Book 50 Noble Pursuits

Book 50: Noble Pursuits by Chautona Havig

I've read several books by this author and all have been enjoyable. In this book Nolan Burke has everything anyone could ever want, except he's alone.  He has lots of women throwing themselves at him, but he isn't interested in finding anyone that doesn't fit is wish list for God.  He finally decides that moving from his current location, to a neighboring town might be just what he needs to finally find the one  he is suppose to be with. He is not prepared for what he finds in this town though, especially when he meets his new neighbor Grace.
She is a force to be reckoned with, but for all the right reasons.  She isn't the model type that usually tries to latch onto him, instead she is beautiful first on the inside, and by seeing that beauty he begins to see her outward beauty as well.  Will their budding friendship turn into more, or will her over protective brother squash any future plans they may have.
Worth the read to find out.

I'd give this star 4 stars.

Books 45-49 The Dicarlo Bride Series Books 2-6

 

In one week I read all 5 of these books!  Yes, that's a lot of reading, but I did it in little bits here and there as I got lots of other things done around the house, so it only sounds bad.  Why did I read all 5 in one week...because they were good!  These 5 books finish off the story started in book one about the DiCarlo sisters.  Not all of them go by the same last name as they didn't even realize until the start of book one that they were sisters.  They discovered this family secret when their father George DiCarlo passed away. At the reading of his will they discover that they each have sisters they know nothing about and, to make matters worse if they want any part of the rather large inheritance they must give up their current job and help get their late father's newest resort up and running. Each has a specialty that they can bring to this newest project, but it does mean sacrificing what they have been doing for years. The alternative though is to lose the inheritance and have the money they would have earned given to a charity that they could not possibly support on their own.

In book one the main focus is on the oldest, Cami and how she is taking the news and on her budding relationship with Vince the grounds keeper, and local landscape architect.  In that book you soon discover that not only did George orchestrate their vocations he also made attempts to orchestrate their love lives by talking to several men that he thought would be perfect for his daughters.

In these other books each of the sisters are highlighted.  You are taken on a journey of them learning to trust each other, and open up about things from their past.  They of course all end up falling in love, and since the title of the series is the DiCarlo Brides, in can be determined that they all end up getting married too, or at least engaged.  On top of the romantic element that is present in each of the books there are also lots of twists, turns and complications.  Mysterious events are taking place and usually it's not who you think would be the people behind it that are causing these events to happen.

All of the books were well written. I especially appreciated that, while being romance novels, they were not filled with explicit content.  I look forward to reading more by Heather Tullis in the future.

I'd give this series 5 stars!

 

Books 43 and 44: Crossed and Reached

Book 2 in the Matched Series by Ally Condie. This was probably my favorite of the 3 books in this series.  In this book Cassia is in search of Ky who has been taken away from Society. In the process she begins to discover the truth about society and about herself and Ky as well as who Xander, her match really is as well.  The fast pace of them searching for each other in the Outer Provinces and the situation that is effecting society caused the book to be one that was hard to put down. 

I'd give this book 5 stars.

The final book in the series This was probably my least favorite of the series.  The book seemed to drag on with Xander searching for a cure and trying to help people fighting the plague, and Cassia trying to figure out who she could trust.  As the book moved on I could almost predict what was going to happen, and it did happen in almost that exact way.  I love character development so I would have really enjoyed the book more if after the story itself ended there had been a 5 or 10 years later chapter or two really wrapping up the lives of the characters.

Overall, when compared to Hunger Games and Divergent in terms of acceptability for teens this one wins out.  The story was intriguing, and for the most part the characters were well developed and their was a good deal of suspense involved.  The main reason it wins out is that there was implied violence, but the actual violence was not written out for you to read.  It also did not contain suggested sexual activity as the Divergent series did. 

I'd give this book 3 stars, but the series itself 5 stars.

Book 42: The & Day Prayer Warrior Experience

I try to read some books that will grow my faith every month on top of the fictional books I read.  Although I do try to stick with Christian Fiction as much as I can due to the fact that other books often have themes that even as an adult I don't need to fill my mind with.

