Category: books

Hey everyone! It’s WWW Wednesday!

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’m currently reading 3 books, yes, I know it’s crazy but I like to shift from one genre to another, lol. Plus I’m too impatient to read just one book at a time…..does that even make sense?? LOL.

Actually, one of the books is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets…I make it a point to reread that series at least once a year.

Hunting Prince Dracula is getting good!! I definitely recommend this series!

I’m also reading A Cousin’s Promise by Wanda E. Brustetter.

Synopsis:

When a horrific accident cripples Wayne Lambright, he finds it difficult enough to take care of himself, much less Loraine Miller, his future bride. Will he sacrifice his happiness to give her a better life? Having already been jilted once, Loraine is terrified of yet another rejection. But does she love Wayne enough to marry him, for better or worse? When her old boyfriend Jake Beechy returns from exploring the English world, he hopes Loraine will give him another chance. Will she renew their love or wed Wayne as promised? How will God work to give Loraine the desires of her heart?

What Did You Recently Finish Reading

I had to DNF All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner. The synopsis sounded great but I just could not get into it. The storyline failed to bring me in.  😦 😦

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

I have a few ARCs that I need to get to so I can the review in so it’s probably going to either be The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken or Something Needs to Change by David Platt. Who knows? I’ll probably end up reading both of them simultaneously.

My TBR pile on Goodreads is growing every day, lol. I thought I’d share with you a few of the books on my list! I have not read any books by these authors! So who knows? I might find another favorite author through these books!

First up, is Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey.

Annie is twenty-seven years old, single, and obsessed with romantic comedies (she and her mother watched them religiously, before her mom died). Her dating life is limited by the expectations she’s formed from these movies. She is not as open to new experiences as she might be, because she’s waiting for her Tom Hanks–i.e., a guy she’ll find in the perfect, meet-cute romantic comedy way. When Annie does finally meet her perfect match, it’s not quite in the way she expected, and she’s forced to reckon with the walls she’s built around herself over the years.

Next up is Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald.

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Delving into Grand Central Terminal’s rich past, Lisa Grunwald crafts a masterful historical novel about a love affair that defies age, class, place, and even time.

Finally, (though I have many, many more, lol) is How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.

Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

So Tom moves back to London, his old home, to become a high school history teacher–the perfect job for someone who has witnessed the city’s history first hand. Better yet, a captivating French teacher at his school seems fascinated by him. But the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.

How to Stop Time is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.

Have you read any of these books? 

What books are on your TBR list?

Let’s talk books!

Best book you’ve read so far in 2019 – Definitely Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco! I was not expecting to fall in love with it so fast!

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019 – I’m currently reading the 2nd book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series….and it’s amazing so far!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to – Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald. I mean just READ the synopsis! It sounds amazing!

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Biggest disappointment –  All Manner of Things by Lisa Finkbeiner. I just could not get into it. The storyline just failed to engage me.

Biggest surprise – Nothing as of yet.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you) –  Definitely Kerri Maniscalco. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Newest fictional crush –Thomas Cresswell from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. Love him!

Newest favorite character – Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper. (Can you tell I LOVE this series??? LOL)

Book that made you cry – The Healing Jar by Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Book that made you happy – all books make me happy! 🙂

Favorite book to film adaptation you’ve seen this year – Haven’t seen any yet.

Favorite review you’ve written this year –  I really don’t have a favorite…

What books do you need to read by the end of this year –  any and all, LOL

There you have it! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and take part in this tag yourself!

Well, I typically don’t DNF books very often but every once in a while, it happens. This time it happened with the eARC I was sent called All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner.

The storyline sounded good when I first read about it. And I honestly gave it time, thinking it would pick up as I read on but no…

I just could not get into it. I really tried but the storyline just wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention. It also didn’t help that there were some issues with the eBook–skipped pages, inconsistencies, etc….maybe that’s why I couldn’t get into it.

I’ve added it to my “will finish someday” list. Maybe if I can get a hold of a physical copy, I can give it another try!

According to Goodreads reviews, it averages a 4.86 rating. Reviewers are raving about it. So what’s wrong with me? LOL. I know my opinion of this book won’t be popular but hey, it’s okay! If we all liked and agreed on every single book, life would be pretty boring, eh? Not everyone is going to like a book. Simple as that.

Have you read this book? What did you think about it?

Let’s talk books!

Hey y’all!! Today I thought I’d share with you some of my absolute favorite series! These are books I will absolutely NEVER part with and will reread over and over again!

First up is Karen Kingsbury’s Redemption series!

I fell in love with this series in college when a friend introduced me to Karen Kingsbury. The series follows the Baxter’s and all the triumph and tragedies that arise in their life.

Here is a little synopsis of the first book, Redemption!

When Kari Baxter Jacobs finds out that her husband is involved in an adulterous relationship and wants a divorce, she decides she will love him and remain faithful to her marriage at all costs.

This book shows how God can redeem seemingly hopeless relationships, and it illustrates one key message: Love is a decision.

I’m super excited because this series is set to become a TV series!

Next, we have the Harry Potter series! I have read and reread this series too many times to count!

It’s so easy to get lost in the world of Harry Potter. If you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for?? It’s so much fun to read!

Here’s a little synopsis from the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Harry Potter’s life is miserable. His parents are dead and he’s stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he’s a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry’s first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it’s his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

The Hunger Games is such a great read.

This is another series I devoured in several days. I even got my mom hooked on this series.

And it was just announced that Suzanne Collins will be writing a PREQUEL to this series! I can’t wait to read it!

A little synopsis of the first book:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

What are some of your favorite series to read over and over again? 

Let’s talk books!

Hey everyone! It’s WWW Wednesday!

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?

All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner

I just started reading this so I haven’t gotten very far but it sounds like it’ll be really good!

Synopsis:

When Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.

In Mike’s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike’s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family’s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

The Healing Jar by Wanda E Brunstetter. This was an ARC and it will be released on August 1, 2019. It is book 3 in The Prayer Jar series.

I LOVED this series! I devoured each book in a matter of days! I love Amish fiction.

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?

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken. This is another ARC that I can’t wait to read!

It comes out on August 1, 2019.

Synopsis:

In 1824, Josephine Clayton is considered dead by everyone in her Massachusetts village—especially the doctor she gas assisted for several months. Yet, she is still very much alive.

After the doctor’s illegal dealing with his body snatcher to obtain her body, Josephine awakens, positioned as the next corpse for his research. To cover up his crime, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. They strike a deal—Josephine will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, she’ll await her true mission—posing as a mourner to help the body snatcher procure her replacement.

At the mill though, Josephine is praised for her medical remedies among the other female workers, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager, Braham Taylor. Yet, when Braham’s own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all.

What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel?

Your turn!