gud morning sms

Hosted by Book Journey

I stopped keeping track of this challenge. It was a little too difficult for me to keep updating.

Here is my progress:

View 2012 Where Were You Reading Challenge in a larger map

Hosted by Katie McCurdy at Legacy of a Writer

Level: Floating: Skimming the surface, you re-read 5 books you already own.

1. Corridor by Robin Parrish

Hosted by Adventures of 2.0

☑ Level: Nosey (3 Novels):

1. Corridor by Robin Parrish

2. H20 the Novel by Austin Boyd & Brannon Hollingsworth

3. Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill Williamson

Hosted by Book Monkey

☑ Level: Backpacker (5-10 genres)

1. Crime/mystery - Fire and Ash by Anne Patrick

2. Historical Fiction - Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot

3. Young Adult - Corridor by Robin Parrish

4. Fantasy - H2O the Novel by Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth

5. Science Fiction - Replication by Jill Williamson

6. Romance - Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough

7. Amish Fiction - An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis

8. Suspense - Frantic by Mike Dellosso

9. Contemporary - Downtown Green (Green #5) by Judy Christie

10. Legal Thrillers - The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer

☑Hosted by Read Your Name Challenge

M: Marked for Murder by Lauren Nichols

E: The Earl's Mistaken Bride (The Parson's Daughters #1) by Abby Gaines

L: Love Blooms in Winter by Lori Copeland

A: An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis

N: NHI: No Humans Involved by Ray Ellis

I: Identity: Undercover by Lois Richer

E: End Game by Roxanne Rustand

Hosted by A Few More Challenges

☑Level: Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are the first in any series.

1. Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot

2. The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

3. H20 the Novel by Austin Boyd & Brannon Hollingsworth

4. Love Blooms in Winter by Lori Copeland

5. Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey

6. Peril (Fast Track Thriller #1) by Suzanne Hartmann

7. Princess in Peril by Rachelle McCalla

8. When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

9. Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach

10. Missing by Shelley Shepard Gray

11. The Chase by DiAnn Mills

12. Prowl by Amber Garza

13. NHI: No Humans Involved by Ray Ellis

14. The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

15. To Dance Once More by Sherri Wilson Johnson

16. The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport

17. Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

18. Intervention by Terri Blackstock

19. The Earl's Mistaken Bride (The Parson's Daughters #1) by Abby Gaines

20. Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt

☑Hosted by A Few More Challenges

Level: All you can eat - Read 20 books (or more) that are 2nd in a series or the second time you’ve read the author.

1. In Too Deep by Mary Connealy2. Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough3. Warring Spirits (Creek Country Saga #2) by April W. Gardner4. Ruby Dawn by Raquel Byrnes5. Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes6. The Chase by DiAnn Mills7. The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer8. Illusion by Frank Peretti9. Baroness by Susan May Warren10. Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth11. Protecting the Princess (Reclaiming The Crown, #2) by Rachelle McCalla12. The Search (The Secrets of Crittenden County #2) by Shelley Shepard Gray13. The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd14. Love Finds You in MacKinac Island, Michigan by Melanie Dobson15. Small Town Protector by Hope White16. Gravestone by Travis Thrasher17. The Haven by Suzanne Woods Fisher18. Resurrection (Future Savior, #2) by Jennifer Hartz19. Enemies of the Cross (The Coming Evil, #2) by Greg Mitchell20. Rearview (7 Hours series) by Mike Dellosso Hosted by My Book RetreatLevel: Bachelor's Degree - 15 nonfiction books
1. Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His by Robin Jones Gunn 2. Flirting with the Forbidden: Finding Grace in a World of Temptation by Steven James3. Unfriend Yourself by Kyle Tennant4. Pure Love, Pure Life: Exploring God's Heart on Purity by Elsa Kok Colopy 5. I Kissed Dating Goodbye: A New Attitude Toward Relationships and Romance by Joshua Harris6. Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship by Joshua Harris7. Story: Our Journey of Heartache and Grace from Eden to Evermore by Steven James8. Courageous Teens by Michael Catt and Amy Parker9. Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day by Daryl Aaron10.11.12.13.14.15.

☑Hosted by Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book
Level: Read one book each month "Just For Fun"January: Identity: Undercover by Lois RicherFebruary: Marked for Murder by Lauren NicholsMarch: A Deadly Game by Virginia SmithApril: (Catch up from June) Insurgent by Veronica RothMay: Nightmare by Robin ParrishJune: The Earl's Mistaken Bride by Abby GainesJuly: End Game by Roxanne RustandAugust: Something I Can Never Have by Travis ThrasherSeptember: A Passion Most Pure (Daughters of Boston, #1) by Julie LessmanOctober: The Doctor's Lady by Jody HedlundNovember: Offworld by Robin ParrishDecember: The Irresistible Earl by Regina Scott

Hosted by Reading Challenge Addict

☑Level: In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

1. Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012 - Completed!

