Wish by Alexandra Bullen

If you could have anything, what would you wish for? The impossible...or a real chance at being happy?

Olivia Larsen's twin sister, Violet, is dead. Olivia knows nothing that can change that . . . until the day she receives a beautiful dress. The dress doesn't just look magical: it has the power to grant wishes. And all Olivia wants is her sister back.

But Violet's return isn't what Olivia expected. As love, secrets, betrayal, and a haunted past collide, Olivia begins to wonder what a wish is worth . . . and if her life will ever look the same.

"Bullen delivers an enticing first novel . . . she makes the sights of San Francisco come alive in this sweet story of siblings determined to remain inseparable." - Publishers Weekly

"Touching....Readers [will be] rooting for Olivia to find her own voice and step into the sun." - Kirkus Reviews

My Review - I liked this book a lot. It moved pretty quickly and I loved the story line even though it was a YA. The only thing I didn't like in the book really was the drinking that the people did when they were supposedly in high school. But overall it was a pretty awesome book and I can't wait to read the next book by Bullen!

Color the Sidewalk for Me by Brandilyn Collins

As a chalk-fingered child, I had worn my craving for Mama’s love on my sleeve. But as I grew, that craving became cloaked in excuses and denial until slowly it sank beneath my skin to lie unheeded but vital, like the sinews of my framework. By the time I was a teenager, I thought the gap between Mama and me could not be wider.

And then Danny came along. . . .

A splendidly colored sidewalk. Six-year-old Celia presented the gift to her mother with pride—and received only anger in return. Why couldn’t Mama love her? Years later, when once-in-a-lifetime love found Celia, her mother opposed it. The crushing losses that followed drove Celia, guilt-ridden and grieving, from her Bradleyville home.

Now thirty-five, she must return to nurse her father after a stroke. But the deepest need for healing lies in the rift between mother and daughter. God can perform such a miracle. But first Celia and Mama must let go of the past--before it destroys them both.

My Review - I loved the story of Celia and Danny but to get to it kind of took a while. It could have been that I was also reading a book on my Nook. But I liked this book overall and will definitely read the 3rd book of the series.

It's that time of year again, and with excitement and high expectations, Rose has planned the perfect Christmas for her family and friends. But when she feels them drifting away during a time that should celebrate togetherness, Rose is forced to slow down in the most unexpected way. In this whimsical, uplifting story, she discovers the true meaning of giving.

My Review - I liked this story pretty good. It's not what I would usually read by any means which is another good thing about the Nook...It brings you to books you wouldn't usually read. I got this book for Free on the Nook and I read it in about five hours (on our way home from Christmas with my husband's family). I liked how Rose finally had to slow down. This was a good quick read.

Code Blue by Richard L. Mabry, MD

In the first book of the Prescription for Trouble series, “Code Blue” means more to Dr. Cathy Sewell than the cardiac emergency she has to face. It describes her mental state as she finds that coming back to her hometown hasn’t brought her the peace she so desperately needs. Instead, it’s clear that someone there wants her gone…or dead.

Cathy returns to her hometown seeking healing after a broken relationship, but discovers that among her friends and acquaintances is someone who wants her out of town…or dead. Lawyer Will Kennedy, her high school sweetheart, offers help, but does it carry a price tag? Is hospital chief of staff Dr. Marcus Bell really on her side in her fight to get hospital privileges? Is Will’s father, Pastor Matthew Kennedy, interested in advising her or just trying to get her back to the church she left years ago? When one of Cathy’s prescriptions almost kills the town banker, it sets the stage for a malpractice suit that could end her time in town, if not her career. It’s soon clear that this return home was a prescription for trouble.


My review - I was very shocked by this book. It was one of the books that was from Free Fridays at Barnes and Noble. I'd never ready an of Richard L. Mabry's books and wasn't to sure in the beginning. But the twist was SO good. I never saw the twist coming and I loved the love story that was included and also the mentions of God. It represented what Christians should be through Will's parents. I can't wait to get the second one in the series. And I will be buying it!

Stories Behind The Best-Loved Song of Christmas by Ace Collins

Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you've never met, stories you've never heard, and meanings you'd never have imagined.

The next time you and your family sing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,' you'll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You'll discover how 'Angels from the Realms of Glory,' with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You'll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful 'O Holy Night,' including the song's surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you'll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic 'Mary, Did You Know?'

Still other songs such as 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' trace back to mysterious origins--to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as 'White Christmas' and 'The Christmas Song,' they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas.

