Each day we are met with choices. What to eat, what to wear, what time to have lunch, which task to do next, what to make for supper, and for some of us...which book to read next. I have SO MANY great books waiting to be read, that I am feeling guilty each time I accept another book from a publisher. I feel like every "yes" to one book is a "no" to another. But it isn't really, because eventually, I do get to them. So, this month, my pile is a little smaller because I am trying to say "no" to some new ones so I can say "yes" to the ones in my ever-growing pile.
As always, if I am choosing to read a book, then you can be sure that I truly think it is worthy of my time. Of course, some books just find their way to my mailbox without my previous knowledge. I am only going to spend time reading and reviewing books that I enjoy. If I'm not feeling it, I'm going to put it aside. I can't get to all these great books that come my way, but at least I can tell you about them here and I hope to review them just as soon as I can!
Enjoy these books that came my way in October!
If you would like to purchase any of these books,
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I'm linking up with The Deliberate Reader to share our stacks of books for October.
To see her Stack of Books as well as other bloggers' Book Stacks, click HERE.
BOOKS FOR REVIEW
GUARDED
By: Angela Correll
To Be Published: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Koehler Books
Format: Paperback
I read Angela Correll's first book and reviewed it, HERE. I love the way she incorporates sustainable living into her story. That passion for living off the land is very important to Correll and her shop in Kentucky shows that passion. Definitely check out her books and shop, HERE.
I read Angela Correll's first book and reviewed it, HERE. I love the way she incorporates sustainable living into her story. That passion for living off the land is very important to Correll and her shop in Kentucky shows that passion. Definitely check out her books and shop, HERE.
Former New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor is adjusting to farm life when her grandmother threatens to tear down the old stone house, unable to finance a restoration after the summer fire. Annie s boyfriend Jake has severed his corporate life in Cincinnati and is jumping headlong into sustainable farming on the land next door. Their new relationship is wonderful--but can it last? As they take steps forward, a paralyzing fear of abandonment threatens to destroy her trust in Jake. As Annie works to save the old stone house she finds letters written during World War II that reveal a family mystery and an Italian connection. Her grandmother is hesitant to uncover the secret, afraid of what it might mean to her family s name if the truth is laid bare. Comments from a nosy neighbor solidify Annie's fears about herself and when Beulah agrees for Annie to travel to Italy to search out the family mystery, Annie is happy for the time away to sort out all her feelings. In the meantime, Beulah is left with an unexpected Italian-Catholic houseguest who wreaks havoc with Beulah s Baptist ways and country routine. As the family mystery in Italy unfolds, Annie is forced to face her own past. She is ultimately faced with a choice: will she let history sabotage the future?
MONSTERLAND
By: Michael Phillip Cash
Published: October 3, 2015
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback
Welcome to Monsterland – the scariest place on Earth. All guests can interact with real vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by an actual werewolf on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.
Wyatt Baldwin, a high school student and lifelong movie buff, is staring bleakly at a future of flipping burgers. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, Wyatt and his friends, are invited to the star-studded opening of Monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves, and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?
Wyatt Baldwin, a high school student and lifelong movie buff, is staring bleakly at a future of flipping burgers. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, Wyatt and his friends, are invited to the star-studded opening of Monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves, and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?
PROVERBS PRAYERS
Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs for Your Life
By: John Mason
Published: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Revell
Format: Paperback
I just finished a 31 Day Bible Study on the Books of Proverbs. It was convicting and eye-opening for me. Just days later, I received the offer to review this book and knew it was something I must read. I am planning to start it in January. What a great way to kick off the new year!
One of the most popular books of the Bible, Proverbs offers practical guidance for life and the tools to make good choices, withstand pressure, prioritize relationships, and avoid unnecessary trouble. In these pages, John Mason helps readers make God's wisdom a part of their inner lives, offering each chapter from Proverbs followed by a heartfelt prayer that covers the insights from that chapter. In thirty-one days, readers can pray all of the wisdom of Proverbs for their lives, experiencing God's wisdom as never before and finding encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life.