2. Around the Stack in How Many Ways? - Completed!

3. New-To-Me Authors Challenge - Completed!

4. 1st in a Series Challenge - Completed!

5. Read Your Name Challenge - Completed!

6. 2012 eBook Challenge - Completed!!

7. 2nds Challenge 2012 - Completed!

8. 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012 - Completed!9. 2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge - Completed!10. 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge - Completed!11. Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2012 - Completed!12. 2012 Christian Suspense Reading Challenge - Completed!

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Book Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Speak; Reprint edition (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142420891
ISBN-13: 978-0142420898
Series: If I Stay #2
Source: Purchased from Books-A-Million
Cover: Is it just more or does this girl look like Lacey from Flyleaf? (*see image below). I mean, that's all I can see in this cover. Even so, I think this is beautiful. I wasn't a fan of the cover redesign for the re-release of If I Stay but I thought this cover was infinitely more beautiful and even looking at it here, I can see I'm not wrong. I love the softness of her long hair and white shirt behind the vivid light blue background.
First Sentence: Every morning I wake up and I tell myself this: It's just one day, one twenty four-hour period to get yourself through.

Mini-Review: A beautiful and touching study of what happens after grief.

Summary:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review:

If I Stay is one of my favorite YA books I've ever read, so this sequel had huge shoes to fill. While it maintained the beauty of the first novel, it fell just shy of my expectations. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy it immensely--I was stuck in Adam's rock star world, riveted trying to find out what happened and crying out for an ending I could live with. In that aspect, I got exactly what I needed. I guess Where She Went just didn't touch me in the same way as the first one but it did succeed in sprouting new questions.

Adam was perfect in If I Stay. In my mind, there was this capsule of a boy willing to do everything, even let the girl he loves go, if only she'd choose to live. This was how I saw him. He was glowing. And then we met this slightly cowardly, kind of a dick rock star that he's become in a few short years and I have to readjust everything I thought. The truth was, if he'd been exactly how he was in the first novel, there would have been no place for this story to go. He didn't need to change in the first book but he certainly did in this one. I thought everything about the boy we met in Where She Went was sort of a ghost. He was terrified of fame, not thankful for the chances he got and unable to communicate any of these feelings with anyone. It hurt me to see him that way. But this also gave his character an incredible chance to grow.

We get caught in these moments of brilliance throughout this one night with Mia. Forman is a master at capturing moments that we all want to freeze in. Her novel is filled with these little moments strung together like white Christmas lights. These are enhanced by the beauty of her writing, the way Adam sees things just a little differently than everyone else. I liked how his voice was a little poetic while also still feeling like a guy. It told us what made him special enough to have made it to rock star status.

I wasn't crazy with how internal the whole book was. I'm sort of torn on this point. On one hand, I understand because it's a mate to If I Stay and that was all internal since the main character was in a coma the entire time. However, I think keeping this one so much in his head slowed down the pacing just slightly. Not enough to make me want to put the book down and every time I went to pick it up, I didn't dread it but it did make some of the chapters feel a little bit slow.

Mostly I just really wanted the question that the title poses answered. What happened to make Mia and Adam drift apart when they just got a second chance to be together? It let me know how much I cared about Adam that even though he showed us he had turned into kind of an ass, I was still as angry with Mia as he was. But what I loved even more was that when everything came to light, I didn't blame either of them. Forman did such an amazing job showing us how their relationship looked from both sides that it forced me to get out of Adam's head and see it like Mia did. I like that it made them equals again.

I also think that Where She Went did such an amazing job of exploring the after-effects of grief on everyone involved. If I Stay was sort of an immediate testimony to grieving but Where She Went is what happens after the loss of someone you love doesn't mean as much to other people. It explores those feelings of whether or not we think we deserve to grieve. I loved this because these are feelings I've experienced myself. It's great to see them addressed.

Where She Went might not have been the same as the first novel but it was never meant to be that way. It's the consequences of exactly what staying means...that life has to go on and sometimes it goes in directions we don't like. While I wasn't fond of who Adam became, I was so glad to take this final journey with him and Mia. Beautifully written and completely absorbing, Where She Went is a testament to the after. And it makes one hell of a statement.

