Friday Fun - December 1, 2023

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 am currently reading Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller. This is the second book in her Wyoming Sunrise series. I am on the launch team for When Love Comes, book #3 in the series, so I wanted to make sure to read the previous books first. 

I read The Shunning by Beverly Lewis for a few of my November reading challenges. I had read this book years ago when it first released, along with the rest of the series. I really enjoyed it and was glad to have a chance to reread it. 

I also just started The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton. I'm also on the launch team for this book and it releases next Monday, December 4th.

        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:

  Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller:

"Why was he always watching her?"

Well, that sounds like it could be creepy. First thought coming from someone who enjoys suspense. But, this is a romance, so maybe it isn't quite so nefarious. 

The Shunning by Beverly Lewis:

"If the truth be known, I was more conniving than all three of my brothers put together."

And knowing how boys can be, that's saying something. And shows us from the get-go that Katie has a rebellious spirit.

The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton:

"When I pictured myself at twenty-five, I imagined performing on stage to the roar of the audience."

So, what is Millie doing instead? Doesn't sound like her life is turning out how she planned.

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.

Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller:
 

"She fought the disconcerting thoughts that oftentimes made their presence known at this hour when she ought to be welcoming some much-needed shut-eye. What if Deputy Eliason hadn't been there to offer his assistance with Pa? What if Red Beard had been the one to follow her home? What if. . ."

The Shunning by Beverly Lewis:

"Seeing the angelic, round faced so concerned was a comfort. But Katie's heart sank as she looked into the all-knowing blue eyes. That look. It probed deep into her soul, reinforcing the sense that Mary always seemed to know what was good and right."

The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton:

"I hear movement, but I don't look up. Ugh. . . how in the world did he hear me? I feel him near me before I'm brave enough to look over at him. He's completely in my personal bubble, looking down at me with a glint in his eyes."

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. If you'd like to read the reviews of the two books I've finished, I invite you to click on the links below. 

Forgotten Memories by Penny Zeller

Love's New Beginnings by Penny Zeller

Friday Fun - November 24, 2023

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 I just discovered First Line Friday over at Reading is My SuperPower.

This week I have three books to share with you.

I just finished  Forgotten Memories by Penny Zeller. This is the first book in her Wyoming Sunrise series. I am on the launch team for When Love Comes, book #3 in the series, so I wanted to make sure to read the previous books first. You can read my review of Forgotten Memories here.

I am currently reading Love's New Beginnings by Penny Zeller. This is a Wyoming Sunrise Prequel. I debated reading it first, but wanted to read it in the order the author published them. 

I'm also currently reading The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green. I have wanted to read this book for a while and had used birthday money to purchase it several months ago. I just haven't had a chance to read it. This month I realized it would work for a couple of my reading challenges.

        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:

  Forgotten Memories by Penny Zeller:

"A fleeting movement caught twelve-year-old Annie Ledbetter's attention."

Hmm, what is it that caught her attention? 

Love's New Beginnings by Penny Zeller:

"Lydie Beauchamp stalked down the dusty streets of Prune Creek, her skirt swishing against her ankles."

Oh dear, what's got Lydie stalking down the street?

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green:

"Dead people were easy to talk to."

Um, why is she talking to dead people??

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.

Forgotten Memories by Penny Zeller:
 

"On one hand, she was grateful she wouldn't have to worry about a chicken coop built next to her desk when she returned the next morning, and she would have a hilarious story to share with Hetty. On the other, the entire experience had been a bit of a discomfiture."

Love's New Beginning by Penny Zeller:

"His involvement in the pranks did not endear him to her. A man of his age, likely twenty-one or twenty-two, out to know better. And his statement, 'the prank was to help everyone be at ease on their first day of school.' vexed her greatly."

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green:

"'Touchy lot, these artsy types,' Joe mumbled.

Lauren didn't deny it. 'If you're going to earn these people's trust, you'll have to put in the time to listen to their small talk. Ready to be charming?'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. If you'd like to read the reviews of those books, I invite you to click on the links below. 

