april reads: one last thing.

When I saw that Rebecca St James co-wrote this book, I knew I needed to read it. I have read a few of her books and loved them all. This book was about secrets and stories. The main character is about to get married, but a few days before the wedding she finds out that her fiancee is hiding something from her. She has to decide if she wants to marry him, even though he is carrying some dark secrets. In the book, I really enjoyed how the girl (not even knowing) found a support group of older women to encourage her through this difficult time. It was hard for her in the beginning to keep her fiance's secret, but the secret got leaked out and soon everyone knew it. Through her support group and family she and her fiancee found hope and new beginnings. I am not going to give away the ending or tell the secret, but this book makes you ponder true friends and new life.

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program. All opinions and words are my own.

march reads: amish cradle.

I always love a good book that keeps me entertained. This was one of those books! I believe I finished it in one day. The stories were about mothers having babies and the challenges they faced. But all of their stories were different. I really like that none of them were the same, but they shared one connection which, was they were having a baby! The book had a total of 4 stories in one. My favorite story was the couple who had a child with down syndrome. It was a beautiful story of how they overcome their fears and found a support group. My heart went out for the couple because they were so young, they were 19. But through all the ups and downs these women trusted God to provide and take care of their needs. This is a lesson that I am learning to trust in Him. 

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program. All opinions and words are my own.

February Reads: Make it Happen.

When I opened the pages of this book, I never knew how much it would make an impact on my life. I knew this book would be good, but I never thought it would be that good. The author, Lara Casey, shared stories about her personal journey in college, marriage, and her walk with the Lord. She also let us share our story, by giving us journal prompts and questions to ask ourselves. The best part in the book for me was when she wrote about her Grandpa. I have been struggling in my life, thinking I need a college education to be successful or to live a good life you need a college degree etc. But the best part for me, was she said her Grandpa had a quiet life, loved God, his wife, and his garden. Those were the three things that mattered most in his life. He didn't have a glamorous life as our world would call it, but he knew who Jesus was. God never told us that we need an education to live. He told us to love him and serve him and that's what her Grandpa knew. After reading this book, I knew yes it's totally fine if you have the opportunity to attend a college, but don't let that make you who you are. Remember who you are and whose you are. Learn to love, give, and serve fully let go of perfection and make it happen. 

Lara, I don't know if we'll ever meet, but I want to thank you for letting go of your fears and writing this book and sharing stories about your Grandpa. It has helped me more than you'll ever know.

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program. All opinions and words are my own. 

January Reads: Fierce Convictions.

This book was so very different than I thought, but in good way. I never heard or read of Hannah More. Which seems surprising to me since she did so much in her community and the world including, helping to end the slave trade in England. To me it seems like her story was wiped out of history. Hannah wrote plays, poems, tracks, and novels that were featured around England and all over the globe. She well known in her time. One of my favorite things she did was help her community. Even the people in her town needed her help, but also most importantly needed Jesus. Hannah was an inspiration to people she met, an also a follower of Christ. The book at parts was definitely hard to read because it was full of facts and information that went pretty deep. So I only read a chapter a day. Overall it was a great book full of inspiration, good quotes, and a remarkable story.

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program. 

December Reads: Every Bitter Thing is Sweet.

To be honest, I really wanted to love this book. The title made me want to find why every thing is sweet (also the cover is gorgeous!) But the book itself wasn't my cup of tea. Sara shared many of her struggles in this book including  hardships in marriage and the pain of not being able to bear children. I don't have kids and am not married so it was hard for me to relate to those struggles. But I can only imagine how hard and painful it must be to not be able to have children. It was hard for me to read this story because I go through many struggles daily and reading this didn't help ease the pain. I do appreciate the author's honesty, because believe me I could't write a book about bad times and pain. But I wish she shared more encouraging thoughts.

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program.  

November Reads: A Dream of Home.

My favorite place to read a book is in my room. I love sitting on my bed snuggling up in my blankets and focusing on the book only. When ever I am reading, I always feel like I am a fly on the wall or a bystander in the book. Books make and help me learn new cultures, laugh out loud, cry, and learn something about myself or other people.  The book I read this week was A Dream of Home. Instead of reading on my bed, I was sitting at desk, but I still was able to have the same memories. 

A Dream of Home –This was my first time reading a book by Amy Clipston. I really enjoy reading Amish books and this book didn't disappoint. The main character Madeline went through some hard times, she was a nurse in the Air force and recently lost her fiance. She meets an Amish man named Saul whose wife left him and his daughter. I know it sounds really sad, it is, but they are able to share their grief even though she is "English" and he is Amish. One of the reasons why I enjoyed this book is this was my first time reading this series and the author had a family tree which helped me remember all of the different characters. If you love Amish books, or wanting to read a good fiction book this is a great read.

This is not a paid post. I received this book from Zondervan through the BookLook program.