From the rollicking appeal of 'Jingle Bells' to the tranquil beauty of 'Silent Night,' the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God's heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world--Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.

My Review - I liked this book pretty good, it was my first Nook book and it was free on the Free Friday's, which is why I got it. Although I'd never heard of some of the songs, the ones I had heard of were cool to learn about. I especially liked the Mary Did You Know and how it told about who wrote it and all.

Cast a Road Before Me by Brandilyn Collins

A course-changing event in one’s life can happen in minutes. Or it can form slowly, a primitive webbing splaying into fingers of discontent, a minuscule trail hardening into the sinewed spine of resentment. So it was with the mill workers as the heat-soaked days of summer marched on.

City girl Jessie, orphaned at sixteen, struggles to adjust to life with her barely known aunt and uncle in the tiny town of Bradleyville, Kentucky. Eight years later (1968), she plans on leaving—to follow in her revered mother’s footsteps of serving the homeless. But the peaceful town she’s come to love is about to be tragically shattered. Threats of a labor strike rumble through the streets, and Jessie’s new love and her uncle are swept into the maelstrom. Caught between the pacifist teachings of her mother and these two men, Jessie desperately tries to deny that Bradleyville is rolling toward violence and destruction.

My Review - Although I thought I knew what the outcome of the story would be I liked the book pretty good. I loved Lee and Jessi together. I thought it was amazing the way the family shared God and His word with Jessi and Lee. Sharing God with family is probably harder then sharing with a stranger, sounds strange but it is true. I absolutely loved the ending of the book. I'm hoping I find out more about Jessi and Lee when I read the next two books!

The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wednesday Letters and The Cross Gardener, a story of small kindnesses-and life-changing miracles.

Seventeen seconds can change a life forever. This is what Rex Connor learned on a gorgeous summer afternoon in 1970 when, as a lifeguard, he diverted his gaze for seventeen seconds and tragedy occurred. Forty years later the waves of that day still ripple through the lives of countless people, including his son, Cole.

Cole Connor has become a patient teacher, and now he has invited three struggling teenagers to visit him on his front porch to learn about Rex Connor-and the Seventeen Second Miracle. Together they will learn how Rex Connor could have allowed seventeen seconds to destroy him, but instead he chose to live every day believing the smallest of acts could change the world for good. And the students, each with their own secrets and private pains, will begin to understand that even tragedy brings lessons. Even pain brings comfort. Even death brings miracles. A seventeen second miracle can change a life-if you let it.

My review - I liked this book. It was a pretty easy read and I read it in about 3 days. I liked his other book The Christmas Jars better but this was kind of like it but in a different way. It was a moving book just like The Christmas Jars and I think I'll be trying to preform at least one seventeen second miracle everyday like in the book. I thought the change in the three students was amazing. And I loved what happened with Jade's book store! Overall I give 4 stars and I will definitely read more of his books.

A Light to my Path by Lynn Austin

Refiner's Fire book 3 Kitty, a house slave, always figured it was easiest to do what she’d always done--obey Missy and follow orders. But when word arrives that the Yankees are coming, Kitty is faced with a decision: will she continue to follow the bidding of her owners, or will she embrace this chance for freedom? Never allowed to have ideas of her own, Kitty is overwhelmed by the magnitude of her decision. Yet it is her hope to find the "happy ever after" ending to her life--and to follow Grady, whom she loves--that is the driving force behind her choice. Where will it lead her?

My Review - This book was pretty good. I especially liked it after Grady and Anna/Kitty met. Until that point it kind of dragged. The way slaves were treated were horrible. I don't think I ever realized how bad they were treated or how wrong it was. And then when slavery ended I couldn't image how lost and unprepared people were. I mean you've basically been treated one way your whole life and for that to suddenly change to where you didn't have to be ordered around anymore. Overall I liked this book a lot after I got to a certain point. I can't wait til Lynn Austin comes out with more books since I've read all the ones up to this point.

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin

Harriet Sherwood has always adored her grandmother. But when Harriet decides to follow in her footsteps to fight for social justice, she certainly never expected her efforts to land her in jail. Nor did she expect her childhood enemy and notorious school bully, Tommy O'Reilly, to be the arresting officer.

Languishing in a jail cell, Harriet has plenty of time to sift through the memories of the three generations of women who have preceded her. As each story emerges, the strength of her family--and their deep faith in the God of justice and righteousness--brings Harriet to the discovery of her own goals and motives for pursuing them.

