Friday Fun - January 17, 2025

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 three books to share with you.

I'm reading an eARC of Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel. This book releases next Tuesday.

I also just started an eARC of Forgiving the Cowboy by Tabitha Bouldin. This book also releases next Tuesday..

And I just restarted Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer. I had started it right after I received it in the mail, but had had to set it aside. 

        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 Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel:

"Saoirse Fagan had blood on her hands."

First thought, literally or figuratively? Second though, what happened?

Forgiving the Cowboy by Tabitha Bouldin:

"Tenley Jacobs had a major problem on her hands."

Hmm, that didn't sound good. What kind of problem?

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

"My bare toes dug into the hardpacked earth as I beat the rug on the back line, watching the dust melt away into the setting sunlight."

This sounded like hard work, but also seemed relaxing.

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:

Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel:

 

"Owen's hand floated up and absently scratched at the stubble on his chin. When it was laid out like that, it really did seem like he and Gideon had somewhat parallel lives. 'Well,' he said after a pause, 'when ya put it that way.'

Both men chuckled. 

'I just wish I knew my story would turn out as well as his,' Owen added.

The corner of John's mouth made a clicking sound, and he nodded. 'Well,' he said, 'I reckon that's why it's called faith.'"

Forgiving the Cowboy by Tabitha Bouldin:

"Mac held up a hand to stop her. 'It's okay. You did what you had to do. I survived.' Seemed like he kept suviving. He wished he knew why. What was God's plan? What was the end goal in all this? This pain? What purpose did it serve? 'Now I have to do what I need to do, and I need you to give me the space to find my way.'"

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer:

"'You,' he said, putting his fist under my chin and forcing me to look up at him. 

I tried not to cower, but I couldn't help it. He was older than I first guessed, with sea-wizened wrinkles around his gray eyes and silver streaking his hair.

'How old are you, boy?' he asked me."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to the reviews:

Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee

Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller 

Two weeks ago I had shared five books in my Friday Fun post. I had shared all but one of the reviews previously. Here is the review for Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath.

Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller Review

 

I absolutely loved Forgotten Identity By Penny Zeller. Awesome suspense.

Being a homeschool mom, I loved that the female protagonist was also a homeschool mom of two young children. The story opens with their dog Nosy leading her and her son to an injured man who was near death. A severe snow storm was just beginning, which left Mariah, her mom, and the two children stranded with no way to contact the authorities, so they did their best to care for this strange man.

"George," as he was known for a good portion of the story, regained consciousness and discovered he had no memory. Was he a good guy or a bad guy? Should Mariah trust him or not? And just who were the people who started coming around asking about a missing person? 

The author did a wonderful job keeping the suspense coming while developing the relationship between Mariah and "George." And I loved all the interactions with the children. Mariah's mom and the ex-cop neighbor also played important roles in the story.

And yes, I sort of figured out early on whether "George" was a good guy or bad guy, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story. And there was plenty of suspense left even after that was made clear. 

I'm really loving this author's romantic suspense, and love that she is able to write wonderful stories in multiple genres.

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. 

Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee Review

 

Appalachian Song is the first book I've read by Michelle Shocklee, but it definitely won't be the last. I absolutely LOVED this emotional, pro-life, pro-adoption story which included themes of redemption and forgiveness. 

This is a dual timeline book. The first timeline takes place in 1943 where we meet midwife Bertie Jenkins and her four spinster sisters along with the young Songbird who they find outside their cabin, injured and pregnant and in dire need of help. 

In the second timeline we meet Walker Wylie who seeks the help of Reese who, along with being a midwife, is an adoption advocate. He figures she should be able to help him discover more about his adoption 30 years earlier. 

It is quite obvious who Walker is supposed to be in relation to the 1943 storyline, but as the story progresses we get to learn more about the circumstances that lead to his mother giving him up for adoption. 

I loved the relationship between Bertie and her sisters, even the crabbie-at-first Jennie, and with young Songbird. We get to see their relationship grow as the sisters care for Songbird. I had to keep turning the pages because I needed to know what exactly happened to cause her to give up her child for adoption. 

In the 1973 timeline, Walker had been blindsided by the news of his adoption, and isn't handling it well. The author does a great job dealing with his emotions as he works through them. There is the reminder that there are many different reasons why a mother may give her child up for adoption. It doesn't mean the baby was unwanted or unloved. 

