Showing posts with label Top Ten Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Ten Tuesday. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

My Top 12 Favorite Authors

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

Choosing favorites is SO hard for me, so being asked to choose "ALL TIME favorite authors" is nearly impossible. I wasn't sure I could even choose . . . until I saw this tweet over the weekend:


So this is the criteria I'm using to identify my favorite authors . . . as of today at least! I went ahead and noted the genre that these authors *typically* fall into and linked to their list of books on Goodreads. Be sure to check them out if you're looking for some new reads! (Can you tell I'm on a contemporary kick right now?!) Here goes . . .

Top 12 Favorite Authors
(in no particular order)

Katie Ganshert (Contemporary Women's Fiction)
Beth K. Vogt (Contemporary Romance)
Becky Wade (Contemporary Romance)
Irene Hannon (Contemporary Romantic Suspense)
Candace Calvert (Contemporary Medical Romantic Drama)
Susan May Warren (Contemporary & Historical Romance)
Brenda Minton (Contemporary Western Romance)
Denise Hunter (Contemporary Romance)
Lynette Eason (Contemporary Romantic Suspense)
DiAnn Mills (Contemporary Romantic Suspense)
Julie Klassen (Historical Romance)
Dani Pettrey (Contemporary Romantic Suspense)

Who are your all-time or right-now favorite authors?

Friday, April 10, 2015

Favorite Siblings Series on National Sibling Day

In honor of NATIONAL SIBLING DAY, I thought I'd highlight my favorite "sub genre" of fiction—series that follow siblings! Is that really a sub genre? Let's just go with it for today, okay? I think I love these books because it allows me to follow characters I've gotten attached with through several books. Plus siblings provide so much entertainment—the love/hate back and forth, the teasing, the protectiveness—which makes for a great story! Here are a few of my favorite sibling series!

The Heart of San Francisco by Julie Lessman


Cooper Creek by Brenda Minton

The O'Malleys by Dee Henderson

Christiansen Family by Susan May Warren

Porter Family by Becky Wade

Alaskan Courage by Dani Pettrey

Women of Justice by Lynette Eason

Wings of Glory by Sarah Sundin

Ladies of Distinction by Jen Turano

Grand Tour by Lisa T. Bergren

Chapel Springs by Denise Hunter

McKenna's Daughters by Lena Nelson Dooley
 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Top 10 Books I'd Like to Revisit from My Childhood


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

This week's topic asks us to think back to childhood or adolescence that we'd like to revisit. How in the world am I supposed to narrow down ALL of my favorites from ALL of those years to just 10 books?! I decided I'd focus on picture books that were special to me.

Top 10 Picture Books I'd Like to Revisit from My Childhood


The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Curious George Goes to the Hospital by Margaret & H.A. Rey
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

What are some of your favorite childhood books? Would any of these make your favorites list?

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Eleven Books I Can't Wait to Read this Spring


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

It seems spring has finally, truly, 100% sprung. I'm sure in another week, I'll be moaning about the pollen and allergies, but for now I'm just reveling in the sunshine, the pleasant temps, being able to sit outside for extended periods of time, reading in a hammock on the back porch. I could go on and on. But instead, let's take a look at my Top 11 Spring TBR List! (I tried to only pick 10, but I couldn't. There are just TOO many amazing books coming out this spring!)

Top 11 Spring TBR List
* in no particular order *

The Art of Losing Yourself 
by Katie Ganshert
Available April 21, 2015

Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together.  But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.

Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

By Your Side
by Candace Calvert
Available March 1, 2015

ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. She’s finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl’s in deep trouble. Macy’s determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to “make it happen” in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.

Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.

When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?

Double Cross
by DiAnn Mills
Available April 1, 2015

FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead.

Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon.

As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.

Buried Secrets
by Irene Hannon
Available April 7, 2015

They both wanted quieter, safer lives.
But crime never sleeps . . .
and killers keep killing.

After years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant is ready for the kinder, gentler life of a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes department resources. Enter ex-Navy SEAL Mac McGregor, the detective sent by the county to assist on the case. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.

