Waiting on Wednesday - Isla and the Happily Ever After

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we share a book that we are waiting for.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After Goodreads Summary
From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Why I'm Waiting
I still need to read the first two books, because they sound really good! Hopefully I'll get to read them soon, or closer to the date that this one comes out.

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Top Ten Tuesday - Books You'll Like if You Like Where Courage Calls

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we pick the top ten things that we choose for the topic of the week.

Topic - Top Ten Books if You Like Where Courage Calls
Where Courage Calls is my favorite TV show, and it's on my favorite channel - Hallmark! It is such a wonderful show, so inspiring, and the actors and actresses are amazing and perfect for their parts. I really, really, really hope that it comes back soon with season two!

    
Where Courage Calls - The book the movie and shows are based off of. It was amazing!

When Calls the Heart - Similar to the show and about Elizabeth's aunt.

Christy - Also about a teacher who makes a difference.

    

All of these books have similar elements of faith, helping others, and making a difference. I loved each and every one of them!

A Tailor Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

This is a book that I read last year, so my review might not be as in depth as they sometimes are.

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Tailor-Made Bride Goodreads Summary
When Hannah, a dressmaker who values beauty, decides to help Jericho, a liveryman who condemns vanity, catch a beau for his sister, their actions lead to uproarious consequences for the whole town.

My Review
A Tailor Made Bride was a very fun and entertaining read that transported me to another time and place - from the setting and descriptions, to the characters faith in God, to the many laugh out loud moments. I also loved both the main and minor characters.

Hannah was a very strong, determined, and witty heroine. She wouldn't let anyone or anything get her down, no matter what! Watching her dreams come true, working to make everything come out the way she wanted, and helping others along the way. She was so kind and caring.

Jericho was great. He seemed so tough and gruff, but on the inside he was really sweet and caring. While he didn't approve of Hannah's profession, he didn't want to see her get hurt. There was also the underlying wit and humor between them. He didn't want to like her, but what does God want?

If you like a good book that will entertain you through every page, make you laugh and smile, and wish you were the main character - than A Tailor Made Bride is for you!


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Week of Wonder

Week of Wonder is what I call my Weekly Wrap-up. I will link up everything that I did on my blog this week - books I read, books I reviewed, what challenges I've added to, what I'm currently reading, all my other posts, etc. I will also let you know about any upcoming events that are coming up on my blog.

Reviews

The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene

Other Posts

Top Ten Characters Who Would be my BFF

Waiting on Wednesday - Remnants Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews, where you show what books you got during the week.

Bought (Free)

  

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

The Maide of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fault in Our Stars Goodreads Summary
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Now before everyone starts hating me, I will admit right from the start that I read this book against my will. I had heard about this book so many times, everyone seems to like it, but it just didn't sound like my kind of book; so I promised myself that I would never have to read it. Then for Spring Break my class was given a choice of, maybe, five novels to read over break and three of my friends really liked TFiOS and begged me to read it. So. Therefore. You see how it was against my will to begin with. I expected to hate it. Completely hate it. Every single word of it. While that obviously didn't happen (based on my review) I didn't love it either.

I have mixed feelings about this book and I think that I want to give it a 2.5.

TFiOS did make me laugh and smile at times (against my will of course). It also made me cry a lot, like lay face down on my pillow and cry my eyes out (especially at the end of the book), and cry. It was just so extremely sad. But it also made me want to put it down and not pick it back up or throw it across the room at times. I felt like at times their attitudes were a little much, sometimes hopeless, or maybe slightly unbelievable. Maybe, I as a reader, just have completely different views and opinions and we just clashed - and that's okay too.  There were some things that I liked about Hazel and Augustus and their relationship though. It was sweet, they had great banter at times, their thoughts and love for a book. I also liked some of the language - metaphors, similes, etc. - they were very well written.

That one person (if you've read it, you know who) made me extremely mad)! He had no right!

Since most of you have already read this book I'm going to keep it short. I will say, though, that I found this book to be slightly lacking in hope, which I find very important in books. I guess this just wasn't my type of book and I'm going to stop now before I make all of you TFiOS lovers to mad or make myself cry or get really mad. Feel free to comment if you feel like you want to know what I thought about any particular part in the book, or to complain and argue my review!