My Review - This was probably my least favorite book from Lynn Austin that I've read. I did read through it all but I was very hard for me to get through it. I didn't like how Harriet would just kind of be remembering but then it'd jump back to her. But I'm moving on to the next Lynn Austin book. I gave this book 2 stars.

While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin

In an unassuming apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, three lives intersect as the reality of war invades each aspect of their lives. Young Esther is heartbroken when her father decides to enlist in the army shortly after the death of her mother. Penny Goodrich has been in love with Eddie Shaffer for as long as she can remember; now that Eddie's wife is dead, Penny feels she has been given a second chance and offers to care for his children in the hope that he will finally notice her and marry her after the war. And elderly Mr. Mendel, the landlord, waits for the war to end to hear what has happened to his son trapped in war-torn Hungary.

But during the long, endless wait for victory overseas, life on the home front will go from bad to worse. Yet these characters will find themselves growing and changing in ways they never expected--and ultimately discovering truths about God's love... even when He is silent.

My review - I liked this book pretty good. Took me a few chapters to get into it but once I got sucked into it I liked it. I hated how Penny's parents treated her. Whether or not she was their true daughter or not, they still treated her like crap. And I pinned her and Roy from the get go. And I loved the ending for all the characters. I also liked the time period in which the book was set. I've always thought the Holocaust was an interest time in history.

Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins

 The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than sixty seconds.

Bailey hung on to the counter, dazed. If she let go, she’d collapse—and the twitching fingers of one of the gunmen would pull a trigger. The rest of her group huddled in frozen shock.

Dear God, tell me this is a dream …

The shooter’s teeth clenched. “Anybody who moves is dead.”

On a beautiful Saturday morning the nationally read “Scenes and Beans” bloggers gather at Java Joint for a special celebration. Chaos erupts when three gunmen burst in and take them all hostage. One person is shot and dumped outside.

Police Chief Vince Edwards must negotiate with the desperate trio. The gunmen insist on communicating through the “comments” section of the blog—so all the world can hear their story. What they demand, Vince can’t possibly provide. But if he doesn’t, over a dozen beloved Kanner Lake citizens will die …

My Review - This book was good from the beginning. It upset me a few times in how stupid the people could be. I can say that I'm going to miss the Kanner Lake citizens. I wish I could have learned more about Bailey and her husband, John. But also about S-man and Leslie. AND lastly of Carla and her daughter, Brittany. All that being said it couldn't have ended any better. I loved the ending, yes I said I loved it! (I hardly ever love endings of books, movies or anything really!)

Crimson Eve by Brandilyn Collins

Carla stared at the gun and David Thornbyorn whatever his name was. Her mind fissured, one side pleading this was some sick joke, the other knowing it was not. Her throat ran dry, air backing up in her lungs. She swallowed.

Please. You must have the wrong person. There's no reason for someone to want me dead. I don't have any enemies.

Then you'd best rethink your friends.

Realtor Carla Radling shows an English gentleman a lakeside estate and finds herself facing a gun. Who has hired this assassin to kill her, and why?

Forced on the run, Carla must uncover the scathing secrets of her past. Secrets that could destroy some very powerful people. Perhaps even change the face of a nation

Crimson Eve is book three in the Kanner Lake Series. Set in a small lakeshore town in pristine northern Idaho, this series combines suspense and fast-paced action with intriguing, well-crafted characters and many an unexpected twist.

My review - I had guessed it through the whole book but that didn't take away how much I liked this book. I think I just liked Carla's character. I also liked how the book ended. Looking forward to the 4th and final book. Wondering how Kanner Lake can ever end though...

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up?

My Review - I attempted to read this book and got to about the 3rd chapter but just couldn't keep reading. I know I'll probably be fussed or whatever for not caring for this book but I just didn't like it.

Coral Moon by Brandilyn Collins

The figure remained still as stone. Leslie couldn’t even detect a breath.

Spider fingers teased the back of her neck.

Leslie’s feet rooted to the pavement. She dropped her gaze to the driveway, seeking … what? Spatters of blood? Footprints? She saw nothing. Honed through her recent coverage of crime scene evidence, the testimony at last month’s trial, the reporter in Leslie spewed warnings: Notice everything, touch nothing.

Leslie Williams hurries out to her car on a typical workday morning—and discovers a dead body inside. Why was the corpse left for her to find? And what is the meaning of the message pinned to its chest?

In Coral Moon, the senseless murder of a beloved Kanner Lake citizen spirals the small Idaho town into a terrifying glimpse of spiritual forces beyond our world. What appears true seems impossible.

Or is it?

