Category: awesomeness

Best Books I Read in September (2023)

In September, I read 19 books, bringing my total for the year to 154 books read. Of those, most of them were either meh reads or solid reads, but a handful were great.

Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (audio). Another lovely book by my favorite author. This one made me cry, but it was so good!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I forgot how much I loved this world and these characters! This was just plain fun to re-read.

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar. I do love reading about the 1920s, and this was such a good read! I loved all the details about life and culture during this times. The romance was so well-done, and I even enjoyed the fashion descriptions. Which is really saying something, considering my complete disregard of fashion.

The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read a lot! Love the magic system and the characters—I found the Crown Prince to be so endearing in his…uselessness. This was a strong fantasy read with vibrant characters, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar

Title: The Roaring Days of Zora Lily
Author: Noelle Salazar
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

2023, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History: A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer’s label, leaving her to wonder—who is Zora Lily?

1924, Seattle: Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.

When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening—with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It’s a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she’s always dreamed of. But as Zora’s ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she’ll learn that dreams come with a cost.

This was a fantastic read! Granted, the 1920s are one of my favorite time periods to read about, but Zora captivated me from the very first page. She is so determined to move past her present and make a life that she loves for herself, but she also remains loyal to her family and those who helped her. It’s a testament to the writing and story that the fashion details fascinated me instead of boring me, but Zora herself is truly the reason I couldn’t put the book down. This is so well done, and I would recommend it to everyone!

Noelle Salazar lives in Washington. The Roaring Days of Zora Lilly is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin

Title: The Last Exchange
Author: Charles Martin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 (Actually, more like 6 out of 5).

When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.

It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.

Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue’s life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that’s when he stepped in.

Yes, Charles Martin is my favorite author and I love everything he writes, but dang. This book. I laughed and cried while reading this—and I binge-read the entire thing in one afternoon. Martin’s characters are always so quirky and larger-than-life and Joe and Pockets are no exceptions. I loved how their friendship grew and the secrets they were both hiding made it even more tangible and real. (The scene with the Queen!) As always, Martin manages to illustrate the beautiful truth of the Gospel while weaving a beautiful, moving story, and that’s why he’s my favorite author.

Charles Martin is a bestselling author. The Last Exchange is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)

What I Read in September (2023)

Books Read in September: 19
Books Read for the Year: 154/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis (audio, spiritual): This was a very inspiring read/listen!

Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR): This was an excellent book! The relationships in this book are top-notch.

How to Listen to God, by Charles Stanley (spiritual): Excellent read.

gods at War by Kyle Idleman (spiritual): Very thought provoking.

Powers, by John B. Olson (TBR): Apparently I’d read this before…but I didn’t realize that until I finished it. This was very chaotic and confusing to me, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Trapper Road, by Rachel Caine (TBR): People can be so evil.

Now I Rise, by Kierstin White (TBR): Yeah, these characters are…not nice people.

The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa (re-read): This was such a great re-read!

The Dry, by Jane Harper. I tried to read this before and got bored quickly, but this time I persevered and finished it. It got much better, but man, the setting was depressing.

For Review:

The Spy’s Daughter, by Bianca M. Schwarz. This was a solid read, but it seemed all to easy for the characters to me.

The Forest Grimm, by Kathryn Purdie. This had some dark fantasy aspects to it and there were several unresolved storylines, but it was a decent read.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews. This was an okay read, but the MC’s brother was a total jerk and she was a bit surface-level to me. No depth in this story, to me.

Case of the Bleus, by Korina Moss. This was the first of this series I’ve read, but I enjoyed it quite a bit—especially the cheeses!

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar (review forthcoming). Loved this! I loved all the details about life during Prohibition, Zora’s struggle to make something of herself, the romance, everything!

The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). This kept me guessing the whole time, and I really enjoyed the whole thing and can’t wait to read more!

Starter Villain, by John Scalzi. I liked the intelligent cats, but this isn’t the sort of thing I could read much of. The snark was on point, but it all felt a bit campy and B-rate to me.

Night of the Witch, by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this historical fiction-ish read, although the first quarter felt really slow to me.

Just Because:

Whisper, by Mark Batterson (re-read). Because I love this book.

Winter’s Passage, by Julie Kagawa. Pretty sure I hadn’t read this novella before, but I liked the glimpse into Meghan and Ash’s relationship.

Left Unfinished:

The Enemy Beside Me, by Naomi Ragen. This started off so slowly that I got bored. And Milia just wasn’t interesting to me.

