Friday Fun - September 30, 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 have one book to share with you. 

I hadn't even heard of Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman. In fact, I had never heard of this author before. But I decided to participate in my library's "Blind Date with a Book" program several months ago, and this book was chosen for me last month. I hadn't gotten to it because of how many books I was reading for my challenges. But, I decided I needed to read it, because it sounds really good.

. 

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 Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman:

"The schoolhouse was nothing more than a shack, with sunlight and drifting snow blowing through the spaces between the thin, rough-cut slats. The previous owner, terrified of winter on the South Dakota prairie, had hightailed it back east until spring.."

Don't think I'd want to have to sit through school in such conditions. .  

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.

Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman
 

"'And do you usually close them in the evening?'
'Of course.' He was teasing, and the realization of it loosened something within her. The unease of his staying in her cozy bachelorette space didn't diminish, but it switched course, and for a blinking minute, Trixie wished she didn't have to leave."

Friday Fun - September 23, 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 have two books to share with you. 

I've been planning to read Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck since March, which was when I read the first two books of this trilogy. However, reading challenge books took priority. I finally had a chance to read it this week, and I absolutely loved it. I really wish it wasn't the last book in the series.  

I am currently reading The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel. I needed a book set in Oceania for one of my challenges. This book partially takes place in New Zealand. 

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 Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck:

"Where could he be? I squinted toward the horizon, where stormy sky met turbulent sea. Brantley had planned to be back by midday, but the primary sun was already lowering beyond the churning waves. Not a good sign."

Oh dear, hopefully Brantley is alright. But you know, could just be a typical wife worried about her risk-taking husband.  

And here is my book beginnings for The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel:

"Once upon a time, color had dominated Eva Jamison's days.
Now she started at a white wall, with nothing but a black computer screen, a pen holder, and a stapler decorating her tiny world."

Fairy tale beginning? Nope, a life that had once been like a fairy tale but now void of color. White wall? Hospital? Nope, boring office. The first few sentences sure was setting the feel of Eva's world.  

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 are my Friday 56 selections.

Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck
 

"He had a point. Threatening visitors away was one thing. Pursuing us through the midrims and toward the world's center was a different thing altogether. Though after what I'd learned from Alcea, nothing would surprise me." 

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel

  

"As she peeled off her shoes and socks, Eva couldn't help grimacing. Blisters had recently formed on the back of each foot thanks to her extra running efforts, and she'd covered them with moleskin and gauze. Still, they burned."

Friday Fun - September 16, 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 have three books to share with you. 

I've been wanting to read Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble since it first came out. Though, I admit, I almost said, nah, I'll wait til the series is complete. Obviously I decided to read it, because, well, it's a book by Colleen Coble and she's an awesome romantic suspense author and I couldn't wait. 

 

I also read Brink of Death by Brandilyn Collins. This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Another great suspense book!

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 Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble:

"'Was that the Windigo?' Nine-year-old Annie Vitanen yanked her little sister's hand to pull her to a stop in the deep shadows of the pines. Chills trickled down her spine, and she stared into the darkness, 'Did you hear that?'"

Creepy start to the book. Of course, this is the prologue, and from the back cover, I knew what was going to happen.  

And here is my book beginnings for Brink of Death by Brandilyn Collins:

"The noises, faint, fleeting, whispered into her consciousness like wraiths in the night.

Twelve-year-old Erin Willit opened her eyes to darkness lit only by the green night-light near her closet door, and the faint glow of a streetlamp through her bedroom window."

One of my first thoughts was, why does she have a green night light. Creepy. I haven't been a fan of green night lights since reading, I believe it was The Tommyknockers by Stephen King, many many years ago. 

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 are my Friday 56 selections.

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble
 

"Taylor suppressed a smile at the thought of defying her dead mother in such a significant way. She'd been unable to stand against the whirlwind called Mother all her life. What did that make her? Smart, gutless, or something in between?" 

