Friday Fun - April 19, 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'm reading an ARC of The Vanished by Cara Putman. This book released this past week. I'm a bit behind.

I'm also reading an ARC of Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen. This book releases next week on April 25th.

        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:

  The Vanished by Cara Putman:

"What have I done?"

Good question.

Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen:

"Excitement and anticipation buzzed through Jazz Lamont's veins, taking her back to when she was eight years old, and she believed dreams could come true."

I wondered what had excited Jazz. 

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:

The Vanished by Cara Putman:
 

"She was used to men in the work context thinking she was a pixie who needed protecting, but she wore a power suit to cover the Tinker Bell. People were wrong to think she hadn't been the strongest character in Peter Pan. And they were wrong to underestimate Janae."

Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen:

"A grin took over his handsome face as his posture relaxed, and he looked from the knife to her. 'How could I ever forget? Desmond Patch had better watch his back. Jazz Lamont might be the one to take him down.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here's my review:

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks Review

 

Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I am a huge fan of time travel stories, so when I realized Sarah Hank's newest book had time travel in it, I was so excited. This has got to be my favorite book of hers. I was even more excited to realize it is the first book of the Time Sailors series, so more books are to come. 

What a unique take on time travel. Stella and her best friends, Wendy and Claire, are on a cruise on their way to Hawaii prior to her marriage to Everett. Though they are such close friends, they are all hiding something from the other two. Suddenly, Stella mysteriously steps out of the elevator to find herself on a steamboat over a hundred years in the past, in anti-bellum Missouri. A Dr. Duncan comes to her aid, but is he someone she should put her trust in? Adding to the mystery is that there is a Dr. Duncan who introduces himself to her friends in the current day timeline. Yes, we get to see the story from both timelines, and from all three friends' points of view. And Wendy and Claire are able to communicate to Stella, and vice versa, through an antique mailbox. 

Stella has a mission to fulfill in order to make it back to her time, but she's not sure how she can accomplish that when she has no clue what it is. Wendy and Claire attempt to help her, researching what they can, discovering what happened to the steamboat she is on back in the 1850s. But they are dealing with their own issues as well. 

This story drew me right in and wouldn't let go. I was intrigued by the time sailor take on time travel. The author did a great job making me care for all the characters, though there were quite a few times I was frustrated with them when they failed to communicate with each other. Which I guess is sort of hypocritical seeing as I am bad at communicating and opening up. The conflict and danger in the 1856 timeline gripped me and kept me swiping through the pages. As did the relationship issues in modern day. But most importantly there was the faith thread that wove through each of these storylines. Learning to fully trust in Jesus and put one's life in His all-powerful hands. 

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.

Friday Fun - April 12, 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 one book to share with you.

I'm reading an ARC of Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks. This book releases next week on April 15th.

        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 is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

  Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks:

"Stella stared at the text, her thumbs hovering over the screen in indecision."

Wondered who was texting her and why she was indecisive in texting back. 

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 is my Friday 56 selection:

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks:
 

"She rushed to his room and banged on the door. No answer. After another round of desperate knocks, she spun around to head to the dining area. No use wasting precious time. Perhaps he hadn't left the boat yet."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I am still reading those books, so I will have to share links to those reviews next week. However, I did finish Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter. Here is my review.

Love Unscripted by Denise Hunter

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter Review

 

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter is the second book I have read by this author. And while I loved the other book, this is now my favorite of hers. It drew me right in. Probably because the first scene takes place at a bookstore. A bookstore owned by the main character’s best friend, Meghan. Chloe, the main character, has written a best selling book which is being turned into a movie, and which her friend is highlighting in her bookstore with a window display. 

While Chloe approves of the actor chosen to play her female lead, she is horrified to learn that her perfect male lead, the perfect boyfriend she created, is being played by an actor with a far from stellar reputation when it comes to relationships. Not the kind of person she wants representing her dream guy. 