The author also did a wonderful job of bringing the two timelines together. I loved the way faith was so prominent in the story, what with Bible reading, and the power of prayer, and with the sharing of the redemption story. And a reminder that we are adopted into God's family when we become Christians and how God is our Abba, Father, Papa. 

Very moving story that I highly recommend.

Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath Review

 

Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath is part of the multi-author Grandmothers Know Best Collection. So far this is the only book I have read in this series, as I am reading it because I have enjoyed other books by this author and was excited to be on another one of her launch teams. Hopefully I will have a chance to read more of this series of stand alone books.

This story takes place during the Reconstruction Era in the south. Emmaline (or Emma) had been sent north during the war and has just returned to the community where she grew up. Sadly she does not return to a warm welcome and finds herself all alone and falling into depression. 

Jake Markham is trying to rebuild his family's plantation, and his grandmothers are determined to fix him up with a woman. And while they can't agree on one woman, they are both adamantly against him getting back together with Emma, his old sweetheart from before the war. Their antics in trying to fix Jake up with two separate women sure did add some hilarity to this story. 

However, I felt so bad for Emma during most of this story. And yes, I shed quite a few tears at her lack of welcome, and because she felt all alone. Did I want to see Jake's grandmothers fail and Jake end up back with Emma? Most definitely. But then the author added the twist of another fellow who has his sights on her. Who will be the best choice for Emma? Will Jake be able to move past the feelings of betrayal that he has because of Emma's actions during the war? Will the grandmothers be able to convince him to choose another? Will Emma ever feel welcome in her hometown again? All questions that I needed answers to. All questions the author did answer most satisfactorily while bringing in spiritual truths and a reminder that Jesus is always there for us as Christians. 

Definitely a book I highly recommend. 

Friday Fun - January 10, 2025

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'm reading Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee.

I just started an eARC of Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller. This book releases next week.

        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 Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee:

"My heart thumped hard beneath Mama's thin coat while I waited for Amos at our secret place."

I wondered why her heart was thumping so hard. Whether she was scared or nervous or what? And why was she waiting for Amos.

Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller:

"Of all the days for the dog to run off."

Well, no day is good for the dog to be running off, but I wondered what was up with this day.

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:

Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee:

 

"The last few days were the first time since Mama's passing that I'd felt loved and cared for.I didn't want to leave. Would telling them the truth, like Bertie said, change Jennie's mind?"

Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller:

"The mist in the air and the fog chilled him. He sprinted through the alley past a bar, the sound of his beat-up tennis shoes pounding on the pavement A glimpse in the window caused him to shudder. Long hair, cap on backward, a navy blue hoodie, and a pistol tucked in the waistband of his jeans."

Reviews:

Last week I shared five books in my Friday Fun post. I already shared the link to three of the reviews last week. And I am still reading one of the books. But I did finish one. Here's the review:

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer Review

 

I absoluted loved Cloaked in Beauty, the third book in Karen Witemeyer's Texas Ever After series. I am a HUGE fan of fairy tale retellings. This series is unique in that the stories take place in the 1800s in Texas. I loved books one and two. The parallels in the first book, Fairest of Heart, a Snow White retelling, were quite obvious and fun to discover. If the Boot Fits, which is the second book and a retelling of Cinderella, had parallels, but not as many. This third book actually had parallels to two separate fairy tales, Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. 

I loved seeing the way the author worked both of these fairy tales into this story. Letty Hood is an heiress who is hiding out in a cabin far away from where she grew up because her mother sent her away for her safety after someone tried set fire to their home (which you read about in the first chapter). She has been in hiding with her grandmother for 15 years. And she has a pet wolf. 

Philip is the Pinkerton agent who has been hired to find her and bring her home safely. 

I loved the romance that develops between them, and the twists the author brings to the story, there is suspense, but not too intense. Maybe a bit more intense toward the end of the book. And faith in God is a huge part of the story. 

I absoluted recommend this book and am so glad I finally had a chance to read it.

Reading Challenges 2025 Introduction

I'm gong to be participating in several challenges again this year. 

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

Tacle the TBR Pile is from Crystal Caudill's blog.

There is also the reading challenge from the Eating Our Words Facebook group. 

I'm joining in with The Posse again:

I'm again joining in with the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge from Chantel Reads All Day. For this year's challenge there are simple one-word prompts, so it should be a lot easier.

I'm also joining in with a "Book Club" with the Between the Pages group on Facebook. This challenge has a specific book to read and discuss each month. I already know I won't be able to particpate each month, but I'm going to try where I can.

