Happy New Year! A New Challenge...

This year, I created my own reading challenge, and I was able to complete everything on it!  I enjoyed it so much, I plan on doing it again for 2016.  I made goal to read 5 new authors, a book I loved but haven't read in years, a book recommended by each of my kids, a nonfiction book, one that is set in my state, and a classic.

The first goal was 5 book by new authors.  I think it's important to get out of my comfort zone once in a while and give these new authors a chance.  Whether they are popular or more obscure, I look forward to finding 5 new ones in 2016!
1. A Cry from the Dust - Carrie Stuart Parks
2. Through the Fire - Shawn Grady
3. Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs
4. Dangerous Passage - Lisa Harris
5. Not by Sight - Kate Breslin

The second goal was a book I loved but haven't read in years.  I really enjoyed dusting this hardback off and reading through it again.  If I hadn't purposely set aside my TBR pile, I don't know when I would have gotten around to it again.
Carousel - Linda Crockett

My third goal was to read books recommended by my kids.  They really got a kick out of having Mom read one of their books, and it gave us something to talk about.  I was especially happy to do this one!
The White Giraffe - Lauren St. John
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda - Tom Angleberger

Next was a nonfiction book.  This one I didn't look forward to, but I made it through.  I have problems making it through nonfiction books, I don't enjoy them, but I learned that finding the right book can make a huge difference.
The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer

My fifth goal was to read a book that takes place in my state.  This one is a little tricky and takes some research, but it ended up being a neat little experiment.
The Inn at Rose Harbor - Debbie Macomber

My final goal was to read a classic.  Sometimes the wording in those is a little difficult to get through, so it was a struggle.  For next year, I plan on choosing something a little shorter AND purposely not choosing a book I've seen a movie for.  Normally, my rule is to do one or the other, read the book or watch the movie, but I broke that rule this past year. I figured some things out, but I'll do it a little different next year.
Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens

I recommend everyone have some sort of challenge this upcoming year.  I've discovered that reading challenges can be great, just make sure to structure it in such a way that it's achievable.  Maybe have one or two things in there that will take you out of your comfort zone, but don't make all the reading goals impossible.  I learned that applies to life goals in general.  Challenge yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.

May you all have a blessed and Happy New Year!  Happy Reading in 2016!

With This Ring? - Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Mary Connealy & Melissa Jagears

My disclaimer: A lot of times, these novella collections will tie in the characters with a series the author has already written.  I tried to make the connections where I could, but if I miss one, I apologize in advance.

The Husband Maneuver by Karen Witemeyer

Marietta is in love with Daniel, has been for years now.  He’s under an oath not to do anything resembling courting as long as he works for her father.  Now that he has his own spread, her time is running out to convince him she’d make him the perfect wife.

Fans of A Worthy Pursuit will be happy to know that Dead-Eye Dan is back.  If you haven’t read A Worthy Pursuit, you won’t be lost, though.  Dan’s character was one that I loved when reading the novel, so I was happy to read his story.  In this novella, you’re actually getting two stories in one.  You’re reading about Dead-Eye Dan, dime novel style, and Dan the real person.  I’m pretty critical of novellas, since there’s so little time to tell a good story, but Witemeyer pulls it off brilliantly.  She not only creates depth in her loveable characters, she basically tells two complete stories.  Great job! 5 stars

Her Dearly Unintended by Regina Jennings

Katie Ellen is watching over her home while her parents are away.  A storm washes out the bridge and she’s trapped with the one person she doesn’t want to see: Josiah.  She was rejected by him and wants to send him on his way, but a stranger causes the plans to change.  Josiah is now posing as her husband until they can figure out what the stranger is after.

I wasn’t fond of the first part of this one.  Katie Ellen fights openly with Josiah in front of the stranger while they’re posing as a married couple.  Since they’re unaware of the man’s intentions or if he’s dangerous, it would have made more sense for her to be a little more cautious, at least at first.  Once the bickering stopped, the story took off and ended up being a pretty cute story.  This is a story teaching that things aren’t always as they seem.  4 stars

Runaway Bride by Mary Connealy

Carrie is on the run from the man her father is marrying her off to as resolution of a gambling debt.  She’s bringing her brother with her, and the first thing they do is run into Big John Conroy.  He’s been sent by Carrie’s sister, Audra, to bring her safely to Colorado.  Being a Texas Ranger, he knows what to do, and he’s going to need his skills to keep Carrie away from the man who will surely track her down.  When they’re spotted by one of the man’s hired men, their destination changes as John seeks help from old friends.

