Friday Fun - November 29, 2024

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

This week I have two books to share with you.

I read Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans.

I also read Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(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.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans:

"Despite the title of this book, my story is more of a love story than a Christmas story."

That was fine with me. 

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright:

"I can hear the darkness."

An intriguing thought. What does darkness sound like. And why was she focused on the darkness. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

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:

Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans:

 

"Near the end of the show, a row ahead of me and just a few seats over, a little girl was crying. I don't know why; she was probably tired or hungry or maybe just overstimulated, but her mother kept slapping her hand and telling her to shut up. I watched them. The anger and annoyance in her mother's eyes were too familiar to me."

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright:

"Mrs. Miller wasn't wrong. There was a ghostly apparition that would stand beside your bed and stare down at you. You could feel its presence there even before you opened your eyes. And when you finally did, the shadow woman would vanish almost as soon as you spotted her."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one books in my Friday Fun post. I haven't quite finished that book; however, here are the links to my reviews for the books I shared two weeks ago:

Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell

An Unexpected Catch by Abbey Downey

An Unexpected Catch by Abbey Downey Review

 

I loved this second book in Abbey Downey's Adventurous Hearts series. When I first learned about An Unexpected Catch I was intrigued by the thought of a story of women's baseball in the early 1900's. And I really enjoyed the first book, An Uncertain Road. So I jumped at the chance to be on the launch team.

This story is told from both the point of view of Bea Curran and Emmett Worland. Bea is working as an umpire in Chicago's city league though she has dreams of working in the women's athletic department at Western College where she hopes to expand physical education. She needs to keep herself above reproach and prove that she can make something of the women's baseball team at the college. 

Emmett has unfairly gotten the reputation of being a womanizer and his grandmother demands that he change his reputation if he wants to continue receiving her support. I felt awfully bad for him because he didn't feel like he had the love of his grandmother, the woman who raised him. Plus he was dealing with a malady that threatened his career in baseball, where he really wanted to prove himself. 

Bea and Emmett are thrown together both in the city league games where he is pitcher and she is the umpire, and at the college where it is suggested he help with the women's baseball team. While trying to remain professional and keep their reputations on the up and up, there might just be some feelings developing. But can Bea get past the stories of Emmett being a womanizer? She can't risk losing her future and isn't sure if she can chance any kind of relationship. 

This story sure made me realize how far we have come with women's rights. Imagine worrying about not being able to have your dream job just because you want to fall in love. And also watching poor Emmett suffer made me so thankful for the advances in medicine in the past century. I just loved how the author brought this time period to life. And I loved getting to know Emmett and Bea and Emmett's grandmother, and their friends and colleagues. This was an intriguing story and I loved the way the characters overcame adversity and how they trusted in the Lord. 

I highly recommend this story.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts. 

Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell Review

 

Wow, I loved Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell. A scholar, Ellie Sawyer, who is working on her dissertation is offered a residency over the Christmas holiday in the fictional European country of Lethersby. Though not exactly what she was hoping for (she was hoping for the full semester), she decided to take the opportunity to continue researching the 100 year old mystery of the country's missing queen. 

She receives some help from Mark, a man she meets in the castle library. A man who says vaguely that he works in the castle, though he doesn't really give any more information. However, he also loves digging into history and Ellie welcomes the help, seeing as her time in Lethersby is quite short for the amount of work she has to do.. 

They work together to see if they can discover anything that scholars through the years have missed. Not only is her dissertation and professional future dependant on the results of this research, but the country and royal family would love to know what really happened. 

I loved the mystery of the missing queen, and the relationship that developed between Ellie and Mark. The author really brought the castle and the kingdom to life. Faith was an extremely important part of the story and the author wove it into the live of the characters wonderfully. 

I loved this book and can't wait until I can read book 2.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Reading Challenges 2024: October Update

Here is what I read for my challenges in October:

For the October challenge in the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction FB group I needed a book that features mountains on the cover or in the story. I was on the launch team for Christmas in the Cascades, a 5-author, 5-novella anthology spanning 150 years. I realized the book would work for the challenge. .

