Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.
Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.
Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.
Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.
Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks—the man so many people fear—is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday Tidbits

So this week has been an interesting week here in my neck of the woods.

We had our share of snow from super storm Jonah. Although I must say I was disappointed we didn't get a little more than we got.

The HCSB Essential Teen Study Bible--Holman Bible Publishers

There’s only one life essential you really need—God’s Word.

The HCSB Essential Teen Study Bible can give you all the tools you need to tackle this life and learn to live it God’s way. Filled with hundreds of study helps and 146 devotions written especially for teens, this fully designed, four-color Bible will help you apply God’s Word each day and connect with Him as never before.

Features include:

·      146 devotions on redemption, written specifically for teens
·      Redemption Thread feature from Genesis to Revelation to help readers understand how each story points us to Christ
·      Respond feature that guides students on how to apply Bible passages to their lives
·      Behind the Story feature with in-depth info to better understand biblical text
·      Essential Questions feature with the answers students are looking for
·      Memory Verses to strengthen teens’ faith
·      99 Essential Doctrines that all teens need to know
·      Introductions for each book of the Bible
·      Full text of the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
·      Study notes
·      Full-color maps

The Bronte' Plot by Katherine Reay

When Lucy’s secret is unearthed, her world begins to crumble. But it may be the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.
In a sudden turn of events, James’s wealthy grandmother, Helen, hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy’s predicament better than anyone else.
As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom as Helen confronts ghosts from her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters’ beloved heroines who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of impossible circumstances.
Now Lucy must face her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that’s been waiting for her all along.

Not By Sight by Kate Breslin

With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.

Tuesday Tidbits

This week has most definitely flown by for some reason. I most certainly don't feel like I got all the reading done that I needed to, but I am working on some other projects that have been taking up my reading time.

I am finishing a quilt my late mother in law was crocheting for me. I am excited to say after going through the pattern book and checking the quilt, I only have a few more pieces to make for it to be finished. Even though it doesn't have anything to do with reading, I may show y'all a picture once it is finished.

With all that being said, I am now trying to catch up on my reading. I am absolutely in love with the book I am currently reading.

This book is fabulous! I am completely taken by this book. I actually must say I was surprised at how much I am liking it. But enough about that. I'll have my review soon.

I am also reading

and

And I must tell you I am already completely sucked in to this one and I have only read one chapter!

So there is my Tuesday tidbits for this week.

Remember to choose your stone and throw it WELL.

Colossians 3:23 Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto man.

A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears

Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts.

Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony--until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father.

Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?

Tuesday Tidbits

Really quickly this morning I wanted to update everybody on what all I'm reading within the next few weeks, so you can have something to look forward too!

I have really loved about half of the books I have read so far in 2016 HA!

One in particular was a big disappointment. Mainly because of the publisher. (I think I might actually do a blog post later on what I have found with certain publishers in the past year.)

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

The Comeback by Louie Giglio

Have you ever longed for a comeback? We all know what it feels like to have life disappoint us and not work out as we'd hoped. We all know what it's like to long for something different, something better, something more. The Comeback celebrates new beginnings. It offers encouragement and perspective, and it's for you if you feel frustrated or confused, if you're sorrowing or in pain, if you've made mistakes or are grieving, if you're disappointed or feel as though life doesn't make sense. The good news is that God is in the business of giving fresh starts to people. He gives hope to the hopeless. Direction to the directionless. Help to those who need help. God is always good, all the time, and God's plans will always prevail, even when our plans don't. God already knows what the solutions are. No matter what kind of disappointment or grief or pain or trouble or heartache you encounter, God always offers a new beginning, a change of heart, or a powerful spiritual turnaround. God offers the way forward, and his pathways are always good. Your current circumstances will not get the final say in your life. God is the God of the comeback, no matter what kind of challenge you're facing. And your story can become a great comeback story too.

2016 Reading Challenge

Hey Y'all

I thought I'd do something fun and list the reading challenges I'm doing this year. Now before I list these I must tell you I didn't make these up on my own. I got the first one from an awesome Facebook group Avid Readers of Christian Fiction and the second one I got from a Goodreads group Christian Fiction Devourers.

Ok now on to the challenges

The Tears of Dark Water by Corbin Addison

Daniel and Vanessa Parker are an American success story. He is a Washington, DC, power broker, and she is a physician with a thriving practice. But behind the gilded façade, their marriage is a shambles, and their teenage son, Quentin, is self-destructing. In desperation, Daniel dusts off a long-delayed dream - a sailing trip around the world. Little does he know, the voyage he hopes will save them may destroy them instead. Half a world away on the lawless coast of Somalia, Ismail Adan Ibrahim is living a life of crime in violation of everything he was raised to believe - except for the love and loyalty driving him to hijack ships for ransom and plot the rescue of his sister, Yasmin, from the man who murdered their father. There is nothing he will not do to save her, even if it means taking innocent lives. Paul Derrick is the FBI's top hostage negotiator. His twin sister, Megan, is a celebrated defense attorney. They have reached the summit of their careers by savvy, grit, and a secret determination to escape the memory of the day their family died. When Paul is dispatched to handle a hostage crisis at sea, he has no idea how far it will take him and Megan into the past - or the chance it will give them to redeem the future. Across continents and oceans, through storms and civil wars, the paths of these individuals converge in a single, explosive moment. It is a moment that will test them and break them, but it will also leave behind an unexpected glimmer of hope - that out of the ashes of tragedy and misfortune, the seeds of justice and reconciliation can grow.

My Word for the Year

As I start this new year, I wanted a word to keep me focused on all my goals and ideas I had for my life this year. I struggled with what word fit best but, I had an aha moment sitting in church yesterday morning. My pastor was speaking about how we want to live our lives for the coming year and he had an example that really made me think. He gave an example of something that Kathie Lee Gifford had said when she discussed the death of her husband, the legendary Frank Gifford.

Kathie Lee said something along the lines of this,
  "We went to the Holy Land with our pastor. We went to the place where David picked up his five smooth stones to slay Goliath. Our pastor told us we should pick up a stone for ourselves and this stone represented our lives. He said we should choose our stone and throw it well."

That last comment made me think as I sat in church yesterday. I knew that that phrase had something to do with my word for the year. But my pastor added more to my thoughts when he questioned us with what stone did we need to throw? Did I need to throw out more grace this year? More prayer? More faith?

With all that in mind this year I have decided that my word for 2016 is

WELL

I have decided whatever that God calls me to do this year, I will do it WELL. Whatever stone he lays on my heart to throw, throw it WELL. As I do my daily chores and those things that seem to bog me down sometimes, I can do those WELL too. Remembering who I am really doing them for. I don't know yet what stone the Lord is asking me to throw this year, but I know I will do my best to throw it WELL.

My verse to go along with this is

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Pick up your stone, and throw it WELL.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?