This book was a short but powerful devotion that I read last week.  It breaks down the verses in Ephesians 6 where Paul talks about putting on the whole armor of God.  It goes through each item and describes why a Roman soldier would have worn that piece of clothing, and spiritually why we should as well.  Spiritual warfare is real.  The devil doesn't want us to be effective as Christians, he wants to render us useless.  To quote the book "God doesn't want us carrying anything that is unnecessary because it will weigh us down and hinder what He has called us to do". He wants us to be prepared for battle, and He knows it will come.  How we prepare is by being in His Word and spending time talking to Him through prayer.  These two steps will help to guard our hearts and our minds and keep us focused on the important things in our lives. 

Life won't always be easy, but if we spend time dressing as a soldier would for battle, daily then we will be ready when battle comes.

Great devotional book! 5 stars!

Book 41: Matched

by Ally Condie

Yes, once again I find myself with a teen who wants to read a book that is currently popular and I know nothing really about it. I went to one of my sources who is an avid reader and currently a collage student and she told me she was 3/4 of the way through it and was not discovering any inappropriate content.  Wish I didn't have to ask around to see if books for teens are overly sexual, but in today's society you have to work to keep kids minds pure. Having found all 3 of the books in the series for a total of $9 I decided to go ahead and read the book myself.

This book follows the theme of so many of the books our teens are reading these days, the idea of society controlling civilization. That part is a bit scary, in terms of why are so many authors writing the same theme over and over again and why as society are we scrambling to read those same theme of books over and over again.  In many ways you could pick up this book and not be sure whether you were reading the Hunger Games, or Divergent, aside from the characters names and in this case, at least through book 1, a lack of violence that the other books all contained.

In this book Cassia is going through her life as directed by society. On her 17th birthday she attends her Match ceremony where she is shown the person who she will marry when she turns 21. The problem is, she knows him.  That in itself is very rare.  On top of it, there is another problem with the microcard she is given to view details about him.  This problem launches her into meetings with the person she begins to call Her Official. An officer who is there to make sure she follows a certain path, the path of society.  This event and the death of her Grandfather is causing Cassia to being to wonder.  Wonder is what her Grandfather says even her late Grandmother would have wanted her to do.  Wonder, is this life right, is there more out there. 

As the book continues Cassia begins the journey of trying to figure that out with help from someone she never gave much thought to before.  Ky is that person, he's an outsider in many ways, but now Cassia is realizing that he has been there all along.  Will they discover truth, and be willing to take the chances needed to realize what is really going on in the world they live in.

Too much can be given away in a book review or on a cover of the book.  I don't wan to do that here, so you'll just need to read it yourself. I've moved on to book 2, and hope to finish the series before giving a final ok to my 12 year old to read the books, but so far I feel she could read book 1 for sure.

I'd give the book 5 stars.  So far it's a great series and less violent than Hunger Games or Divergent, even with the similar content.

Book 40: Four

Seems fitting that the book Four would be reviewed with the number 4 in the number of books I've read this year. (ok, fitting to me and I'm the one writing so, that's how it works!)

by Veronica Roth is a look into the life of one of the main characters in her Divergent Series named Four.  One of many advantages of having teens these days in the need to read what they are reading in order to see what is going into their brains.  I do check some book review sites, asking some older teens that I feel have godly values and do some basic research before I start reading the books as a final check, but with a 14 year old and a 12 year old I'm finding it vital to know what is being read.  This series was introduced to my older child as a read aloud in a class at school. Next thing I know he wanted to read the series.  The series, as I reviewed in earlier blogs is good overall, there is definitely  a theme of physical attraction running through the book, but I'm thankful that the author stopped and did not go into details as to what may or may not be happening. With the movie that came out, and so many teens talking about the series and movie I quickly read all of the books to make sure I'd allow the kids to see the movie even. Incidentally, it comes out today on DVD and most likely we will be at Target at some point today to get our copy.

Anyway, this book is stories of life before the first book picks up.  I'm always fascinated by people, and in this book it was like looking into the background of a person and getting a better understanding of who they are. The stories were short and I was able to read the whole book in about a 3 hour time span on a road trip.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Divergent series.  It needs to be read at the end of the series though as otherwise it gives some information a way that would spoil some of the mystery in the actual books.

