June ’18 Recap

 

 

June was an extremely busy month – I felt that I barely had time to breathe sometimes. Summer began in earnest, though there were a few days of cooler weather tucked within the June days. Not as many as I would like, but then I would gladly have a longer Fall and Winter ;)

The heat really has been sweltering lately, and without air-conditioning…I feel like I’m going to melt away. Haha.

We started selling at our local farmer’s market again once a week, which has been going well, but takes up a lot of our time in prep-work. I’ve added to my necklaces – now in addition to the Pixie Dust and ‘Drink Me’ ones,  I have some “Message in a Bottle” necklaces, “Dragon Scales”, and “Wishes”. They look pretty cute if I do so say myself. ;) I need to update the blog site I created for them at some point….

 

June was just filled with life-stuff, as usual. We got butcher chickens, and they are quickly becoming annoying and ugly. XD We got the garden in, and spent a whole day weeding (I got sunburned, of course), re-fenced the horse pasture (still need to add the wire line but so far the tape keeps Pepper and Adora in), and other life stuff happened.

I was happily introduced to the amazing movie, “The Greatest Showman”, and that has been a near-constant high. ;) It really is a remarkable movie, and probably shouldn’t even get me started on it… ;)

 

So! Among the busyness and constant running, I managed to actually read a decent amount this month. My sister and I read before bed each night, which helps immensely with that. ;)

 

              

 

 

If already reviewed, you can click on the covers to go there. :) I will have the remaining reviews posted soon, hopefully!

 

Added to my collection:

 

 

Isn’t that cover of “Anne of Avonlea” stunning? And I found it at a Free Little Library! So cute.

Oh and see that little Paris lamp to the right? I found that at a garage sale and was so thrilled because I’ve been wanting an Eiffel Tower figurine thing and this is perfect. :)

 

 

Main Monday Posts from June:

 

 

Devotional Type Post: “It’s Okay”

 

 

Books Reviewed:

Jesus Calling // Quest for Leviathan // Among the Poppies //  Enchanting Nicholette // The Orphan’s Wish // A Breath of Hope // Trust and Obey //

 

“Trust and Obey” by Faith Blum ~ Blog Tour/Review

Faith Blum has a new book. And it’s not a Western. It is a fairy tale retelling set during the time of King Saul. Read on to learn more about the book.

About the Book

A wicked priestess, a morally corrupt king, and two children stuck in the middle…

Hadassah and Gidal love their parents and will do anything for them. When Priestess Basmat tell Ehud and Jerusha to pay their debt, they cannot and she takes Hadassah and Gidal as her slaves for two years.

The priestess works them hard, but there are two other servants to divide the load with, so they cope as well as they can. Then King Saul comes in disguise requesting the priestess’s other services—as a medium.

Will Hadassah and Gidal trust Adonai to take care of them? What will happen after Priestess Basmat comes face-to-face with the prophet Samuel?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D939ZPL

“Breath of Hope” by Lauraine Snelling ~ Book Review

 

“Breath of Hope” by Lauraine Snelling

Book 2 in the Under Northern Skies series

Review copy through publisher

My rating: 3.5/4 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter arrives, with an offer to pay her passage, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they are thrilled to join older brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota.

But America is not everything Nilda imagined. A terrifying experience in a lumber camp shakes Nilda’s confidence and trust in men, but a job helping a young widow raise her children and run her farm gives her a chance to build her own life. When she meets Fritz, the children’s schoolteacher, she is initially unimpressed and uninterested. His kindness and passion for learning begin to win her over, but how can she sacrifice her dreams for the future for a man she’s still not sure of?

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

Book Two in the “Under Northern Skies” series, “A Breath of Hope” continues Signe and Rune’s story in America as well as Rune’s siblings, Nilda and Ivar, joining them from Norway.

I was expecting this book to be more of Nilda’s story than anyone else’ but I was still quite pelased to find that we got to see more from Signe and Rune, and experience the story through their POV’s too.

