Sunday, November 30, 2014

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
Tess in Boots by Courtney Rice Gager
A Holiday Miracle In Apple Blossom by June McCrary Jacobs (Blog Tour)

Other Posts
Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR
Waiting on Wednesday - All Fall Down by Ally Carter
Happy Thanksgiving
My Thanksgiving Week
Stacking the Shelves

What was your week like?

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews. It's great for showing off the fantastic reads we added to our shelves in the last week!

I was searching for some book deals on Barnes and Nobles Thursday night and bought two books with the $5 left on a gift certificate. Then I conveniently let my wonderful dad know that he owed me $20 of allowance (that's a whole month) and that I had found some great books that I wanted on sale (maybe, maybe not, but they were all 6-7 dollars which was pretty good. He said okay, which was very nice! So, I narrowed it down to six books (the ones that were 6-7 dollars), found two of them on the Overdrive books from my local Library and bought the other three which came out to exactly $20:)

Bought
 Winter's Kiss: The Ex Games... Finally You Courting Cate (The Courtshi... Minding Molly (The Courtshi... Right Where I Belong
Winters Kiss by Catherine Hapka and Jennifer Echols (2 Christmassy stories in one)
Finally You by Rachael Anderson, Heather Tullis, and Julie Wright (3 stories in one)
Courting Cate by Leslie Gould (free)
Minding Molly by Leslie Gould
Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee

The Three I Found At the Library (but will wait to check out)
Adoring Addie (The Courtshi... Not in the Script (If Only ...
Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould
Not In The Script by Amy Finnegan

I'm thankful for the books I've found at the library and for book sales - being a book reader/hoarder is an expensive addiction!

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Friday, November 28, 2014

My Thanksgiving Week

Here's a quick little overview of what my Thanksgiving week is like.
Normally I get the whole week off from school, but this year they decided to be rude and annoying and make us go Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which really stunk. I'll be honest I didn't go Wednesday because my Grandma really need a lot of help cooking. I spent Saturday and Wednesday baking 6 kinds of cookies (Saturday: sugar cookies with icing, orange cookies, fruit cake cookies, Wednesday: chocolate cookies, and two different types of sugar cookies without milk that my sister can have), 2 pumpkin pies, deviled eggs, etc. 

I love to cook, so that was a blast! I was disappointed that we didn't get the whole week off because I usually cook a lot more, I could have watched more Christmas movies, and I could have got more posts scheduled, and more books read, and chilled a little. Oh well.

Anyway
I love being able to spend time with my family and this opportunity to get together and celebrate everything we're thankful for, all the laughing we do, and I'm thankful for the two (or three) days we got off!

By the way, as for the Friday after Thanksgiving, I never go Black Friday shopping. It's just to crazy for me, to crowded, to many people. I'd rather curl up at home with a good book, my dog and cat, and a cup of hot chocolate, and occasionally scour Barnes and Nobles and Amazon for any good book sales!
What is your Thanksgiving week like? Is it busy? Lots of family time?

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving


I give thanks to the Lord, God almighty for everything he has given me and everything he has done for me with my whole heart. I am so thankful for my family, friends, health, home, education, freedom, the mission trip to Romania I got to go on, for all of the opportunities and experiences I have had and will have, and everything, but most of all I'm thankful for God's love, forgiveness, and constant presence!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Blog Tour: A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom by June McCrary Jacobs

Displaying Holiday-Miracle-in-Apple-Blossom-2014-blog-tour.jpg
I am honored to welcome June McCrary Jacobs and her new novel A Holiday Miracle In Apple Blossom to Wonderous Reviews!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IJXJ30EML._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-57,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
About the Book

When her student, six-year-old Mary Noel, survives a car accident over Thanksgiving break, Amber and her new friend, Paul, are determined to cheer her up during the holidays. But Mary Noel’s most painful injury is the loss of her dog. The more withdrawn Mary Noel becomes, the more Amber and Paul need a miracle—a miracle that requires the entire community’s help.
Displaying junemccraryjacobs_author1[1].jpg"I wanted to portray a wholesome relationship between a man and woman with similar values where their friendship and common goals were the basis for developing a love relationship,” said McCrary Jacobs. “The community of Apple Blossom pulls together to help a family in need and is very successful in their efforts.”
About the Author
June McCrary Jacobs spent twenty years as a primary grade educator after graduating from California State University, Hayward, with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a multiple-subject teaching credential. Along with writing fiction, June is a freelance designer of sewing, quilting and crafting projects. “A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom” is June's debut novel, though not her first published work. Since 2007 June's original sewing, quilting and stitchery projects and articles have been published in national and international magazines including Stitch, Sew News, Sewing World, Simply Handmade, Sew Hip, Sewing Savvy, Crafts 'n Things and Create & Decorate. Two of her sewing designs for children will appear in the upcoming “101 One-Yard Little Wonders” book published by Storey Publishing. A Californian since age six, June currently resides in the San Joaquin Valley. Learn more about June's writing endeavors and view some of her original sewing projects by visiting her website at www.junemccraryjacobs.com.


