Review: Plain Peace

Plain Peace by Beth Wiseman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anna’s grandfather seems determined to ruin her Rumspringa . . . and any hopes she has of finding a husband.
Anna Byler should be enjoying her Rumspringa as allowed by her faith. But because of the strict rules enforced by her grandfather—the bishop—the available suitors in town are afraid to court her. Even Anna’s grandmother is keeping a big secret from Anna’s grandfather in an effort to keep the peace. Under her grandfather’s oppressive watch, Anna begins to feel her faith slipping and wonders if God has forsaken her.
Jacob Hostetler and his family have relocated to Lancaster County following a family tragedy in Ohio. As his family struggles to rebuild their lives, Jacob is forced to act as head of the household when his father is unable to cope with recent events. It’s been a long time since Jacob has felt any joy. Until he meets Anna Byler. But will Anna’s grandfather succeed at keeping them apart? And can Jacob put the past behind him and open his heart?

--Lots going on in this book. Marianne has big secrets in her little room in the basement. One that might give her husband a heart attack! Cora and her family are new to the community but they come with their hearts heavy, after losing their oldest daughter Leah, to a farming accident. Will they be able to heal? New love and lots more in this next part of the Daughters of the Promise novel..

Each of Beth Wiseman's books are always so good and so much thought goes into them, you just sit back for awhile and you never really get over them. You want to be a Daughter of the Promise. Let's make it a goal ladies. Be one, TODAY.

I received this book as a part of the Goodreads First Read program in exchange for my honest opinion.



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Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the spirit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin's enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books-and booksellers-that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

-- I knew I had a hit on my hands the minute I read that we would be reading about books. Who doesn't love reading about books in a book??? I adored it! But AJ, although a gruff character, you have to love him! Each character, A.J., Lambiase, Amelia, Maya, Ismay and a few others -- all are so enjoyable and some not so much.

I fell in love and I read in about 5 hours. Told in little snippets, AJ has gotten a second chance. He is a grumpy man. His wife has passed. After being drunk, he finds someone has stolen his precious copy of a limited edition of a poem book of Edgar Allen Poe's. Then, leaving his door unlocked to go running one day, someone leaves a baby in the bookstore. After finding the mother's body floating dead, AJ decides to keep Maya.

What a wonderful story! I recommend it highly! You will come to love AJ and all the inhabitants! It ended way too quickly for me! Zevin is an author I wouldn't even think twice about putting the book in my cart. When I see her name from now on, it will just be added! Thank you shereads.org and Zevin for such a great read!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion!



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Review: The Shadow Year

The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On a sultry summer’s day in 1980, five friends stumble upon an abandoned lakeside cottage hidden deep in the English countryside. For Kat and her friends, it offers an escape; a chance to drop out for a while, with lazy summer days by the lake and intimate winter evenings around the fire. But as the seasons change, tensions begin to rise and when an unexpected visitor appears at their door, nothing will be the same again.

Three decades later, Lila arrives at the same remote cottage. With her marriage in crisis, she finds solace in renovating the tumbledown house. Little by little she wonders about the previous inhabitants. How did they manage in such isolation? Why did they leave in such a hurry, with their belongings still strewn about? Most disturbing of all, why can t she shake the feeling that someone might be watching her?

The Shadow Year is a story of secrets, tragedy, lies and betrayal. It’s a tale that explores the light and dark of human relationships and the potential the past has to not only touch our present, but also to alter our future.

-- Two stories, past and present. I wondered the whole, where is it going to blend. The mystery. The suspense. When I wasn't able to read, the whole time, this book had me guessing and wondering, thinking. I loved how we started off on this journey, the words were just fantastic. The heat, I could feel it. Funny how you really didn't think, how did Mac find the place? When Freya came, it really changed the dynamics. We all love to hate on Simon, but everyone has to have someone in charge. Was he really in charge though?

And then Lila and Tom. Loved the story for them. Heartbreaking but I loved every single word. Literally, I sighed when the last word was read. And gasped. But I won't give it away. This book packs a punch! The reader will be surprised up until the VERY last line. I promise you that!

I was very pleasantly surprised. After the first few chapters I knew I would like this group. I mean, some kind of chaos would ensue. Bullet holes? The mural? Has to. But what? Ah, read and find out!

Thanks, and make sure you go to www.shereads.org for great discussions on this wonderful book and other great books!

Thanks to the publisher for the book in an exchange for my honest opinion and the author for a fantastic read!



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Mailbox Mondays

Good morning!

So what was in my mailbox?

3 books!

Debbie Macomber's newest one, the next part of Rose Harbor, Love Letters. I love Debbie. It is like a visit home. So comfy. Best to clear out your schedule!!