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath

Movie-Made Romance by A.M. Heath

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt Review

 

Wonderful, powerful, but intense book. So eye-opening. The author did a wonderful job sharing a part of WW2 that I never knew about. That of the occupation by the Nazis of Warsaw, Poland. Seen through the eyes of two fictional characters, twin sisters, the author opened up this time period, with all its horrors, yet also the bravery and resilience of the people of Poland. I can't even begin to fathom the tragedy that took place in this city, the evil that was done by Hitler and the Nazis.

The story is seen through Antoninas and Helena eyes. Antonina ends up helping children who have been smuggled out of the Jewish ghetto. And Helena joins the underground army. Sadly they grow apart, but that sister bond is still there. They both face horrors and wonder if they will ever see each other again.
Of course there is a lot of death, and there are definitely some graphic descriptions of circumstances. That was to be expected.

What I wasn't hugely fond of, was how much time the author would jump, but then she would fill in some details as memories. There were times I felt I was missing something because months would pass with the turn of the page.

That said, I loved this book and it was very emotional, you might want tissues handy. Highly recommended, especially for fans of WW2 era novels.

I received this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.

Where is My Sister by Jane Daly Review

 

Wow, what an awesome book. I needed to know what was going to happen, and literally couldn't put the book down, especially toward the end. I believe I was up past 2am to finish it.

The book was different than what I thought it was going to be in one sense, but I figured out quite early what was going on in the grand scheme of things. I don't think it was meant to be a huge surprise honestly.

The book is told from the viewpoint of both Brianna and Morgan. They are sisters who until recently were living together. But Brianna had been thrown out and was now living on the streets, until she is befriended and taken in to a Woman's Leadership Program. Morgan hadn't really given her sister a second thought at first, figuring she was doing okay with friends. So, while Morgan doesn't know where Brianna is, we see Brianna going through this "leadership" program. But, is everything as it seems? There are definitely suspicious things going on, things that I suspected from the get-go. So, yes, this book is suspenseful, but there isn't the mystery I assumed there would be from the title. The reader knows exactly WHERE she is, but because we do know, we know what she is going through and get the sense of suspense from realizing this. And on Morgan's end, we can feel the tension grow as she realizes her sister is probably in grave danger.

I did see on Amazon that this book is rated as being for teens, and I don't think I'd want my younger teens reading it. There is nothing sexual in detail, but there is mention of rape, and making out but not going all the way, and of having a certain physical exam to check for virginity. Also when I think of books for teenagers, to me the main cast of characters would be teens. However the majority of the characters in the story are young adults.

Yes an awesome book, clean reading, great focus on Scripture and the Lord, including parallels to two biblical stories, just not one of want my teens reading, so I wasnt sure why it was listed that way on Amazon.

Definitely a book I highly recommend.

I was given this book as a part of the launch team but was not required to write a positive review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings by Carol Ashby Review

 

Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings by Carol Ashby was my first book by this author and it sure whet my appetite to read more of her books set in early church history. I’ve been told that her books are stand alone stories though there are connections between them, so I will probably start with her first published book and read them in the order they were published. But, this book is a novella that sets the stage for her next full-length novel which releases in 2024.

The main character is Lusario, who is a slave. He is loyal to his master, but finds himself being sold to a horrid master who treats him abysmally. But, that’s okay, because according to the law, he is just property. He had such plans when with his previous master, and was looking at one day being able to buy his freedom. Suddenly that future is taken from him. But, he has a friend, Timon, also a slave, who is secretly a Christian, and has been encouraging him. And also challenging him to think about the truths of Jesus and Christianity. 

I loved that he would question and Timon would give answers. And then events come about that lead Lusario on a better path. And then there is the philosophical question of who he has to thank for this.

I loved learning more about the Roman Empire back in early church history, and about Alexandria in Egypt (part of the Roman Empire) where the majority of this story takes place.

