April-June Round-Up

        It’s the end of another quarter! It’s been another three months full of reading and blogging and reviewing, and that means it’s time for a round-up post of all the books I’ve read in the last three months. I’ve always loved keeping track of all the books I read, so this is one of my favorite posts to write. It helps me to see all the things I’ve read, those I’ve loved and those that have fallen flat, and it’s so fun to look back on it all! So, here are the books I’ve read this past April, May, and June! Oh, and click on any of the colored titles in my descriptions to see my full reviews of each book!

My Bookshelf: The Ringmaster’s Wife by Kristy Cambron

An ounce of courage. A leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become.

        In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confines of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling.

        A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her arranged marriage. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling.

        When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, choosing instead the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus.

        A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the Greatest Show on Earth!

Freebie Week

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is actually a freebie week, which means I can write about whatever I want. I had a bit of trouble coming up with a topic for this post, because I didn’t want it to be just like all the other posts I’ve done in the past. Unfortunately, I feel as if I’ve done almost every topic that could ever exist! So today I’m going to do a topic that I’ve somewhat done before, but that’s okay because it’s constantly relevant, and my answers are constantly changing. And that topic is: my favorite new to me authors. I did a Top Ten Tuesday post last year on this same topic, but since that was six months ago, I know there shouldn’t be any overlap, as I’m sure I’ve been introduced to AT LEAST twenty authors in such a long span of time, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to slim them down to only ten. So, here goes! And as always, if you want to see my full review of any of the books, be sure to click on the colored titles!

A New Linkup

        Guess what's coming soon!!!

Must-Have July Releases

        I can’t believe it’s already almost July! On the one hand, it feels like summer just started and I have barely been home a couple of weeks, and on the other hand it feels as if I haven’t seen my friends from school in a year. No matter which it is, time is marching on the same as it always has, and before I know it, or after it seems like forever has passed, school will be starting back again. But let’s not talk about that! Summer most definitely isn’t over yet, and I’ve got a great list of books that would be fantastic additions to your summer reading list!

A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert

You never know what you’re really made of until you lose everything.

        Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream—designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must face incredible odds to save her family—and discover a life worth living.

Brush of Wings by Karen Kingsbury

        Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is.

        Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately, his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy.

        The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. Brush of Wings is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of faith.