One of the authors I follow, Malissa Chapin, is doing a challenge on her FB page, Malissa Chapin's Merry Band of Book Lovers. I completely failed her challenge last year, but I decided I could try again.

Here's the challenge from the Faith Filled Fiction FB group:

 

I'm also going to try to read a book set in each of the 50 states with the Literary Escapes Challenge. Last year was the second year I attempted it. Unfortunately, I didn't get all 50 states. I only got 28, which was worse than in 2023 when I got 33. I'm hoping to do better this year.

Last year I decided I would try her Alphabet Soup Challenge. I ended up getting all but four letters, and decided I'd join in again this year.

And seeing as I'm reading a bunch of books anyway, and reading many different authors, I figured I'd try the Alphabet Soup Author Edition this year. Just to see how many letters I can get with what I am already reading. 

I'm also going to try to read books set in as many European countries as possible with the 2025 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader. Last year I read books from three different European countries. I'm hoping to increase that number this year. 

Additionally, she has the TBR 25 in '25 challenge. I figure this won't be an additional burden as I plan to read from my TBR pile this year anyway.

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

Read a book…

1. With a title that starts with L

2. Featuring a woman in STEM

3. With an unreliable narrator 

4. Featuring a stepparent 

5. With a red cover

6. By a new to you author

7. That is a 2025 debut novel 

8. Featuring an unsolved mystery 

9. By an author who has the same first and last initial

10. That is a fairytale spin off or retelling 

11. That is considered a classic 

12. With a character you find relatable 

13. From a genre you don’t read often 

14. With an insect on the cover 

15. That is over 500 pages long

16. Set in the mountains 

17. Published in 2025

18. Written more than 20 years ago 

19. That includes a holiday you don’t celebrate 

20. Published by an Indie author

21. That contains illustrations 

22. Featuring a firefighter or other emergency responder

23. That has a second chance romance 

24. Recommend by a librarian 

25. With a green spine 

26. Set in a bakery or restaurant 

27. With four or more people on the cover

28. That has won an award

29. Written by a BIPOC author 

30. Set in a different country from you 

31. With a one word title 

32. That includes more than 2 POV

33. That is a dual or triple timeline 

34. Set before the 1800s

35. With a bird on the cover 

36. That takes place on or around a train

37. With a blue dress on the cover

38. A book with the word at, in, or is in the title 

39. Set in Eastern Europe 

40. Set during WWII

41. That makes you laugh 

42. That features a historical event you remember 

43. With an illustrated or typography cover

44. Set in a cold climate

45. With a hat on the cover

46. Written by a male author

47. Written in first person pov

48. With little to no romance

49. By an author with multiple award winning books

50. That features a pet other than a dog 

Finally, I am joining in again with a second yearly challenge from the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read FB group. 

So, here it is:

1- You Can't Wait

2- Whodunit

3- Spin on a Classic

4- A Cardinal Sin

5- Bibliophile

6- Succumb to Peer Pressure

7- Rom Com

8- Considered Controversial

9- Written by an Apologist

10- Return to a Favorite

11- Think Piece

12- Passage of Time 

13- Good vs Evil

14- Fruit of the Spirit

15- A Book that Mentions a Book

16- Multi-Generational POV

17- Labor of Love

18- Far From Home

19- Child Narrator

20. Debut Novel

21. Small Town

22. Lighthouse

23. Animal on the Cover

24. Book you got for Free

25. An Epic Love Story

26. Amish

27. Features a Character from the Bible

28. Location Starts with "I"

29. A Spooky Read

30. Natural Disaster

31. Overcoming a Tragic Event

32. A Quest

33. Harmful Secrets

34. One Word Title

35. Feud

36. A Sea Voyage

37. A Wedding or a Funeral

38. Significant Historical Event

39. Female Antagonist

40. Thriller

41. With a Yellow Cover

42. Missionaries

43. Indie Author

44. Daddy Issues

45. On the Run

46. New Release

47. For a Good Cause

48. Showbiz

49. Favorite Time Period 

50. Fictional Land

51. Married Couple

52. Orphan

53. Choose your own Adventure  

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 110 and I ended up reading 122. I think I will be able to meet my 110 book goal. 

Okay, so this looks like a lot again, even though I planned on doing less challenges this year. However, a couple of them fit the fact that I want to read from my TBR shelf. And recording books that fit into the alphabet is just that, recording books I am already reading. I won't force myself to read a bunch of books JUST to get the letters I'm missing. And of course, I try to combine challenges when 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.