Currently reading
From Babylon to Timbuktu: A History of the Ancient Black Races Including the Black Hebrews
The Valley of the Dry Bones: The Conditions That Face Black People in America Today
Play with Fire: Discovering Fierce Faith, Unquenchable Passion, and a Life-Giving God
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
The Emotionally Healthy Church, Expanded Edition: A Strategy for Discipleship That Actually Changes Lives
This Will Change Everything: Ideas That Will Shape the Future
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College
The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog
Matched
Matched seems to be what would happen if you swirled together the Hunger Games and Divergent. Cassia is a normal teen living in an option less world, until she is matched incorrectly. Now instead of knowing the one person she will spend the rest of her life with, she is divided between an unapproved choice & Xander her lifelong friend. Cassia spends her time trying to work in the system to get what she thinks her heart desires. Until the Society catches on and now she has to figure out how to keep everyone safe or risk it all to make her own choices.I gave 4 stars for lack of diversity in characters and back story. They all seemed to be very basic in nature and in a society where they are bred for optimum efficiency human, you would think they would be a little more diverse. I also wanted some back story on how they ended up in this dystopian era.
No One to Trust
I read this is one night because the action never stopped. I needed to know the next move every time! Thank God I started this the night I didn't need sleep LoLLynette Eason is quickly becoming one of my favorite Christian authors. Not just because she has God in her books, but because she doesn't make them romance novels. This is a true grit action thriller sans the big screen.
Summer becomes your underdog vote in this story as Kyle David (whoever he is) tries to save their lives. On the run from a mafia boss with a "husband" who has become an instant stranger might make some people bitter. Summer on the other hand shines through with Godly love. Even if she needs to give a verbal slap of correction here & there. If this had been me......let's just say there would have been a few extra dead bodies.
I gave 4 stars for no in-depth glimpse into this past life that started a life harrowing escapade.
Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty
This book definitely won me over for the portrayal of David & Bathsheba. When you read the account of what happened in the bible, many people focus on what David did to Uriah. I always was upset by what he did to Bathsheba. I absolutely love that the story was told with the view point of her being violated by a King who thought too highly of his flesh desires.I gave 4 stars because it was a slow building story line that I thought could have had more speed & insight. I wanted Bathsheba to have more emotion for her dying baby & just a bit more depth to her character. Nathan had a lot of story and it didn't seem to be so for Bathsheba.
The Baby Chronicles (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #19)
This is the "sequel" to the Whitney Chronicles (Shopaholic funny). While this one wasn't as funny or entertaining, it held its own. The escapades of 3 women in various stages of babydom will have you laughing and reconsidering how necessary reproduction really is to you. Definitely a fun & light read.I love Whitney's prayers. I might have to crash Judy Baer's Bible study or enlist her as a prayer partner because they're real deal Jesus in the moment prayers.
 - Judy Baer)
The Quiet Game
This book will have you attempting to finish it in one sitting. The plot line takes turn after turn to keep you on edge. Penn is a lawyer raised "right" in the south & even though he is fueled by vengeance, he wants to "right" a very old wrong. However, he may end up at the bottom of somebody's lake with cement shoes first...
The Whitney Chronicles
The Whitney Chronicles is Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic funny with great Godly living. I laughed so much throughout this book. I do believe Whitney and I are soul sisters. She definitely uttered some prayers I've said before. I think all is single gals have uttered something similar to " Is there a fabulous, Christian man out there for me Lord? And when you send him, will You put a big label on him, please, so I don't miss him?"I also adored Mitzi! She gave me a line I will be using in real life "I'm indifferent to boring emotions" Mitzi is the epitome of tough love and I'm not sure who suffers more, her or Whitney!
There aren't vague references to God or a plot line that makes you doubtful it's actually a Christian novel. This is a real story with a main character actively living for God. It could be any single woman's real journal/diary.
Whitney feels like one of your best girlfriends by the end. Can't wait for more Whitney Chronicles. If you like funny & love Jesus, this is your book!
Drawing Fire (Cold Case Justice)
This was a page turner! Abby is an amazing detective & has quite a few haters. This story brings to life the saying "low friends in high places". The story is told in such a believable way, I googled the plot to see if it was a real story line adapted for fiction. I hope that book 2 is a continuation of the story because I'm hooked. I also need Abby to let Ethan drift right back into the friend zone!
 - Janice Cantore)
Home
This is my first book by Ginny & it won't be my last. I adored every character. Home tells of a story of our journey to find a place in our own lives to call home. It really hit close to home for me coming out of a season of dryness. Melanie, Jill, Marcos & Craig were all such amazing examples of what struggle looks like when we don't go to God first. I throughly enjoyed seeing Melanie go through her struggle through her character Chloe. It just felt like the Holy Spirit was taking her through her struggles in a way that would impact her the most. It allowed for God to meet Melanie where she could handle all of her pent up life! Which we know God will meet us right where we are in our struggles.
