Saturday, June 30, 2018

My Bookshelf: Storm Front by Susan May Warren

Life and love hang in the balance during a deadly summer of storms.
A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community, and among the missing are not only a group of students but also PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved—and lost—walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.
A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn’t expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked—no ran—from over a year ago. She had her reasons—good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn’t the kind of man to give up—not on the missing students or on her.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

It's Not About Me?

 Do you ever make everything—or even just one particular thing—all about you? And then because of your selfishness you say or do something that hurts someone else…and you feel terrible? Please tell me it’s not just me. I’ve been doing this far too often recently and it’s been making me wonder, “Am I really this selfish?” Do I really care that much more about myself than about others around me? I suppose one could argue that since I am taking the time to ask myself these questions, then I must not be totally selfish, otherwise I wouldn’t care at all. But still, my actions haunt me.


Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’ve Given Up On



 
It’s Tuesday again! And I must say, I am really glad to be back to writing Top Ten Tuesday posts once more. Plus, this is a really good Tuesday for me, since I am currently laid back with my feet up enjoying a week by the lake. There is no better way to spend the summer, except by the beach. Especially since I brought enough books that I could almost read a book a day if I wanted to, and that makes for the perfect vacation. This week for Top Ten Tuesday, however, we are talking about books—or rather series—that we are actually not planning on reading. So, here are some series I have decided I just can’t finish.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Must-Have July Releases


It’s July already? How is that possible? But, I can’t really complain, because there are SO many fantastic books coming out this month! I think this is my longest list this year, and that is always a happy thing because I love finding out about new books that I can read. So I hope that you can find something from this list that piques your interest!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

My Bookshelf: Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren

 Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants—except a happy ending. Or at least that’s what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island.
 Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.
 When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.
 It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra’s relationship.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Stealing Time

 If you have followed my blog with any degree of regularity over the past few years, I’m sure you have noticed the ebb and flow of my dedication to it. Some months—or years—I have posted regularly, and kept up with my reading, writing, and linkups, while others I have let it fall to the wayside and have done well to post at all. Mostly, this is because I have been in college (and technically I still am once summer break is over, I have one year left), but it is also because I haven’t been very faithful to use the gifts and talents that God has given me. I have quite a few hobbies, and while it is difficult to devote a decent amount of time to all of them on a regular basis, more lately, I have found myself completely neglecting to devote any time to them at all. The way this blog has gone over the past year or so in particular is an example of this.
 However, God has been tugging at my heart lately, reminding me of all of the things that He has created in me a love to pursue. More importantly, He has been gently nudging me to take a good look at how I choose to spend my time. Actually, He has been instructing me to take stock of my life and how I live it for quite some time now, but I have been a lot slower to listen. Why? Because I’m comfortable. Because I like spending my time however I like. Because I don’t necessarily enjoy being convicted. While all of those statements remain true today, I can’t actually let them govern my life. There is always going to be something I need to work on. And change is never going to be something I really enjoy. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, my life isn’t my own. I know that. Besides, God’s plans always turn out to be even bigger than my dreams (which is a topic I want to cover again, more in depth, on another day), so deep down I know that my best option is always to respond to God’s gentle prodding.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: My Summer TBR


I’m finally back! I cannot tell you how much I have missed participating in Top Ten Tuesday, but now I’m finally back to posting about it again, and I’m so glad. I am really into lists for some reason—it’s my personality I guess—so I think that is why these posts are so enjoyable for me to write. Now that I have decided to put more time back into my blog again, I have easily made the decision to get back to participating in Top Ten Tuesday again as well. And my first post back just so happens to be a really great one: books to read on the beach/by the pool, or in other words, books on my summer TBR list! Since my TBR list is always SUPER long, these kinds of posts are really easy for me. So, for the first four books on this list, I chose books that are currently on my bookshelf that I am really looking forward to finally getting around to reading, and am planning on reading in the next couple of months. Then, for the last six books on this list, I chose some new releases that are coming out this summer that I’ve been dying to read ever since I learned about their impending release. So, let’s get down to this list!

