{ Mid Year Book Freakout Tag }

I have seen this tag going around and I decided to do it here on the blog, to mainly put in one place the books that I have read so far this year, or rather, not to list them all but just the ones that stood out to me for one reason or another.

 

As I have said many times before, this year has been one where I've reconnected with reading and am loving the time I spend between the pages of books.  I've loved reading since I was a child, but I do go through phases where I don't pick up a single book, sometimes a whole year will go by without me reading a line.  

 

So, which books have stood out the first half of the year?  Let's take a look. 

 

 

1. Best book you've read so far? 

Without a doubt, it has to be A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.  That is a book that marked me for life and I will never forget it.  It encouraged me to be a better Christian, to seek out God more and to never drift from my beliefs, no matter the circumstance. 

 

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far? 

An Echo in the Darkness, the second book after A Voice in the Wind.  The character growth, the spiritual journey and the change from a man who didn't believe in God, to being fully a believer, is like no other.

 

3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to? 

The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham.  

 

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

The Soul of the Revolution by Megan Soja.  I read the first three books in the series, the beginning of the year, and now can't wait for the fourth which is releasing in November of this year. 

 

5. Biggest disappointment? 

I picked up a trilogy from Paperbackswap, thinking I would enjoy it.  I believed it was a series set in the western frontier, but it turned out to be about Joseph Smith which is something I am not particularly interested in. 

 

6. Biggest surprise? 

All the biblical fiction from Connilynn Cossette.  She's become my favorite Christian fiction author this year. 

 

7. Favorite new author (new or debut)? 

There's a few that have surprised me but without a doubt Connilynn Cossette along with Rachel Fordham. 

 

8. Newest favorite character? 

Hadassah from A voice in the wind.  What a beautiful woman inside and out, her strength, her faith, her love for God shining through horrible situations, made me want to be a stronger Christian. 

 

9. Book that made you cry? 

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.  I know I keep saying the same book, but it was that good and that moving for me. 

 

10. Book that made you happy? 

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar.  The story is about the woman in the Bible who bled for twelve years.  It was such a good story, such a good fictional twist on the story that it made me smile. 

 

11. Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year or received? 

There have been a few, but I have loved the Carrie Cotten Medieval Christian fantasy books.  All the covers are simple but yet so stunning. 

 

12. What books do you want to read by the end of the year? 

I still have a stack that are possibilities.  I am a mood reader so I stopped making to be read piles because I never stuck with them.

 

But off the top of my head:

The Songbird by Carrie Cotten - the last in the series

The Soul of the Revolution by Megan Soja

The Anne of Avonlea series 

{ Spend the day with me }

Good morning sweet ladies.  

 

It is a beautiful rainy morning here in Texas.  It has been raining since 4 am, and it's been absolutely glorious, the temperatures have dropped the lower 70s and for that I am so grateful.  I know summer is practically just halfway through but the triple digits and high humidity are not fun at all.

 

 

♥ RAIN ♥

It started early morning and has remained constant, slowly coming down, the pitter patter a familiar comforting sound on the roof.  I love the feeling that rain brings up in me, this feeling of warmth and cozy.  I much prefer a dark, cloudy, rainy day, to a bright hot sunny day. (don't judge me haha) 

♥ GROCERY SHOPPING ♥

I don't mind the actual shopping, however, putting it all away makes me want to run for the hills.  It's one of the chores of homemaking that I really dislike, that and putting clean laundry away.  I guess I can't love every chore that comes with being a homemaker right?

 

 

 

♥ BREAD BAKING♥

I got my sandwich bread made for the week.  I decided to use my recipe for french bread baguettes and just make two loaves.  I've mentioned before how I will usually make about 8 baguettes or sub buns from this recipe, but didn't need those right now and do need some fresh bread.

 

 

 

♥ READING♥

I said earlier this week that I had read 30 books, but that is not true, I forgot to add some that were already on my bookshelf and while looking for another to read, I saw them and realized that I read them in the beginning of the year, so that brings my books read total to 36.