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Waiting on Wednesday - Remnants Season of Fire

Season of Fire by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Season of Fire Goodreads Summary
After tackling her first mission and coming to terms with her power of empathy, Andrei and her fellow Remnants discover their first battles were only a taste of what is to come. As the Sons of Sheol continue their assault on the world, planning to keep all hope dead, the Remnant finds itself battling within its ranks.
With everyone pursuing what they feel is the best course of action, trouble mounts—and Andrei finds herself in terrible danger at the hands of Kellach. The Remnants must travel to Italy and find a way to fight as one before it is too late.

Why I'm Waiting
I loved Remnants Season of Wonder, the first book in the Remnants series, as well as all of the other books I have ever read by Lisa T. Bergren. I can't wait to read this book and continue on the wonderful journey and interesting world of the Remnants, and find out what else Lisa has in store for us! August 14, can not come fast enough!


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Top Ten Tuesday - Characters Who Would be My BFF

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we pick the top ten things that we choose for the topic of the week.

Topic - Top Ten Characters Who Would be My BFF

Gabriella Betarinni - If I could go back in time to fourteenth century Italy Gariella would definitely be my bff (along with Marcello and Luca of course). We have a lot of personality similarities, though she is probably a lot braver than me.

Lia Bettarini - Again, if I could go back in time to fourteenth century Italy, Lia would be my BFF. I think we would get along well, and we also have a lot of personality similarities. We could all fight the evil nights and try not to tell anyone about modern inventions.

Adriana and all of the other Remnants and Nights - If I could live in any dystopian world, it would be the one in this series, and I would be BFF's with all of the other Remnants and Nights. They are so strong and work so well together. Very inspiring!

Eleanor Braddock - Eleanor Braddock is such a good person, the one that's always there. The type of person that anyone would want as a BFF. We 

Lady Alexander - If I could go to Regency London Alex would be my BFF (along with Gavin Blackmoor). Her determined personality is so much like my own.

Kelsey and Ren - We could go explore India and the U.S. and go see some tigers.

Elizabeth Thatcher - We also have a lot in common. Our personalities, Religion, and teaching.

Thalli - If I was in that dystopian world, we would be BFF's.

All of the characters in The Lunar Chronicles - If I lived in the Commonwealth we would be BFF's and save everyone from Queen Levana.

Cameron Morgan - We could be BFF spies together.

Week of Wonder

Week of Wonder is what I call my Weekly Wrap-up. I will link up everything that I did on my blog this week - books I read, books I reviewed, what challenges I've added to, what I'm currently reading, all my other posts, etc. I will also let you know about any upcoming events that are coming up on my blog.

Reviews

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Remnants Season of Wonder by Lisa T. Bergren

Posts

A Beauty So Rare Extra - Dress on the Cover

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Things I'd Like (that aren't books) 

WoW - Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

Liebster Blog Awards (2, 3, and 4)

Stacking the Shelves

I am a Christian, and God is the center of my life. My goal is to read the whole Bible from beginning to end (not necessarily completely in order) before July 13, when I go on a Mission Trip to Romania.

Books of the Bible I read this week

Exodus (finished the last few pages)

Leviticus

Numbers

Matthew

Happy Easter

I love Easter, because it celebrates God's never ending love for us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus died on the cross for us, to save us from our sins so that we could have eternal life, and three days later he rose from the dead! I can't think of anything more amazing than that!

God has done so many amazing things, he's so forgiving, and he's always there for his children to talk to. As I spend this Easter with my family I know I will think of how amazing and powerful God is, and feel so blessed for all he has done in my life, and the lives of those around me!

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews, where you show what books you got during the week.

Not to much this week. I still have a ton of books to read, so maybe I can catch up a little!

What I borrowed from Library

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

What I Bought

It Happened at the Fair (free)

Remnants Season of Wonder by Lisa Tawn Bergren

I waited so long for this book, and was so excited to finally be able to read it! Lisa T. bergren is one of my favorite authors, and many of her books are on my favorites shelf, so I've been anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it.

Season of Wonder by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Season of Wonder Goodreads Summary
In the first book of the new futuristic dystopian series from author Lisa T. Bergren, the chosen remnants must work to redirect humanity’s course.

The year is 2095. Gifted teens known as Remnants have been chosen and trained to act as humanity’s last hope to rectify the horrors that are now part of everyday life.