--My website and ‘Writing and Sewing’ blog can be found at:  http://www.junemccraryjacobs.com.  I write about books, book reviews, textile shows, museum exhibits, and sewing tips there with a new post each Wednesday. The first Wednesday of each month (and sometimes additional times throughout the month) I post free patterns and instructions for one of my original-design sewing or crafting projects for readers’ use and enjoyment.
--My Author’s Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/June-McCrary-Jacobs/153549754836128.  If you Like my Facebook page you’ll receive automatic notifications of new postings and the free projects, etc.
--My Goodreads Author Page:  http://www.goodreads.com/June-McCrary-Jacobs
--My Email Address is:  junemccraryjacobs@gmail.com
My Review
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Christmas and everything that has to do with the spirit of Christmas (joy, hope, love, etc.), and A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom embodied the Christmas spirit perfectly. I loved everything about this short story from the characters to the community to the hope and faith.

I loved how relateable and kind the characters were. Amber was the perfect teacher with that magical touch, kindness, and a gift for knowing the right thing to say in every situation. Paul was so kind, caring, and helpful. Their relationship was perfect! I had so much fun watching them get to know each other and  reading the balance of witty humor and serious conversation, but my favorite thing about their relationship was how they trusted in God together with their relationship and prayed about it together. I hope someday I have a relationship like that!

It was amazing to see how they worked together to help Mary Noel and her family. The community really came together to help create a miracle and it really brought to light the true meaning of Christmas! Your heart will break for Mary Noel, then be stitched back together by the hope, love, inspiration, humor, and faith in this inspiring, uplifting, and beautiful Christmas story, leaving a smile on your face. 

Giveaway
Now, thank you June McCrary Jacobs and Cedar Fort for offering a giveaway for each participating blog!

Waiting On Wednesday: All Fall Down

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


Publication Date: Jan. 27, 2015

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

Why I'm Waiting
Ally Carter is fantastic when it comes to all things spies and mystery! I can't wait to read this book!

What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Tess in Boots by Courtney Rice Gager

Tess in Boots


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Goodreads Summary
Tess Dougherty plans every aspect of her life right down to the last detail. But she doesn’t plan on running her boyfriend off by bringing up the topic of marriage before he’s ready. And she doesn’t plan to lose her job on the day she’s set to receive a huge promotion. So when her perfect world unravels, Tess makes a new plan: disappear.

Tess packs her bags and leaves her city apartment for a remote vineyard in North Carolina. At first, she’s put off by the slow pace of small-town life in the South. She’s especially irritated by Thatcher, the vineyard’s smart-mouth, dimple-faced farmhand. But she soon begins to appreciate the area’s charm, and Thatcher’s charm, too. She even swaps her trademark heels for a pair of cowboy boots. As Tess spends more time getting to know Thatcher, she finds herself loosening her grip on her old life little by little. Unfortunately, things on the vineyard aren’t as simple as they seem. There’s a secret here, and when the truth comes to light, Tess is forced to reconsider every plan she’s ever made.

My Review
Tess in Boots was an amazingly witty book! I was literally laughing out loud at times, had a constant smile on my face during parts of this book, and cried too. It was so easy to feel the emotions of the characters (except for the confusion between her "boyfriend" and Thatcher - it was always clear to me)!

There were some pretty awesome twists and turns here too and I couldn't stop turning pages because one minute the reader is saying "awww", then they're like "what"! Then I just had to know what was going on, so I glued my Nook to my hands so I could read during all of my classes and get out of doing the dishes at home! Okay, okay, you got me. I didn't use glue, but there were many times when I wished I could!

Tess was a dreamer and a very organized get everything done person, and that's something I can really relate to. She had all of these ideas about her perfect guy, and then everything from her guy to her job was flipped inside out, and she needed to rearrange those dreams and maybe even come up with new ones. It was so entertaining, fun, and inspiring to watch her transformation!

Thatcher was very witty, charming, and full of surprises. I loved every minute of discovering something new about him - his current life, and his past!

It was so fun to read about Tess planning a wedding in such short time, their journey to save Carl's Creek, and of course I loved the witty banter and growing relationship between Tess and Thatcher (he was so sweet), and her relationship with her brother! The character growth was great too, as Tess discovered what she truly wanted, and realized that she needed to rely on God instead of herself.