After a Fashion
by Jen Turano
Available March 3, 2015

Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.

Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.


Together With You
by Victoria Bylin
Available April 7, 2015

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...

When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Finding Me
by Kathryn Cushman
Available April 7, 2015

What would you do if you learned your life was a lie?

All her life, Kelli Huddleston has been told the story of a fire--a fire that killed her mother and two siblings when she was an infant. After her father's death though, she uncovers evidence of a different story, including clippings about a boat accident that killed a young father and his infant daughter. And Kelli quietly realizes the story of her life has been a fiction.

How far would you go to discover the truth?

Armed with only a few pictures of what she thinks might be her family, Kelli crosses the country to Tennessee, determined to uncover the truth about what happened over twenty years ago in a small southern town. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are jeopardized, Kelli is faced with an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

No Place To Hide
by Lynette Eason
Available May 5, 2015

She'll defend her friend until the bitter end--but is she in over her head?

It's not every day you see your childhood friend and onetime crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can't believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she's determined to find him and help him clear his name. Unfortunately, she's not the only one looking for him. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to prove his innocence and prevent a catastrophe.

Lynette Eason delivers nonstop action as Jackie and Ian travel a dangerous road--one that may lead straight to destruction.

A Love Like Ours
by Becky Wade
Available May 5, 2015

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

Chance of Loving You
by Terri Blackstock, Susan May Warren, Candace Calvert
Available May 1, 2015

An anthology by three bestselling romance authors

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock: Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night . . . until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert: Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she’s finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients—the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer—Aimee begins to question where she belongs.

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren: Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter the annual Deep Haven fishing contest. She’s a quick learner, even if she doesn’t know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

One chance for each woman to change her life . . . but will love be the real prize?

The Heir
by Kiera Cass
Available May 5, 2015

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

It's going to be nearly impossible to wait for these release dates! And just look at those covers! What books are you most looking forward to reading this spring?

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Ten Book-Related Problems I Have


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

When I saw this week's topic, the only bookish issue that immediately came to mind was the need for more shelves! It didn't take long to come up with a few others though. :) Here are ten book-related problems I have . . .

Ten Book-Related Problems I Have

I have books in every single room of my house. Yes, including closets!

I do not have enough storage space for all of these books.

I have so many books and not nearly enough time to read them all.

This creates great anxiety within me. I call it TBRaphobia. You know, when your TBR pile is so large you're afraid that (1) you'll never get to them all and/or (2) you'll be killed when the pile topples over and buries you alive.

Ebooks (and freebies!) have compounded the problems. I literally have hundreds of unread books on my Nook that I don't know if I'll ever get to. (Can a Nook topple over on you?)

Since I have so many books, I certainly don't have time to re-read them. Even the ones I've loved best. This creates a dilemma—get rid of books once I read them and create space for the unread ones or continue to hoard (er, stockpile) them in case I ever get around to re-reading.

I have a few books that have been damaged one way or another (gasp!). I never know if I should keep the damaged one or purchase another copy to replace the messed up one. (I kid! Seriously. I'm way too much of a bargain hunter for purchasing books I already own! But I've thought about it.)

And as a bargain hunter, it sure is hard to pass up a good bargain! Seriously, how can I walk out of a used bookstore or pass a sale shelf at the bookstore or decline a $0.99 ebook? Thus just adding to the TBR pile!

I've attempted to limit my book buying to gift cards only—unless it's a book emergency. :) Last year I managed to stretch the gift cards I received out for the whole year. I'm not doing so well this year. I'm already halfway through, and it's only February 17!

Seriously. WHAT am I going to do with all these books?

Well, that was a little tongue in cheek. But us book nerds do have some pretty big problems. Like storage! What are your biggest book-related problems?

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Ten Classics I Can't Believe I Haven't Read


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

Today's topic is about books in a particular genre or category that you haven't read. It took me a while to decide which genre to focus on, but there are a ton of classics that I somehow have skipped or altogether missed out on ... If it was an "assigned reading" book in school, I can pretty much guarantee that I skimmed or simply read the Cliff Notes. (How terrible is that?!) But these are 10 that, I can't believe I still haven't read ... whether assigned or not!