The Community has trained these teens as warriors and assigned them Knights of the Last Order as protectors. Together, they are a force that will be difficult to bring down.

But the Sons of Sheol, of course, are determined to do just that. As the Remnants begin their mission to course-correct humanity by saving and protecting key individuals, their enemies move to stop them, placing the entire world in peril.

Bestselling author Lisa T. Bergren presents the first book in her new YA futuristic dystopian series—The Remnants Novels—fitting in with the current dystopian trend in the marketplace.

My Review
I had high hopes and no doubts for Lisa Tawn Bergren's new Remnants series, and she did not disappoint with the first book of her new series; she can write dystopian with the best of them. I loved it, and another Bergren book has been added to my favorites! She has a way with writing wonderful characters who are strong in their faith, totally swoonworthy guys, and a perfect balance of faith, action, and humor. This was a perfect start to a new dystopian world.

I loved the whole purpose of the Remnants and their extremely important but dangerous mission from God. Spreading the word of the Maker to the world, helping others, and overcoming evil were what these Remnants and the Nights of the First Order were born to do. Their training, though vigorous, definitely paid off. The world has changed and holds many new horrors. Can they save it with the help of the Maker? Through all of the action, Vidar is always there to make everyone laugh and lighten the mood!

I loved how all of the Remnants and Knights worked together, used all of their talents (I won't tell you what they are), and were able - with the help of the Maker - to discern good and bad in people. Andriana, Ronan, Belona, Vidar, Tressa, Killian, Niero, and others you will meet in the book each had a unique personality and talent that proved very useful, and each one now has a place in my bookish heart!

They met so many inspiring people of faith along the way who helped them, those they were called to spread faith to, and those who were hunting them with the intent to harm them. This book reminded me of Bergren's talent for creating fast paced and heart pounding, action that will leave your hearts racing!

The details were amazing! The world had changed so much, and there were many places that the Remnants and Nights came across through their travels, and Lisa Tawn Bergren did a fantastic job of painting each scene and making it come to life, ultimately making the reader feel like the main character.

Andriana and Ronan! Ronan! Oh, they were perfect. I loved their relationship and how he was always there for her and ready to protect her, and Andriana was such a strong heroine. Hopefully love can overcome all odds, and they won't have to hide their love for each other! There were some very swoonworthy moments that made me smile nonstop and I'm pretty sure I said aww at least once!

This book proves that the Maker has a purpose for everyone. A plan, a calling that needs to be fulfilled and answered. It may seem daunting, but trust in the Maker, and he will provide a way.

If you like dystopian, go read this book right now! You won't be disappointed!

There are so many quotes that I love from this book, but I'm not going to use any of them because I really think you should read it! I could talk about this book all day, but then I'm afraid I would spoil everything, so I'll stop now, but I must that I can't wait for the next two books to come out!


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Waiting on Wednesday - Full Steam Ahead

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we share a book that we are waiting for.

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she's stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's "not." Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.

Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole's father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping's good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father's work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father's rivals—the Jenkins brothers—on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.

Darius Thornton needs a secretary—someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the "Louisiana," Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he's determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won't distract him from his important research.

The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she'll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can't remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn't fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves.


Why I'm Waiting
I have read a few books by Karen Witemeyer, and they were fantastic. Full Steam Ahead sounds very interesting with a dash of mystery, romance, adventure, science, and more. Not to mention I love historical Christian fiction books!

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Liebster Blog Awards (2, 3, and 4)

About a week ago I was nominated for a second Liebster Blog Award by Ipshita Ranjana from Gateway to a Different World, two days later for a third Liebster Blog Award by Yuan Tian at Obsessive Compulsive Reader, and three days later a fourth Liebster Blog Award by Alisa Kepner at The Reading Obsession! Thank you all so much, I feel so honored! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get this post out (especially for some of you). This post will have everyones questions and answers in it, and I'm only doing the 11 facts about me once.

What is this?
The Liebster Award is an award to bloggers with less than 200 followers from fellow bloggers, and its goal is to spread the word and introduce us to new blogs. It's so awesome how wonderful new blogs appear all the time!

The Rules
List 11 facts about yourself.
Answer the 11 questions asked by whoever nominated you.
Ask 11 new questions to 9 bloggers with less than 200 followers (you can't re-nominate the blog that nominated you).
Go to their blog and tell them they have been nominated and leave a link to their post.

