Friday Fun- March 25th, 2022

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

This week I finished the first book of The Dancing Realms series Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck. What a wonderful start to this fantasy series that also shares biblical truths. 

And I am currently in the middle of Forsaken Island, the second book in The Dancing Realms series by Sharon Hinck. 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck.

"Destiny is measured in inches. One move in the wrong direction or one faulty gesture can erase a lifetime of preparation. The weight of that truth tightened my muscles as I lined up for class with the other novitiates."

I admit, I was confused by the first sentence, and then the second didn't really help much. But by the third I was sort of getting an idea where the story was beginning seeing as I knew this series is the "dancing realms." It made me want to continue reading as fast as I could to see what she was preparing for and what was causing the tension.

Here is my book beginnings for Forsaken Island also by Sharon Hinck.

"Across the sweep of waves, the new world called to me. Sea breezes tickled my skin, stirring excitement and making my muscles twitch."

Knowing how the first book ended, I was excited to learn what new adventures awaited across the waves.

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

I forgot to get a quote from Hidden Current before I returned it to the library.

Forsaken Island by Sharon Hinck

"I studied their dance, a line that circled first one way and then another. Did their patterns influence their world in the same way that dance could shape life on Meriel?"

Friday Fun- March 18th, 2022

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

I am reading two books. The first is Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren. This is the third book in the River of Time series. I'm having a very hard time putting it down, just like the first two. 

The second is Cross Fire, the second Holly novel by C.C. Warrens. This is another series I am finding it hard to put down. 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren.

"We'd shaken the dust from the gowns the guys had left the three of us and slipped on our 'medieval disguises,' as I called them, but there wasn't a whole let we could do for Dad."

I was thrilled to learn that the third book was beginning immediately where book one ended. I had known, from the ending of Cascade, that their dad was now along for the time travel ride. And I couldn't wait to see how he reacted to all the new revelations from the past, including Marcello. 

Here is my book beginnings for Cross Fire by C.C. Warrens.

"The aroma of sweat and coconut shampoo filled the room, bringing to mind a tropical sweat lodge. I paced the outside of the rubber mat, casting wary looks at my opponent."

I wasn't quite sure what to think of this opening. It didn't start off right where the previous book left off. So, now I am wondering how much time has elapsed. Knowing the way the ending got me all in a state of concern for Holly, knowing there is someone else out there ready to "get her," it sounds like she is possibly trying to learn some self-defense.

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren

"I wanted to dance. Not in the provincial, hoity-toity manner of the nobility within the Palazzo Pubblico, but in the earthy, celebratory way of the people outside, moving with so much joy, so much momentum, their breath clouded before their faces in the cold, dark night as they passed by."

Cross Fire by C.C. Warrens

"Tears clung to my eyelashes when I looked at him. 'Maybe.' Maybe if I had just given him what he wanted, if I had cried the way the other children had, he never would've-"

Friday Fun- March 13th, 2022

It's been a while, but welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with two different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays and the Friday 56.

I am reading Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren. This is the second book in the River of Time series. I'm having a very hard time putting it down. 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

Here is my book beginnings for Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren.

"Mom freaked out when she saw us, of course. 

I couldn't blame her, with Lia in her medieval gown. And me looking like I'd been mauled by a bear."

I was thrilled to learn that the second book was beginning immediately where book one ended. I actually couldn't wait to find out how the girls explained their appearance after returning from the past. I was eager to know just what was going to transpire to get them back TO the past.

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection.

Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

"'He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles. Delightful shivers ran up my arm and down my back. ''Tis a miracle of God. A gateway that only He could open.'"

Reading Challenges 2022 February Update (a bit late)

Here is what I read for my reading challenges in February:

For February, I read A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White, though I didn't read it until the first week of March. This book is the first book in the Shadows Over England series. I shared my thoughts on Goodreads.

I'm a bit behind on my February Challenges. But I plan to read Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson.

The book I read, A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy started out in Ithaca NY, and moved to India before ending back in Ithaca. You can read my review on Goodreads. 

I read The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright. This was my third book by this author. My first was several years ago, and then I read another last year. This one is one of my favorites. Here are my thoughts.

Plus someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group came up with this challenge:

Pick which level you want to do and choose from these prompts! Happy reading!

Level 1: 12 books

Level 2: 25 books

Level 3: 50 books

Level 4: All 75!

I read 7 books in January for this challenge.

I read 7 books in February for this challenge. (I'm not counting A Name Unknown for Feb as I didn't read it until the beginning of March)

Red: No clue

Blue: Have a book in mind

Green: Read

Orange: Can be for more than one, need to choose

Read a book...