Brink of Death by Brandilyn Collins

"He hadn't meant to kill her, just slow her down for a while. He felt a chilling smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Well. Maybe he had. He held out his hands, fingers spread and curved, and stared at them."

Review of Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks

Review of Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks

 

 Another wonderful book by Carrie Stuart Parks. I started reading her books toward the end of 2021, and I zinged through all her books. The Gwen Marcey series and all her stand alone books. I was thrilled when I discovered she had a new book releasing this fall, and even more thrilled when I was chosen to be on her Launch Team. I did receive a free copy of the book as a part of the Launch Team for my honest review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Fallout is a story that begins with an SUV plowing into the classroom where Samantha Williams is teaching and continues with tons of action while the mystery twists and turns before it is finally unraveled. I loved the threads connecting this story to her other books, even though this book is in and of itself a stand alone novel. But fans will enjoy that she has included Clan Firinn, forensic artists, and a loveable dog. If you have read her previous books, you will know what I mean. If you haven’t, not knowing will not take away anything from this book.

A great mystery with bones being uncovered, abandoned towns being rediscovered, a forgotten childhood being remembered, and a mysterious golden apple somehow involved and pricking at her memory. Carrie Stuart Parks kept me guessing on who the killer/stalker was. I thought I knew, but then questioned my thoughts, then she threw in some misdirection and twists and I was surprised but also discovered I had guessed some things right. All in all a great story of suspense and mystery.

I highly recommend this book for any lover of suspense.

Friday Fun - September 9, 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 have three books to share with you. At one point I had two of the books started, and then I received my ARC for the third and wasn't sure what to read. 

We had been driving home last Saturday afternoon and it got too dark to continue reading the book I had started, so I picked up my phone to read my ARC of Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens. Let's just say, I couldn't put it down. It was an awesome continuation of Holly's story. You can read my review here. 

Once I finished Cross the Line, I picked When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer back up, and couldn't put that book back down until I finished. I absolutely loved this book as well. You can read my review here.

I am currently reading Secrets in the Mist by Morgan L. Busse. I've been wanting to read this book for a while, as I absolutely loved her Ravenwood Saga. This seemed like the perfect month to read it as it would fulfill one of my monthly challenges, a genre I have not read. 

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 Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens:

"Flush against the wall, I peered around the corner and up the staircase at the hallway. The second floor was quiet except for muffled voices coming from one of the apartments."

Okay, what was Holly up to now?  

And here is my book beginnings for When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer:

"For as long as I could remember, my mama had told me that my life was a gift. But at the age of nineteen, I had yet to see how this life I was living-or rather, the lives I was living-could be anything other than a burden."

Knowing the premise of the book, I guess I can understand her feeling life was a burden.

And my book beginnings for Secrets in the Mist by Morgan L. Busse:

"Time went by, minute after minute, until finally a deathly silence consumed the streets outside and darkness filled the dingy window. Cass was alone now, with nothing but the locket her mother had given her and her life."

Sounds like a dismal beginning. All alone. 

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 are my Friday 56 selections.

Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens
 

"'I wasn't with him when he picked her up, but I didn't approve of the decisions made that night. Everything went. . . sideways, and I knew someone would come around asking questions sooner or later.' He shook his head. 'We should never have left her.'" 

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

"'Well,' Lady Paget asked Mother, 'will he do?'
'For my purposes?' Mother's voice was firm and unshakable, 'Quite.'

I turned back to focus on the path ahead, dread pooling in my stomach."

Secrets in the Mist by Morgan L. Busse

"Cass stared at the revolver. She'd heard about guns that fired, well, fire, but had never seen one. She didn't like the idea of burning a Turned, even though she knew the person had long since died and the body left behind was only a mode of transportation for the spores. It was too similar to the fires used after a Purge."

Reading Challenges 2022 August Update

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

                             

For August, I read The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck. 