For the challenge over at Crystal Caudill's blog, I read Sookie's Silence by Marisa Masterson. 

For the challenge in the Eating Our Words FB group I read Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder for my October book. With this challenge, we can choose to read the book IN the month, or any time of the year, OR we can do both. So, like last year, I am choosing to try both. I actually have all but one month completed. However, I didn't read a book for that prompt in October.

For the challenge in The Posse FB group, I read Over the Edge by Irene Hannon, Terminal Danger by Jerusha Agen, Unexpected Witness by Penny Zeller, and Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder.

For October, I am moving to the Lucy Maud Montgomery side of the flow chart in the Read Your Bookshelf challenge from Chantel Reads All Day In October I finished reading Be Rich (Ephesians): Gaining the Things That Money Can't Buy by Warren W. Wiersbe.

Sadly I did NOT get to Her Unsuitable Match by Sally Britton. Every book I read in October was an ARC and I just didn't have time for this book.

I used Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder for October's challenge in the Faith Filled Fiction group. It's a bit of a stretch, as the cover is more peach, but I was told I could use it.

For the Literary Escapes Challenge here is what I read in each month. 

In January I read books set in the following states:

Alaska: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 
Arkansas: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
Illinois: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 
Missouri: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Oregon: Huband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
South Carolina: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 
Wyoming:  Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 

And I traveled to England with If I Were You by Lynn Austin

In February I read books set in the following states:

Kentucky: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd 
New Mexico: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey

Ohio: Assaulted Caramel by Ameanda Flower 

Tenessee: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

Wisconsin: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

And I traveled to Ireland with The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

In March I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Wyoming):

Colorado: Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton and Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse

Connecticut: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

Idaho: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller
North Carolina: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn

And I traveled back to England with The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan.

In April I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Colorado, Missouri, and North Carolina):

Iowa: A Surefire Love by Emily Conrad
Minnesota: Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen
Virginia: The Vanished by Cara Putman

And I traveled back to England again with The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano.

In May I read a book set in the following new state (though I did also return to Kentucky, North Carolina, and Colorado):

Massachusetts: For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

And I traveled to Germany with The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann, Iran with Protector by Megan Schaulis and somewhere in the Middle East with  The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon, plus returned to England with The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder.

In June I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Kentucky, Alaska, and Idaho):

California: Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
Florida: The Women of Wynton's by Donna Mumma 

And I traveled back to England again with The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron. I also traveled to Thailand with Because of You by Hannah Currie, a fantasy land inside the Bermuda Triangle with The Sword in His Hand by J.J. Fischer, and the area in eastern Egypt and around Israel/ancient Canaan with Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette.

In July I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Alaska, Massachusets, Minnesota, and Virginia)

Alabama: When Secrets Come Calling by Felicia Ferguson, and What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

Texas: If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

In August I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin):

Montana: Under the Stars by Cali Black

Pennsylvania: The Mobster's Daughter by Rachel Scott McDaniel

And I traveled back to England again with The Light Keeper's Wife by Jennifer Mistmorgan. I also traveled to Scotland with Finishing School by Jennifer Mistmorgan

In September the books I read didn't take me to any new states (though I did return to Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tenessee). 

In October I read a book set in the following new states(though I did also return to Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, and Tennesee):

Nebraska: Sookie's Silence by Marisa Masterson (read in November for October's Unlocking challenge)

And I traveled back to England again with Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder. Plus I visitied Cambodia with A Boy Named Rindy by Olivia Talbott, and a fictional Asian island country with  The Trials of the Title byJoy Crain.