11 Facts About Me (I'm going to have to cheat and use some of the ones I came up for my first Liebster Blog Award, sorry)
1. My faith is extremely important to me, my biggest dream is to go on at least one mission trip in my lifetime.

2. I plan on going on a Mission Trip to Romania with a group of people at my Church this summer. I'm so excited! I hope that God uses us to speak to the children there and makes a difference in both their lives and our lives.

3. I love inspiring books.

4. I teach the 2-year old class at my Church during the first service.

5. I am shy and quiet, until you get to know me, then I talk a lot, though I do talk more than I used to. Some people who just meet me think I'm to serious, but they don't know/understand me.

6. I laugh a lot (like, a lot, a lot), I'm emotional and cry and laugh while reading, and I'm easily embarrassed (pale skin can be a curse when embarrassed, because even if you are wearing foundation, blushing is still visible).

7. I play the flute, picallo, and a little piano.

8.  I love summer because there is no school, I can read more, there are flowers, I can take my dog for a walk, and I can be outside all day long (my favorite place to read is on my porch or in my grandparents gazebo when it's warm). I also love snow, but feel like it should only be cold if it is going to snow.

9. I love Christmas, because of the reason for the season, and it is a season of hope, joy, love, and giving. I sing Christmas songs from Thanksgiving until the day after my Birthday, which is in January, and I make my parents leave the tree up until then too. I also drive my parents nuts by filling up the DVR when I record and watch all Hallmark (and some other) Christmas movies. I just love the spirit of Christmas.

10. I love animals.

11. I'm seventeen, a junior, and I want to become a teacher (I counted this as one because some of you already know this, and I cheated with most of the others, so, yeah)

Questions from Ipshita
1. What are your interests apart from reading?
When I'm not reading I like to spend time with my family and friends, walk my dog, help others, blog (you never would have guessed, right?), garden, cook, ice skate, ride my bike, listen to music and sing, and watch Hallmark, etc.

2. Are you a morning or night person?
I normally hate getting up early unless it's for something important to me. I tend to be a bit grouchy sometimes if I get up to early, but I do like to get up by nine (when there's no school). I like to stay up late, but normally go to bed around 10:00-10:30 on school nights because if I don't that morning grouchiness comes out and scares everyone around me!

3. The series with whom you share a love and hate relationship?
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Foreman. I liked the first one, but I didn't really like the second one. It just wasn't my type of reading.

4. Your favorite book boyfriend
Oh my! Marcello in the River of Time series, Ronan in the Remnants series, and Marcus in A Beauty So Rare! Such amaazing guys of Steong faith and wonderful character and personality! READ THEM AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY!

5. Batman or Superman?
Superman

6. Young adult or new adult?
YOUNG adult! I only read clean books, and NA just doesn't seem to meet that standard, needless to say I have never even read any NA before. Feel free to recommend any you think I should read, just remember that they have to be clean and I'll give it a try!

7. How did you start blogging?
I signed up for a blogger account, and started posting book reviews and bookish memes! Not quite what you wanted? Well, I love to read and wanted to share my love of books with others.

8. Your worst nightmare
Me hurting someone I love, or something happening to someone I love

9.What's your favorite genre?
YA, Christian Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction, and fairy tale retelling (hey, I'm saying it can count), historical, and mysteries

10. Do you prefer desserts or spicy food?
DESSERTS!

11. Sweet and diplomatic reviews or snarky and straightforward reviews?
I like honest reviews with personality, and believe that all reviews should be polite.

Questions from Yuan
1. Favorite place(s) to read
I love to read outside either in the swing (glider like kind) in our yard, or on my porch, but my favorite is the gazebo at my grandparents house. I love to be outside and the sounds of birds and the creek by our house are so nice. When it's to cold, I like to read in the room between our kitchen and living room (it doesn't really have a name and it's not exactly a room) or in my bed.

2. Bookshops vs Library: Which do you visit more often? Do you prefer buying or borrowing books?
I like to own books, but it gets kind of expensive. But I don't really a way to get to the Library very often so I end up borrowing ebooks, buying ebooks, or going to a bookshop. I guess I really need to get a car!

3. Do you notate your books or keep them clean and pristine?
Sometimes, but not very often I will highlight a quote in an ebook, but if it's a real book I keep it clean and pristine!

