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...

Six Word Saturday

Sad vacation is just about over! :(

So tomorrow ends my vacation sort of. We're going to go home tomorrow but I don't go back to work til Tuesday. I'm going to take Monday as a cleaning and laundry day...plus I have to go to the dentist. But then Tuesday it's back to work! I actually miss the workers and children...We'll see if I'm saying that next week! 
 

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.

Six Word Saturday

Next week this time = vacation starts!
So next Friday is my last day at work for a whole 6 days!! We're going to Chicago and I'm so excited! I've never been anywhere north of North Carolina or Tennessee. We're flying out on Sunday then flying back on Thursday and then going to the beach til Sunday! Can you tell I'm excited??

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.

Christmas Jars

Christmas Jars Website

I've you've been reading my blog for any length of time you've probably already heard of the Christmas Jars. Well, yesterday at church my dad preached on not letting your fear stop you from what God wants you to do. He asked the whole congregation to write down two things they would do for the Lord this week. It was hard cause I didn't want to write down the wrong thing but also I didn't want to limit myself. Anyhow all that said, I thought of the Christmas Jars. The Christmas Jars is a book wrote by Jason Wright and if you haven't read it then you should! But the story is just the beginning. What you do is take a jar (mason, pickle, peanut butter, whatever kind of jar you have around your house) and put in your spare change for however long you want to do it and then Christmas week or on Christmas Eve you take it and put it on someone's doorstep, desk, car. Just give it to someone but don't let them know who it's from.

Last year was our first year doing a Christmas Jar (My Post from before) and it was such a blessing. We started putting in change around the first of December last year but this year we upped and started putting change in a jar in June. So look up Christmas Jars, read the book (cause it's good) and then start your own Christmas Jar! :)

Friday Fill-Ins #192

Happy Labor Day weekend to all who celebrate it. And...here we go!

1. Family matters the most!

2. Going back and forth.

3. I love a good song, Bible study, kiss, hug, the list could go on and on...

4. Honey mustard chicken and oven roasted red potatoes makes a good meal.

5. I've got the best thing in the world, salvation!

6. With the heart: wth (what it stands for)!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to maybe hanging out with a friend, tomorrow my plans include washing clothes and relaxing and Sunday, I want to go to church and spend time with family!!

Among the Gods by Lynn Austin

Fleeing King Manasseh's tyranny, Joshua leads the faithful remnant to their new home in Egypt. But as years pass, Joshua's desire for vengeance becomes an obsession. Blinded by hatred, he makes rash decisions, placing his loved ones in jeopardy. Amid Joshua's turmoil comes an unexpected awakening of love-a love that burns so intensely it draws him from the dark inner seclusion where he often retreats. But what will it take for him to grasp the great love his Heavenly Father has for him.and for the chosen people of Judah? (Chronicles of the King Book 5)

My review - I love Lynn Austin and her writing! Saying that, I think I'm glad in a way that this series is over. I was so frustrated with Joshua in this book because of his hatred. But I loved how it was still a type of love story because with Miriam always helping Joshua. This book shocked me in some of the incidents that happened (Joshua's parents passing away) but also amazed me in the way that God finally got through to Manasseh! Now moving on to the NEXT Lynn Austin book!

Faith of My Fathers by Lynn Austin

FROM BOOK COVER: Constant companions in their youth, Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, and Joshua, son of the palace administrator, have been primed for leadership of the kingdom of Judah. But anger toward God begins to smolder in Manasseh's heart upon his father's unexpected death. As Manasseh comes to power, his insecurity leads him down the path of sorcery. Fearing a conspiracy, he lashes out at the leaders of his father's regime. As the mayhem of Manasseh's reign begins to unfold, Joshua and his family suffer devastating loss. The battle lines are drawn as Joshua seeks revenge against his boyhood friend. And with the future of God's faithful remnant at stake, Joshua struggles with whether to run from Yahweh... or to Him. Chronicles of the Kings Book 4

My review - This has been my favorite of the series so far. I loved the story of Joshua. But Manasseh's actions and thoughts made me what to jump right in the book and hurt him. Miriam's love for Joshua and her need for someone to love her made my heart ache. Hoping the fifth and final book in the series is just as good as this one was.