What I like about this series is that it portrays life as it was in that time period, and the trials and experiences they went through with a realistic view.

And the names are always fantastic – I love the Norwegian background. It was fun that in this one, we get to see a little more of Norway in the beginning as Nilda and Ivar are saving to make their trip to America.

This book was a little…lacking in a main plot line. It’s more of a continuation of every-day life from the first book, with not much climax. So, it could be a bit of a slow read, but I still enjoyed it. The characters were well-built up just like the first one, and the setting/descriptions were strong.

There were a couple of “inconsistencies” where they would skip over something just mentioned, or didn’t revisit a “plot line” I thought they would. There was also a fair build up to something happening, but when it was revealed at the very end it wasn’t very monumental, if that makes sense.

But all in all, I still enjoyed reading it, and am curious to see what the next book will hold. I don’t feel like we really got to hear much of Nilda’s story, so I would like to see hers especially continue. :)

 

*This doesn’t really pertain to the review or the book’s contents at all, but I must admit I was a little bummed when the review copy came and it was hardcopy, because the first was paperback, and I want a series to match. Am I the only one? XD

Quote:

“Never is a long time. Somehow we will find a way.”

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Bucket List

 

 

On this fine Monday, I thought I would take a page from “The Heart Between Us” by Lindsay Harrel, and share my own sort of Bucket List. I’ve never actually really made one before, but I thought it might make a rather fun blog post. ^.^ So, enjoy reading some things I would like to do one day! In no particular order. :) And if you feel so inspired, please do share your own bucket list either in the comments or in your own blog post and share the link with me – I’d love to read it!

 

 

 

Raechel’s Bucket List

 

 

Publish a Book

Meet my best friend for the first time

Get married/raise children

Visit India and experience life there (and buy a sari :) )

Have my own personal library

Visit Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, just because these are all amazing places

Attend an old-fashioned ball

Ride on a train

Explore a castle in Ireland

 

Own and ride a dragon ;)

 

 

 

 

So, obviously that is only a small list, but given more time I’m certain I could name a few more things I want to do.  In on odd way, I’m not a huge future-planner. I like day-to-day plans, but for the future…it’s not something I think of much. I figure that what will happen, will happen. It’s in God’s hands. :) But it is fun to dream isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

(In case you missed it, I interviewed Lindsay Harrel at the beginning of this month, and shared a character introduction for one of her characters, as well as reviewed the book. You can check those out here: Interview   Character Introduction   Review  )

 

 

 

Thanks for reading! Are any of my items on your own bucket list? :)

“The Orphan’s Wish” by Melanie Dickerson ~ Book Review

 

 

 

“The Orphan’s Wish” by Melanie Dickerson

Book #8 in the Hagenheim Series of Fairy-tale retellings

Review copy from the publishers through BookLook Bloggers.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break.

Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn’t enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he’s an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune.

Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain?

An enchanting new version of the well-known tale, The Orphan’s Wish tells a story of courage and loyalty, friendship and love, and reminds us what “family” really means.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I think this cover has to be one my favourites of Melanie Dickerson’s. :) The colors are very attractive and it’s just a very lovely cover. ^.^

The story itself is a light, sweet read. While normally I don’t so much mind or notice when reading YA if it is below my age level, I admit that I found this one to be a bit simple for me. This isn’t really a bad thing, it just wasn’t as engaging as I was hoping. There were a lot of predictable and common troupes that I found a little over-done, but I think that partially had to do with the mood I was in while reading.

The characters themselves were pretty well built-up. I personally couldn’t really connect, and sometimes felt that Aladdin had a bit of a ‘poor me’ spirit about him, when I wanted to see more of an overcomer sort of character.

Besides the fact that the main character is named Aladdin and he has a little friend named Abu, and he was a street rat, there weren’t a whole lot of other related facts to it being an Aladdin retelling. Which was okay, just something I thought I would state. I really didn’t mind that it wasn’t much related to the original. And I must say, I do really like and appreciate that the author writes fairy-tale retellings without the magic.