Here is what I've read for the Alphabet Soup Challenge:

January: 

D: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer, The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

F: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble, Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 
H: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong 
I: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

T: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
U: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey 

February: 

A: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower 
C: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson and The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

E: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

O: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey (mini challenge)

R: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd and The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

March:

L: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller and Love's Promise by Penny Zeller
M: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan
N: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn
S: Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse and Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton
W: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir (mini challenge)

April:

B: Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks and The Butterfly Recluse by Therese Heckenkamp (mini challenge)

V: The Vanished by Cara Putman

May: 

C: Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran (mini challenge)

G: The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder and The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch

J: Justice Delayed by Sarah Hamaker
P: Protector by Megan Schaulis

June:

D: Dreams on the Horizon by Penny Zeller (already had D, but this was for the mini challenge)

July:

V: Virginia Company Bride by Gabrielle Meyer (already had V, but this was for the mini challenge)

August:

D: Dust and Crown by Havelah McLat (already had D, but this was for the mini challenge)

September:

I only have a handful of letters yet to read, and none of the books I read this month started with those letters. 

October: 

B: A Boy Named Rindy by Olivia Talbott (already had B, but this was for the mini challenge)

Here's what I've read for the 2024 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader. 

In January I read a book set in the following European country:

England: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

In February I read a book set in the following European country:

Ireland: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel 

In March I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries. 

In April I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries. 

In May I read a book set in the following European country: 

Germany: The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann 

In June I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries.

In July I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries. 

In August I read a book set in the following European country:

Scotland: Finishing School by Jennifer Mistmorgan

In September I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries.

In October I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries.

I also decided I was going to read one Christmas book each month. 

For January I started The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson; however, I haven't finished it yet.

In February I finished The Christmas Dog by Meloday Carlson, but I didn't read any other Christmas books.

In March I didn't read any Christmas books.

In April I didn't read any Christmas books either. I don't think I"m doing real well on this self-imposed challenge this year.

In May, yeah, didn't happen. I have way too many ARC's I am reading to be able to fit in another challenge. 

In June, still didn't happen. 

In July I read Home for Christmas by Colleen Coble, Carol Cox, Terry Fowlre, and Gail Gaymer Martin.

In August, I read Murder Goes Caroling by Malissa Chapin.

In September I read Love and Christmas Cookies by A.M. Heath

In October I read Christmas in the Cascades by Marissa Adams, April Kidwell, Marline Williams, Chris Daniel, and Cali Black

Also, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group again came up with a yearly book challenge. This year we have 50 prompts:

In January, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In Febrary, 9 of the books I read fit this challenge

In March, 5 of the books I read fit this challenge

In April, 6 of the books I read fit this challenge

In May, 6 of the books I read fit this challenge

In June, 5 of the books I read fit this challenge

In July, none of the books I read fit this challenge

In August, 1 of the books I read fit this challenge

In September, 1 of the books I read fit this challenge

In October, 3 of the books I read fit this challenge

Read a book...