Random Dozen

1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food? Not really sure...Probably funnel cakes
2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes...but I'm working on it!
3. What is your favorite gift to receive? Gift cards...I know everyone thinks they are a cheesy gift but I love them cause then I can get WHATEVER I want...
4. When was the last time you tried something new? Been a while...
5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre? My least favorite would have to be Romance...Or anything that is predictable!
6.Silver or Gold? Definately silver.
7. What makes you sigh? Being tired!
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are? In my early 20's
9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one? Hum...I'm not use to breaking laws but for a loved one I'd do some pretty crazy stuff!
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be? Children! haha...Cause I work at a daycare.
11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do? Change the subject and quickly!
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love? WOW, I took the quiz (http://www.5lovelanguages.com/) and I always thought my Love Language was Gifts BUT it's Words of Affirmation and then Gifts...Hum...Gonna get the Hubby to take this quiz as well...
Quality Time
Physical Touch
Acts of Service
Gifts
Words of Affirmation

Managing Your Moods (A Devotional)

Filling the needs of today's women, we offer the next 4 titles in the best-selling Women of Faith series.

These topical guides deal with issues that women wrestle with today, such as friendship, encouragement, managing moods, finding contentment, and how to live out your faith.

Reaching an audience across racial, socio-economic, denominational, and age boundaries, these guides will enhance the lives of women as they empower them in their weekly devotions. The study guides can be used for both individual and group settings.

Women are asking good questions about their faith. With our study guides, we want to join them in their quest for knowledge and lead them in finding the answers they are seeking.

My review - Finished this devotional book today and I loved it. I've gone through it before and loved it then too. Makes you realize how many emotions God gave us and how we need to put our emotions and feelings in His hands!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Rhythm:: Music
2. Baby:: Want one
3. Sanctimonious:: Don't know this word... 
4. I like:: to read
5. Constipated:: thankful I'm not
6. Sleep late:: Every chance I get! Love it!
7. Over easy:: Is that how you like your eggs?
8. Erratic:: Dunno
9. Umbrella:: is for rain...
10. You don’t:: wanna mess with me! haha

Please remember to use http://subliminal.lunanina.com when linking to Unconscious Mutterings. Thanks!

The Strength of His Hands

Chronicles of the Kings Book 3- God has rewarded Hezekiah's faithfulness with great wealth and power, but the godly king has no heir. In desperation, his beloved wife takes forbidden measures to ensure fertility.With all that is going on in his kingdom- and with the Assyrians approaching- Hezekiah does not discover his wife's idolatry until it's almost too late. Her betrayal cuts to the very core of his being and belief in God. Will his faith sustain him in the face of this deceit, and against an overwhelming enemy?

My review - I don't know if I'm just getting burned out on Hezekiah and the series or what. But this book kind of dragged for me. Until I got to about the third part of the book I was dragging through it. I'd decided I was going to finish it no matter what but whenever Shebna was put in his place was when it got good to me again. On to the fourth book now...

Six Word Saturday

Just found a new favorite verse!
So I was doing my devotions a while ago and found a new favorite verse...It's Proverbs 16:3 - Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. Love it!

Friday Fill-Ins: #189

1. Music is a big part of my life...LOVE music!.

2. A shower is what I like first thing in the morning.

3. The first thing I said this morning was: CRAP I overslept! (by like an hour and a half!).

4. BBQ at a birthday part; it's what's for dinner tonight.

5. It's all been a blast!

6. Being lazy is what I feel like doing right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to one of my kids birthday party, tomorrow my plans include sleeping in and Sunday, I want to spend some time worshiping and then some time with my family!

Thursday 13: 13 things I love!