The faith strand was pretty good – it was present, but light. I wanted a bit more emphases to be made that God is the One we go to to be fulfilled instead of turning towards people, but that wasn’t really shown all that much.

It was a clean book, which is always appreciated. There were a couple kisses in the end, but nothing too strong. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn’t my favourite of this author. And as always, that doesn’t mean others won’t adore it, because I do think that it could be a favourite for someone else!   I think this would be a very good read for the ages that it is geared towards.  :)

Quotes:

“Aladdin pointed to the place where its slender trunk was shattered but still holding together. ‘Strange that it can be so broken but still so alive.’ Just like him.”

“But that’s not my job, is it, God? You’re the only One who can heal a soul wound.”

 

“Enchanting Nicholette” by Dawn Crandall ~ Review

Hullo! Yesterday was the release day of the “Timeless Love” collection, of which “Enchanting Nicholette is apart!  Did you pre-ordered Timeless Love? If so, you now have the pre-Whitaker House edition of Enchanting Nicholette in your hands to read and enjoy which is quite fun. :) And if you don’t, there’s still time to order your copy to your kindle right now! It’s only 99cents and all royalties go to the Livestrong Foundation.
https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Love-Romantic-Stories-th…/…/

 

And now I shall share my review of the dear story, “Enchanting Nicholette”…

 

 

“Enchanting Nicholette” by Dawn Crandall

A novella apart of The Everstone Chronicles

 

Review ecopy from the author

My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

About the book:

In this captivating novella by Dawn Crandall, Nicholette Everstone is already a widow at the age of twenty-two: her husband was murdered on their wedding day. She has just returned to Boston after two years of mourning in Europe. Although her husband was loving, the marriage was an arranged one, and Nicholette would like to wed again–this time for love…and to someone safe

As she acclimates to life in Back Bay again, Nicholette meets someone she can’t help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and sacrifices Cal Hawthorne takes on for the safety of others, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears of “what if” at bay?

 

My Thoughts:

A sweet, enchanting (see what I did there? ;)) novella! Admittedly it took be a tiny bit to really get into the story, but I think that is mostly because I wasn’t entirely familiar with the characters; I’ve only read one book of Dawn Crandall’s (which I loved!), and that was quite a while ago. However, once I kept reading, it all worked itself out and it can be read as a stand alone since it is Nichollete’s story.

And Cal’s, of course. I loved Cal so much. He made such an excellent hero, and I fell in love with him immediately. I very much liked Nicholette but I didn’t really bond with her as much; not quite sure why. I certainly didn’t dislike her – that is far from it. She was a good character, and I felt for it, just didn’t deeply connect. I loved their relationship, though, and how it was all accomplished in a short amount of time. Of course,  I would’ve loved a full-size novel from this story, but I just love full-sized novels. XD “Enchanting Nicholette” was written very well and didn’t feel like it was lacking anything at all.

The kissing scenes got very heated though, which did make me a little uncomfortable, especially when they weren’t married… I don’t mind reading about a kiss here or there in fiction, because frankly there are few books that don’t contain kissing, but these scenes were a bit much in my  opinion.

But I know that is a personal-preference thing.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and look forward to reading more of her books!!

*You can find this novella in the Timeless Love Collection for a short while longer, otherwise EN will be available on its own in both ebook and paperback this October. :)

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

It’s okay

Today, I am supposed to share a devotional. And yet…I have nothing planned or prewritten out. I’m the kind of person that likes order and routine and schedules, and being prepared, so in general I try to have blog posts typed up at least several days in advance, but this month’s devotional has evaded me. Every time I tried to sit down and write it, nothing would come.

Life has been extremely busy lately, with lots of running and time away from home. I feel like I haven’t learned anything monumental that I could share. And that disappoints me. It feels like I’ve failed. I know that it’s not true. When I first prayed about starting this blogging schedule, my concern was on missing a post, and the Lord has to remind me – would that be the end of the world? In the grand scheme of things, a missed post is not much of a problem at all. I just knew that I would feel badly, even if they were never read anyways – because I am a routine person, and if I say I’m going to do something, I want to follow through with that. Without making mistakes. But that is just not possible sometimes. We will make mistakes, we will miss things that we said we’d do. Not out of malicious intent, but because it happens. I’m still learning to give myself more grace especially in this area.