Rating:

Favorite Lines:

But then, as we got bigger, people began to dissect the songs, like a frog from biology class until there was nothing left but guts--tiny parts, so much less than the sum.

--Pg. 13 of "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

...But instead of hunching over her cello, her body seemed to expand, to bloom, and the music filled the open spaces around it like a flowering vine.

--Pg. 49 of "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

All of us in the band tried to keep it in check, but it was hard not to inhale their stardust.

--Pg. 109 of "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

"Can we just stay like this for a while?" (Mia)/ "All night long if you want. We'll tell our secrets to the dark." (Adam)

--Pg. 174 of "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

That's the thing you never expect about grieving, what a competition it is. Because no matter how important they'd been to me, no matter how sorry people told me they were, Denny and Kat and Teddy weren't my family, and suddenly that distinction had mattered.

--Pg. 185 of "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

*Now double take this:

Review: Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love

Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love

Thomas Nelson / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

She's a beautiful young widow. He's a Southern gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home.

After losing her husband in the Civil War, Carrie Daly is scared she will never have the family she longs for. Eligible bachelors are scarce in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, but Carrie has found love. Not the weak-in-the-knees kind, but something practical. Still, she isn't quite ready to set a wedding date with Nate Chastain.

Griff Rutledge is a former member of Charleston society, but has been estranged from his family for years. He's determined to remain unattached, never settling in one place for too long. But when asked to train a Thoroughbred for an upcoming race in Hickory Ridge, he decides to stay awhile.

Despite objections from the townsfolk, and her fear that true happiness has eluded her, Carrie is drawn to Griff's kindness and charm. It will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts and claim God's promise to give beauty for ashes.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Beauty for Ashes was a wonderful read! I really enjoyed reading Carrie's story and was a little surprised (but happy!) by the way things turned out. Having read the first book, Beyond All Measure, before this one, I had assumed Carrie would end up marrying a certain guy, but reading the book's description made me think I might have assumed incorrectly.

I really liked the characters in Beauty for Ashes and especially liked getting an update on Ada and Wyatt's life. Carrie seemed like a strong woman and I felt bad for how she got treated by her brother's wife and stepsons. There were some surprises in Beauty for Ashes, too.

Overall, Beauty for Ashes was a great read and I really liked it! If you like historical romances, then I think you'll enjoy Beauty for Ashes.

*I received this book (ARC copy) for free for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

Waiting on Wednesday: Gated and Of Beast and Beauty

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to. This is a wonderful chance for blogger to show off what's coming out soon that they are excited about! Every week my wishlist balloons thanks to this awesome meme.

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Gated is out August 27th 2013 by Random House Childrens.

Talk about super cool concept for a dystopian novel. I am all over this one. It reminds me a little bit of The Walking Dead with the community that The Governor owes (at least on the surface).

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Of Beast and Beauty is out July 23rd 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

What a unique twist on this tale. This sounds like a book full of adventures and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Wordless Wednesday: A Walk to the Corner Store

Photo credit: My amazingly talented sister, Michelle Pardini

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Interview & Giveaway! Donna Fletcher Crow ~ Author of A Tincture of Murder!

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Donna!! Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you, I’m delighted to be with you today. I always love meeting new readers. I’ve been a professional writer for almost 40 years now. Argh! And I can’t even say I started young. Before that I was an English teacher. The history of British Christianity is my passion and shows up somewhere in all my books. Glastonbury, A Novel of Christian England, is my best-known work. I am also the author of three mystery series. My newest titles are: An Unholy Communion, The Monastery Murders; A Tincture of Murder, The Lord Danvers Victorian true-crime novels; and A Jane Austen Encounter coming soon in the romantic suspense series The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries. My husband and I live in Boise, Idaho. We have 4 adult children and 11 grandchildren. If I’m not reading you can usually find me drinking tea or gardening.

What is your book, A Tincture of Murder, about?

A Tincture of Murder is book 4 in my Lord Danvers Victorian True-Crime series. Set in mid-Victorian York, it explores the case of William Dove “The Leeds Poisoner” whose trial set legal principles still debated in courts of law today. And as a bonus, I found a second true crime that is more bizarre than anything Charles Dickens dreamed up. It’s so true, fact is often stranger than fiction.

The Lord Danvers books also feature a fictional crime wrapped around the true ones. And in this case I got to explore the work of the 19th century slum priests through the work of Danvers’ younger brother Frederick who has taken Holy Orders and shocked the family by starting a refuge for fallen women and destitute children in the worst slum in York.

