Year End Review

Since I started this challenge on my original blog, I am going to just wrap up the year there.  

💖  And, let me be honest...I do not have the time to keep up with two blogs...so I am not even sure if anyone reads these posts...but I am just going to go back to posting everything - the good, the bad, the ugly - about life and reading on my original blog!

Dead End

by Nancy Mehl

When Kaely Quinn finds out she has to go head to head with the past she has fought hard to bury, all kinds of things surface...it isn't pretty, but it is necessary.  

I am really glad I read this series!  Word of warning though, it pulls you in and you HAVE to keep reading, so make sure you have plenty of time.  Other than that - HIGHLY recommend.  This is a nice conclusion to Kaely Quinn's story.  

G3 Reading Challenge

Details, rules, and sign up here.

A book about a reformer:

A book of short stories:

A Psalter:

A mystery or detective story:

A book on the Holy Spirit:

A book on productivity, habits, or technology:

A book by a speaker at G3 2023:

A book of essays:

A classic children's chapter book you have never read:

A book on literature, visual arts, or music:

A book by George MacDonald:

A book from the Living Heritage High School Curriculum:

Wrap-up post 💖:

Classics Reading Challenge 2024

Details, rules, and sign up can be found here.

January:  A classic you have read before:

February: A Nordic or Scandinavian classic:

March: A novel with a place or house name in the title:

April: An epistolary novel:

May: An L.M. Montgomery novel or short story collection:

June: A novel or short story collection from the American South:

July: A utopian or dystopian novel:

August: A children's classic:

September: A pastoral novel:

October: A spooky classic or short story collection:

November: A classic recommended by a friend:

December: A Shakespeare play:

Wrap Up Post 💖

52 Books in 52 Weeks

Details, rules, and sign up information can be found here.

Come, join me as I read through 2024!  This is one of my very favorite parts of the year!!

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Wrap Up Post 💖

Calendar of Crime 2024

Details, rules, and sign up can be found here.

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

Wrap-up💖:

Fire Storm

by Nancy Mehl

EXCELLENT.  

Although I have to admit, unlike the first book in the series, this one took me a bit.  But once this one pulled me in, I couldn't read fast enough to find out who was behind the fires.  This book delves a bit more into the lives of Kaely, Jason, and their mom and all the dysfunction that wraps around them tighter than a snug sleeping bag.

Highly recommend, but word of caution : read when you have plenty of time because if not, dinners will be ruined, clothes forgotten, and chores left undone.   

Mind Games

by Nancy Mehl

I have found a new favorite author!  This is SUCH a great book, edge of your seat, page turner, cannot put down kind of book.

Immediately I was drawn into Kaely Quinn's world.  As an FBI behavioral analyst, she is one of the most important people in the bureau, but because of her unorthodox way of getting into the minds of the most despicable criminals, she is shunned by just about everyone.  

This time, though, the entire process will be spun on its head.  Kaely must get into this guy's head, figure out his next move before any more innocent people are harmed, herself included.  

IT'S BACK!!!!

 The reading challenge that started the goal for me to read 104 books - Tim Challies has posted the 2024 Christian Reading Challenge and I am SO SO SO excited.  

Click above and read all about it - it is unique and amazing - I LOVE this reading challenge!!!!

The Perfect Christmas

by Debbie Macomber

I don't remember when I first read this book, but it quickly became my favorite Christmas fiction read.  I now pull it out every year (or try to) and read it sometime in the month of December.  This was the week and guess what?  My husband got it on Audible for me!!!  I LOVE it! 

I also listened to A Beast As Dark As Night by Jennifer Kropf.  I LOVE the Winter Soul series, but I am NOT a fan of the narrator of the last two books.  I debated whether or not to get the last one on Audible because I did NOT love the job she did narrating A Crown Sharp as Pines.  Ultimately I decided to go ahead, and I will say that it went better than I thought.  But I love Mia Hutchinson-Shaw - she does SUCH a fantastic job with the voices (specifically Zane and Helen's!).  I really wish the author had chosen to stay with the original narrator (but also realize there could have been any number of reasons why she didn't).