This was a cute story, but there are oodles of characters.  They appear to have ties to part of the Trouble in Texas and Kincaid Brides series.  I haven’t personally read either of those, so trying to keep track of all the characters was a challenge.  There were almost too many for such a short story.  John’s change of heart with the marriage idea threw me for a loop, and I wished there had been some sort of explanation of what changed his mind.  Overall, a decent read, 3.5 stars

Engaging the Competition by Melissa Jagears

Harrison has been asked to talk to an old friend about her upcoming marriage.  He’s been avoiding Charlotte (Charlie) ever since she humiliated him with his own gun.  But since her father has died, he feels a responsibility to make sure she knows what she’s doing.  A storm leaves Harrison without his glasses and it’s going to take some time to get new ones.  Charlie feels like she needs to help him, since he tried to help her during the storm and agrees to assist him in his teaching job.  As they work together, they come to discover that their feelings for each other are the same, but Charlie has her mother to think about, so marrying Harrison doesn’t seem like an option.

This story was really cute and I enjoyed it.  I sympathized with Harrison a great deal, because I would probably be as helpless without my glasses as he was.  Charlie was a lovable character with her dedication to her mother.  When she was able to see herself through Harrison’s eyes, she came to realize her own worth and the story had a great ending. 5 stars

Overall, this was a good collection of four stories with unusual proposals.  I did enjoy a few more than the others, but I didn’t have one that I didn’t like at all.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to any hopeless romantics out there!  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Undaunted Hope (Beacons of Hope #3) - Jody Hedlund

This is the third novel in the Beacons of Hope series.  There’s a prequel novella, Out of the Storm, and then you have the first two books, Love Unexpected and Hearts Made Whole.

Tessa is in the northern wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to escape her tarnished reputation.  While she made some mistakes, she never compromised herself, but the gossip was too much.  She’s come to the mining town to be the new teacher and quickly discovers that things are different in this out of the way place.

Alex is in the right place to save Tessa from some unwanted advances and frigid water.  He is drawn to her, but unfortunately, so is his brother.  Since it’s the first sign of life he’s seen from his brother since his wife died, Alex wants to protect his brother and do what’s best for him.  The problem is, the time he spends with Tessa leads him to believe he can’t ignore his heart.  Also, she’s determined to stay away from anything related to lighthouses, so the fact that he works in one is an issue.

There’s a lot of problems in town.  The mine manager has everyone in town under his thumb and punishes those that oppose him.  The man seems to know everything that happens in town and Tessa wants to stand up to him but finds herself just as trapped as the rest of the town.  The man doesn’t come after Tessa, he goes after the ones she cares about, with disastrous results.

This book is a little darker than I expected, but with good reason.  I wondered about that until I read the author’s note at the end where it all became clear.  Tessa’s transformation and desire to see justice done was really an intriguing read.  I really enjoyed this book and read it in two days.  I didn’t mean to, but I just couldn’t put it down!

You get hints of the characters from the other books, but you can read these alone or out of order.  The wooden cross is still on its journey, and I recommend reading the novella if you haven’t already.  This has been a great series and I recommend it.  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

25 Days, 26 Ways to Make This Your Best Christmas Ever - Ace Collins

I actually got this for free 5 years ago and brushed it off this year to read it as my daily devotional for Advent.  It seems a little strange to post after Christmas on a Christmas book, but I wanted to make sure I finished it before I wrote my review.

The book starts out with a great suggestion: read a chapter in Luke every day.  There's 24 chapters and you read through the life of Jesus.  Great idea!  Then, each chapter in this book has something different to focus on, encouraging you to recenter your thoughts on the true meaning of the season.