I read Jennifer by Dee Henderson.

I read several books that take place in North America. I'm only counting the ones that were historical or dual timeline books for this challenge. I read The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck, The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright, Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke, and A Hundred Crickets Singing also by Cathy Gohlke.

I read The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright, Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks, and Turtle Box Memories by Chandra Lynn Smith.

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- success!

Level 2: 25 books- success!

Level 3: 50 books- success!

Level 4: All 75!

I read 7 books in January for this challenge.

I read 7 books in February for this challenge. 

I read 9 books in March for this challenge (I can't count Keturah or Veiled in Smoke yet as I haven't finished them.)

I read 10 book in April for this challenge.

I read 8 book in May for this challenge (I can't count The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus yet as I finished it in June)

I read 7 books in June for this challenge (I can't count When Twilight Breaks as I haven't quite finished it yet.)

I read 5 books in July for this challenge. (It's getting harder to fit all the books I read each month into these different challenge categories.)

I read 10 books in August 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: Lost in the Land of the Midnight Sun by Christina Cattane (my thoughts)

2. With an infant or child on the cover: Then Sings My Soul by Amy K Sorrells (my thoughts)

3. With a tree on the cover: Forsaken Island by Sharon Hinck (my thoughts)

4. With a pink cover: The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck (my thoughts)

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

6. Set during your favorite season: Firefly Diaries by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

7. That includes your favorite holiday: Holly Jolly Christmas by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

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

9. Published the month you were born: Bookshop by the Sea (my thoughts)

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

11. Recommended by an author you enjoy

12. With little to no romance: Crossed Off by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

13. Published in 2022: Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn (my thoughts)

14. That is a debut novel: The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello (my thoughts)

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

16. By a male author: Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti

17. Written by multiple authors: Cast the First Stone by David James Warren (my thoughts)

18. By an author who writes with a pen name: Sticks and Stone by David James Warren (my thoughts)

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: Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck (my thoughts)

21. That you choose because of the cover: Dust by Kara Swanson (my thoughts)

22. Reread a favorite

23. That makes you laugh: Meet me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (my thoughts)

24. A genre outside your comfort zone: Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette (my thoughts)

25. That has been on your tbr list for a long time: Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn (my thoughts)

26. A book with multiple POV: The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis (my thoughts)

27. Less than 250 pages long: Tributary by Lisa T. Bergren (my thoughts)

28. Written before the year 2000.

29. That has a number in the title: A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke (my thoughts)

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

31. Based on a true story or event: Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green (my thoughts)

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

33. With a title that doesn't include the word "the": Injustice for All by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

34. Set during WWII: Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin (my thoughts)

35. That is considered fantasy: Magnify by Stefanie Lozinski (my thoughts)

36. A novella of a series you enjoyed: Bourne by Lisa T. Bergren (my thoughts)

37. With a main character that is a POC: Imperfect Justice by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

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

39. Over 400 pages long: Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke (my thoughts)

40. Featuring a teacher or principal: The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright (my thoughts)

41. With a main character over the age of 50: Who Murdered Mr. Malone by Hope Callaghan (my thoughts)

42. A book that could be considered scary or intimidating: The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright (my thoughts)

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: A Song Unheard by Roseanna White (my thoughts)

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

49. That is historical fiction: A Name Unknown by Roseanna M White (my thoughts)

50. With a main character that has red hair: Criss Cross by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

51. With a character that has a mental or physical disability: Cross Fire by C.C. Warrens (my thoughts)

52. A feel good book: The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson (my thoughts)

53. A beach read: Turtle Box Memories by Chandra Lynn Smith 

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: Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck (my thoughts)

57. That has your favorite color on the cover: No Unturned Stone by David James Warren (my thoughts)

58. With a rainbow or multicolored cover: The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck (my thoughts)

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 (my thoughts)

61.That is a graphic novel or has illustrations: Chosen Graphic Novel by Ted Dekker