1. With a verb in the title

2. With an infant or child on the cover

3. With a tree on the cover

4. With a pink cover

5. Set in the mountains: Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

6. Set during your favorite season

7. That includes your favorite holiday

8. With a building on the cover: Captives by Jill Williamson (my thoughts)

9. Published the month you were born: Bookshop by the Sea

10. That has a dual timeline: The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jamie Jo Wright

11. Recommended by an author you enjoy

12. With little to no romance

13. Published in 2022

14. That is a debut novel

15. Written in first person POV: Luminary by Krista McGee (my thoughts)

16. By a male author

17. Written by multiple authors

18. By an author who writes with a pen name

19. By an author who has multiple award winning books Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

20. That is also a movie or tv series: Hidden Places by Lynn Austin

21. That you choose because of the cover: Daisy Chain

22. Reread a favorite

23. That makes you laugh

24. A genre outside your comfort zone

25. That has been on your tbr list for a long time

26. A book with multiple POV: The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis

27. Less than 250 pages long

28. Written before the year 2000.

29. That has a number in the title

30. Set in Asia or Africa: Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

31. Based on a true story or event

32. That is part of a series: Revolutionary by Krista McGee (my thoughts)

33. With a title that doesn't include the word "the"

34. Set during WWII

35. That is considered fantasy

36. A novella of a series you enjoyed

37. With a main character that is a POC

38. Set somewhere you've been: A Mosaic of Wings (first part set in Ithaca NY)

39. Over 400 pages long

40. Featuring a teacher or principle

41. With a main character over the age of 50

42. A book that could be considered scary or intimidating

43. That features a game (chess, tag, board game, etc) or sport

44. By an indie author

45. With a title or story element that relates to the ocean

46. Featuring a coffee shop or cafe

47. With a musician, singer, or songwriter

48. With a dystopian or utopian theme or element: Anomaly by Krista McGee (my thoughts)

49. That is historical fiction

50. With a main character that has red hair

51. With a character that has a mental or physical disability

52. A feel good book

53. A beach read

54. By an author who shares your last initial: Outcasts (my thoughts)

55. Featuring an artist, writer, or photographer: Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

56. That includes dance

57. That has your favorite color on the cover

58. With a rainbow or multicolored cover

59. Set at a tavern, inn, or hotel: A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble (my thoughts)

60. By an author you’ve never read before: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

61.That is a graphic novel or has illustrations

62. A book that involves a fortune or treasure

63. With a fruit or vegetable on the cover

64. That involves a family feud

65. With the enemies to lovers trope

66. A book that is a best seller

67. With royal or noble characters

68. By an author who is no longer writing

69. That is considered women’s fiction

70. That is a tearjerker

71. Featuring a character that is in politics

72. With a women in a STEM career field

73. With a sun or moon on the cover

74. A book with a one word title: Rebels by Jill Williamson

75. Written by a European author

Reading Challenges 2022 January Update (a bit late)

Here is what I read for my reading challenges in January:

For January, I read Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren. This book is the first book in the River of Time series. I shared my thoughts on Goodreads.

I live in Pennsylvania, so I chose The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis which is set in an Amish community in PA. I shared my review on Goodreads. 

The book I read, Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry, did take place in Africa, but it didn't take place in the past. You can read my review on Goodreads. 

I read two book set in a different country. I counted Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren and Ghost heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry.

Plus someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group came up with this challenge:

Pick which level you want to do and choose from these prompts! Happy reading!

Level 1: 12 books

Level 2: 25 books

Level 3: 50 books

Level 4: All 75!

I read 7 books in January for this challenge.

Red: No clue

Blue: Have a book in mind

Green: Read

Orange: Can be for more than one, need to choose

Read a book...