I think – no, I know – that it is one of the reasons I am hesitant to talk about my writing publicly. Because I feel that if I start talking about it, or even talking about a possible release date in the far future, I will absolutely have to follow through with that, and I know that I can’t right now. And in some ways it is good to not promise what we know we can’t follow through with, but sometimes we do need to give ourselves room to dream, speculate, and grow. To hope. And leave the results in God’s hands.

I’m kind of going off on a bunny-trail now. ^.^

But yes, sometimes –  a lot of times – life will not go how we plan it, and it’s during those times especially that we have to hold on to the One who has everything in His hand. We have to follow His leading even when it brings us to places we didn’t think we’d go. We learn so many little things on these journeys. Maybe they don’t seem monumental at the time of learning them, but when we look back, we realize the little things He’s been growing us in all along.

So no, I don’t have a proper devotional to post today. All I have are these few meager words. And that’s okay. Because…grace. His grace is sufficient for me.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

“Among the Poppies” by J’nell Ciesielski ~ Book Review

Among the Poppies by J’nell Ciesielski 

WWI Fiction

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

Can their love survive? Or will it become another casualty of war?

The ideal lady wears lace, speaks quietly, and never—under any circumstances—fixes an automobile. But Gwyn Ruthers has never cared two snaps about being the ideal lady. With the war to end all wars exploding across the English Channel, she leaves behind her restrictive life as a chauffer’s daughter to serve in an all-female ambulance unit in France. She’s not about to let her social status or gender prevent her from serving her country. Not even a handsome captain can distract her from her mission. Most of the time.

Captain William Crawford wouldn’t wish the ravages of war on any man, much less the captivating woman who insists on driving into battle instead of staying safely at home. He can’t deny that the troops need more medical help, but not when it puts innocent women in danger. How can he lead his men against the Jerries while worrying about Gwyn’s safety?

Bound together by circumstances, Gwyn and William can’t stop the love growing between them. Can their relationship survive, or will it become another casualty of war?

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

This was quite the beautiful story, and a great debut novel. Not to mention that the cover itself is stunning, too. :) At times, it felt very Downton-Abbey/Crimson-Fields-esque, which was rather fun, since I enjoy both of those BBC shows.

The writing style was extremely well done. It flowed brilliantly, and was truly captivating.

The characters were very likeable as well. I couldn’t help picturing Sybil from Downton Abbey for Gwyn. She was a very independent young woman with a mind of her own. Of course, she wasn’t completely like Sybil – Gwyn grew up as the chauffer’s daughter, learning to work on cars which was her passion. She could be a little too strong-headed at times, too, thinking it was bad to be a woman. And honestly, that view does kind of wear on me. I find it is slipped in constantly, no matter the time period of the book, that “woman belong in the kitchen” is akin to a swear-word, and women’s rights, etc. I’m a woman, I’m not a fan of cooking myself. However, I do help out in the kitchen because I do believe that a woman’s place is to *serve*; where ever, however, including the kitchen. It’s not a bad thing. I don’t believe that woman are lesser or should be treated with less respect, or anything of the sort. I just wish that feminism wouldn’t be so pushed in every book I read.But anyway! Rant over, yes? Back to the actual review…

So I enjoyed the book, there were just a couple of things like this that I didn’t care for as much.

Of course I loved the two main characters. But I need to mention Roland. Side-character, yes, but oh my word. He was so fantastic. ^.^ His little quips always made me laugh, and his attitude was just the best. <3 <3

I liked Gwyn’s best friend, Cecelia, but sometimes I admit she could be a bit annoying. Still, their friendship was admirable.

I will also sort of ‘warn’ that there were several passionate kisses in this book. I think they went a little far at times, but I know that everybody’s preference regarding kissing in books is different.