I just finished a 31 Day Bible Study on the Books of Proverbs. It was convicting and eye-opening for me. Just days later, I received the offer to review this book and knew it was something I must read. I am planning to start it in January. What a great way to kick off the new year!
One of the most popular books of the Bible, Proverbs offers practical guidance for life and the tools to make good choices, withstand pressure, prioritize relationships, and avoid unnecessary trouble. In these pages, John Mason helps readers make God's wisdom a part of their inner lives, offering each chapter from Proverbs followed by a heartfelt prayer that covers the insights from that chapter. In thirty-one days, readers can pray all of the wisdom of Proverbs for their lives, experiencing God's wisdom as never before and finding encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life.
THE STANDOUT
A Robin Bricker Novel
By: Laurel Osterkamp
To Be Published: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Kindle Press
Format: eBook
I read Osterkamp's first book THE HOLDOUT because it was about a woman who had just finished being on a show like "Survivor". You can see my review, HERE. I also have another of her books, THE NEXT BREATH, in my pile waiting to be read. I was able to participate in voting for this book to be published by Kindle Press and she won! My "thank you" for voting was a copy of her book.
First Robin gets the email with its simple demand: dump your fiancé or else. Then someone puts up the slanderous Rotten Robin Website that threatens to crush her chances to win The Standout, a ballet-themed, fashion reality show. Surrounded by backstabbing co-contestants and haunted by mysterious ghosts from her past, Robin can't trust anyone, including herself. Her only allies are Zelda, a ballerina and model, and her older brother Ted, both of whom have ghosts and secrets of their own.
THE STANDOUT is a psychological thriller about love and betrayal, life and death, tall buildings, and finding the courage to jump.
WELCOME HOME, BERNARD SOCKS
By: Paul Magrs
To Be Published: December 5, 2015
Publisher: Obverse Books
Format: eBook
Magrs' first book Fester the Cat made me laugh and cry. As a cat owner, I could relate to so many situations and feelings. You can see my review, HERE. Magrs is back with his second story about Bernard Sock that I am sure will be a joy to read.
Fester Cat returns us to his favourite place in the world, and casts a wry but compassionate eye over events in the house on Chestnut Avenue. In the months following his death, Fester watches his hapless housemates Paul and Jeremy cope with living in a quiet, catless house, and gradually come to the decision that they must adopt a new friend. It is at the eccentric cat rescue / charity shop THARG where they first meet the robust and sproingy young Bernard Socks – the black and white cat who is destined to inherit Fester’s place in their home and garden down beside the railway tracks.
But things are never simple and straightforward in this family, and there follow months of excitement, adventure,s and downright palavers. Bernard Socks escapes and discovers a ghostly cat parade that happens every Midsummer Night’s Eve in Levenshulme. He helps the boys through the sudden death of a close friend. He gradually settles into his new life on Chestnut Avenue and everything seems fine, as Autumn draws near.
But then the men from the roofing company arrive and set up scaffolding all over the terrace and pretty soon all the ceilings are falling in and it seems that the three boys’ precious home is never going to be the same again. By the end of the year, everything feels as if it’s in jeopardy – even the health of Bernard Socks himself. But what can Fester Cat do to help, watching all of these disastrous events unfold? How can that tough little, much-missed companion still make his voice heard by the humans that he loves?
THE FORGOTTEN ROOM
By: Karen White, Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig
To Be Published: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Berkley NAL
Format: eBook
When you see these three authors listed, there is no question but to read it.
1945: When the critically wounded Captain Cooper Ravenal is brought to a private hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, young Dr. Kate Schuyler is drawn into a complex mystery that connects three generations of women in her family to a single extraordinary room in a Gilded Age mansion.
Who is the woman in Captain Ravenel's portrait miniature who looks so much like Kate? And why is she wearing the ruby pendant handed down to Kate by her mother? In their pursuit of answers, they find themselves drawn into the turbulent stories of Gilded Age Olive Van Alen, driven from riches to rags, who hired out as a servant in the very house her father designed, and Jazz Age Lucy Young, who came from Brooklyn to Manhattan in pursuit of the father she had never known. But are Kate and Cooper ready for the secrets that will be revealed in the Forgotten Room?