I'd give this book five stars.

Book 39: From Groucy to Great

Finding Joy in the Journey of Motherhood by Ruth Schwenk with The Better Mom contributor Team www.thebettermom.com

Am I a Grouchy Mom?  All the time? Some of the time?  Truth be told I can certainly be grouchy and I definitely have triggers that set me off.  When my kids were younger I wish I could say I wasn't grouchy a lot of the time, but I know that would be false.  I think I lived in a world of "this isn't how things are suppose to be" all the time. I was so caught up in my ideals not being met that I got grumpy, and certainly took it out on those around me.  I still have days where that happens, where the to do list doesn't get done, and my focus for the day isn't met and then I get grouchy for sure. Hopefully, my kids and husband would agree that those days aren't near as often as they used to be. 

This book helps explore, from the views of multiple women, the triggers that set us off and how to respond when they are set off.  The book had some great tips, tips that I wish I had heard or read as a younger, newer Mom.  The tip that really hit me the hardest was at the end of the book. The chapter called Surrender, stop trying and start resting. What I got out of this chapter was the idea that as a Mom there are things that I must do, extra laundry, stay up with sick kids, deal with social media and teenagers, and the list could go on and on.  The thing is, that is my job.  I can fuss and complain and get grouchy because I have to do ALL those things, or I can surrender and realize that some of those things I won't like as much as others, but I wanted to be a Mom.  I wanted to have kids to love and care for, and those things go along with the job.  When I surrender to the fact that some of the things just have to be done, I can do them without being so grumpy about them.  I can take them in stride of what the job is and not be so shocked when they come up and need to be done.  I can keep my focus on the fact that God allowed me to be a Mom and that by His grace alone I can do the best job I can raising my kids.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone in any stage of motherhood.  You will either get something out of it, or most likely know someone who would and can pass it on. Five stars for sure!

Book 38: A Perfect Fit

This book by Heather Tullis is about a family known for their five-star hotels.  This story, in the 6 book series, is mainly about Cami.  She has enjoyed heading up guest services in her hotel in Chicago, but her father has other plans for her.  Upon his death she discovers that she has 4 half sisters that she and her sister have known nothing about.  Now in order to be a part of her father's will they must live together and launch the newest resort.  In the process she meets Vince, the good looking gardener that Cami knows her father would never approve of.  With her father controlling so much of her life from the grave she is torn on whether or not to take a chance on something she can't imagine he would like. 
The books characters came to life on every page.  The book was so good, that despite the fact that I try to only read the free books I can download on my Kindle I did purchase the remaining 5 books in the series. Luckily for only $3 each!

Great read, looking forward to the rest of the series. I'd give this book 5 stars.

Book 37: Redemtion Song

 By Melodie Murray

Ethan Carter is a 17 year old pop star sensation, living the dream, and yet missing out on what the dream really is.  When he makes a decision that almost wrecks his life his mother ships him off to Alabama to rethink who he is and where he is going.  In Alabama he is forced to live with his Grandmother, who he loves dearly, and her new "grandchildren", a 10 year old boy named Ben and a 17 year old girl named Alaina. He is rude and uncaring when he first meets them, but then begins to learn what family is really all about.  In the process he also begins to learn who he really is and who he wants to be.

The book had a lot of really emotional content and needed several Kleenexes to get through it. A great story about finding redemption in a place you wouldn't expect to find it in.

I'd give this book 5 stars.

Book 36: Deep Green

Deep Green Color me Jealous (True Colors Book 2) by Melody Carlson

I downloaded this book for free and thought that it might be a good book, at least at some point, for my daughter to read. I'm not sure I'd recommend it yet as it deals with some dating issues that I don't feel at 12 she needs to be reading about yet, but I will be holding on to it for the future.

In this book Jordan is struggling with friendships and boyfriends and figuring out who are true friends and who are just trying to stay friends with you to get close to other people. She's realizing that lots of teens like to play games and how jealousy can take over your life and cause lots of problems along the way.  She also discovers that true friends are sometimes the ones that you push away from as you think you want to head a direction in your life. Yet they are also the ones that are still waiting when you realize you are headed down the wrong path.