The plot-line was great. It was very drawing, and I didn’t want to leave its pages. The action was well-played out, and WWI depicted realistically. I cannot imagine the horrors, really. All of it would have been so terrible.

But these characters handled it admirably, and it was fascinating to see the battle side of things of WWI.

 

SPOILER!! Please don’t read if you want the book to be a surprise as this gives away a plot-line!!

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.(Highlight words below to see, at your own risk. ;))

 But Roland! I was so, so, so upset. Like, why?? He deserved his own happily ever after. I think I can say he was my favourite character, and therefore…yeah, I wasn’t happy with his ending. Made me terribly sad and upset.

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END OF SPOILER

 

 

 

Character Introduction: Megan Jacobs // Giveaway Winner Announced!

Happy Monday! Today not only do I have the pleasure of sharing a character-introduction for Megan Jacobs of “The Heart Between Us” by Lindsay Harrel, but I also am here to announce the winner from the giveaway featured last week of this very special book! So be sure to read till the end to see who won!

 

 

(If you’re new to these posts: The idea behind them is just to spotlight the character a bit, give a little description of their personality, and for fun, a few books I’d recommend to them if I could.) 

 

 

 

(Photo found on the author’s pinterest page; used only for enjoyment -I do not claim any rights to this picture)

 

 

Megan is a courageous character. She struggled with health complications growing up, and eventually received a heart transplant.

These things kept her “grounded” – she lived her life carefully. But then she meets the parents of her heart-donor and they lend Megan their daughter’s journal. I would say that this was a life-changing point for her.

As Megan sets out to fulfill her heart donor’s Bucket List, she learns about herself too, realizing she has been courageous all along. The Bucket List quickly becomes her own..

I like Megan because she is relatable. Yes, she did live her life in fear sometimes, but she also stepped out in crazy faith and grew so much along her journey. And I loved following her on her adventures. :)

 

 

 

Books I would recommend to Megan:

 

Well, she is more into travel books, not necessarily fiction. None the less, I would suggest…

 

“The Josey Series” by Susan May Warren// I think she’d enjoy these as I did, as they begin in Minnesota, and proceed to travel – to Russia in this case.

 

Melissa Tagg’s books// The writing style of these books is fun, not to mention the stories are great. I think Megan would enjoy them for sure.

 

“A Song Unheard” by Roseanna M. White// While this is WWII historical, and I  kind of think Megan would read more contemporary fiction, I do believe she’d like this book and its heroine. I just get that feeling. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Megan for yourself in “The Heart Between Us”:

 Megan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide in her small Minnesota hometown and living with her parents, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.

When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.

As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most.

 

 

 

And now….how about we get to that giveaway winner?!

 

 

 

 

!!!!* Beth Tate *!!!!

 

 

Congratulations, Beth! I hope you’ll love “The Heart Between Us” as much as I did!  I’ll be in contact with you to get you the book from Lindsay Harrel :)

 

And a HUGE thank you to each of you who entered – I was very thankful to see the entries! :) I’m sorry you can’t all win, but I do definitely encourage you to check out the book!

 

 

 

If you missed the Author Interview from last Monday, or my review of this book, you can find those here:

 

  

 

“Quest for Leviathan” by Amanda Tero ~ Book Review

“Quest for Leviathan” by Amanda Tero

Short story

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

My review:

 

This was a great short story. It was unique, and definitely captivating, even though the pages were few. And the illustrations were splendid! I love the depth they added. Very well done. In ways, the short story gave off a slightly How to Train Your Dragon (book not movie) feel, but that could very well just be me. ;) It had a Christian message of surrender which was very good. My only “complaint”, if you can call it that, is that it was too short. I would’ve loved to read even a novella length of this story. :) I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the author I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

 

About the Author

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continued to add to her collection with other short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Connect with Amanda

Email: amandaterobooks@gmail.com

Website: http://amandatero.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandaterobooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandateroauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amandaruthtero/

Blog: www.withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AmandaTero

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/amandatero