1. With a title that starts with a P

2. By an author you’ve never tried before: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

3. Set on the coast: Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter

4. With a tree on the cover: The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

5. By an author whose name starts with a J: Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen

6. From a genre outside your comfort zone: A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez

7. With an adverb in the title: Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

8. Featuring a character with grey hair: Love's Promise by Penny Zeller

9. That has won a Carol award: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

10. Published in 2024: 8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse

11. By a debut author: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

12. Written by multiple authors: Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

13. With a green cover: Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran

14. That is a bestseller

15. Set on a boat, train, or plane: Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks

16. With an illustrated cover: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

17. With a main character who is disabled: Sookie's Silence by Marisa Masterson

18. With a single mother or father: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

19. Written by an indie author: Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black

20. Set somewhere you’ve been: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

21. Featuring law enforcement: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

22. Published during the summer: The Women of Wynton's by Donna Mumma

23. Set during a holiday: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

24. That is considered women’s fiction: Reckless Love by Kate Goodwin

25. Featuring a Jewish character: Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette

26. Set over 100 years ago: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

27. The contains Bible verses: The CEO's Companion by Rose Fresquez

28. With a teenager as a main character: A Surefire Love by Emily Conrad 

29. With a one word title: Protector by Megan Schaulis

30. A book you preordered: For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

31. With a solid colored cover

32. By an author who writes with a pen name: Under the Stars by Cali Black

33. That takes place in a national park: Terminal Danger by Jerusha Agen

34. With a title that starts with an M: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

35. By a male author

36. That includes pirates

37. By an author whose name starts with the letter T: The Butterfly Recluse by Therese Heckenkamp

38. That has been made into a movie or television show 

39. With forgiveness as a topic or theme: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

40. Featuring a journalist: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

41. That includes sisters: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble

42. With a midwife or doula: My Way by Ashley Al-Saliby

43. That takes place in a country you’ve never been to: The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

44. That is lighthearted or humorous: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

45. Set during WWII: The Sword in His Hand by J.J. Fischer

46. That you choose because of the cover: Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse

47. By an author who writes multiple genres: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse

48. With a dual timeline: The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron

49. With a second chance romance: Secondary Target by Angela Carlisle

50. Recommended by someone you know: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

Also, I joined in with a second yearly challenge last year in the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read group. I just never added it to my blog post. So, this year I'm adding it here, though the post is going to be so long. LOL. 

In January, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In Febrary, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In March, 6 of the books I read fit this challenge

In April, 4 of the books I read fit this challenge

In May, 10 of the books I read fit this challenge

In June, 3 of the books I read fit this challenge

In July, 3 of the books I read fit this challenge

In August, none of the books I read fit this challenge

In September, none of the books I read fit this challenge

In October, 1 of the books I read fit this challenge

So, here it is:

1- Takes place in Israel: Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette

2- Second chance: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

3- Not you usual genre: A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez

4- Significant church event

5- Well known author/lesser known book

6- Major motion picture

7- About an influential Christian

8- A Mysterious disappearance: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

9- Speculative Fiction: The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

10- Protagonist has a disease/disability: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

11- Recommended by an author: The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

12- Includes angels: Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

13- An inheritance: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 

14- Finish what you started: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 

15- Carol Award winner: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

16- A Spy: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

17- Forgiveness: Love's Promise by Penny Zeller

18- Redemption: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

19-Less than 200 pages: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

20. Two or More Authors: Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

21. By your Favorite Author: For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

22. Male Protagonist: The CEO's Companion by Rose Fresquez

23. Recommended on this Page

24. Blended Families: Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran

25. Book of Devotions: Names of God: Living Unafraid by Grace Fox

26. Christian Literary Classic

27. Dystopian:Protector by Megan Schaulis

28- Mistaken Identity: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 

29- A Life Lesson: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

30. Bible Retelling: The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon

31.-The American Frontier: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

32. Features Music: Justice Delayed by Sarah Hamaker

33. Recovering from Addiction: What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker 

34. Gothic Romance: The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder

35- Eye Catching Cover: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

36: Takes Place on an Island: The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch 

37. Spiritual Warfare: A Boy Named Rindy by Olivia Talbott

38- Protagonist Shares your Occupation: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller

39. Written by a Famous Christian

40- Family Estrangement: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold 

41. Tear Jerker: The Butterfly Recluse by Therese Heckenkamp

42- Treasure Hunt: The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

43- New to You Author: The Vanished by Cara Putman 

44. Mother-Daughter Bond: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn

45. 2023 Best Seller

46. Title Includes a Color: Coal Black Lies by Cindy K. Sproles

47. Fairytale: If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

48. On your TBR: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey

49. Alternate Reality

50. Written before 1950

51. Includes a Foreign Language: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

52. Includes a Historical Monarch: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

53. Choose your own Adventure: The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 100 and I ended up reading 122. So far this year I have read 96 books. 

Phew, I know this seems like a lot, even more than last year, but like last year, I hope to be able to combine challenges where possible. And with the yearly challenges, I read books for the other challenges and then see where they fit in the yearly challenge lists. Also, when I pick books for the monthly challenges, I will try to choose books that take place in different states or countries. Also, I'll probably prioritize the challenges I've been doing longer if I start struggling with keeping up.