Doing Thursday 13 for the first time...check it out http://thursday-13.com/

1. God
2. My Husband
3. My Parents and sisters
4. The extended family that I got when my husband and I got married...So my husband's family! :)
5. Chubby - my cat
6. Reading
7. Staying at home
8. Sleeping in late
9. Eating good food
10. Chocolate
11. Being on the computer
12. The beach
13. Blogging

Saturday Six

1. How many different spices are there in your kitchen? A BUNCH...I'd say about 15 or 20...

2. Of the spices you have on hand, which one is your favorite one to use? Salt and pepper! :)

3. What liquid flavoring did you use most recently? I don't use liquid flavoring often so probably back around Christmas when I used peppermint...OR when I use vanilla...Hum...
4. You decide to marinade a steak or chicken: do you use a powdered or liquid spice mix? I'd use Italian dressing and put the whole bottle and the chicken in a bag and let it sit over night...Then grill it...It taste so good!

5. Take the quiz: What Spice Are You? You Are Garlic...Of all the spice types, you are the most universally loved. You get long with pretty much everyone, and you leave a lasting impression. You adapt yourself well to situations. You can fit in or stand out, depending on what you're called on to do.
6. Which spice — whether you have it in your home or not — do you consider the most “exotic”? Probably saffron...Not sure if I even spelled it right...

Song of Redemption by Lynn Austin

When King Hezekiah discovers that God's Law forbids him to take multiple wives, he must choose one woman to love. He must also choose to trust God's promises when he decides to rebel against his powerful Assyrian overlords. Hezekiah seeks to strengthen his nation's fortifications by building a tunnel in Jerusalem to hide his water supply. The tension mounts as the Assyrians march closer--and Hezekiah's tunnel remains incomplete.With his officials advising him to submit to the Assyrians, Hezekiah's faith is once more severely tested. Chronicles of the King Book 2.

My review - I liked this second book in the series much more then the first one. I loved reading about Jerusha and Elikiam falling in love and I had a feeling when she came back they would. I also loved watching them both find God. But most of all I loved reading about Hezekiah and all his trials but always trusting in the Lord. Austin is a wonderful author and I can't wait to get into the 3rd book!

Friday Fill-Ins: #187

1. I'm going to trust God with everything...even though it's hard to do sometimes.

2. These two words only describe me about 10% of the time: adventure and daring.

3. Perhaps today you can make it a point tell someone you love them.
4. I do NOT have true adventurer’s spirit.

5. Compassion is required when you are in a relationship.

6. Do something kind today, no matter how difficult.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, reading and cleaning some, tomorrow my plans include laundry and reading and Sunday, I want to go to church and relax but I have to stop by work for a bit!

Typing Test...How fast are you?

65 words
Typing Speed Test

Gods and Kings by Lynn Austin

Lynn Austin is a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time. She has won three Christy Awards for her historical novels Candle in the Darkness, Fire By Night, and Hidden Places. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.A riveting retelling of the life of King Hezekiah from an award-winning novelist. Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings. Gods and Kings is the story of King Hezekiah, heir to the throne of King David. When his evil father plots to sacrifice him, Hezekiah s mother, Abijah, searches frantically for a way to save him. But only two men can help her, and neither of them seems trustworthy. In a time and place engulfed by violence, treachery, and infidelity to Yahweh, Abijah and her son must discover the one true Source of strength if they are to save themselves and their country. Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings.

My review - I loved this book. I liked how it took a story from the Bible and although bits are true some are not. But you go the just of the story as it's told in the Bible. Reading the second in the series now! :)

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Ten years in the making and a masterpiece of reportage, "Columbine" is an award-winning journalist's definitive account of one of the most shocking massacres in American history.

It is driven by two questions: what drove these killers, and what did they do to this town?

*****

"On April 20, 1999, two boys left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Their goal was simple: to blow up their school, Oklahoma City-style, and to leave 'a lasting impression on the world.' Their bombs failed, but the ensuing shooting defined a new era of school violence--irrevocably branding every subsequent shooting 'another Columbine.'

"When we think of Columbine, we think of the Trench Coat Mafia; we think of Cassie Bernall, the girl we thought professed her faith before she was shot; and we think of the boy pulling himself out of a school window--the whole world was watching him. Now, in a riveting piece of journalism nearly ten years in the making, comes the story none of us knew. In this revelatory book, Dave Cullen has delivered a profile of teenage killers that goes to the heart of psychopathology. He lays bare the callous brutality of mastermind Eric Harris and the quavering, suicidal Dylan Klebold, who went to the prom three days earlier and obsessed about love in his journal.