THE FORGOTTEN ROOM, set in alternating time periods, is a sumptuous feast of a novel brought to vivid life by three brilliant storytellers.
STARS OVER SUNSET BOULEVARD
By: Susan Meissner
To Be Published: January 5, 2016
Publisher: Berkley NAL
Format: eBook
Meissner's book A FALL OF MARIGOLDS was one of my favorite books of 2014. You can see my review, HERE. So, I had no questions about reviewing her next book! Can't wait to dive in!
Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie…
Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide. What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future.
Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie…
Los Angeles, 1938. Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide. What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future.
THE SEAFRONT TEAROOM
By: Vanessa Greene
To Be Published: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Berkley
Format: eBook
I loved Greene's first book THE VINTAGE TEACUP CLUB. You can see my review, HERE. English culture and friendships are hard to pass up!
The Seafront Tearoom is an insider secret in small-town Scarborough – a beach-front haven with the best tea and cakes in town – and journalist Charlie Harrison would love to put it on the map with a feature in her magazine. But single mom Kat Murray doesn’t want to see her favorite sanctuary overrun by tourists, and begs Charlie to seek out other options. She offers her help, as a “tea obsessive,” and so does French au pair Séraphine Moreau, whose upbringing makes her a connoisseur of everything sweet and indulgent.
Together the three women will scour the countryside for quaint hideaways and hidden gems, sharing along the way their secrets, disappointments, and dreams – and discovering that friendship, like tea, takes time to steep. But learning too that once you open your heart, the possibilities are endless.
The Seafront Tearoom is an insider secret in small-town Scarborough – a beach-front haven with the best tea and cakes in town – and journalist Charlie Harrison would love to put it on the map with a feature in her magazine. But single mom Kat Murray doesn’t want to see her favorite sanctuary overrun by tourists, and begs Charlie to seek out other options. She offers her help, as a “tea obsessive,” and so does French au pair Séraphine Moreau, whose upbringing makes her a connoisseur of everything sweet and indulgent.
Together the three women will scour the countryside for quaint hideaways and hidden gems, sharing along the way their secrets, disappointments, and dreams – and discovering that friendship, like tea, takes time to steep. But learning too that once you open your heart, the possibilities are endless.
In Queensland
By: Gwyneth Jane Page
Published: June 27, 2015
Publisher: Gwyneth Jane Page
Format: Paperback
I love books for kids that also teach something. These two books by Page sound like such a great way to share a love of travel to other countries.
Come join PJ on this, his second adventure, along the coast of Queensland, as he snorkels at the Great Barrier Reef, chats with a Loggerhead turtle in the midst of a great undertaking, and explores the tropical rainforest - until he ha to be rescued by one of the local friendly wildlife.
THE TRAVEL ADVENTURES OF PJ MOUSE
In Canada
By: Gwyneth Jane Page
Published: May 23, 2014
Publisher: Gwyneth Jane Page
Format: Paperback
PJ Mouse, an adorable little stuffed animal, was lost and alone until young Emily heard his cries for help. Now, along with his new family, PJ gets to travel the world-discovering exciting new places and people along the way! Come join PJ on his first adventure across Canada as he hikes on a glacier in the Rockies, finds a salt lake in the prairies, and walks on the ocean floor in Nova Scotia.
HOW THE GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS SAVED CHRISTMAS
By: Richard J Gausselin
Published: August 16, 2012
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Format: Paperback
I love children's Christmas books and have a whole tub devoted to them. I can't wait to see how this one turns out!
What happens when the Elves come down with colds a week before Christmas? Santa Claus call on special helpers to work his magic! Can the grandpas and grandmas from around the world save Christmas? Join Santa and his friends on this incredible journey to find out.
What happens when the Elves come down with colds a week before Christmas? Santa Claus call on special helpers to work his magic! Can the grandpas and grandmas from around the world save Christmas? Join Santa and his friends on this incredible journey to find out.