62. A book that involves a fortune or treasure: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck (my thoughts)

63. With a fruit or vegetable on the cover

64. That involves a family feud: In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh (my thoughts)

65. With the enemies to lovers trope: Raspberries and Vinegar by Valeria Comer (my thoughts)

66. A book that is a best seller: When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin (my thoughts)

67. With royal or noble characters: Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck (my thoughts)

68. By an author who is no longer writing

69. That is considered women’s fiction

70. That is a tearjerker: Jennifer by Dee Henderson (my thoughts)

71. Featuring a character that is in politics: Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren (my thoughts)

72. With a women in a STEM career field: Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren (my thoughts)

73. With a sun or moon on the cover: Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren (my thoughts)

74. A book with a one word title: Rebels by Jill Williamson (my thoughts)

75. Written by a European author

Friday Fun - September 2, 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 read a bunch of books to finish off my summer reading challenge for my local library. I had to read a book that had been turned into a movie. So I read Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti. It also counts for a book by a male author for my 75 book challenge. 

I also needed to read a book I had started but never finished. I chose to read Heartless by Marissa Meyer, which I had started reading last fall, but had to return before I finished it.

I also needed a book by a Pennsylvanian author. I chose to read Turtle Box Memories by Chandra Lynn Smith. I also counted this as my "beach read" for the 75 book challenge. 

And I needed a book that contained a recipe, so I read Raspberries and Vinegar by Valerie Comer. This also counted as a book with the enemies to lovers trope for the 75 book challenge. 

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 Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti.

"Baker High School quarterback Jim Boltz wiped his hands on his jersey, angrily this time. He'd almost fumbled the snap again, the third time in the first quarter. His hands were slick with sweat. They were shaking. He clenched them into fists."

So, why were his hands slick with sweat? Hmm 

And here is my book beginnings for Heartless by Marissa Meyer

"'Three luscious lemon tarts glistened up at Catherine. She reached her towel-wrapped hands into the oven, ignoring the heat that enveloped her arms and pressed against her cheeks, and lifted the tray from the hearth. The tarts' sunshine filling quivered, as if glad to be freed from the stone chamber."

I honestly can't remember what I thought about the beginning as I originally read it last fall. And by the time I reread it this month, I already knew what was going on.

And my book beginnings for Turtle Box Memories by Chandra Lynn Smith

"Kendra Michaels kicked off her flip flops and wiggled her toes in the grass. She dropped the clipboard beside the discarded sandals and leaned against the old mimosa tree."

She was getting comfy, but also appeared to be working, so maybe taking a break. Wondered what she was up to. 

And finally, my book beginnings for Raspberries and Vinegar by Valeria Comer

"Josephine Shaw gritted her teeth as she jerked the harvest-gold range forward on worn linoleum. there is was again. That incessant scratching could only be from one source. Mice."

Oh, ick, yuck. Mice in their home. Ick. 

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 are my Friday 56 selections.

Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti
 

"Nate crossed to the front door and pushed it open so a smiling panting golden retriever could come in, pulling along a well dressed businesswoman at the other end of his leash. Nate introduced the woman. 'Ms. Wyrthen, I'd like to introduce my wife, Sarah.'" 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

"She remembered the shadow stretching across the castle lawn-the hooded, ax-wielding figure towering over her. She shuddered. 'No, it wasn't Raven. It was. . . I thought I saw. . . nothing.'"

Turtle Box Memories by Chandra Lynn Smith

"She wiped tears from her cheeks. Too many broken promises for one lifetime. Too many times someone she'd loved just left her. She turned the shell over in her hand."

Raspberries and Vinegar by Valerie Comer

"'We call it raspberry vinegar.' Mom took a sip herself. 'I learned how to make it years ago from an old neighbor who lived to be over a hundred before he passed on . Quite simple, and a way to stretch a summer treat year round.'"