You get to read about the origins of loved Christmas carols and traditions.  Learning about "Silent Night" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" gave me a deeper understanding of the songs.  I have to say I learned the most about "12 Days of Christmas," because I read about it a day after I'd commented that I didn't understand why someone who really loved you would give you so many birds!  Now, the song helps me remember what it means and focuses my thoughts on Jesus.

There's also stories about the origins of traditions: candy canes, Christmas trees, and sending cards are some of the stories included.  I thought these were also interesting and shared them with my children.

I have to say that I did pretty well keeping up with this until Christmas Day. Up until I started reading this book, all the Advent activities in our family go up until Christmas Eve, so the entry for Christmas Day and the day after, Boxing Day, I had to catch up on.  I was disappointed to read that for Christmas, he suggested baking a birthday cake for Jesus.  I don't know about Collins' house, but I don't just have the ingredients to whip up a cake on the fly like that.  I liked the idea, but if I'd known about it earlier, I might have actually been able to do it.  Hopefully I'll remember for next year.

Even if I didn't agree with every suggestion, they are just that - suggestions.  For instance, he suggests everyone opening gifts one at a time and taking pictures of everything.  For us, we gather up everything after it's been opened and take a picture then.  I found that if I make the kids pose after or during each present, it disrupts their fun and I'm more worried about getting a good picture than being part of the moment.  It's a personal preference, but I can also see where the author was going with the suggestion and appreciate it.

Overall, this was a good  book and I was glad I read it.  It's a great way to have a few minutes focused on Jesus each day, and you get to learn something along the way! Good Book!

The First Christmas Tree: A Story of the Forest - Henry Van Dyke

After enjoying Van Dyke's story of The Other Wise Man, I wanted to read his other famous short story, The First Christmas Tree.

Winfried is on a mission to bring the message of the Messiah to the worshipers of Thor. They're meeting at the sacred tree to offer sacrifices to their god.  When a boy is chosen as a sacrifice, Winfried has his chance to speak and be heard.

This one took me about half an hour to read and was a nice little story.  The descriptions were well done and the story engaging.  A great tale to read at Christmastime.  This was written so long ago that it is available for free.  Good Story!

The Other Wise Man - Henry Van Dyke

I picked this up because it was mentioned in the Christmas devotional I'm reading.  I'd never heard of it, but I became interested in the description.  It seems like it's a popular story, so I'm not sure why I'd never read it or heard of it before.

Artaban is a Magi and has decided to meet up with the "known" wise men who are journeying to find the King of the Jews.  Artaban sets out with three precious stones for the King, but gets delayed and the wise men leave without him.  By the time he makes it to Bethlehem, things have changed and the King is gone.

Artaban doesn't give up and spends the next 33 years searching for the King.  His journey ends in Jerusalem with poetic results.

This short story is one of the best I think I've ever read.  The descriptions were so realistic I felt like I could see Artaban and what he was experiencing.  When I reached the end, my eyes were welling up with tears as I understood his journey at the same time he did.  The story was so good, I only wish I had learned about it earlier.

The author's writing style got me curious about more of his work.  It seems that he's most famous for this story and another one called The First Christmas Tree.  He also was responsible for writing "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee."  The stories were written so long ago that they are available for free. I plan on reading The First Christmas Tree this week as well.

I highly recommend this story.  It's a great story for this Christmas season and short enough you won't be overwhelmed by its length.  Great Story!

Sofia's Tune (Ellis Island #3) - Cindy Thomson

This is the third book in the Ellis Island series.  The first two are called Grace's Pictures and Annie's Stories.

Sofia's home life is a mess.  Her mother is prone to low spirits every fall, and this year Sofia discovers why.  She once had a twin sister and now she wants to know why the family has kept it a secret from her.  Unfortunately, the revelation sinks Sofia's mother into such a state that Sofia is forced to move out of the house.  She ends up at Hawkins House.  Wanting to go home, she does everything she can to help her family out and bring her mother back.

Antonio wants to play real music for appreciative crowds.  He plays the piano to pay the bills, but he wants to go to Ohio and study to be proficient at the organ.  His father has been murdered and his uncle is acting mysteriously.  Antonio wants to discover what happened to his father, but that's going to involve frequenting the part of town where he won't necessarily be welcome, seeing as his family is from the opposite part of Italy.  He meets Sofia at Hawkins House and he sees an opportunity to get into that part of town.

