tall buildings to the ground, demolition experts strategically place tiny explosives throughout the structure of a building so that the building will topple on itself. Instead of destroying the building from the outside, they destroy it from within. In the same way many great men and women have imploded, and others are well on their way.

Author Eric Geiger offers a sobering reminder that many great and godly people have imploded, and none of us are above the risk. Looking at the story of David’s infamous implosion, readers will learn how to ruin our lives (so we won’t), and also how to find hope if we do–as all of us need His grace.

The second book I’m reading is called “The Christian Atheist” by none other than Craig Groeschel, one of my favorite authors. I’ve actually already read this book but I’m re-reading it because it’s really good!

“The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.” Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist. To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives. Now the founding and senior pastor of the multi campus, pace-setting LiveChurch.tv, Groeschel personal journey toward a more authentic God-honoring life is more relevant than ever. Christians and Christian Atheists everywhere will be nodding their heads as they are challenged to take their own honest moment and ask the question: am I putting my whole faith in God but still living as if everything was up to me?

Groeschel has so many books out that I want to get. I did a review of his book “Weird” throughout many blog posts at the end of last year. You can check out the first chapter review here

I’m debating whether or not I should do another chapter by chapter review of one of these books.

What do you think? Should I do another chapter by chapter review of one of these books? If so, which one?

 

The Snow is Pretty but…..

…..I’m going out of my mind here! There’s only so much that I can do in the house! I can’t really get out in the snow because I don’t have the proper boots to go out in the snow plus my knees are giving me a fit and I don’t trust myself to be stable out in the snow.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the snow! But I tend to forget about the cabin fever that sets in after awhile.

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I’m currently reading Weird by Craig Groeschel, as you all know if you’ve been reading my chapter by chapter reviews on it. But I also reading a book called The Long Game, which is book 2 in the Fixer series. I checked both books out the other day from the library and read the first book in 2 days. It’s a YA series but it’s really good! I just started the second book today. The books are by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I’ve never heard of her but apparently she has a slew of books out there. I can’t wait to start reading them!

In case you are interested in the series, here’s a synopsis of the first book, The Fixer:

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.’s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians’ scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister’s footsteps and becomes D.C.’s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life…until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy’s. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

Usually I can predict endings to books but not this one! Barnes has a way with words that had me guessing until the very end!

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Do you like to read? What’s a favorite series of yours?