Now that it’s already the end of May, I’m finally getting around to writing about the books I read in April 😉 I was really excited about one of the new books I got in April! One of my favorite authors since I was in high school has been Robin Jones Gunn, and I’m so glad she’s still writing books about Todd and Christy. I read several other books that I really enjoyed, too!

1. If I’m Found by Terri Blackstock \\ Casey Cox is still on the run, but getting closer to proving who killed her father and is now framing her for her friend’s murder. She is encouraged by her unlikely friendship with the man tasked to find her, and the faith he’s helping her find. But while she’s hiding and runnnig for her life, she can’t help but intervene when she sees injustice, even when it puts her in more danger. I love the unique plot of this book and the whole series; it’s hard to put down! The only part I don’t love is that I have to wait a year for the third book in the series to come out 🙂
2. Eve by William Paul Young \\ I know William Paul Young is a controversial author, starting with his book The Shack. I haven’t read that one, but I found Eve on clearance at the bookstore and thought I’d give it a try. I was a little surprised by how much it drew me in. It tells the story of Creation through the eyes of Lilly, a girl who suffered great tragedy and now finds herself in another dimension between worlds, destined to be a Witness. The book may be a little too science fiction-y to some, and there’s probably some questionable theology, but it’s definitely a unique way to bring the Creation story to life. If you’re comfortable with it, I’d encourage you to read it for yourself and try to think critically about what you’re reading and how it jives with what you know to be true from the Bible.
3. Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey \\ I loved Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage series, so I was excited to find that she has a new series out! So far there are two books out in this Chesapeake Valor series (Cold Shot is the first) and the third is coming out this fall. The series follows a group of friends, all involved in law enforcement in different ways. This first book starts off with Griffin, a park ranger, finding a body in his national park. It takes the whole group and their unique skills to solve the crime, and along the way, they learn to work together as a team. There’s plenty of action, compelling characters, and a unique plot that keeps you guessing.
4. Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America’s Founding Document by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) \\  Mike Lee has been one of my favorite senators since he was first elected in 2010. (Who even has favorite senators, especially ones from states across the country? I do, I have to admit! 😉 ) I had been wanting to read this book, so when I saw it on clearance at the bookstore, I had to buy it! Each chapter describes a certain provision of the Constitution and the story of how it came to be part of the document. Then, Sen. Lee describes a problem we face today that can be traced back to ignoring or misinterpreting the corresponding part of the Constitution. It’s really interesting to learn more about how the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, and seeing the consequences of “forgetting” those important parts shows how vital they are! This would be a great book for homeschoolers, high school or college students, or pretty much anyone who votes in the United States.
5. Right Where We Belong by Deborah Raney, Melissa Tagg, and Courtney Walsh \\ I’ve read books by two of the contributors to this novella collection, so I was excited to see this on Kindle Unlimited! This is a collection of three short stories that all take place in small towns. The main character in Melissa Tagg’s part of the book was a secondary character in the other book I’ve read by her, so it was fun to get to read about her story! These stories didn’t feel rushed, like novellas can sometimes, and I really enjoyed the whole book.
6. A Sweethaven Summer and
7. A Sweethaven Homecoming by Courtney Walsh \\ I’ve read a couple other books by Courtney Walsh and liked them, so I was excited to see that her Sweethaven series is on Kindle Unlimited! These are the first two out of three books in the series.They follow the stories of four friends who spent their teenage summers together in Sweethaven, but grew apart later in life. Now, one of the friends has passed away, and her daughter decides to go to Sweethaven to find out more about her mother’s past, and to try to find out the identity of her father. Along the way, she meets her mother’s old friends, who are all facing their own problems and learning important lessons about God and themselves. Following each of the five main characters keeps the plot interesting, but not hard to follow, since they’re all so intertwined. The main characters span three generations (three of the original friends, now in their 40s; one of their mothers; and one of their daughters), so there’s someone everyone can relate to. I really enjoyed these books, and I will definitely be reading more books by Courtney Walsh!
8. Salty Kisses by Robin Jones Gunn \\ The Christy Miller series is one of my favorites of all time, and has been since I was in high school. I’m so glad Robin Jones Gunn is still writing about Christy and Todd! This book picks up after Christy had her baby (spoiler alert!), and her friend Katie is finally able to come visit from her new home in Africa…not for a happy reason at first, but some happy news she gets while there extends her stay for a while. Another fun part of the book is Christy and Todd’s visit to Glennbrooke, Oregon, the setting for another one of Mrs. Gunn’s series. I really loved this book, and I wish I could be friends with Christy and babysit her daughter! 😉

What have you been reading lately?