This would be a great book to read and discuss with a teenage girl as they enter into the high school years.  Full of topics that need to be discussed, and yet done in a way that they aren't reading about things in depth.

I'd give the book 4 stars.

Book 35: Discovering Hope

Discovering Hope by Chautona Havig is my 35th book this year. I've read multiple books by this author now, and have found that I enjoy her writing style. She allows the characters to be real people, filled with struggles and dreams and wanting what is best for their friends and family.  In this book Hope, is collage student who is trying to come to terms with various life events that have happened to her.  In the process she meets Jay.  Jay has also gone through a traumatic event in his life and is also learning to live with the pieces that he has been left with.  They begin to build a friendship where he suddenly discovers that in the process of getting to know Hope he is also discovering what hope really is about.

This book was a great anytime read.  Filled with real life concepts and showing how people learn to deal with the events that occur in their lives.

I'd give this book 5 stars!

Book 34: True Love

 True Love by Destin Bays was an interesting book.

This book starts back in 326 BC when fate brings together to characters, Mikolas and Helena.  They meet and almost instantly fall in love.  Of course as the times dictate they must go through the proper stages of courtship and hopefully their love will prove true enough to marry. 

Centuries later two other people are brought together by fate.  Nickolas and Elena are instantly drawn to each other.  Their lives have brought them from different directions and now they must chose if their path will continue together.  Can hearts be connected from ages past? Can true love last a lifetime?  Only reading it will allow you to answer those questions.

I'd give this book 4 stars.

Book 33: 8 Easy Vegetables to Grow in Containers

8 Easy Vegetables to Grow in Containers by Peter Davies was full of good tips for growing a container garden.  He went over the basics for container gardening and then branched off into different veggies that would grow well. If we had decided to give gardening a try this year, I would have referred back to this book for some helpful information.

I'd give this book 4 stars.

Book 32: Summer Cooking

I guess I need to stop reading/looking at cookbooks.  I find most good ideas on Pinterest at this point, or searching online.  The cookbooks I've looked at recently are all free, so that is good as I haven't really discovered any great recipes that I want to try.

If you haven't been cooking long, or are really looking for recipes and aren't hindered by other family members tastes then this book might be a good choice for you.

I'd give it 1 star, wasn't helpful for me, but might be for you.

Book 31: Say Goodbye To Survival Mode

My goal for this year was to stop living in survival mode and actually feel like I was living.  Having order is important to me, but sometimes I get so focused on the order that I forget to enjoy the life.
 This book by Crystal Paine is a wonderful book full of tips to help you stop surviving and start living.  Life is a journey, why not enjoy it?
" My greatest hope for you is that you can escape from feeling stuck and find the freedom and fulfillment that comes from living your life on purpose" location 152

This book is so full of tips it's hard to summarize.  Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Streamline your life and cut schedule clutter so you can focus your time and energy on the things that matter most. -location 159

Create a personal priorities list and use it a as a spring-board for culling your commitments and to-do list.- location 160

Stop believing the lies that you can do it all, be it all and have it all.- location 209

In order to say yes, you must learn to say no.-location 275

If you are struggling with all the stuff you need to get done, this book is worth the money it costs and the time it takes to help you refocus on what matters and how to handle those things.

I'd give this book 10 stars, even though I'm using a 5 star scale!!!

Book 30: Easy Weeknight Dinners

Book 30 is Easy Weeknight Dinners by Dennis Weaver


I'm always looking for some new recipes to try and this book had a few good tips, but really didn't peak my interest with recipes.
The tips were, when meal planning to:
1. Choose a meat for the main dish
2. Choose a seasoning, sauce, or gravy
3. Choose a starch
4. Choose a side dish or two

Other than that, which I really already know to do, the book wasn't filled with anything that really interested me.  Someone else may find it helpful, especially a new cook, but I've been cooking for years, so it didn't provide much help for my skill set.

I'd give this book 1 star.

Books 28-29: Rick Riordan is a genius!