The Name Drop, by Susan Lee. I kind of liked Jessica, but Elijah just got on my nerves. He says he doesn’t like everything being handed to him on a platter, but in reality, he wished for it, and that was annoying.

The Witches of Bone Hill, by Ava Morgyn. I don’t read horror, and this veered far too close to horror for me.

The Other Princess, by Denny S. Bryce. I read 50% of this, but I just did NOT like Aina/Sarah. She was very selfish and self-focused, and I got tired of reading about her, despite the excellent writing.

The Best Books I Read in August (2023)

In August, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 135 books read. Of those books, a few were standouts.

The River Runs South, by Audrey Ingram. This was an excellent Southern fiction read, and a debut novel from this author. I wasn’t too sure if I liked the main character at first, even though she was going through a very tough time, but I ended up loving her—and her adorable daughter. I also loved the setting so much and thought it was portrayed so well.

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder. I’m a big fan of this author and I’d read this before, but I remembered almost none of it. I enjoyed the characters so much! They were so memorable and believable and made the rest of the story truly magical.

The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and I read this entire novel in one session, on release day. It did not disappoint. The Hawthorne brothers and their antics are thoroughly entertaining, and I love the relationship between the three brothers.

Book Review: Letters from My Sister, by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Title: Letters from My Sister
Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly–and innocently–draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see–or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily’s missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters–including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie’s life.

This was a tiny bit slow to start off, but Callie was such a great character that I kept reading, and I’m so glad I did! The Bullock family was so fascinating to read about. I enjoyed every one of them! This book made me laugh out loud several times—and cry. I was immersed in the lives of the characters and the dreams of the sisters, and I ended up enjoying this very much.

Valerie Fraser Luesse lives in Birmingham. Letters From My Sister is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Revell in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Keeper of Hidden Books, by Madeline Martin

Image belongs to Harlequin/Hanover Square Press.

Title: The Keeper of Hidden Books
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left – literature.

This was such a good read! I loved how the author focused on a microcosm of the war and the struggles of less than a handful of people, with only occasional mentions of the larger struggle going on. This made it seem so personal and relatable. What Zofia—and Janina—went through was horrible, but it was inspiring to see their determination and faith as they struggled to save parts of their heritage from the Nazis and preserve the past for the future.

Madeline Martin is a bestselling author. The Keeper of Hidden Books is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in July (2023)

In July, I read 19 books and DNFed eight, making my total for the year 117 books read. Several of these were truly excellent reads, and I cannot narrow it down to my usual three. So, this month, you get six.

The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin. This book. Man. Charles Martin writes such phenomenal characters, and this was no exception. The story of Pockets and Maybe Joe was absolutely riveting.

Demons of Good and Evil, by Kim Harrison. I love all the Hollows books, and I had real trouble putting this down to go to sleep. #teamJenks

Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. This was sweet, cute, and funny, as Center’s books usually are. I can’t imagine having facial blindness!

Ladies of the Lake, by Cathy Gohlke. A lovely historical fiction read about friendship and facing your past so you can embrace the future.

Chasing Fireflies, by Charles Martin. The setting in this one was fascinating and Uncle Willie was so vivid I felt like he was the one telling me the story. I listened to this on audio and ended up in tears driving to work one morning. My only complaint is we didn’t figure out what happened to Jack!

The Keeper of Hidden Books, by Madeline Martin. Another lovely historical fiction read! I loved reading about Warsaw during World War II—and how people fought to preserve their history and books.

What I Read in July (2023)

Books Read in July: 19
Books Read for the Year: 117/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, by Heather Webber (TBR). This was such a lovely Southern fiction read!
The Light Over London, by Julia Kelly (TBR). An excellent historical fiction!
The London House, by Katherine Reay (TBR). I enjoyed this a lot.
Gospel Wakefulness, by Jared C. Wilson (spiritual).
Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter (TBR). I enjoyed this second-chance romance.
Demons of Good and Evil, by Kim Harrison (TBR). Loved this, as always.

For Review:

Hotel Laguna, by Nicola Harrison. I enjoyed this historical read! There’s a bit of mystery mixed into this post-World War read, and the characters are vivid and realistic.

And Then There Was You, by Nancy Naigle. This was such a sweet romance. It opens with a woman discovering she’s been the victim of an elaborate con and turns into a small-town romance with the detective working her case. I love how faith is woven throughout the narrative subtly and pervasively.

The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin (review forthcoming). This book. Y’all. Charles Martin is my absolute favorite author, and I was thrilled when I got the chance to read it four months before release day! I’ll be buying this in hardback when it hits shelves. Martin writes such believable, larger-than-life characters, and I fell in love with Maybe Joe and Pockets almost immediately. This book touched my heart on a deep level, and the theme, “A life laid down is better than one picked up,” is still resonating with me days after finishing this.