Ten Classics I Can't Believe I Haven't Read (What?!)

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and every other book by Jane Austen

Little Men and Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (Considering Little Women is my favorite book of all time, this is especially atrocious!)

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Are there books that you feel like surely you should have read by now—either classics or some other genre? What is your favorite classic? I'm obviously needing to expand my horizons a bit!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Ten Books I Almost Didn't Read


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

Ten Books I Almost Didn't Read

The topic that most people taking part in the Top Ten Tuesday meme will be posting on is "Ten Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't". The truth is, though, that I finish almost every book I start (reader's guilt!). So ... I altered the topic slightly to fit me: Ten Books I Almost Didn't Read.

(And amazingly every one of these books ended up being either 4- or 5-star reads for me! How crazy is that?!) 


1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins3. Divergent series by Veronica Roth
I have this "issue" where I resist books that EVERYONE is raving over. I kind of assume that there's no way that the book will really be THAT good. However, with all three of these, I decided I wanted to see the movies, which meant that I MUST read the book first. So very glad I did! These were all amazing.

4. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet by Sophie Hudson
As someone who is not a huge fan of non-fiction books, I resisted this one. However, I'm a huge fan of Sophie Hudson's hilarious blog, so I had to give it a shot. And thank goodness! One of the most hilarious books ... ever!

5. City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell
This book was totally different, and I couldn't decide if it was something that I would enjoy or not. Plus, the cover isn't totally awesome. BUT this book ended up being my favorite book I read that entire year. Good thing I gave something different/new-to-me a chance, huh?

6. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
I had the hardest time getting into this book and almost set it aside multiple times. BUT I pushed through and then fell in love with the book. Such a beautiful story and one I am so glad I didn't miss out on!

7. The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund
I wasn't sure how this book would turn out. It's based on the life of John Bunyan's wife, but it's totally fictitious. So I just wasn't sure what to expect. I held off for ages, but really enjoyed it when I finally read it!

8. Forget Me Not by Amber Stokes
Amber is a blogger friend, so you would think I would jump at the chance to read her books. Somewhat stupidly, I was nervous about reviewing this book ... because what if I didn't like it? And then that would be awkward. I shouldn't have feared, though, because Amber is super-talented. And her books are so good! Great western romances. (Sorry it took me so long to get on board, Amber!)

9. Unspoken by Dee Henderson
I was a huge fan of Henderson's O'Malley series but was pretty disappointed with Full Disclosure, her first new book after a long sabbatical. I was understandably a little gun-shy to read Unspoken. It was surprisingly good, though!

10. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
I received this book as a gift for my birthday one year. I started it and hated it. I started it twice more and still hated it! Until I moved to Africa with only one book in my suitcase and was desperate for a book. Long story short, I fell in love with Redeeming Love while working night shifts at the orphanage and read it in a week's time. So good ... and SO glad I kept going back to this book!
 
Are there any books that you almost didn't read or perhaps pushed through and really loved? Tell me about them!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art


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Top Ten Book Covers I'd Frame As Pieces of Art

I've unashamedly admitted in the past that I totally judge books by their covers. Of course, it's what's behind the cover that makes a book great, but the cover is often what inspires me to pick up a book and take a chance on a different type of story or a new author. Here are my picks for frame-worthy covers!

(Can you tell I love a pretty dress?!)


What are some of your favorite book covers?

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Top Ten Books for Fans of Romantic Comedy Movies


To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see a list of future topics click here!

Top Ten(ish) Books for Fans of Romantic Comedy Movies
(i.e., Runaway Bride, Sleepless in Seattle, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 50 First Dates, etc.)

Wish You Were Here by Beth K. Vogt


My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade


Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd


Emma Rae Creation series by Sandra D. Bricker

Weddings by Design series by Janice Thompson


Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt & Denise Hunter

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones

Ashley Stockingdale series by Kristin Billerbeck

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

Have you read any good romantic comedies lately? I'd love to hear about them!
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