4. Who's your favorite artist/painting?
I guess Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. It looks slightly magical in places.

5. Do you know a second language? If so, which one? If not, which one would you want to learn?
I know a little Spanish. I'm taking Spanish 2 now and I'll take College Spanish next year as a senior, but I would love to learn French.

6. Who's your celebrity crush?
Oh My! I like Shane Harper, he seems to have a great personality and he's a Christian, he did a great job in the movie God is not Dead. When Calls the Heart is my favorite TV series, so I like Daniel Lissing who plays Jack (I like his character)! and James Maslow from Big Time Rush (he's on Dancing with the Stars now)!

7. Besides reading and blogging, what else do you like to do in your spare time?
When I'm not reading I like to spend time with my family and friends, walk my dog, help others, garden, cook, ice skate, ride my bike, listen to music and sing, and watch Hallmark, etc.

8. Do you also write, if so which genre?
I would really like to write, but I'm kind of scared to. If I did it would probably be one of or a mix of my favorite genre's.

9. Are you a coffee or tea person?
Definitely a tea person. I think coffee tastes like burnt dirt!

10. When you are having a bad day, what do you do to destress?
To destress I like to read, pet my dog or cat, watch TV (mainly Hallmark movies and shows), or listen to music.

11. If you suddenly received a monetary windfall (say $1000), what would you do with it?
I would give $600 to charities, spend $100 on books, and save the rest. Or I would put it toward a mission trip (they're expensive).

Questions from Alisa
1. What are your favorite genres?
YA, Christian Historical Fiction/Christian Fiction, and fairy tale retelling (hey, I'm saying it can count), historical, and mysteries

2. Which fictional world would you most like to live in?
I would love to live in Lisa Tawn Bergren's world in the River of Time series. It would be so amazing!

3. Why did you decide to blog?
I have followed a lot of book blogs for a few years and I always though that it would be fun, but I was scared. So at the beginning of this year I finally decided that I didn't care what anyone else thought, because I wanted to do it. I read all the time and wished to share my books with others.

4. What's your favorite food?
Chocolate

5. What is your least favorite part about blogging?
Sometimes I feel like I'm behind on my reading. I love getting free books from authors and publishers, but sometimes I feel like I don't get them read and reviewed fast enough. Sometimes I want to read a book I bought but don't feel like I should until I read all the other books, which gets frustrating sometimes. (This doesn't happen all the time, and it's not because I don't want to read the book, I'm just in the mood to read something else).

6. What is your favorite part about blogging?
I love sharing my books, thoughts, and opinions with other people that share my love of reading. Meeting new people from all over the world is amazing too, not to mention interacting with authors, and receiving free books.

7. How long does it take for you to write a post?
It honestly depends on what kind of post it is. For example Waiting on Wednesday, Stacking the Shelves, and Weekly Wrap-ups (I call the Week of Wonder) posts don't take as long. For Top Ten Tuesdays and reviews it usually depends on what it is, how much I say, and how long it takes me to come up with it. Then it depends on whether or not I want to save it and come back to it later. Then there are posts like this one that honestly take up about 4 hours or more altogether (not exaggerating I promise).

8. How do you feel about book release dates being pushed back?
I hate it when release dates are pushed back, especially if it's a book I've really been looking forward to.

9. What is your favorite part of the day?
It depends on what day it is, whether or not there is school, and what I have to do that day.

10. What are some of your favorite and least favorite books turned into movies?
I haven't watched many book to movie adaptations, but I liked Where Courage Calls, and I need to watch Divergent sometime.

11. If you could go anywhere in this world, where would you go?
If I could go anywhere in the world I would travel around Europe! I'm fascinated by other cultures and I would love to go to so many countries in Europe.

My Questions
1. Favorite bookish moment
2. Favorite genre
3. Have you been to another country,where would you like to go?
4. Favorite place to read
5. Any unique bookish goals?
6. Who's your Bookish Boyfriend and Bookish BFF?
7. Do you write? If so what genre?
8. What do you like to do besides reading and blogging?
9. When did you start blogging and what made you start blogging?
10. Do you have any pets?
11. Who is the most inspiring fictional character you have ever read about and why?
Do you like series? If so, do you like trilogies or longer series?