I gave 4 stars because I wanted to see more character development & the story line for them flushed out more. I wanted to see Jill's progress in more detail. Giving us a glimpse into the heart of her struggle. Just glad to find another Christian author who isn't writing romance novels!
Shout out to Serena for calling a spade a spade! Hope she gets her own book!
Queen Sugar
This story had me feeling so many emotions, I had to take a break. While I was expecting the t.v. show base it was far greater than any episode of the show. While this isn't an in-depth look into the life of a cane farmer, it is definitely a story of lemons into lemonade. If you like the show it may be hard for you to get into, but I definitely enjoyed this less scandalous & more relatable story. Charlie has to build a life for her as well as her daughter and the deck is surely stacked in opposition. All the while she is learning that she will survive despite everything being thrown at her & she might like this new life.
Ashes
Ashes is a story that seems as old as time when you first start reading. Siblings who are holding a grudge brought together by a tragedy. Until you realize that Jason and Tom Pendergast weren’t brought together by tragedy. The death of their father is a relief & a celebration. Until they realize he has manipulated them even in death. Stuart Pendergast was an abusive alcoholic who died alone of cancer. Tom and Jason his two sons he pitted against each other like rabid dogs are now responsible for carrying out his last “wish”. In Stuart’s death the boys thought they were finally rid of his deceit and deception in adulthood. However, one trip to carry out their father’s last wish would prove to be more pain then they could ever imagine. Fueling more rage than relief. Even in death Stuart wanted to make sure he hurt them in a way they would never forget.
Tom and Jason take the mandatory cross country road trip together with a “get it over with” attitude. Along the way they mend some fences, pick at some old wounds and let out some dark secrets. Leaving the reader unsure if they will ever have peace and finally get to a good place in their lives as siblings. As the story unfolds you find yourself hoping that the brothers can get over what Stuart has used to keep them apart & finally have a healthy relationship.
While Stuart was one evil man, maybe he had good intentions sending Tom and Jason on this trip. This story will have you wondering if there is a special place in hell for men like Stuart and then hoping maybe he found redemption through his request. Whatever the case I’m just glad it gave Tom & Jason some healing for their brotherhood.
Steven Manchester always spins a story that makes you feel for his characters. Drawing you in and making you want to be a apart of the story. All I can say is he hit really close to home for me on this one and it definitely made me hope for a better outcome for my own life.
Jane Eyre
I can't believe I didn't read this in high school! That being said, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as throughly in high school. My Serial Reader app definitely paired me well with this one!
The Woman in Cabin 10
The Woman in Cabin 10 had me fooled. I never guessed any of the plot twist until well they were obvious. I definitely won't be taking any cruises for a long time!
The Harris Men
DO NOT read this book if you have dead beat Dad anger/resentment! I enjoy R.M. Johnson's stories (Million Dollar Divorce is Amazing). The Harris Men had me wanting to climb inside the book and give everyone a piece of my mind. I also shed some tears. You never know where life may take you, but if you burn all the bridges to get there, then you deserve to drown....at least that is how this book made me feel. Julius was welcome to find a one way flotation device to gone somewhere land! This will raise your blood pressure & make you reevaluate how you handle close relationships.
Delilah: Treacherous Beauty (A Dangerous Beauty Novel)
Angela Hunt does a great job of creating a multicultural character setting that is more historically accurate than most books these days. She also uses the various names of God to tell her story and I truly enjoyed that aspect. Mrs. Hunt wrote this book so well I cussed (not cursed) aloud when they captured Samson! I was calling folks names & getting angry as if I was right there in the story. While I wouldn't agree with the narrative taken on Delilah personally, Mrs. Hunt weaves a very believable story of a woman so blinded by vengeance she will ruin her own life to have it. I believe that Mrs. Hunt wove the story so well because honestly it seems the only way a woman really would break her own heart was for something she deemed more worthy than her own happiness. In Delilah's case that would be her betrayal of Samson.I easily identified with Samson's struggle to fulfill his Nazarite duties while warring with his flesh. When struggle with what God calls us to do opposess our flesh "nature" we make mistakes. God worked even Samson's mistakes for His good. This novel gives you a humanitarian view of the great downfall of Samson.
You should definitely get caught up in Samson & Delilah's tangled webs of lies and deceit!
 - Angela Elwell Hunt)
The Art of War
I forgot I read this in my serial reading app. it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be but it's good.
The Lifeboat Clique
It was an easy read. The whole book feels anticlimactic. All these crazy things are happening but it's as if you're not really concerned; neither are the characters. The book failed to draw me in or create the need for compassion. I didn't care whether the characters survived or they died. Either way would have been fine but I wanted to want to feel something. I read it to screen as gift for a 13 year old. I passed.