Liam, the actor who is playing Ledger, the male lead, wants to work on fixing his image, an image that the media has really turned into a playboy worse than he really is. But, you know, that’s the media for you.

Liam and Chloe are not real fond of each other when they first meet, in a hilarious meet up. However, they come to an agreement that they feel will be mutually beneficial. A fake relationship. Liam gets to improve his image by having a steady relationship with Chloe, and Chloe can ensure that Liam portrays Ledger the way he is supposed to be portrayed. 

Not surprisingly, this fake relationship starts to grow into something more through the time they spend together. I mean, this is a romance, so that wasn’t a big spoiler. But, both Liam and Chloe have hurts from their past that have affected their previous relationships, and these are things they will need to work through. Or should they even be trying to have a real relationship? I sure was rooting for them. 

I loved the characters in this book, including the side characters, which also includes the cat Buttercup. The author did a great job developing them and making them real. I loved the bits of humor that were added in. I also loved seeing Chloe, as the book’s author, interacting with those who were making her book into a movie. 

Even though I was already invested in the story, when the characters were dealing with the fallout of their deception I really didn't want to put the book down, and wanted to know how the author would resolve these issues. 

I loved this book and highly recommend it. 

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - April 5, 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'm reading an ARC of The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano. This book releases next week on April 9th.

I am also reading an ARC of The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron. This book also releases on April 9th.

        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:

  The Elusive Truth of Lyly Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano:

"I hadn't decided if I'd tell the whole truth or not, when the men arrived."

This sentence really had me curious and drew me in. What was it she may or may not be truthful about, and what men were on their way? And was their arrival imminent? 

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron:

"How many times in life could a boy say he was risking his neck, doing the very last thing he'd expected. . . for a girl?"

Sounds like someone may have feeling for said girl. Possibly. 

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:

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano:
 

"'Of course not. But we have our very own secret weapon to get us in.' A wink.
Secret weapon. What was it this time, kindness? Rule following? Then I blinked and noticed his gaze . . . which was steadied on my face with a disarming smile.
I groaned. Of course.
Me."

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron:

"Sirens cried in the distance, cutting off her words. All paused, smiles dying around the room. Forks clanged porcelain plates. And the guests pushed chairs back from the table as the party moved to fall into their nightly drill - fetching coats and supplies for a hurried trek to the Andersons in the rose garden."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to my reviews. I still need to finish Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter.

When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey Review

 

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey is the author’s debut novel, though she has worked as a journalist for years. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading this story, and even though the prologue and first couple of chapters drew me in, I admit I had a bit of trouble staying focused on quite a bit of the story, though the last quarter of the story re-gripped me, and I could not put the book down.

The book begins from the point of view of TC, otherwise known as Tyrus Cal, though he would prefer to NOT be known by those names, thus the TC. He is telling us his story on the day where things got a bit topsy-turvy for him. The reader sees that TC is involved in what appears to be a tragedy, but it is not specified for sure whether he is alive or dead. However, he suddenly has this urgent mission to reach out to an acquaintance he made a year earlier at a music festival.

Something obviously otherworldly is going on, as he suddenly finds himself, along with a companion who cannot be seen, in this person’s house a state away. This other person is Ginny, who appears to be quite down on her luck, depressed, possibly suicidal, and just not the same person he met a year earlier.

For the majority of the story, TC is telling the story at the music festival, though sometimes we get to see Ginny’s point of view. And sometimes we get to see a bit more of present day, and we even get to see part of the story through the point of view of TC’s unseen companion.

Though so much of the story is told during the time of the music festival, it isn’t just events at the music festival that we are seeing. TC and Ginny spend time sharing stories from their past, as they, and we the readers, get to know them, get to learn about their stories, their families and friends, their backgrounds, events that have led them to where they currently are. As Ginny opens up to TC, he begins to feel something is not quite right with her current relationship, but wonders if it is his place to say anything. At the same time, is there something brewing between them?

And then, we get a glimpse at what occurred from the time of the end of the festival and the situation that is taking place in present day.