And now women are dying unexpectedly at The Magdalen House and Frederick pleads with Lord and Lady Danvers to look into the circumstances. Freddie fears that the Asylum will not survive when news of these deaths spreads throughout the city.

But is death closer to home than anyone suspected? Was a servant girl's untimely death at Wandseley Hall an accident as first believed? And was the fire that nearly destroyed Danvers’ ancestral home linked to the deaths in some way? Is Lady Antonia’s own life threatened?

What is something the average reader wouldn't know about you?

Because of my genteel Anglophile interests few people suspect my tomboy childhood. As an only child I was my father’s son and loved accompanying him on long, and often rugged, horseback rides. I later became queen of our local rodeo, Miss Rodeo Idaho and runner-up for Miss Rodeo America.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Actually, I always wanted to read. As a child if I wasn’t out with my horse I was reading. Ironically, when my reading led me to become a writer I found I didn’t have nearly enough time to read.

How many books have you written/published and do you have a favorite?

I think the official count is something like 43— a little more than one for every year I’ve been writing. My favorite is always the one I’m working on at the moment, but Glastonbury is rather the centerpiece of my career. First published in 1992 it has gone through 4 editions with 3 publishers. Glastonbury, A Novel of Christian England (subtitled A Novel of the Holy Grail in the ebook edition) is an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history from the birth of Christ through the Reformation.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure it’s a quirk— more like a blessing, really— but I do love research. I know many writers groan over this stage of the writing process, but I simply adore poring over dusty books and clambering over crumbling ruins in the mud and rain.

Where do you like to write?

I love my office! It has Celtic knotwork around the ceiling, a plaid carpet and pictures of my grandchildren and my book covers all over the walls. Also a sofa where I can start my day with a cup of tea and morning prayers.

What is the best and/or worst part about being a writer?

The best part is the amazing friends I have made over the years, literally all around the globe. I have friends from all my research trips, other writers and my beloved readers. And now, of course, the delightful people I meet online.

The worst part is probably the discipline it takes. I’m a fairly disciplined person, but there are those days. . .

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read! That’s if I can’t be playing with my grandchildren, but since they live in Los Angeles, Boston, Calgary and Kentucky and I’m in Idaho those times are all too rare.

Is there a place you’d like to visit, but haven’t yet?

All the places I still haven’t been in the British Isles. There’s never enough time or money!

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

My favorite Psalm is 126 in the Book of Common Prayer translation:
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion then were we like those who dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad, indeed.

I hope I got that right, I did it from memory. It’s such a beautiful picture of restoration and gratitude.

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie?

I have loved Jerusalem the Glastonbury Hymn, since I first heard it in the movie “Chariots of Fire.” That was long before I heard it played by a street musician the first time I visited Glastonbury Abbey, but it later became the theme of my epic Glastonbury as I explored the meaning of “And did those feet in ancient times walk upon England’s mountains green?
. . .I shall not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.”
And what a thrill when that was used as a theme song for the opening of last summer’s London Olympics! Of course, I cried.

What is your favorite holiday?

Easter. I love coming out of the dark, somber, penitential season of Lent into the glories of a white and gold altar banked with Easter lilies and singing “Alleluia! Christ the Lord is Risen Today!”

A few this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms?

Anything but wind. I live in a desert so rain is our rarest, most welcome weather— and snow in the mountains means survival for our farmers who rely on irrigation. Kathryn in my Daughters of Courage family saga series tells this story.

Tea or Coffee?

Ah, strong English tea. Preferably Yorkshire Gold, although I’ve just discovered Bewely’s Irish Afternoon. Served in a China pot and tea cups with milk, please.

Call or Text?

Email. Although there’s certainly something to be said for an old-fashioned handwritten letter in an envelope with a stamp!

Early-bird or Night-owl?

Sleeping from midnight to 8 a.m. is my ideal. Not sure what that makes me.

Cats or Dogs?

Horses.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook! I do Twitter, but it drives me crazy. I can cope with Facebook— especially since most of my children are on it.

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint?

A Jane Austen Encounter in my Elizabeth and Richard romantic suspense series. Elizabeth and Richard, both English literature professors, are on sabbatical in England visiting all the sites where Jane Austen lived. This is part working holiday and part second honeymoon (since their first honeymoon at a Shakespeare Festival was interrupted by murder in A Midsummer Eve’s Nightmare). This time things are going much better. Until the dead bodies start showing up.

Thank you so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web?

It was definitely my pleasure! This has been a delightful interview. It’s so much fun to be asked unusual questions. Please visit my website at http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/ and follow me on Facebook at http://ning.it/OHi0MY

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