What's In A Name 6 ~ 2013 Reading Challenge

*Click the above picture for more information and to sign up for the challenge.*

Categories

1.  A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title:

2.  A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title:

X  3.  A book with a party or celebration in the title:  Desert Wedding by Penny Kim

4.  A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title:

X  5.  A book with an emotion in the title:  Smitten by Coble, Billerbeck, Hunt and Hunter

6.  A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title:

Book Review: "Sweetwater Gap" by Denise Hunter 10/10!

Product Description (from Amazon):
Josie Mitchell's sister Laurel thinks she's come home to pitch in with the apple harvest and save the family orchard. Her brother-in-law Nate thinks she's there to talk the overworked, very pregnant Laurel into finally selling the family business. The orchard's new manager Grady Mackenzie just thinks she's trouble with a capital T. They're all right . . . and all wrong. Because no one really knows what drove Josie from home in the first place. Why she's never come home before, even for her own father's funeral. Why she pushes herself so hard . . . and what she's running from. And nobody, not even Josie, is prepared for the surprising new fruit she'll find on her last trip home.

My overall feeling of the book:
It had been a really long time since I last stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish a book that I had started that same night. This book ended that dry spell. I couldn’t put it down!

My Favorite Character:
My favorite character was the heroine, Josie. She had so many struggles and inner turmoil and I so badly wanted things to turn around for her so that she could find happiness.

My Favorite Scene:
My favorite scene is actually a combination of two scenes. Those of us who live in small towns know that renting a movie for the evening is sometimes the highlight of a Friday night. Such was the case for Josie and Grady. They were hanging out and having a movie night, two Fridays in a row. The first week “Jaws” was rented and the second week “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Lake House” and “You’ve Got Mail” were the rentals. The reactions of Josie and Grady to the movies were what made these scenes my favorites. And the popcorn!

It Would Have Been Better If:
I would say if Josie hadn’t made a controversial decision based on her guilt and self-loathing in the first place but it actually made the ending all the sweeter. Therefore, I wouldn’t change anything.

I would recommend this book to:
Photographers, people who have dealt with depression and guilt, apple lovers, those who enjoy a good movie night, anyone who has a family legacy that they are trying to continue. If you’ve read Denise Hunter before or if you’ve never read a Denise Hunter book, this is a must read.

Rating:
10/10. One of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read!!

Challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge
What’s In A Name Reading Challenge
Romance Reading Challenge

To view my challenges, please see my sidebar.


This book has been posted in my ebay store. Click the button on my sidebar to go to my store.

Book Review: "A Lady Like Sarah" by Margaret Brownley

A Rocky Creek Romance

Product Description (from Amazon):
She's an outlaw; he's a preacher. Both are in need of a miracle.
Sarah Prescott has never known a respectable life. Just a hardscrabble childhood and brothers who taught her to shoot first and ask questions later.
Justin Wells left Boston in disgrace, heading out alone on the dusty trail to Texas. But when the once-respected clergyman encounters a feisty redhead in handcuffs with a dying U.S. Marshal at her side, their journey takes a dramatic turn.
His high society expectations and Sarah's outlaw habits clash from the start. With a price on her head and towing an orphaned baby rescued from the brink of starvation, Justin and Sarah make the difficult journey toward Rocky Creek. There, justice will be meted out. Perhaps--they hope--with a healthy portion of grace.
Filled with mishaps, laughs, and adventure, Margaret Brownley's inspiring romance will keep readers cheering for Sarah as she struggles to become a true lady.

My overall feeling of the book:
This was a good read. It had all the elements that I like in a Western romance. A tough girl, an honorable man, a mule, a goat and a baby. There was even a quilting bee I connected well with both main characters. I enjoyed the “inspirational” elements and morals while showing the human struggles to do what is right and maintain your faith through difficult times.

My Favorite Character:
My favorite character was Justin, the hero. He is a preacher that had to leave his ministry in Boston via the “Potipher’s Wife” method. He is struggling to find his place in a new land and is questioning his calling. Through it all he perseveres and maintains his faith and overcomes very realistic doubts and fears.

My Favorite Scene:
It was hard to pick a favorite scene but I finally chose the “quilting bee” scene. Go figure Justin wants to know the fastest way to have certain news spread to the whole community and is directed to the town’s quilting bee. Worked like a charm with nothing but the best of intentions of the fine ladies of the Rocky Creek Quilting Bee.

It Would Have Been Better If:
If Sarah had decided to go to Rocky Creek with Justin instead of heading off to find her brothers. It broke my heart when she left Elizabeth.

I would recommend this book to:
Tough girls with soft hearts, mothers, those who have been in trouble with the law, anyone who has had a “divine interruption”.

Rating:
8/10. Very Good

Challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge
What’s In A Name Reading Challenge
Romance Reading Challenge
Christian Historical Fiction Challenge
Historical Fiction Challenge

To view my challenges, please see my sidebar.

What's In A Name 2010 Challenge

Beth at What's In A Name is hosting an interesting reading challenge for 2010. Its only 6 books and can overlap other challenges. Easy peasy!!

So here's how it works: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1.A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2.A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
3.A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
4.A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
5.A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
6.A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know
•Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
•Books may overlap other challenges.
•Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
•Creativity for matching the categories is allowed.
•You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
•You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.
•There will be a single prize at the end of the challenge. Readers who complete the challenge and write up a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment) are eligible.


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