Here are my book reviews for March! As of the end of March, I’ve read 35 books this year, so I’m well ahead of schedule to read 100 books in 2017. I actually read 10 books last month, but I’m just going to highlight my five favorites. If I wrote about every book I read, I’d have to write a book myself 😉

1. When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin | I’ve talked before (here, here and here) about how much I love all of Sarah Sundin’s books, and I was so excited to read her newest book that released in March! When Tides Turn is the conclusion to the Waves of Freedom series. It’s the story of Quintessa, a bubbly, fun-loving girl who wants to be known for more than her pretty face, and Dan, who puts his career above all else, especially romantic relationships and having fun. They end up working together, both officially at the Boston Navy Yard, and unofficially on the case of a French spy in their midst, when Tess joins WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) during World War II. I loved how the story highlighted an aspect of the Navy I hadn’t heard much about, and how Dan and Tess were able to help each other grow in their careers and in their faith and personal lives. Sarah Sundin does a great job of writing historically accurate stories with relatable characters. I can’t wait for her new series to start next year!
2. The One True Love of Alice-Ann by Eva Marie Everson | This is another WWII story, with a twist, because it takes place entirely in the United States. It tells the story of Alice-Ann, who is in love with her brother’s friend Mack, although he’s several years older than her. She admits her feelings to him right before he heads overseas, and he agrees to write to her. Several years pass, but before he makes it home, his letters stop and she fears the worst. Meanwhile, her brother’s other friend, Carlton, does make it home, but with wounds on both the inside and the outside. I don’t want to give too much away, but close to the end of the book, Alice-Ann is faced with a choice and has to consider what true love really is. I was kind of surprised by how much I loved this book! Not that I was expecting to dislike it, but even as I was reading it I thought, this is a book I’m definitely going to read again. It was a really sweet, wholesome story that dealt with some tough issues and included characters I wish I could be friends with.
3. The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert | This was a book I got on sale on Kindle, and I ended up really enjoying it. It covers some tough issues: infertility, relating to aging relatives, growing up with an alcoholic parent, and marriage struggles. It goes back and forth between the points of view of two half-sisters, Carmen and Gracie, who are both facing major struggles in their lives and are learning to trust God instead of trying so hard to maintain control. I think that’s something we can all relate to, no matter what we’re facing! This is a really well-written story that everyone can learn something from.
4. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly | I wanted to read this book after I went to see the movie based on it, and it’s a true story so that made me feel a little better about my goal of reading more nonfiction 🙂 The movie follows the story of three African-American women who worked at NASA in the 1960s. The book talks about the same women, but with a lot more detail and a lot more background. It turns out that a lot of African-American women started working at what was then called NACA, or National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, as mathematicians or “computers” during WWII. Back then, they were developing new technology for airplanes, but after the war their focus eventually switched to space travel. It’s a fascinating story about how much these women accomplished that we never hear about. They enabled the United States to put a man into orbit and then on the moon, not to mention their contributions to our WWII victory. If you like history, you would love this book!
5. If I Run by Terri Blackstock | I actually read this for the second time, because the second one in the series came out this month and I wanted to refresh my memory. It’s not your typical suspense plot, that’s for sure! It starts out with the main character, Casey Cox, on the run after she found her best friend murdered. It turns out she has good reason to, when we find out that her friend was killed after looking into her father’s supposed suicide many years earlier. Another interesting twist comes in when the victim’s childhood friend, a veteran suffering from PTSD, is hired to help find Casey. Luckily, he realizes that there’s more to the story and that there’s a bigger conspiracy involved. I don’t want to give too much away, but you will definitely want to read the next book! After reading the second book, I found out there’s a third one coming out next year…I can’t wait to finally find out what happens!

What have you been reading lately?

At the beginning of February, I was really excited for the books I had on my to-read list! Two of my favorite authors released new books on January 31st, so those two are the first ones I listed below. I didn’t read as much as I did in January, but so far I’m still on track to finish 100 books this year!