"The result is an astonishing account of two good students with lots of friends, who were secretly stockpiling a basement cache of weapons, recording their raging hatred, and manipulating every adult who got in their way. They left signs everywhere, described by Cullen with a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of police files, FBI psychologists, and the boys' tapes and diaries, he gives the best complete account of the Columbine tragedy.

"In the tradition of Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood, COLUMBINE is destined to be a classic. A close-up portrait of violence, a community rendered helpless, and police blunders and cover-ups, it is a compelling and utterly human portrait of two killers--an unforgettable cautionary tale for our time."

My Review - This book was a good book. I loved how it read like a fiction book but it was all non-fiction. I learned a lot about the whole event then I had known previous. Sometimes it was hard to read just because of all the stuff Eric and Dylan went through to get to where they got. And the families of the thirteen...My prayers go out to everyone who was involved in this event.

Sunday Stealings: Meme of Many Odd Questions, Part One

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Gray...My mom hates me wearing it because it's so old it's very worn out.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yep...That was my husband! :)

4. Do you plan outfits? Not often...Maybe I should...haha

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Okay...Sad the weekend is over.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? A red pen on the table next to me.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? I dreamed that we were robbed the other night but it was all between me driving out of my driveway and I turned around to come back. And in my dream my husband slept through the whole thing. But the only thing the robbers took was our couch!

8. Did you meet anybody new today? No I don't think I did.

9. What are you craving right now? Some real food.

10. Do you floss? Not enough!
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? A big green head of cabbage and my daddy's yummy slaw!

12. Are you emotional? Sometimes...But I'm allowed cause I'm a WOMAN!

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Hum...don't think so.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Never thought about this but I just lick it off the spoon.

15. Do you like your hair? I guess.

16. Do you like yourself? Most of the time.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Sure!

18. What are you listening to right now? Superchic[k]

19. Are your parents strict? They were when they needed to be.

20. Would you go sky diving? Uh no!

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Gross!!

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? I met Skillet and shook their hands!
 

Six Word Saturday

God will provide when it's right!!
 Just going through a lot of emotions this week and I just keep reminding myself that God will provide when it's the right time!

 

Caught by Harlan Coben

An explosive new stand-alone thriller from #1 New York Times bestseller Harlan Coben

Wendy is a reporter on a mission: She's chasing down the lowest of the low-sexual predators-and exposing them on national television. Her big break comes when she nails a child advocate who works with abused and underserved children. She's there, cameras rolling, when the cops cuff him and the guy realizes his life is well and truly over.

Three months later, the perp is off the grid, missing and presumed dead after the father of a victim claims to have killed him. Wendy, proud to have taken the man down in front of a shocked television audience, has moved on to the story of a missing girl, Erin, in a nearby suburb. The whole country is obsessed with finding this child, and Wendy should be well on her way to journalistic superstardom.

Then is all comes unhinged: Wendy gets a phone call that changes everything. A group of local fathers, out of work and not above vigilante justice, begins to take matters into their own hands on Erin's behalf. Secrets long-buried rise to the surface and Wendy begins to wonder if her assumptions that fateful night three months ago were based on solid investigative journalism-or if she has unwittingly been part of a grand manipulation aiming to destroy an innocent man.

My Review - I absolutely loved this book. It was so full of twist and turns and a really good book. Coben always provides a good read! The twist at the end was the best! Good quick read.

The drama unfolds as Mike searches desperately for the courage to face the inevitable, and Wilhemina prays for the wisdom to lead a dying man to a personal faith. Will Mike take the future into his own hands? Can Wilhemina learn to trust again? Will love be enough to see them through? Paper.

My review - This was probably my least favorite book from Austin so far. But I got through it. It took a little bit longer then usual for me to finish this book. I loved the fact that Mike and Willymina fell in love in the end. But that was predictable for me. Can't wait to read the next book from Austin!