THE CHRISTMAS CATS FEAR FOR THE DEER
By: Constance Corcoran Wilson
Published: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Quad City Press
Format: Paperback
This is the 4th in the Christmas Cats series. You can see my other reviews, HERE and HERE. I have already reviewed this book and you can see that review, HERE.
The intrepid Christmas Cats (in Silly Hats) are back, this time helping the deer in Scott County Park escape hunters at the holiday season. A colorful and delightful book that teaches children aged 3 to 10 good values and entertains with back-of-the-book interactive pages, as well.
The intrepid Christmas Cats (in Silly Hats) are back, this time helping the deer in Scott County Park escape hunters at the holiday season. A colorful and delightful book that teaches children aged 3 to 10 good values and entertains with back-of-the-book interactive pages, as well.
BOOKS I PURCHASED
An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience
By: Shaun Usher
Published: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: eBook
I LOVE letters. I couldn't pass up this collection of letters when it ran as a Kindle deal.
This spectacular collection of more than 125 letters offers a never-before-seen glimpse of the events and people of history—the brightest and best, the most notorious, and the endearingly everyday. Entries include a transcript of the letter; a short contextual introduction; and, in 100 cases, a captivating facsimile of the letter itself. The artfulness of Shaun Usher's eclectic arrangement creates a reading experience rich in discovery. Mordant, hilarious, poignant, enlightening—surprise rewards each turn of the page. Colorfully illustrated with photographs, portraits, and relevant artworks, this handsome hardcover is a visual treat too, making LETTERS OF NOTE an utterly distinctive gift, and an instant classic.
WORKING STIFF: TWO YEARS, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner
By: Judy Melinek MD and T. J. Mitchell
Published: August 12, 2014
Publisher: Scribner
Format: eBook
I have a weird interest in medical memoirs and medical non-fiction. I remember when this book came out and when it ran as a Kindle deal, I snagged it.
The fearless memoir of a young forensic pathologist's rookie season as an NYC medical examiner, and the cases, hair-raising and heartbreaking and impossibly complex, that shaped her as both a physician and a mother.
Just two months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Judy Melinek began her training as a New York City forensic pathologist. With her husband T.J. and their toddler Daniel holding down the home front, Judy threw herself into the fascinating world of death investigation, performing autopsies, investigating death scenes, counseling grieving relatives. WORKING STIFF chronicles Judy's two years of training, taking readers behind the police tape of some of the most harrowing deaths in the Big Apple, including a firsthand account of the events of September 11, the subsequent anthrax bio-terrorism attack, and the disastrous crash of American Airlines flight 587.
Lively, action-packed, and loaded with mordant wit, Working Stiff offers a firsthand account of daily life in one of America's most arduous professions, and the unexpected challenges of shuttling between the domains of the living and the dead. The body never lies, and through the murders, accidents, and suicides that land on her table, Dr. Melinek lays bare the truth behind the glamorized depictions of autopsy work on shows like CSI and Law and Order to reveal the secret story of the real morgue.
SAVOR
Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are
By: Shauna Niequist
Published: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Zondervan
Format: eBook
This also was a Kindle deal and has been receiving rave reviews from bloggers I follow regularly. I am anxious to check it out.
Shauna's honest, beautiful storytelling style makes this devotional as comforting and inspiring as an hour around the table with the people we love.
Combining content from Bread and Wine, Cold Tangerines, and Bittersweet, as well as new writing and recipes, this devotional from Shauna Niequist speaks spiritual truths to women in short passages that invite us to connect with God and the goodness He created all around us.
Shauna loves gathering people around the table, and loves words that connect us to one another and to an awareness of God's presence. She writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.
Shauna's honest, beautiful storytelling style makes this devotional as comforting and inspiring as an hour around the table with the people we love.
Combining content from Bread and Wine, Cold Tangerines, and Bittersweet, as well as new writing and recipes, this devotional from Shauna Niequist speaks spiritual truths to women in short passages that invite us to connect with God and the goodness He created all around us.
Shauna loves gathering people around the table, and loves words that connect us to one another and to an awareness of God's presence. She writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.
As always, be sure to let me know if you decide to read any of these great books! Happy reading!