Overall an amazing, laugh out loud, witty book, with secrets and discoveries that will make its way into your heart in the first couple of pages!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

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 On My Winter TBR

Of course there are other books that I'll read this winter, but I am going to put some of my Christmassy TBR books on here! I'm so excited to have awesome Christmassy books to read this year!!!!
Christmas in Snow ValleyMy True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories  A Timeless Romance Anthology: Silver Bells Collection The Christmas Cat All I Want Holidays With Jane: Christmas Cheer (Holidays With Jane) Let It Snow Ex-mas
Christmas in Snow Valley (by 6 awesome authors)
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Silver Bells Collection (by 6 awesome authors)
The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson
My True Love Gave to Me (by 12 awesome authors)
All I Want (by 3 awesome authors)
Holidays with Jane: Christmas Cheer (by 6 awesome authors)
Let it Snow (by 3 awesome authors)
Ex-mas by Kate Brian

What's on your winter TBR? Your Christmas TBR? Any Christmas book recommendations?

Monday, November 24, 2014

Upcoming Giveaways!


Did someone say Giveaways?!

Yep - I did!



But I haven't started setting them up yet


Here's the deal. A lot of awesome things are coming up - Christmas, my birthday, then my 1 year Blogoversary! I've been wanting to do a nice giveaway for a while and thought that this might be the perfect opportunity.

I have some options for what to giveaway, though, that I haven't quite decided on yet. I might find a couple books that I've read and I'm okay with parting with, so I might have a giveaway for each of those. I might do a giveaway of a small gift certificate or offer to pay for a 2014 or 2015 new release or something. I'm not really sure yet, but there will be something coming your way soon!


You tell me! What would you want?

Sunday, November 23, 2014

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.

Though I'm really disappointed that we don't get the whole week off for Thanksgiving like I normally do, I'm so thankful that we get a two days off this coming week. I can't wait!

Reviews
Softly Falling by Carla Kelly (Blog Tour)

Other Posts
Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get
Waiting on Wednesday: Double Date by Melody Carlson
Wonderland Weekend: Historicals Make Me Grateful
Stacking the Shelves

What was your week like?

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Wonderland Weekend: Historicals Make Us Thankful

Wonderland Weekend is a feature where I pick a topic about how stories take us to "another world." Each month I have a new topic and will write about it every weekend of that month or just one or two weekends (whatever I feel like/have time for/can come up with). I would love for you to join me, so feel free to write about this topic at any time throughout the month and link it back to me - just have fun with it!
(These will usually be bookish posts but sometimes they'll be more of a discussion post)

November Topic: Since Thanksgiving is this month, November's topic will be thankfulness and anything that has to do with thanksgiving! I Think I'm mainly going to focus on what certain genres make me thankful for.

*I'm experimenting with a new feature picture, so please let me know which image you like the best!
~

Historicals Make Us Thankful

Historical fiction novels are so fun to read! I find them very interesting, intriguing, and by far, the best and most fun way to learn history (unless we could literally transport back in time - awesome). I find that events in history stick out better and form a more accurate timeline if I've read about them in a historical fiction book.
 
Historical books make me thankful for all of the hardworking, motivated, and inspiring people who came before us, paved the way to today, and played a roll in God's plan for us. Planet Earth wouldn't be the same without them - from the presidents, Native Americans, Immigrants, motivational speakers, protesters, scientists, etc!


I'm thankful for the Declaration of Independence giving us our freedom, rights, and equality (though, I think we could still work on that a little, just saying).

I'm thankful that women aren't forced into fake society of expectations that they were in past centuries. I can't imagine being forced into a marriage that I didn't want, having to disguise myself in fake personas around masquerading people.

They make me extremely thankful for truly amazing family and friends who understand and support me, as well as opportunities,


I'm thankful that we have electricity and libraries.

I'm thankful that we have better education and more opportunities today.

I'm most thankful for Jesus Christ who is the past, present, and future, and everything he has and is doing for us.

Just think. If something - even one thing - had turned out differently it would have caused a snowball effect and everything would probably have turned out differently. Maybe we would still be part of England. Maybe you and/or I wouldn't be here. Maybe we would all live somewhere else.

Reading about the tribulation and triumph of made up people of the past - going through a part of their life, stepping into their shoes (even if just for a moment) - is an eye opening experience. It makes me grateful every time!


This quote pretty much sums up the essence of historical novels!

(This is only a part of it, there's so much more I could say!)

What have historical novels made you thankful for?