Next up is The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow. I ADORE the cover of this one! Don't you?

And third, The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand. Perfect beach read to kick off spring!


What is your your mailbox?

Happy reading!

Review: Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness by Lisa Verge Higgins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A new novel of women's friendship from the author of The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship and Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.

With the remnants of her past rattling in the trunk of her Chevy, Jenna Elliott abandons her Seattle home determined to start life anew. Her journey compels her to the door of two friends: Claire, an ex-Buddhist nun and cancer survivor, eager to escape her overbearing family for what may be her last chance to fulfill a dream; and Nicole, a professional Life Coach who can’t even control her own teenage son. But what starts out as an impulsive road trip soon becomes an inexorable journey to their past, as the women grapple with who they were, who they are, and the strange twists that have now set them on the road to their hometown of Pine Lake. There, Jenna discovers that her random act of kindness has rippled out into the world like a stone dropped into a deep pond, coming back to rock her life—and those of her friends—in ways they never expected.

-- This was my first book by Lisa. The first 100 pages or so, I liked the friendship between the women but I needed a map or something to keep track of where we were, who was who, and then all the sudden it got good. You know the kind of good, where you must stop everything, tell all your reader friends to grab it good? Yea, that kind of good!

These days everyone has been affected in some way by cancer, divorce, cheating, so this book will be relevant in some way. Lisa has done an excellent job. I loved it so much, I just sat last night and I couldn't get enough of it. My eyes wanted to close, but my mind said no. Three friends go on a road trip, each with their own journey, not really knowing what the other is going through. Picking up others along the way.

With the promise of another book hopefully, I am there!! This definitely will NOT be my last book by Higgins!! I highly recommend this read, but grab a box of Kleenex you will need it. Cheer the ladies on!!!





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Review: Hope Runs

Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption by Claire Díaz-Ortiz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Sammy Ikua Gachagua had lost his father to illness, his mother to abandonment, and his home to poverty. By age ten, he was living in a shack with seven other children and very little food. He entered an orphanage seeing it as a miracle with three meals a day, a bed to sleep in, and clothes on his back.
When Claire Diaz-Ortiz arrived in Kenya at the end of an around-the-world journey, she decided to stay the night, climb Mt. Kenya, then head back home. She entered an orphanage seeing it as little more than a free place to spend the night before her mountain trek.
God had other plans.
"
Hope Runs "is the emotional story of an American tourist, a Kenyan orphan, and the day that would change the course of both of their lives forever. It's" "about what it means to live in the now when the world is falling down around you. It's about what it means to hope for the things you cannot see. Most of all, it's about how God can change your life in the blink of an eye.

-- Wonderful story of what God can do when we let Him move in our lives. I love how we move back and forth in the story between Sammy and Claire, I loved especially Sammy's story. As Americans, we really take for granted everything we have. I thought this story was just a story of adoption, I didn't know that they started a running program and that really made it over the top for me.

This story brought tears to my eyes and I will tell lots of people about this fantastic book. Too bad we all don't have these thoughts, each one of us, one by one.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.



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Thirty One Review and Giveaway

HUGE GIVEAWAY!
 

HUGE Thirty-One Gift Giveaway ya'll... My friend Melissa is a Thirty-One Consultant and was so kind to let me check out a bag.

 It is a pink and black Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote and I knew I was going to love it but I didn't know I would love it this much!
Melissa is giving a Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote to one lucky winner! ( the winner can select their favorite print! )

 It is so versatile! I can use it for a purse, or sports, practically anything! It has a zipper top so nothing is going to escape and LOTS of pockets!!!

My Bold Bloom Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote! 

I have looked at Melissa's Thirty-One website, you MUST go have a peek!
 Lots to choose from, whether you need a purse or an organizer, there is something for everyone. I personally am going to get the pink purse next week! That is a MUST!!!
  
Also, check out Melissa's Thirty-One Pinterest Board! She has tons going on there too!
  
Click here to be added to Melissa's Monthly Thirty-One Newsletter! I really love knowing all of her sales and new products too! 
   
Personally, Melissa is a really neat lady. I have enjoyed getting to know her, and I am blessed to call her friend. Some days, she pops up in my IM when I need a friend to chat with and I don't even think she knows what it means to me. I will be forever grateful to her. Besides, anyone who reads as much as me, is A-OK in my book!
 

So, now for the really good stuff, the giveaway!

 *USA only, sorry ladies.

 You MUST comment below to enter

If your profile or blog, dosent have a way to contact you, please leave your email address 

( one comment per person please )

Giveaway ends on May 1st!
Winner will be chosen by random drawing
Winner can select their favorite Zip Top Organizing Utility Tote Print!