Nominees Such wonderful blogs (Drum roll please)
Kyendwarrior @ Eternity Through Pages
Michelle Bell @ Book Hangovers Blabs Books
Stacy Sanders Daniel @ The Daniels Great Adventure
Carol E. Keen @ Blogging With Carol
Courtney Clark @ The Green Mockingbird
Danni Hildebrandt @ Loving the Chaos
Heidi Madsen Robbins @ Heidi Reads
Deb Ogle Haggarty @ Positive Grace
Stacey Zink @ Suburban Thoughts

Pam Wright Burke @ Southern Gal Loves to Read
More blogs will be added soon! I promise! And I'll add links, so you can visit them! It just took me a while to get to this post and I wanted to get it out.

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Things I'd like

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we pick the top ten things that we choose for the topic of the week.

Topic - Top Ten Bookish Things (that aren't books) That I'd Like to Own (new bookshelves, bookends, cool bookmark, a bookish shirt, etc. You can add things you do own if you want)

I the first bookshelf is fantastic! It has so much room. I think all of my books would fit on it, and I would have room to decorate it with flowers etc. and make it look nice! my bookshelf is so small and stuffed. I have books in it, books in my bed's headboard, book on my headboard etc. I just hope we would have room for this bookshelf!

I want this bookshelf if we don't have room for the first one.

  

 

If I had the big bookshelf I would have room for bookends and more organized books. I've never had bookends and as you can see, I got kind of into fining some. I did a google search for bookends and these are the first few that I really liked. (I couldnn't decide, I would probably change the color of the red one, but I thought it was pretty)

I really like flowered lamps. They are so pretty, I couldn't choose between these!
(all of these pictures were found from Google)

A bookish purse - Every girl needs a purse. My purse always has a book in it. Why not have a bookish purse?

A bookish candle - Sometimes I like to light a candle in my room while I read. They smell so good!

A bookish shirt

A bookish poster - I want to make some posters sometime of books that I've read.

Cool bookmarks - I'm always in need of an awesome bookmark!

A Kindle - I have a Nook, and I love it. But I would also like to have a Kindle, especially since I can't figure out how to download Netgalley books onto my Nook, so I have to read them on my phone. My phone is great, but it's kind of annoying to read on my phone because it's so small and not as much like a book.

A beauty So Rare Extra - Dress on the Cover is Real

Isn't that cover gorgeous!? Isn't that dress gorgeous!? Wait. It gets better. It's real! I love period dresses, and sometimes I really really wish that we still wore dresses like this today. I totally would! Ahhh, if only fashion hadn't changed so drastically. Does anyone else feel that way? Here is a post by Tamera Alexander, the author of A Beauty So Rare, about the making of the dress on the cover. Hope you enjoy hearing about and seeing how it coming together as much as I did!

Meet the Woman Behind the Cover Dress
by Tamera Alexander

Dear friends,

Have you ever wanted to meet the woman who sewed the dress on a novel cover? Then please allow me to introduce you to Beth Schoenherr, the ever-so-talented seamstress who sewed Eleanor Braddock’s dress for the cover of A Beauty So Rare.

I’m thrilled that Beth was willing to share about her experience in making the dress, and I love the behind-the-scenes glimpses she shares. I hope you will, too!

Tamera: Where did inspiration for the dress for A Beauty So Rare come from (both the style and color)?

Beth: The style, of course, was determined by the post–Civil War timing of the story.

I believe the cover designer and editors talked about a garden setting and felt pink would look lovely against the backdrop of the green foliage and other flowers, which it does! I then had the fun of finding the right shade of pink to keep it a believable color for the time. Hot pink or neon pink, of course, would never do!

Tamera: Um, no. LOL! Not even Adelicia Acklen could have coerced Eleanor into neon pink! ; )

Tamera: Have you made dresses for photo shoots before?

Beth:I started doing period costumes for men, women, and children in amateur theater in 1999 and then had opportunities in the following years to progress to working in the costume shop of a professional theater. This is my first costume for a photo shoot, however.

Tamera: How cool, Beth. I’m so grateful for your work on this dress. Well done!

Tamera: Do you have an appreciation for period clothing? And if yes, what’s your favorite style of women’s dresses from history?

Beth:I do enjoy period clothing. I don’t think I can pick one favorite style though. I just enjoy the various and changing silhouettes and fabrics throughout the history of fashion.

Tamera: Understandable. I have many "favorites," too!