What Happens After Midnight, by K. L. Walther. This was a fun YA read, although bits of it felt a little bit too-good-to-be-true. (Their relationships with the adults in the story, for example. And the freedom they had at a boarding school.)

Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center. This read was great fun! It was interesting, reading about facial blindness. I can’t imagine how terrible that must be!

Thief Liar Lady, by D. L. Soria. This was a re-telling of Cinderella. Sort of. I enjoyed it, and the main character, a lot.

Ladies of the Lake, by Cathy Gohlke. I loved this historical fiction read! The characters were so much fun to read (except Dorothy, who I didn’t really like.) I listened to the audio book, and thought it was very well done.

Ghosted, by Amanda Quain. This was a decent YA read, as long as you’re not really expecting a re-telling of Northanger Abbey.

The Keeper of Hidden Books, by Madeline Martin (review forthcoming). This is a wonderful historical fiction read! I was invested from the first page, and soon found myself engrossed enough to go without sleep.

The Bone Hacker, by Kathy Reichs (review forthcoming). Another solid thrill read in the Temperance Brennan series.

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove, by Karen Hawkins (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this book in the Dove Pond series, although I disliked Angela and Jules immensely.

Just Because:
A Year with C.S. Lewis. I enjoyed this devotional so much!

Chasing Fireflies, by Charles Martin (audio). This was such a good read! Martin has a way of creating such quirky and believable characters who are just fascinating. I do wish we’d found out what happened to jack, though.

Left Unfinished:
Forever Hold Your Peace, by Liz Fenton. I didn’t really care for the characters, so I didn’t make it very far into reading this.

Good Fortune, by C.K. Chau. I wanted to like this, but I found the opening messy and chaotic and I didn’t care for the characters.

Clementine and Danny Save the World, by Livia Blackburne. I read about 40% of this before realizing my attention kept wandering and I just didn’t care about these characters and what they were up to, despite my enjoyment of the tea theme.

Tastes Like Shakkar, by Nisha Sharma. I couldn’t stand the male MC in the opening scene and I don’t care for insta-anything.

A Fatal Groove, by Olivia Blacke. I found the first 10% boring. The characters didn’t catch my attention at all.

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, by S. Jae-Jones. DN\Fed because of the incessant giggling of the MC…she even called it the Good Looking Giggle. Please, spare me from ridiculous YA characters.

You’re An Animal, by Jardine Libaire. Made it 10% into this, but didn’t like any of the characters.

The One That Got Away, by Charlotte Rixon. I read 10% of this, but was just bored. And, frankly, anything that opens in the POV of a suicide bomber probably isn’t for me.

Book Review: Ladies of the Lake, by Cathy Gohlke

Title: Ladies of the Lake (audio)
Author: Cathy Gohlke
Genre: Historical fiction, Christian
Rating: 5 out of 5

When she is forced to leave her beloved Prince Edward Island to attend Lakeside Ladies Academy after the death of her parents, the last thing Adelaide Rose MacNeill expects to find is three kindred spirits. The “Ladies of the Lake,” as the four girls call themselves, quickly bond like sisters, vowing that wherever life takes them, they will always be there for each other. But that is before: Before love and jealousy come between Adelaide and Dorothy, the closest of the friends. Before the dawn of World War I upends their world and casts baseless suspicion onto the German American man they both love. Before a terrible explosion in Halifax Harbor rips the sisterhood irrevocably apart.

Seventeen years later, Rosaline Murray receives an unsuspecting telephone call from Dorothy, now headmistress of Lakeside, inviting her to attend the graduation of a new generation of girls, including Rosaline’s beloved daughter. With that call, Rosaline is drawn into a past she’d determined to put behind her. To memories of a man she once loved . . . of a sisterhood she abandoned . . . and of the day she stopped being Adelaide MacNeill.

I enjoyed this so much! Addie was such a wonderful character, and the friendship between the ladies was wonderful to see. I did not care for Dorothy, though. She was so selfish, and she grated on my nerves. Even the adult Dorothy struggled with this, although she was better than her younger self.

I truly felt the pain Addie experienced, the fear, the hurt. Her emotions were so vividly embodied on the page, and I enjoyed reading her story. I’d never heard of the Halifax explosion—this must have been such a horrific experience. This is a wonderful read, that I highly recommend.

Cathy Gohlke is a bestselling author. Ladies of the Lake is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.)

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