Seek the Stars Contest!!!

Wayne Thomas Batson is holding another one of his legendary contests to promote his newest book, The Errant King (Book 2 in The Dark Sea Annals).

I highly recommend that you check it out. They're so much fun and you can win awesome prizes like owning your own star, getting a character named after you, or winning every book he ever writes signed and free for the rest of your life.

Seek the Stars Contest

Liberator Cover!

Best. Cover. Yet.

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

Georgia Gail is a switchboard operator who is independent and a bird lover. But she is annoyed when they send a man to look over her shoulder. But Luke Palmer is not who he appears. He would rather be catching bad guys and throwing them in jail then repairing telephone lines. But both are surprised when they find their lives - and hearts - on the line.

I love the cover on this book. I'm fascinated by old-timey switchboards. It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie. I liked the beginning of this book and the story, but I wasn't crazy about how heated the romance became. I don't think it was realistic for the time period and even if it was, I don't want to read about every lustful, passionate thought they have about each other.

I did enjoy reading about women standing up for the lives of birds that were being used to decorate their hats and clothes. I had never read about that before and really enjoyed reading about it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

Alice Grace Ripley is a book-nerd and librarian rolled into one. Her nose is always stuck in a book as the rest of the world suffers through the Great Depression. But after she loses her job at the library and her boyfriend, Alice decides to do something drastic. So she sets off with her aunt and uncle to deliver donated books to a tiny coal-mining town in the Kentucky mountains. Her little trip ends up becoming the biggest adventure of her life - way better than any book she's ever read.

This book was funny, exciting, and different. I love books set in the Depression. I thought the main character, Alice, was perfect. I could relate to her because we both have a somewhat unhealthy addiction to books! I do believe that you can read too many books, as Alice discovers, and it keeps you from living out your own story in life, whatever that may be.

I think this book reminded me a lot of Christy by Catherine Marshall (Just imagine a stuck-up Christy!). I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to Austin's next book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Annabel used to be the daugher of a wealthy merchant. Now her father is dead and she lives with her family who are too proud to work with the rest of the village. For her family's punishment, Annabel goes to work for Lord Ranulf le Wyse, a frightening man with a mysterious story. In the end, she must decide between spending the rest of her life in a nunnery or following her heart.

I was not a big fan of Dickerson's The Healer's Apprentice. In fact, I strongly disliked it. But lots of people loved it and it almost won a Christy Award. So when I realized I had agreed to review another one of her books, I was not looking forward to it. But to my surprise, I actually liked it.

I loved the cover. I love the story of Beauty and the Beast. I thought the book was exciting, interesting, pretty realistic, and a great spin of the classic fairy tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Why You Should Read Classics (even if you think you hate them)

I used to despise classic books. Like non-fiction, they just seemed boring. But one summer (I was about fourteen or fifteen) I picked up a cheap $6 copy of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at Barnes & Noble and I was blown away. A couple years later, and it's still my favorite book.

From then on I bought the cheap classics at B&N whenever I had any babysitting money. It was torture having to pick between The Lost World and Wuthering Heights. I discovered the magical world of Five Children and It, the sad but beautiful tale of Jane Eyre, and life in the jungle with Swiss Family Robinson. The summer I turned sixteen I discovered Jane Austen. Wowzers.

The great thing about classics is that their is a wide variety. You have romance, steampunk, sci-fi, fairy tales, pirates, jungles, dinosaurs, shipwrecks and on and on. They even came out with modern editions of classic books to appeal to today's Twilight fans.

And whimisical covers for book lovers of all ages.

And then there are re-written, easier to understand classic books. I hate those with a passion. Don't mess with a best seller that has stood the test of time. When you chop it up, you take away the magic, the whole reason it was so popular in the first place.

Read any classics lately? Love or hate them?

Just In Case You're Curious...

Why do I have a video on the top of my blog? This past month, I viewed an amazing documentary. I am excited to say it's available for the general public to view. Please take 30 minutes to sit down and watch this. I promise you 180Movie will be life-changing and you'll want to share it with everyone you know. It may cause your friends and family to make a 180 in their beliefs about abortion.

After watching it, I hope you'll post your comments here about who you shared it with. Share it with people you know that are not pro-life. Like the people in this documentary, they may do a 180 from being pro-choice to an unwavering pro-life view. To find out more about this amazing documentary, visit the 180 Movie's website.

My List of Inspiring Non-Fiction Books

If you're like me, you like made-up stories. Or as the world calls it, Fiction. That is such a boring word. Sounds like friction. I prefer to call them made-up stories.

I've always avoided non-fiction books because they're usually boring. But I've discovered some awesome nonfiction books this year and thought I would share it with any other made-up story lovin' people out there.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Inspired Me award goes to "Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption" by Katie Davis with Beth Clark. Actually, I'm in the middle of reading this, but it's amazing.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Strengthened My Faith award goes to "The Cause Within You: Finding the One Great Thing You Were Created to Do in This World" by Matthew Barnett with George Barna. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Taught Me To Dream Big award goes to "Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas" by Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Made Me Cry award goes to "Life, In Spite of Me: Extraordinary Hope After a Fatal Choice" by Kristen Jane Anderson with Tricia Goyer. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Opened My Eyes award goes to "A Heart for Freedom: The Remarkable Journey of a Young Dissident, Her Daring Escape, and Her Quest to Free China's Daughters" by Chai Ling. You can read my review here.

Winner of The Non-Fiction Book That Made Me Think award goes to "Surprised By Oxford: A Memoir" by Carolyn Weber. You can read my review here.