My Review - This is the second book in the series and it was much better then first. It had me guessing the whole time about who was doing the killing. But I also liked how Collins puts in little bits of a love story into the book. Moving on to the third book now...

Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins

Something sinuous in the water brushed against Paige’s knee. She jerked her leg away.

What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand.

Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers.

Hair?

She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. Something solid bumped her wrist.

Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out.

Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night—and finds herself face to face with death.

Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice.

In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith’s first glimmer. One woman’s secrets unleash an entire town’s pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

My Review - This book was just okay for me. When I first started it I had already figured out who was who. It got better towards the end which makes me think the second book will be just as good or a little better maybe then the first one.

Contagious Joy - Devotional

Women of Faith, renowned for their unique combination of personality and truth, offer fresh new messages in their fourth series of popular topical study guides. Titles include:

• Receiving God's Goodness
• Experiencing Spiritual Intimacy
• Contagious Joy
• Understanding Purpose

Each study guide, teeming with insights and quotes from the conference speakers provides twelve weeks of Bible study, a leader's guide for small groups, and a special take-home reminder for each week's lesson.

My Review - Loved this devotion and learned a lot.

Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin

Life in Sweden seems like an endless winter for three sisters after their mother's death and father's suicide. Elin feels the weight of responsibility for her sisters' welfare, and when circumstances become unbearable, she writes to her relatives in Chicago, pleading for help.

Joining sixteen million other immigrants who left their homelands for America between 1890 and 1920, Elin, Kirsten, and Sofia begin the long, difficult journey. Enduring the ocean voyage in steerage and detention on Ellis Island, their story is Americas story. And in a journey fraught with hardships, each woman will come to understand her secret longings and the meaning of home.

My Review - It took me a bit to get into this book because of the trip from Sweden to America but then after I got through that part I actually was happy I'd gotten through it. The book wouldn't have been as good without those details. I loved how all the girls turned out. And the story put into details how we should always trust God instead of our own abilities.

Demon Seed by Dean Koontz

In the privacy of her own home, and against her will, Susan Harris will experience an inconceivable act of terror. She will become the object of the ultimate computer’s consuming obsession: to learn everything there is to know about human flesh.

My Review - I read about 75 pages of this book and just couldn't get into it. Part of it truthfully was the name of the book. So I'm giving up on a book which is not something I usually do. But I just couldn't get into the book and the name gave me a mental block!

A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin

When Violet Hayes ventures to Chicago during the time of the World's Fair, her one goal is to find her mother, who has been missing from her life since she was nine. Naïve, impressionable, and highly imaginative (having secretly ingested a diet of romance novels and true crime stories at school), Violet stays in Chicago under the care of her grandmother and her three great aunts. It is here that her perspectives on life are opened as she is exposed to the world about her--from high society to the poor immigrant families; from the suffragette movement to the security of a suitable marriage match. As Violet contemplates what course her life will take, she will discover the missing parts of her family's past--and, ultimately, Violet will discover herself.

My Review - When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through it...Quiet honestly Violet got on my nerves at first. But I was sucked into this book after reading some. But I loved the twist with Silas and Violet at the end. And I really liked the story of her mother. I thought it was amazing how different the world was back in the 1890's.

I've kind of been on a Lynn Austin kick for the past few months. I just recently decided to try to read all of her books before the end of the year. In case you didn't know I'm kind of OCD about how I read books. I want to start with the first books that the author writes and read them in the order written. I only have about four more Lynn Austin books to read. :)

A Woman's Place - Lynn Austin

They watched their sons, their brothers, and their husbands enlist to fight a growing menace across the seas. And when their nation asked, they answered the call as well. Virginia longs to find a purpose beyond others' expectations. Helen is driven by a loneliness money can't fulfill. Rosa is desperate to flee her in-laws' rules. Jean hopes to prove herself in a man's world. Under the storm clouds of destruction that threaten America during the early 1940s, this unlikely gathering of women will experience life in sometimes starling new ways as their beliefs are challenged and they struggle toward a new understanding of what love and sacrifice truly mean.

My Review - First about the ending...I usually do not think books end the way I want them to or would like them to or the way they should. BUT this book ended in a great way! I loved how the four women in the book didn't know each other but grew to love one another. I also loved how Austin didn't push God in this book but then again I would have loved to seen more of Him witnessed in it. I know that doesn't make sense but overall it doesn't matter I guess. Because I absolutely loved this book after I got into it. In the beginning it was kind of hard for me to get into it because I had just finished reading her Chronicles of the Kings series. One of my favorites from Austin.