Review: A Passionate Hope by Jill Eileen Smith

Well, this is overdue... but here it is! I'm sorry guys. I just lost track of time.

This is the story of Hannah and Elkanah, two very interesting Biblical characters who went through a lot as they longed for and prayed for Samuel. Hannah is heartbroken over her barren state and when Elkanah finally gives into his mother's demands, well.... Peninnah is anything but what either he or Hannah needs.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars. The Biblical story comes to life in a whole new way on these pages. Most startling to me was possibly how wicked and corrupt Hophni and Phinehas were. I mean, I knew, but I didn't know... you know??? And I just enjoyed getting to... (ugh, words are not happening!).... The story is so short in the Bible and I always wanted more to this story. And I think that Jill really does an impressive job with keeping her books fairly accurate. Also, can I say that I would have liked to strangle Peninnah! Isn't that horrid, but my goodness, she was making me angry! Seeing (what? Wow... I think I was a little bit invested in this one...) Hannah go through all this and seeing her struggles were so poignant. Poor Elkanah too, although he only gets like half a sympathy point because someone couldn't hold out against his mama.... The characters in this book were all so changing. No one ended the story where they started. I think the biggest shock was (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT... I DON'T KNOW!) in Elkanah's mom. Overall, a delight to read, and a beautiful story of God's answers to prayer.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Revell.

Waiting-On-Wednesday: The Heart's Appeal by Jennifer Delamere

The Heart's Appeal is a sequel to The Captain's Daughter, which my grandma borrowed and declared a really good book, and it comes out March of 2018. Jennifer Delamere is a new-to-me author, but I really enjoy her style.

About

Strong-minded and independent Julia Bernay comes to London to study medicine and become a doctor--a profession that has only just opened up to women. She witnesses a serious accident, and through her quick actions saves the life of an ambitious young barrister named Michael Stephenson.

Coming from a family that long ago lost its money and its respectability, Michael Stephenson has achieved what many would have thought was impossible. Hard work and an aptitude for the law have enabled him to rise above his family's stigma and set him on the path to wealth and recognition. But his well-laid plans are upended when the accident brings Julia into his life.

Michael soon discovers he's met a woman every bit as stubborn and determined to make her mark on the world as he is. Sparks fly--but will they find common ground?

Waiting-On-Wednesday is hosted at Breaking The Spine

Review: Alaskan Reunion by Belle Calhoune

Here is one that I wrote back in July.... I have two new reviews that I am ready to write, but until then, here is this one!

Paige was thrown out of her Alaskan village two years ago, after her father embezzled from the town. She was deemed guilty by association, and her boyfriend told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to leave. Now she's back, and with a few surprises, including a check for part of the money her father took and Emma, her baby, who needs to be introduced to her daddy. Can she and Cameron put the past behind them to make a real family for Emma?


I'm giving this book 4.5 stars.

1: Let's start with the obvious. Alaska!!! My absolute favorite setting for books. The village is called Love, Alaska.... is there anything more perfect than that? No... the answer is no. (I mean, I have a label just for Alaska books, because eventually they will take over this blog ;) )

2: My goodness... those first couple of chapters I was very offended by the townspeople. How dare they treat Paige like that? It's a great story if it can get you up in arms that quickly.

3: This story had great highlights of trust and forgiveness throughout it, and in a really realistic way too.

4: This was the first Belle Calhoun book I've ever read, and I'm a fan. I enjoy her style and her characters.

5: All-around a prize winner. Great story, great cover, great everything. There wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like. (Well, besides the fact that I was very confused about Emma. Her birthday is December 5th, the story is late April... they keep saying 14 months, but shouldn't she be 16, almost 17, months old? Maybe my math is really bad, but last time I checked....It doesn't change the substance of the story, though.)

Meeting Tracie and Kim!!!!

I think I'm prepared for this... as I sit here in my dorm room and drink this concoction that is getting rid of my cough, eat my pepperonis, (Thanks Tiara! I love you girl!) and study my verse for the Doctrines quiz today.

It's been three days (I think... time has taken on a new, indiscernible quality that makes the week seem like Monday followed by three Thursdays) since Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse came to Bob Jones for a book signing. Which I was so excited for. Anyone who talked to me for longer than 20 seconds knew about my excitement, I think. I even talked to Chief, (The dorm supervisor who I don't approach 3 out of 5 times) and got permission to steal take the poster from the back door. And yes, it is hanging on my closet door, so that everyone who comes in our room sees it.

Here's my normal Tuesday schedule though... Work from 8-9:30, Piano at 1:25, and English 103 at 2:35. My dilemma was that the book signing was scheduled for 2. THIS DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR ME!!! AT ALL!!!! So my first thought is "Well, I'll just skip En103. No biggie!" My second thought was "Maybe just being late is better." So I talked to my professor, and shoutout to Dr. McNeely here, cause he is amazing, he actually encouraged me to take the opportunity to meet Tracie and Kim and be late.