I did like this book.  The story line was interesting and kept my attention.  The author has obviously done her homework on the era and it shows.  The dog was a great addition, and I liked the twist with the accordion.  The only thing that bothered me was that I wish there had been more in depth interactions between Antonio and Sofia so that I was more invested in their happiness at the end.

As they're written, you can read these alone or out of order.  The characters from the first two books pop in here and there, but you won't feel lost if you haven't read the other two. Good Book!

The Proposal - Becky Wade (Short Story)

This is a cute, short story.  It took me about 20 minutes to read and the title pretty much sums up the story.  Amber is on her way to drop off her boyfriend's phone at the firehouse when her car breaks down, and she has time to reflect on their relationship.  When she makes it to the fire station, strange things happen.  Since it is so short, there isn't time to develop characters.  Basically look at this as a cheery glimpse into someone else's important life moment and you'll be fine.

The novella is a tie in to the Porter Family series.  The first book in that series is called Undeniably Yours and centers around Meg, Amber's best friend.  The other three books in the series are Meant to Be, A Love Like Ours, and Her One and Only.  The fourth book is scheduled to come out May 2016.

All in all, this was a cute story I was able to read for free.  It was so short, I don't think I would have paid for it, but it's a nice read for Christmas time.  Cute story!

The Painter's Daughter - Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen is a great author.  I was thrilled to be able to read this book.

Sophie is forlorn.  The man she loves, Wesley, has left her to go to Italy before she was able to tell him that she was carrying his child.  She’d hoped he would marry her, but what will she do now?  His brother offers to marry her to give her child a name, and it seems like the only solution.  Since she’s only heard bad things about Wesley’s brother, she’s wary but doesn’t have many options.

Stephen is cleaning up his brother’s mess again.  He’s secretly been carrying around Sophie’s picture, but he can tell she’s frightened of him and figures he’ll never have a real chance with her.  He’s still going to be the best husband and father he can be.  He thinks his time is short anyway, so he only has to hang in there for a few days and try to protect his heart.

Their “short time” together turns out to be longer than they first imagined, and they begin to grow closer.  Sophie realizes that Stephen isn’t the monster she’s heard him to be and truly comes to care for him.  In the meantime, Wesley has regretted leaving Sophie with such an inadequate goodbye and wants her to know he actually cares about her.

This book is a mess from beginning to end, and I mean that in a good way.  There are so many problems and complications, I feared things would never be resolved in a favorable way.  I had nothing to fear, though, the author had the situation in hand!  I ate this book up and finished it in two days.  There are nods to great authors like Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen, and fans will pick up on the details easily.  I really enjoyed this one and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Until the Dawn - Elizabeth Camden

I always look forward to reading a book by Elizabeth Camden and was excited for the chance to read this one.  There’s a novella that’s a prequel to this book called Toward the Sunrise.  It’s not necessary to read it before diving into this book, but the novella is also a great story and worth reading.

Sophie has been living at Dierenpark for her whole life.  Now that the owner has arrived (with his bad attitude), not only is her weather station in danger, but it appears the house is set to be demolished as well.  Sophie just can’t let that happen.

Quentin’s been living with pain for 8 years.  A broken leg has set him on the path of failed experimental treatments.  He’s come to Dierenpark out of loyalty to his grandfather, who is ordering the park demolished because of superstitious beliefs.  Even though Quentin put his faith in science, he feels he owes his grandfather.

Sophie irritates him with her happy outlook.  He just wants to be left alone to get the job done, but she opens his eyes to the beauty of the area with her optimism.  She also shows him the beauty in life, and he realizes something is missing in his own.  When Quentin’s grandfather shows up, Quentin isn’t ready to hear the man’s superstitious beliefs or see them passed on to his son.

The mystery of the history of the house is a wonderful theme in this book.  It’s present all the way to the end, and things don’t go as you think they will, which is a good thing.  The story is also a little reminiscent of Jane Eyre.  The imposing manor on the cliffs, the brooding master, and the neglected child that benefits from the presence of a willing teacher are all familiar, but it’s also quite different at the same time.  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.