1. Happily Ever Ashten by Erynn Mangum (book 3 in the Carrington Springs series) — I’ve loved all of Erynn Mangum’s books that I’ve read, and this one was no exception! They’re all funny, sweet, and clean, and the way she writes about the heroine growing in her relationship with God always feels authentic, not preachy. This book was the third one in a series about three friends, so it was fun to catch up with the girls from the last two books and to finally see what happened with their third friend, Ashten. She’s in the middle of a busy summer working at her family’s restaurant and helping her two friends plan their weddings, wondering about her purpose in the middle of it all, and learning to trust God when her life isn’t turning out the way she imagined and when love doesn’t look like she thought it would. I think this was my favorite book in the series!
2. Rescue Me by Susan May Warren (book 2 in the Montana Rescue series) — This is the second book in the newest series by one of my all-time favorite authors. Deputy Sam Brooks’ life is orderly and structured; his girlfriend’s sister, Willow’s, life has been anything but. Her adventurous spirit and love for the kids in her youth group led to her take the group on a hike, and Sam went along to help chaperone. Neither of them imagined that the situation would take a dangerous turn, forcing them to learn to rely on God and each other to make it through. Through it all, they learned that no matter how many mistakes we make and how many times we fail, God has proven that He will stop at nothing to rescue us, and He will always be there for us when we need Him the most.
3. The Inn at Ocean’s Edge and Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble (books 2 and 3 in the Sunset Cove series) — I found these books on sale, one in paperback and the other on Kindle, and since they take place in my home state of Maine of course I had to read them! 😉 These are books 2 and 3 in the series; I didn’t notice anything that made me wish I had read the first book first, but you should definitely read the second before the third. They’re classified as suspense, and they both have very unique plots and twists you would never see coming! I thought the characters were very well-developed, and both books included important spiritual lessons about our identity in Christ and finding our worth in Him. It can be kind of funny sometimes to read books about Maine written by someone “from away,” but Colleen Coble did a great job representing our state!
4. From the Start by Melissa Tagg (book 1 in the Walker Family series) — This was a fun read I found on Kindle Unlimited! Kate and Colton are both struggling in their careers, with Kate wanting to do something more meaningful than writing TV movie scripts, and with Colton recently injured and no longer able to play in the NFL. They both find themselves in Kate’s small hometown when a tornado brings her back and her brother, Colton’s friend, talks him in to visiting while he figures out what to do next. It just so happens that Kate and her family need someone to help rebuild her dad’s museum, and Colton needs someone to write his book…but their relationship ended up meaning more to both of them than just business, and taught them about God’s purpose for them in the struggles they’d faced. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m going to look for more books by this author!
5. Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon (book 1 in the Men of Valor series) — I’ve always enjoyed Irene Hannon’s suspense books, and this was as good as I expected! In this story, a small-town police chief and county detective work together to solve the mystery of remains found buried out in the country. It was written in a unique way; you as the reader know who the killer is the whole time, but it’s still really interesting to watch the main characters figure it out. It’s a fast-paced mystery without being gory or graphic, with likeable characters who are facing challenges in their personal lives as well. This is a great book if you like Christian suspense!
6. Courage to Soar by Simone Biles — I loved watching Simone Biles compete in gymnastics at the Rio Olympics last summer, so I was excited to read her book! It was fun to read her story and find out what led her to gymnastics and ultimately the Olympics. She had a rough couple of years at the beginning of her childhood, until her grandparents adopted her when she was a toddler. Becoming an elite gymnast takes an enormous amount of hard work and dedication, and having a supportive family was so important to her success, encouraging her in her setbacks and celebrating with her in her victories. Being able to read about the “behind the scenes” of her life helps you to see that even though she was born with a lot of God-given talent, it took a lot of work to become one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She faced a lot of struggles and setbacks, even a few short years before her historic Olympic performance, but her faith and her family got her through and brought her to where she is today. This book is geared more towards younger readers, but anyone can read it and be inspired!

I have some fun new fiction books I’m looking forward to reading in March, including a new release from one of my favorite authors (When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin), but I’m also working on reading more non-fiction. A couple of the books I’ve started on are Fervent by Priscilla Shirer and To Live is Christ to Die is Gain by Matt Chandler. Hopefully I’ll finish those this month and can tell you about them in next month’s post! 🙂

What have you been reading lately?