Tuesday rolls around and I go to work. But then I leave work like fifteen minutes early so I can go take my English quiz with the 9:35 class. That works out. I rush out of my piano lesson at 1:50, hurry to the Den (which takes all of a minute and a half) and see them! But did I rush right in and say hi? Nope. NERVES! (WHat even???) So I go in one door of the Bruins Shop and out the other. Loiter in the Den for 5 or 10 minutes talking to Em. But really just wanting to go in. Eventually I did. Stood in line... explained the plot of multiple different books on the table to the girl behind me in line.... finally get up there and hand Tracie my (well-loved, as you can tell by the slightly crinkly cover) book. She asks what my name is... I say "Erica" while grinning like a Cheshire because I'm too excited for anything else... and then things happen!

Kim looks at me and asks "Are you the young lady from Twitter?" and I'm sure I was already nodding my head before she finished her question (insert eye-roll). Apparently, this gets me automatic hug privileges, and I am VERY much a hugging type of person. Over the moon.... again! (Awkward pause, since I started writing this last week and didn't have time to finish!) And so I spent 45ish minutes getting to know them and just talking to them about their books and how I want to go to Alaska. Kim new that I was going to be late for my class. About a minute after the class starts she told me I was late for class, which made me giggle. And she told me to keep in touch and email her (which I will do as soon as I figure out where her email is...) and I made so many more fun memories that I have chickened out of sharing because they are so special and I just want to keep them in my head and enjoy them there, and please don't call the crazy people, I'm not that looney!

Sorry for the rambling and the filler words. My heart was going faster than my fingers and vocabulary could keep up. Also sorry that this took so long to post! Trust me, it was not for lack of wanting!

Review: Out of the Ashes by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Okay, as you might have picked up by now.... when I have too many feelings for a book, I find it necessary to use an official blurb from the back of the book.

After the death of their father, Collette and Jean-Michel Langelier are no longer tied to post-war France. While his sister dreams of adventure, Jean-Michel is hoping to finally escape reminders of the horrors he faced in the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925. When an unexpected invitation for them to visit Alaska and the Curry Hotel arrives, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

Young window Katherine Demarchis is also traveling to the foot of Mt. Denali with her grandmother-a last trip before she retreats into a quiet and solitary life, finally free of the dangerous husband she was forced to marry. Yet when she encounters there a Frenchman from her past, her plans for the future are thrown into question.

Both haunted by the violence of their pasts, can Katherine and Jean-Michel rediscover the bond they once had? Or, when Jean-Michel's nightmares return with terrifying consequences, will it be impossible to heal what's been broken for so long?

(Apologies in advance for my excitement for this book, which will come through in a rainbow of text colors. It's exuberant, but I'm excited and it's my blog anywho!)

Shall I start with the obvious, and by that I mean, 5 stars for a book that I only put down because I wanted to keep my job and not fail my classes! Alright, let's get started. Ummm.... hello!?!?! ALASKA!!!! This is my happy place in books. It's wonderful! I want to go so badly! And this book just made that desire all the stronger. I want to see Denali!! And the caribou and the northern lights and the trains! And then the characters! I got to revisit my favorites from the last book (Incidentally, the book that introduced me to Kim Woodhouse!) and got to see where they were going. I found out that where they were going was exactly what my heart had hoped for. Honestly, this book is goals BrilLiaNt!!! New characters were introduced, and I loved them too. Reading good books is like making friends all over the world! Can I just say that Mrs. Johnson is one of my favorite people in this series!!?!! I'm a sucker for the hard-to-crack-really-actually-teddy-bear people! And of course Mrs. Harrison was hilarious! Cassidy..... my heart! (No, I can't tell you! I need you to read this for yourself!) Of course, the spiritual side to this book was uplifting and real, as always! You could see God working across the pages! Now THAT'S a good book! When scary things happen at the end, well.... if I hadn't been at work with like 50 kids in close proximity, I'm 99.9998% certain that I would have dissolved into a heaping mess of tears and love for literary characters. In fact, when I had the last 5 pages to read, my roommate stepped out of the room. I told her, "Allie, if you come back and I'm sobbing my heart out, just don't touch. I need to have my real tears for my literary characters on my own." Thankfully for the both of us, I was fine. Long story short, if you don't read this you'll probably regret it for ages and ages! But that's okay. I'm not telling you how to live your life. (Lies! I totally am!) Anyway, I'm sure you want to see the beautiful cover.

P.S. I'm sure you're wondering what happened when I GOT TO MEET MY TWO FAVORITE AUTHORS! And I'll tell you, as soon as I have a good long time to sit down and think through my words so that I don't discombobulate anyone, because I was so happy that I can't speak about it coherently. (Pardon me while I roll my eyes at myself, and also as I realize that "was" is the wrong tense for that sentence....)

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. (But let's face it. We all knew that I would have bought it if I had to.) Thanks Amy!!!! (I also got to meet her, and that was great! I was very excited about that too!)

Waiting-On-Wednesday: The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin

I like to call Sarah Sundin the "Queen of WWII". This series will focus on Normandy and D-Day. I can't wait since that is one of my favorite parts to read about when learning about WWII.

Feb 2018.

About

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a ÒWrenÓ in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin's practiced pen with this powerful new series.

Waiting-On-Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine.

New Blog Color Guys!

Tell me really, do you like this new color scheme? Here's a pic of the old one.

I kinda like the map on the brown one though! I've been thinking about changing the colors for a while but never did.

Sound off in the comments!