I can imagine that when you've created a book series after awhile you'd get tired of writing about the characters. But I must say that Rick Riordan is a genius and should keep the stories coming if he possibly can.  My kids and I started reading his Percy Jackson series quite awhile ago.  We used them as read alouds  and truly enjoyed them. (As a side note while the 2 movies that have since come out of Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief and Sea of Monsters are good on their own they are not near as good as the books, and don't really follow the books.) Anyway, after reading the Percy Jackson series we started reading the Kane Chronicles, and then also the Heroes of Olympus books.  All are great reads for kids as well as adults. 
The two books I'm reviewing in this post are The  Son of Sobek and The Staff of Serapis, both are short stories that we downloaded-and paid for, which means I really wanted to read them since usually I focus on the FREE books!

 In The Son of Sobek we get the first ever cross over of the Egyptian and Greek series.  In this book Carter Kane, from the Kane Chronicles, is trying to protect a neighborhood from something that has been terrorizing the lake near it. He isn't sure what he's facing, but armed with just his staff and his magician's bag he heads out.  In the midst of discovering what it is Percy Jackson shows up, he too is wondering what has been going on in the area.  They both are startled to find others with powers that they did not know about.  As they struggle to determine how they each could live close to each other and know nothing about each other, they also struggle to determine who the other person is and if they are a threat or an ally.  On top of it they now have a monster to fight and must decide if they can trust each other to work together to rid the neighborhood of threat.
The book was wonderful, it was a very quick read and certainly left me wishing there would be more cross over stories.

I'd give this book 5 stars!

  In the Staff of Serapis Annabeth, from the Percy Jackson series, comes in contact with Sadie from the Kane Chronicles.  This is also an exciting book that allows these characters to try to come to terms with their being other people with special powers living near each other without ever knowing it.  Their task this time is to determine who created the 3 headed monster they are facing, why it was created and how can they possibly stop it.  Will they work together and trust each other, or fight against each other.  One choice will allow them to win, one choice will cause them to fail. Which choice will they make? 
The story again was short, but definitely a good story.  With both of these books I found myself wanting the author to start a whole new series of joint effort stories.  Hopefully, he will do just that.

Great read! 5 stars!

Book 27: The Everything Pet Rabbit Handbook

These books are a bit out of the order that I read them, but considering it's been since April that I updated my reading list I suppose just getting the books typed up is something.  I really never thought we'd be rabbit owners.  I always thought they were cute, but still, they were for kids who had 4 H projects. I have absolutely nothing against 4 H, we just don't live in an area where there is a group, so honestly just never gave bunnies a second thought.  Of course, my daughter has been thinking about it for 3 years and finally convinced her Dad when we picked her up from horse camp.  Yes, they keep bunnies at horse camp so they can talk about small animal care. ( or possibly to make all the parents crazy!)
Anyway, here we are now rabbit owners and since it is the day and age that it is I turned to an ebook for information. The book I found is The Everything Pet Rabbit Handbook by Sarah Martin.

This book was very helpful. It laid out topics for before purchase, and then after purchase. It discussed food, liter box training, and where to keep your bunny. It also had links to the website for more information.

I would give this book 5 stars, as I highly recommend it for new rabbit owners.

4 Romance Books: Books 23-26

Six Months in Montana by Pamela Kelley
When Christian Ford's Grandfather died he was devastated. When he realized that he left a condition of his childhood friend Molly Bishop needing to marry him for 6 months in order for him to be given the inheritance of the ranch he was shocked.  Would she give up her life in  New York for him to keep his dream alive.  She was a successful hotel assistant manager on the verge of becoming a general manager, what would she think of moving back to Bozeman, Montana for 6 months?
Molly was about to realize her dream of being the GM of a major hotel in New York.  She'd worked long and hard for this opportunity, and suddenly the only thing standing in her way is Christian Ford's dead grandfather.  She always loved and respected him, but could she give up her life in order to help Christian put his back together. There seems to be only one right choice, yet marrying a man she hasn't seen in a long time seems like a crazy thing to do.
Is she that crazy?  You'll just have to read and find out.

I'd give this book 5 stars.