This is a story of second chances, a story of faith, a story of finding one’s way and a purpose to one’s life. However, one of the reasons I lowered my rating was the lack of mention of the need for faith in Jesus. The Bible is spoken of as a book that is important, and is physically present, but no Scriptural truth is shared in the story. It is made clear that TC’s companion is an angel, and there is mention of the “Big Man” who I can only assume is meant to be God, which yes, bothered me. We know that Ginny’s grandmother had faith and saw how Ginny was with and without her faith. I just wish it was made clear what/who their faith was in. And while I do believe in angels intervening, I couldn’t quite understand why TC was enlisted to help.

I don’t know. I really wanted to be able to rave about this book as I have seen other reviewers do. I did enjoy getting to know TC and Ginny, and the other side characters who were important in their lives. I just have these things I was struggling with. That said, those concerns may not be yours, and you may be inspired by this story. Just be aware, as mentioned, there is mention of suicidal thoughts and there is a scene of domestic violence.

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: February Update

I'm quite late, but here is what I read for my challenges in February:

For the challenge in the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction FB group I needed a book that was a historical romance. I was on the launch team for  The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel, and it fit the prompt perfectly.

For the challenge over at Crystal Caudill's blog, I read quite a few books that fit the February challenge. Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd, The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel, Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower, The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep, and The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond all had a rural setting. Plus Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley and Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin involved a major life change/move.

For the challenge in the Eating Our Words FB group I read Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower for my February 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. 

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel works for July. 

For the challenge in The Posse FB group, I read The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jamie Jo Wright as it is a dual time line novel. 

I chose to start the Read Your Bookshelf challenge from Chantel Reads All Day with the Arthur Conan Doyle side of the flow chart. At the beginning of the month I finished The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson for January. For February I read an ARC of Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd.

I really enjoyed The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep, which was the February book in the Between the Pages FB group challenge/book discussion.

One of the authors I follow, Malissa Chapin, is also doing a challenge on her FB page, Malissa Chapin's Merry Band of Book Lovers:

I read my February book in January. And this month I read Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower which will work for March.  

I read several books that worked for February's challenge in the Faith Filled Fiction group. 
The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel, Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd, The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep, and One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey.

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

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

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

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 

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.

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

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

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

5. By an author whose name starts with a J

6. From a genre outside your comfort zone

7. With an adverb in the title

8. Featuring a character with grey hair

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

12. Written by multiple authors

13. With a green cover

14. That is a bestseller

15. Set on a boat, train, or plane

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

17. With a main character who is disabled

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

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

24. That is considered women’s fiction 

25. Featuring a Jewish character

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

27. That contains bible verses

28. With a teenager as a main character 

29. With a one word title 

30. A book you preordered

31. With a solid colored cover

32. By an author who writes with a pen name 

33. That takes place in a national park 

34. With a title that starts with an M

35. By a male author

36. That includes pirates

37. By an author whose name starts with the letter T

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

43. That takes place in a country you’ve never been to

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

45. Set during WWII:

46. That you choose because of the cover:

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

48. With a dual timeline 

49. With a second chance romance

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

So, here it is:

1- Takes place in Israel

2- Second chance: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

3- Not your usual genre

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

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

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

17- Forgiveness

18- Redemption

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

20. Two or More Authors

21. By your Favorite Author

22. Male Protagonist

23. Recommended on this Page

24. Blended Families

25. Book of Devotions

26. Christian Literary Classic

27. Dystopian

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

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

30. Bible Retelling

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

32. Features Music

33. Recovering from Addiction

34. Gothic Romance

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

36. Takes Place on an Island

37. Spiritual Warfare

38. Protagonist Shares your Occupation

39. Written by a Famous Christian

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

41. Tear Jerker

42. Treasure Hunt

43. New to you Author

44. Mother-Daughter Bond

45. 2023 Best Seller

46. Title Includes a Color

47. Fairytale

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  

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 19 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.