I really, really appreciate the widespread availability of audio books.  It has been a game changer - both with supplementing school activities (in my opinion, audio books are an ESSENTIAL tool for special needs education), but also with balancing traveling to so many weekly appointments.  Some weeks I would not be able to participate in any of the reading challenges if I did not utilize audio books.

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and get some good, cozy reading time 💖!

It is that time of year again - WOOHOO!!!

Time to choose the reading challenges for 2024  and with this list...I am happy to say that this qualifies me for the Reading Addict Challenge! (Link on side of my blog)

1) First up is  Calendar of Crime (again).  I have yet to complete the Calendar of Crime, but 2024 is a great time to do it!

2) Next is of course the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks I LOVE this challenge!!!! 

3) My favorite one: Brighter Winter Reading Challenge.  Hands down my absolut3) e FAVORITE part of the New Year.

4) I am going to try a new one this year: 2024 Classics Reading Challenge hosted by Tea and Ink Society.  Just by the name alone, I know I am going to loooove this challenge.  

5) And I am going to (again) try the G3 Reading Challenge.  This is another one that I start off strong with, but then forget about it a few months in.  

6) And best of all, after not publishing this last year I was afraid he had decided not to do the reading challenge anymore...but I checked this morning and YAY - Tim Challies' 2024 Christian Reading Challenge was released.

7) And I decided to give Growing4Life's Bible Reading challenge another chance. 

And with these, I am officially On the Roof!  \

I'll Be Yours

by Jenny B Jones

This was a crazy busy week, so my book was a re-listen.  I haven't read or listened to Jenny B Jones in a while, I used to re-read her "Katie Parker" series and "I'm So Sure" series at least once a year...but I haven't done that recently, so it took me a bit to get reacquainted with her writing style again.  

One thing I love about Jenny B Jones is that she is constantly highlighting and pointing to the foster care system in her books.  She brings some much needed attention to this area, sharing what it's like to go through the system and  how we can make sure these kids don't slip through the cracks.  

Hostile Intent

by Lynette Eason

The final, fourth book in the series.  I am so glad I gave this author a chance.  She is a clean, solid mystery suspense writer.  

This story (it was Caden's story and sort of Ava's too) wrapped up most things, but left some unanswered questions.  That bothered me until I realized it is the sort of unanswered questions you'd want if you were friends with someone...and you know what?  That is the best sort of series to read.  

Active Defense

by Lynette Eason

OK, this was my favorite one so far.  I LOVED reading Heather's story.  My favorite character though was a side (supporting) character named Ryker.  I loved Ryker's presence in the story, with one of my favorite, favorite scenes in a fictional book occurring at the very end.  

I HIGHLY recommend reading this book.  Not only is it a suspenseful mystery with some romance sprinkled in, it is packed full of goodness and truth.  

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Stunned at the wave of emotion, she swallowed it and did her best to focus on what she knew instead of how she felt."   Pg. 39 (kindle version)

YES!!!!!  I need to tattoo this on my brain.

*SPOILER ALERT*

I did skip the scene that they had to put down an animal.  That is just too close to home for my heart to be able to handle reading about that.  Saying goodbye to these furry guys is so excruciatingly difficult.  

Acceptable Risk

by Lynette Eason

I really like this author.  

I did NOT like the main character (Sarah Denning) though.  I remember her from the last book and did not like her then either, and truthfully was so disappointed when I realized this story was all about her.  Anyway, she comes across as more of a spoiled brat than someone who is struggling with PTSD and emotional trauma.  I know everyone processes those differently - but I just could not connect with her and because of that, it was really hard to connect to this story.  

*note* this books talks about suicide a LOT.  It was hard to read and I'm glad that I finished the book tonight.  Hoping the next book in this series is better

When I Am Afraid

by Edward T Welch

This book is small but mighty.  I HIGHLY recommend it.  I read it like a book, but now plan to go back and go through it how it was meant to be - over a seven-week span.  

SO....

I am going to use this as my book review blog from now on 😊.  Can't wait to track my favorite books as I read through the year.