 Book 24: The Dr Pepper Prophecies by Jennifer Gilby Roberts

I try to always finish what I start reading unless it's just horrible.  This book was on the verge of being one that I almost put down.  It's not a bad story, it's more trying to figure out what the title has to do with the story, and whether or not Melanie is ever going to do something right.  It's filled with twists and turns of how crazy Melanie's life is.  She has a job she hates, and now a boss she hates, but she can't quite get another job.  Everything she tries to do so messes up, even if her intentions are good. The only thing she has going for her is her best friend Will seems to always be on her side.  Unfortunately, he's dating someone who hates her.
Can her friendship with him last through her latest bout of issues and his girlfriend?  Only reading the book will allow you to figure that out.

I'd give the book 3 stars. Not the best, not the worst. I did finish it, and was fairly happy with the ending.


Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster was book 25

I'm not posting a picture of it.  The cover I had on my Kindle was a nice winter scene with two people hugging.  The picture on Amazon makes the book look like it's going to be filled with sex.

The book itself was pretty good. Blake is the 1/2 owner of ski shop, who's life is crazy.  He's never really grown up and stopped his partying ways.  His best friend Dave, the other owner has.  He has a wife and a son and his life seems to be going great.  When talking about Blake's life he decides to take a chance and suggest that Blake start seeing a therapist.  He gives him a number, that Blake never intends on using until tragedy strikes.  Now Blake isn't sure where to turn, so he picks up the phone and ends up with Dr. Snow. Will she be able to help him?
Dr. Snow has always done just what everyone expects of her.  She is the professional always, but maybe she needs to lighten up just a little bit.  She meets an interesting man at her friends engagement party, and thinks maybe it's time to relax just a bit.  Unfortunately, the next day she isn't sure that will be a good idea as the man is now her client.  Will she be able to keep her personal feelings out of it while she tries to help him deal with his issues?

This book was good.  A little more intense then I like to read, but the story kept things interesting. 
I'd give the book 4 stars.  Probably more if they hadn't changed the cover!

Book 26: Just My Luck by Loretta Porter

 

Gabby is used to doing things on her own. She's been on her own for so long now, having help from others just seems out of the question.  She works as a school librarian and janitor at her school so she can attend for free, and make some cash on the side.  What's really annoying is all the rich kids this school. Dealing with them will soon be a think of the past though as High School graduation is almost here and she has spent years saving for the perfect trip.  It won't be a long one, but it will be worth the money it takes to have just a few days away in Nausea.  That is until things go wrong.

 

She ends up pulled out of the ocean by security and whisked off to an island.  The residents of the island, none other than the rich jock from school and his snotty sister.  Will she survive the summer now that she's run into them.

 

I'd love to write more about this book as it was a great story, full of happiness and sadness too, but I don't want to spoil it for you.  You'll need a box of tissue to make it all the way through.

 

I'd give this book 5 stars!



21 days to Loving your Husband- Book 22

Book 22: 21 Days to Loving Your Husband

by Melinda Borda and Carrie Martin-Vegue

 

 

I am beyond thankful for my husband.  We've been married almost 18 years and with the 2 years of dating we've been together at this point for 20 years.  I can't imagine life without him.  This year has been perhaps the hardest one we've had, not relationship wise, but stress wise.  We've had countless house issues, vehicle issues and our son in particular has had countless injuries this year.  It's been rough, but with God's ultimate hand of peace and love, we've weathered the storms that have been thrown at us, and drawn in many ways closer together. 

 

When I started reading this book it was mainly because I figured having more tips on how to be a better wife certainly couldn't hurt.  I'm not perfect, I get particularly fussy when things aren't in order, or going according to schedule.  I'm working on it, but I want to also work on being the best wife I can be.

 

Here are some of the tips that I found helpful to consider in finding ways to love your husband more:

 

Spend 15 minutes to freshen yourself up and relax before he comes home from work.  Use the time you're brushing your hair, fixing make up or changing into something that doesn't look like you just did a cleaning marathon to spend sometime praying for him, and for a good attitude.  If you're relaxed you are more likely to set a good tone in the household.

 

Each man is different. Discover what helps your husband unwind after work, and give him time to do that.

 

Take issues to God, not your girlfriends when they arise.

 

Watch your tone. You're not his mother, but his spouse.

 

 

There were many other great tips and suggestions and this book only took a few minutes each of the 21 days to read. 

 

I'd give the book 5 stars.