FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore was a weird book, and I still am not sure if that is a good thing or not. There are parts of the book where the house is talking, and that threw my off throughout the entire book. I am sure that was because this is the first book I have read where the house is a big part of the story. I didn’t like Lindie right from the start because she seemed like a person that if they were alive, I wouldn’t get along with because they just get on my nerves. I always have to smile when I end up hating a character because it means that the author did a great job of making me feel like the characters and alive and real people. I did find myself just scanning some of the pages because I felt like there were way too many details and unneeded information in this book. I liked how they went between current times and the 1950’s because it gave me a better idea of what the characters were actually feeling. In the end, I did like most of the book, but there are parts I think they could have left out or cut down.
About The Book
From the New York Times, bestselling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake that changed a family forever, now in paperback and featuring an all-new Reading Group Guide
Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in small-town Ohio, mourning the loss of her grandmother, June. But the noise of the rusted doorbell forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary movie star Jack Montgomery’s fortune.Soon Jack’s famous daughters arrive, entourage in tow, determined to wrestle Cassie away from an inheritance they feel is theirs. Together, they come to discover the true reason for June’s silence about the summer she was eighteen when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered. Shifting deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.
About The Author
MIRANDA BEVERLY-WHITTEMORE is the author of three other novels: New York Times bestseller Bittersweet; Set Me Free, which won the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, given annually for the best book of fiction by an American woman; and The Effects of Light. A recipient of the Crazyhorse Prize for Fiction, she lives and writes in Brooklyn.
I have used several quotes over the past month about being positive, and I have done that because I think too many people only focus on the negative. I find that I also get caught up in the negative parts of my life, so I am trying every day to find the positive things about the day and focus on those things. I find that I have to take a few minutes every couple of hours and remind myself of the positive things in my life. I know if I do this long enough it will become second nature and I won’t have to work so hard it.
What do you think of this week’s quote by Matt Cameron?
I don’t have a ton of reviews this month because work for me has been insane so I haven’t agreed to many reviews. I am also glad that I don’t have many reviews because reading for me lately has been hard because I have been super sick this past month. Let’s get right on to the reviews that I have coming up during the month of April.
Those are the reviews that I have coming this month but if I don’t start feeling better some of them may be moved to next month. I hope you all have a great month and I will see you back here in a couple days with a review.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
A Fine Piece of Chocolate by Jacqueline R. Banks was a book I had a really time getting through. I always try and find something good about the books that I review but I didn’t like this book at all, and I was glad when it was finally over. I couldn’t stay interested in this book and I was just wishing that it would end quickly. I also felt like this book wasn’t well written and at times it left me confused trying to figure out what was going on in the book. Like I said before I always try and find something good about a book that I am going to review but I can’t think of anything that I liked or enjoyed about this book.
About The Book
Showing that love doesn’t have to be a four-letter word and that redemption is possible, this novel follows three women all involved in the universal search of finding love. Instead, they find lust, betrayal, compromise, and finally, redemption. Banks sends a powerful message through these characters, encouraging readers to know their values, love themselves, and never compromise what is near and dear to them.
About The Author
Jacqueline R. Banks is a native New Yorker who enjoys reading, writing and life in general. Learn life’s lessons and become a stronger person for it, is her life philosophy. Self-described as a lifelong learner, Banks is a product of the New York City public school system and believes that education opens doors. A graduate of both Hunter College and The City College in New York, Banks became a New York City public high school teacher, enjoying a 28-year tenure.
Always having an interest in why people behave as they do encourage Banks to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Hunter College and a master’s degree in education from the City College of New York. Navigating youth at a tempestuous time in many of their lives and helping to guide them in making wise decisions has been a passion for Banks.
After a brief marriage, which produced one son, Trevor, Banks became an advocate for parents and was ministry leader for the single parent’s ministry at her church, Bethel Gospel Assembly in New York City. Believing in the importance of having a sister circle of friends as well as the male input of “brother friends” to get a complete perspective of life is a way of developing healthy intimate relationships and getting on the path of relationship victory.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
An Amish Home by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Ruth Reid was a good book. I have read quite a few books like this one now, and I think that they are some of the favorites because they usually have three to four short stories in them and I like being able to finish a story and move on to the next one at a fast pace. I am going to share some thoughts that I had on each of the stories because that is the easiest way to review them.
A Cup Half Full by Beth Wiseman
It took me a few chapters to get into this book. I felt so bad for the characters in this book because of everything that happened right before this book started. I did find that this story is the typical story about the Amish and that isn’t a bad this because I love these types of books.
Home Sweet Home by Amy Clipston
This was my favorite story in this book. I liked that it had an Amish family in the book, but they weren’t the main characters. I loved that you get a different point of view in this book because the main characters are just regular people and they are helped by the Amish family. This story just made me feel good by the end of the book because I feel in love with the characters in this story and this is one that I wished would have been a longer story because I was sad to see these characters go.