1. With a verb in the title

2. With an infant or child on the cover

3. With a tree on the cover

4. With a pink cover

5. Set in the mountains: Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

6. Set during your favorite season

7. That includes your favorite holiday

8. With a building on the cover: Captives by Jill Williamson

9. Published the month you were born: Bookshop by the Sea

10. That has a dual timeline: The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jamie Jo Wright

11. Recommended by an author you enjoy

12. With little to no romance

13. Published in 2022

14. That is a debut novel

15. Written in first person POV: Luminary by Krista McGee

16. By a male author

17. Written by multiple authors

18. By an author who writes with a pen name

19. By an author who has multiple award winning books Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

20. That is also a movie or tv series: Hidden Places by Lynn Austin

21. That you choose because of the cover: Daisy Chain

22. Reread a favorite

23. That makes you laugh

24. A genre outside your comfort zone

25. That has been on your tbr list for a long time

26. A book with multiple POV: The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis

27. Less than 250 pages long

28. Written before the year 2000.

29. That has a number in the title

30. Set in Asia or Africa: Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

31. Based on a true story or event

32. That is part of a series: Revolutionary by Krista McGee

33. With a title that doesn't include the word "the"

34. Set during WWII

35. That is considered fantasy

36. A novella of a series you enjoyed

37. With a main character that is a POC

38. Set somewhere you've been: possibly A Mosaic of Wings (first part set in Ithaca NY)

39. Over 400 pages long

40. Featuring a teacher or principle

41. With a main character over the age of 50

42. A book that could be considered scary or intimidating

43. That features a game (chess, tag, board game, etc) or sport

44. By an indie author

45. With a title or story element that relates to the ocean

46. Featuring a coffee shop or cafe

47. With a musician, singer, or songwriter

48. With a dystopian or utopian theme or element: Anomaly by Krista McGee

49. That is historical fiction

50. With a main character that has red hair

51. With a character that has a mental or physical disability

52. A feel good book

53. A beach read

54. By an author who shares your last initial: Outcasts

55. Featuring an artist, writer, or photographer: Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks (my thoughts)

56. That includes dance

57. That has your favorite color on the cover

58. With a rainbow or multicolored cover

59. Set at a tavern, inn, or hotel: A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble (my thoughts)

60. By an author you’ve never read before: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

61.That is a graphic novel or has illustrations

62. A book that involves a fortune or treasure

63. With a fruit or vegetable on the cover

64. That involves a family feud

65. With the enemies to lovers trope

66. A book that is a best seller

67. With royal or noble characters

68. By an author who is no longer writing

69. That is considered women’s fiction

70. That is a tearjerker

71. Featuring a character that is in politics

72. With a women in a STEM career field

73. With a sun or moon on the cover

74. A book with a one word title: Rebels by Jill Williamson

75. Written by a European author

Reading Challenges 2022 Introduction

So, it's obviously been a while since I posted on my blog. Three years! I honestly hadn't realized it had been that long. What better way to jumpstart my blog but with a post about the reading challenges I am participating in this year. 

This first challenge comes from the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Facebook Group I am in.

Then there is the Back Porch Reading Challenge.

The Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge is from Crystal Caudill's blog.

And then there is the reading challenge from the Eating Our Words Facebook group. 

Plus someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group came up with this challenge:

Pick which level you want to do and choose from these prompts! Happy reading!

Level 1: 12 books

Level 2: 25 books

Level 3: 50 books

Level 4: All 75!

Read a book...

1. With a verb in the title

2. With an infant or child on the cover

3. With a tree on the cover

4. With a pink cover

5. Set in the mountains

6. Set during your favorite season

7. That includes your favorite holiday

8. With a building on the cover

9. Published the month you were born

10. That has a dual timeline

11. Recommended by an author you enjoy

12. With little to no romance

13. Published in 2022

14. That is a debut novel

15. Written in first person POV

16. By a male author

17. Written by multiple authors

18. By an author who writes with a pen name

19. By an author who has multiple award winning books

20. That is also a movie or tv series

21. That you choose because of the cover

22. Reread a favorite

23. That makes you laugh

24. A genre outside your comfort zone 

25. That has been on your tbr list for a long time

26. A book with multiple POV

27. Less than 250 pages long

28. Written before the year 2000.

29. That has a number in the title

30. Set in Asia or Africa

31. Based on a true story or event

32. That is part of a series

33. With a title that doesn't include the word "the"

34. Set during WWII

35. That is considered fantasy

36. A novella of a series you enjoyed

37. With a main character that is a POC

38. Set somewhere you've been

39. Over 400 pages long

40. Featuring a teacher or principle

41. With a main character over the age of 50

42. A book that could be considered scary or intimidating

43. That features a game (chess, tag, board game, etc) or sport

44. By an indie author

45. With a title or story element that relates to the ocean 

46. Featuring a coffee shop or cafe

47. With a musician, singer, or songwriter 

48. With a dystopian or utopian theme or element

49. That is historical fiction

50. With a main character that has red hair

51. With a character that has a mental or physical disability

52. A feel good book

53. A beach read

54. By an author who shares your last initial

55. Featuring an artist, writer, or photographer

56. That includes dance

57. That has your favorite color on the cover

58. With a rainbow or multicolored cover

59. Set at a tavern, inn, or hotel

60. By an author you’ve never read before

61.That is a graphic novel or has illustrations 

62. A book that involves a fortune or treasure

63. With a fruit or vegetable on the cover

64. That involves a family feud

65. With the enemies to lovers trope

66. A book that is a best seller

67. With royal or noble characters

68. By an author who is no longer writing

69. That is considered women’s fiction

70. That is a tearjerker

71. Featuring a character that is in politics

72. With a women in a STEM career field 

73. With a sun or moon on the cover

74. A book with a one word title

75. Written by a European author