I can’t wait for the next book to see where their friendship will lead and to see what Lusario does with this information about Jesus.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it if you are a fan of stories taking place during the times of the early church or in ancient Rome. 

Friday Fun - November 17, 2023

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 read  It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath. This is the third novella in the Christmas in Garland collection. You can read my review here.

I also read Movie-Made Romance by A.M. Heath. This is the fourth book in her Christmas in Garland collection and it released today! You can read my review here.

I'm currently reading The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt.

              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 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath:

"Holding my breath, I strained to hear what had put that sticken look on Aunt Maggie's face."

Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. 

Here is my Book Beginnings for Movie-Made Romance by A.M. Heath:

"I forced a smile and clapped along with my family as my soon-to-be brother-in-law stood to his feet and kissed my younger sister."

I'm getting a sense of jealousy here. Or maybe not jealousy, but she is definitely not too pleased with her sister being engaged. 

And here is my Book Beginnings for The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt:

"Antonina-and-Helena. That was how I remembered our names."

This didn't really say much to me. Except I had forgotten details from the description of the book, and I realized the main characters were probably twins.And if that was how she was remembering their names, was something going to happen to their bond?

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.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath:
 

"'I'm sorry,' he whispered, turning away and limping toward the doorway.
'For what? The crackers?'
'Yeah,' he said, not sounding half so convinceing.
'Or for almost kisssing me?'

His step faltered, then stoped.
My heartbeat roared in my ears as I stared at his back."

Movie-Made Romance by A.M. Heath:

"His knowing eyes seemed to peel away layers of my soul. 'Paul had the same problem. He was so well known for his hatred of Jesus and the Christian church that it took some time to convince the people that he was, in fact, a changed man.' He gripped my should as he started to back away, pivoting toward another member. 'Keep living for Christ and eventually no one will be able to deny that you know Him."

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt:

"She opened the door, and I stepped onto the landing. Though I wanted to run, I mounted the stairs slowly, and though the back of my neck burned, I didn't glance over my shoulder to check if Pani Nowak remained stading in her dorrway. Somehow I sensed she did."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I also finally got my review posted for Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings by Carol Ashby. If you'd like to read the reviews of those books, I invite you to click on the links below. 

Crushed Hopes and Hopeful Beginnings by Carol Ashby 

The Perfect Storm by Cali Black 

The Engagement Cover by A.M. Heath

Movie-Made Romance by A.M. Heath Review

 

I have enjoyed all of the books in the Christmas in Garland collection by A.M. Heath so far, and Movie-Made Romance did not disappoint. I loved it! Such a great premise. I loved all the different Christmas movie themes that Carleigh used to try to get herself a boyfriend. See, she and her neighbor and friend would spend lots of time watching movies. Christmas movies which included these typical themes where people fall in love. And Carleigh is desperate to find herself a boyfriend, seeing as she hasn’t had a successful relationship since she found her ex-fiance cheating on her with another woman.

Of course, this ex-fiance is back in town to help his grandfather who had to go into a nursing home. This part spoke to me because of a couple of reasons. His grandfather was a hoarder. And my father was bad when it came to that. And he is having to take care of the house, which is what I had to do for my mom after she went into the nursing home. Thankfully my mom was NOT a hoarder.

But anyway, Josh is back in town, but he is claiming to be a changed man, even goes by Joshua now, not Josh thank you very much. While Carleigh is trying to find a new boyfriend in many different hilarious ways (such as sitting in the restaurant and when an interesting guy shows up, “innocently” getting a bit of whipped cream from her drink on her nose), Joshua is hoping to win Carleigh back.
What I found hilarious was her obliviousness to the fact that God seemed to be working in this relationship, because Joshua would somehow, without planning it, be in the vicinity of where she was trying to pull off her little meetings with different guys.

I won’t say any more, but this story was awesome and I highly recommend it and all the books in the Christmas in Garland collection. And yes, The Pantry makes an appearance in this book as well.

I received this book for free from the author as a part of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.