A Flicker of Hope by Ruth Reid
I had a really hard time getting into this book because I didn’t connect with these characters like I usually do. I am not sure why I didn’t like this story, but this is one that I was glad that the story was short because I don’t know that I could force myself to finish this book if it had been any longer.
Building Faith by Kathleen Fuller
I think that this story was my second favorite because I loved that Faith wasn’t the typical Amish women and she did things that most Amish women don’t do. I also wished that this book had been a full-length book because I was sad that it was so short. I did think that this book was predictable, but I still loved it.
All in all, if you are looking to get into reading Amish fiction I would recommend picking up a book like this because it is an excellent way to read different stories but not be committed to an entire book if you end up not liking the book.
About The Book
A Cup Half Fullby Beth Wiseman—Sarah Lantz always dreamed of the perfect home, the perfect husband, the perfect family. When she married Abram, she knew she was on her way to securing her perfect life. All of that changes in one moment when an accident leaves her unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair, dashing all of her dreams. As Abram starts to transform their home, Sarah begins a transformation in her spirit, and she begins, once again, to see her cup as half full.
Home Sweet Homeby Amy Clipston—Down on their luck and desperate after they are evicted from their small apartment, Chace, and Mia O’Conner reluctantly take Chace’s Amish boss up on his offer to rent them the daadihaus located on his property. They are certain they will never feel at home in the rustic cabin without any modern conveniences, and they start to blame each other for their seemingly hopeless situation. But with the help of their new Amish friends, Chace and Mia begin to enjoy their cozy cabin and realize that home really is where the heart is.
A Flicker of Hopeby Ruth Reid—Fifteen years ago, Thomas and Noreen King were blissful newlyweds. Young, naive, and in love, life was rosy . . . for a while. Then trials and tribulations rocked their foundation, shattering them emotionally, and soon, their marriage was in shards. All hope for restoring their previously unshakable union seems lost. When a fire destroys their home, Thomas and Noreen are left to sift through the rubble. As uncovered items from the remains of the house shake loose memories of the past, Thomas and Noreen begin to draw closer and a flicker of hope—and love—is re-ignited.
Building Faithby Kathleen Fuller—Faith Miller knows that carpentry is an unlikely hobby for a young Amish woman, but she loves the work, and it keeps the memory of her grandfather alive. So when her cousin asks Faith to build the cabinets in her new home, Faith is only too happy to take on the job, even if it is the most ambitious project she has ever taken on. The only catch is that she has to work with her ex-fiance, Silas. As they work to build Martha’s kitchen, can they put the past behind them and start to build faith in one another again?
About The Author’s
Beth Wiseman
“I wish I had the time to review books and chat with you here, but my writing deadlines just don’t allow it. Please like my Fans of Beth Wiseman Page on Facebook where I try to post any news and interact with readers.”
Beth is the best-selling and award-winning author of the Daughters of the Promise series – Plain Perfect, Plain Pursuit, Plain Promise, Plain Paradise, and Plain Proposal. She is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Her other series–the Land of Canaan Novels–begins with Seek Me With All Your Heart, then The Wonder of Your Love and now, His Love Endures Forever. Seek Me With All Your Heart is the first Amish fiction book selected as a Women of Faith novel in 2011. Beth has also written three contemporary Christian fiction novels, Need You Now published in 2012 and The House That Love Built in 2013. In The Promise, (2014) Beth jumps way outside the box. This story takes readers far away from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by a true story, Beth believes this is the book she’s been working toward for a long time. 2015 brings Beth back to the Pennsylvania Amish with her new series, Amish Secrets. She is currently working on book #2 following much success with book #1, Her Brother’s Keeper.
You can also follow Beth on Twitter: @BethWiseman
Amy Clipston
Hi, I’m Amy Clipston. I am an author of Amish and Christian fiction with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Most of my books focus on the Amish community, faith, and love. I also write romance novels and young adult inspirational stories
Kathleen Fuller
Kathleen is the best-selling author of over thirty books, including the Hearts of Middlefield Series and the A Middlefield Family Series. She lives with her husband and three children in Northeast Ohio. Kathleen loves to hear from readers.
Ruth Reid
Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She’s a full-time pharmacist who resides in Florida with her husband and three children.
I really liked this quote because to me it makes me realize that if you focus on only negative things then everything in your life will always be bad. I know quite a few people who only look at all the bad things that happen in their life and in the world. They can’t figure out why they have so much negative energy in their lives. I always tell them that nothing good will happen to them if all they ever put out into the world is negativity. I have learned that when I put out more positive thoughts and actions into the world I get back positivity.
What do you think of this week’s quote by Helen Keller?
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