Friday, June 15, 2018

The Memory of You by Catherine West

Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?
When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma, something she never intended to do. She’s avoided her grandparent’s sprawling home and all its memories since the summer her sister died—the awful summer Natalie’s nightmares began. But the winery is failing, and Natalie’s father wants her to shut it down. As the majority shareholder, she has the power to do so.
And Natalie never says no to her father.
Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business. When Natalie shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed. He knows Natalie intends to close the gates, and he’s determined to convince her otherwise. But the Natalie he remembers from childhood is long gone, and he’s not so sure he likes the woman she’s become. Still, the haunted look she wears hints at secrets he wants to unearth. He soon discovers that on the night her sister died, the real Natalie died too. And Tanner must do whatever it takes to resurrect her.
But finding freedom from the past means facing it. For both of them.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

New Direction


This morning, I find myself at a crossroads. (And I'm sharing this picture of the beach because that is where I do my best thinking. And I just love it). I love this blog, and I love reviewing books and sharing what I read, but I’m just not sure if I am going to continue with my blog the way that it currently is. Book reviews are great, and I love sharing them, and I will always post my reviews on Goodreads and other bookish sites that I frequent. But do I need a blog only to share my reviews whenever I happen to finish a book? That seems to be giving my blog too small of a purpose. What about actually making this blog into something? That’s also a thought that has crossed my mind a few times. What if I keep the book focus, but make it into something more? I love the idea of that, but do I have the time? I feel like there’s always something going on, between work, school, ministry, relationships, and everything else that clutters up our lives, and I’m just not sure if I would remain devoted to my blog or if it would get pushed too far down on my list of priorities.
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, this is what I’m praying about right now. I'm praying about whether or not I should take this blog in a new direction, develop the old one, or just let it go. I’m trying to decide what I think the best thing to do is, and if I do decide to move forward with this blog, what exactly I feel like I should write about. And how much of a focus I want to have on books moving forward. Of course, if I do move forward with the blog, I will continue to post my reviews here every time I read something. However, I’m not sure if I want to keep the focus purely on books, or if I want to transition more into a focus on things that are more life-applicable. Like things God has been teaching me. Or things I have learned as I’ve gone through my life. Or just advice.
I have a lot to think about, and I’ve actually been thinking about this for a few weeks now. So, what I think I have decided for now, is to just give being consistent a try for now. I’m going to continue posting reviews—probably one book a week for now—and I’m going to get back into Top Ten Tuesday (on the That Artsy Reader Girl blog), and I think I’ll add one post a week where I just talk about life. That way, I’ll still keep up with my reviews, I’ll still be talking about books, but I’ll also be talking about reality. Because I have a lot to comment on that as well. Oh, and of course, I will still be keeping up my monthly Must-Have posts. Because I absolutely love talking about new releases. And that’s how I keep up with what’s coming out in the months to come.
So, I hope you’ll join me on this journey! I can’t promise that it will be smooth the first couple of weeks, and there will probably be a few bumps when I start back to school, but this is the plan for now, and I’m going to do my best to hold myself to it! Unless I feel like God is calling me to take a different direction of course. But for now, I’ll still be here! And I’d love to hear from you, about anything, whether it’s about books or life or what I’m writing or anything in between!
Happy reading!




To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

Monday, June 4, 2018

A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton

Hearts are divided. Loyalties will be tested. The fates of two families hang in the balance.
Twenty years past, in 1757, a young Redcoat, Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy—the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins—during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry and raised him as his own.
No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William’s twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God’s forgiveness—and her love.
Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York and the Continentals, aided by Oneida warriors including Two Hawks, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture, united by love and faith, must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.

Friday, June 1, 2018

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

Art restorer Emily Price has never encountered anything she can’t fix—until she meets Ben, an Italian chef, who seems just right. But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family is another matter…
Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.
Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.
Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?