Tamera: What’s the most challenging dress you’ve created for a cover (and what was most challenging about it)? Also, what has been your most challenging sewing project in general?

Beth: As I mentioned, this is the first dress I have made for a cover. It has been really fun and exciting to create this dress from scratch and then see it on the cover of this book. A new experience I had when making this dress was the cartridge pleats at the back of the skirt. The pattern called for the front and side pieces of the skirt to be pleated to fit into the waistband and left only a five-inch opening in the back of the waistband. Then I had to fit the 50-inch-wide piece of fabric for the back part of the skirt into that five-inch opening. I thought, “There is no way I’m going to get that much fabric into that little space.” But the cartridge pleats worked fabulously at neatly pleating 50” down to 5”.

The most challenging costume I worked on was a waistcoat designed and then cut out by someone else and given to me to sew. Not a single piece matched up in size to its coordinating piece. There was no extra fabric to work with so I had to just rework the pieces I had while making sure the finished garment would still fit the actor it was designed for. Definitely a “make it work” project!

Finally, probably the most thrilling dress I got to make was the first complete dress for a play at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Many of my costumes prior to that had to be remakes of existing dresses or costumes due to tight budgets. But I was graciously given the opportunity to sew, from start to finish, the schoolteacher dress in Little House on the Prairie: The Musical, which premiered at the Guthrie and then went on to tour nationally. It was so exciting to see the professionally-designed dress come together step-by-step and then to see it on stage.

Tamera: Wow, Beth, I bet that was a rewarding experience with Little House on the Prairie: the Musical. Congratulations! I’ve always admired people who know how to sew, and sew well!

Thank you for sharing your talent and time with us––and with the cover of my latest novel.

~Tamera
www.TameraAlexander.com
For more "behind the scenes" glimpses from the photo shoot for A Beauty So Rare,visit Tamera's blog.

There are book photo shoots!? I had no idea! But here's some proof!

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

This is one of those many, many, many books that I read before I started blogging that I wanted to review. I read it around last September.

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stealing the PreacherGoodreads Summary
On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

Stealing the Preacher was an amazing book. I loved the way it was written with a perfect balance of humor, depth, and true faith! There were so many laugh out loud moments, which made it really fun to read!

Joanna was such a strong, kind, and smart heroine. All she wanted was someone to help her bring her father to God, which is such an admirable goal. Her thirst for spiritual growth and her wish for a Preacher in their small town brought them a lot of events that are totally worth reading about. The circumstances that brought her and Crockett together were very hilarious and slightly dangerous, and I loved every minute of it. I also loved the relationship between the two, it was so sweet and their conversations were just perfect (but I won't say any more about any of that)!

Crockett was pretty perfect! He had a strong faith, a desire to share it with others (which is why he was a Preacher, duh Lakin). He was strong, caring, smart, hardworking, and the perfect man to preach in that small town (but would he stay?). Do I need to go on?

Silas, Joanna's father, was very complex. He had quite the past, but he truly cared for Joanna. I guess he was a slight softie behind that tough exterior!

The other characters added even more to the book. Whether it was humor, trouble, or something between the two, and the setting seemed so real.

Stealing the Preacher was a perfect mixture of depth, witty humor, action, and adventure, therefore very enjoyable. I can honestly say that I found myself laughing in the middle of class (after I was done with my trig, of course).


View all my reviews

Week of Wonder

Week of Wonder is what I call my Weekly Wrap-up. I will link up everything that I did on my blog this week - books I read, books I reviewed, what challenges I've added to, what I'm currently reading, all my other posts, etc. I will also let you know about any upcoming events that are coming up on my blog.

Sorry, I didn't have time to write any reviews this week, but now it's Spring Break so hopefully I can get ahead with reviews and posts! I wrote/scheduled eight posts Friday which is a new goal for me (they were mostly TTT's and WoW's)!

Posts

A Beauty So Rare Extras

Waiting on Wednesday The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson

MIA Me and Now Spring Break

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews, where you show what books you got during the week.

What I'm Borrowing
  
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo (from my grandparents)
The Fault in our Stars by John Green (reading for school)

What I Bought

    

Remnants Season of Wonder by Lisa Tawn Bergren (I was so excited to get this book, my TBR pile is put on hold so I can read it!)

At Every Turn by Anne Mateer (free)
She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchel

Ekaterina by Susan K. Downs and Susan May Warren (free)