 

Good grief!  

 

I wanted to show you my cute bookmarks that my daughter Jasmine got me from the farmer's market this past weekend.  How sweet are these? 

 

 

 

♥ QUICK LUNCH AND STARTING DINNER ♥

When it's hot outside I find that I don't want to eat meals, like full meals or proper food, if that even makes sense.  I sometimes will just have a bowl of cereal or will actually skip that meal which I shouldn't do, but I just can't bring myself to eat a hot meal.

 

For lunch I didn't feel like having leftovers, so I had one of my favorite summer quick lunches.  A bowl of greek yogurt with honey and peanut butter and some granola.  It is so good and so refreshing.

 

 

♥ AFTERNOON COFFEE AND RELAX ♥ 

Every day, I try to take an afternoon break to enjoy a cup of coffee and a cookie, while sitting down and either crocheting or reading a book.  With the rain coming down, I decided to do this at my chair right by the big living room window.  Nothing like listening to the thunder and watching the rain coming down, while sipping on a hot cup of coffee and nibbling on a shortbread cookie.

 

 

♥ WINDING DOWN ♥

After my break, I sliced the two loaves up and placed them in ziploc bags in the fridge. I got 3 bags and one will go to Jasmine tomorrow.  Then I got dinner finished, I had already placed it in the crockpot earlier in the day and all I had to was make the sides, which were rice and a spicy cucumber salad which is a favorite around here.  

 

By the time dinner was done and dishes put in the washer and the kitchen tidied up, I was so tired and just ready for bed.  But the sense of a clean home and a productive well lived day, always makes it rewarding.

♥ MEALS ENJOYED THIS WEEK ♥ 

Just two of the meals that enjoyed this past week.

 

Fish fillets with tomato and onion in the oven, bean salad and quinoa 

 

 

Ground beef and eggplant with rice and spicy cucumber salad

 

I hope you enjoyed spending this day with me.  I know it's nothing extraordinary or super fun, but it is my life and it's basically what most of my days look like, except for the bread baking which happens once a week only.  Either way, you get the idea.

 

I hope you've all had a blessed week and I wish you all a very blessed weekend ahead.

xoxoxo 

{ Bookshelf clean out }

 

Over the past few years, I have collected many books.  Some have been sent by publishers for book reviews, others I have gotten for free, some as gifts, some bought new and a lot bought at a fraction of their price from Thriftbooks.

 

The bookshelves have grown, the piles have grown with them, and I am at the point where I need to do a clean up, choose those that I absolutely can't part with, donate the ones that are still in good condition (99% of my books are because I cherish them), and put some up over at Paperbackswap so that I can exchange them for new to me books.

 

It's a big project to tackle and I will tell you, I am not looking forward to it, the sheer magnitude of it makes me cringe, but it needs to happen, and I have taken the first steps to do it. 

 

I have been compiling piles in boxes.  Boxes for the thrift store, boxes for paperbackswap, and the rest I have been reorganizing on the shelves.

 

If I had my way, I would have a huge study room, a home library, with big leather chairs draping with comfy blankets, a fireplace, lots of plants, a dark green color on the wall and books upon books on shelves that ran wall to wall.  That would be my dream, and one day, I may just have that room, but for now, we make do with what we have.

And what we have, are shelves throughout the house, filled with books of every kind.  Fiction, non fiction, textbooks, picture books, kid books and everything in between.  There's so many, but not all I plan on keeping or reading again (honestly, I am not really one to read books more than once, or watch series or movies more than once), but there are books that have touched me and change me, and those will stay.

I started tackling this project last week Friday and it's slow going, I take my time going through each book and deciding what I want to do with it.  

 

I then put them into the different boxes, but will once again go through the boxes again, just in case I change my mind about one or two.  

 

Maybe I should have been a librarian! 

{ All I read in February }

I do believe February was the month I have read the most books, ever.  I try to read, but I do go through some phases where I don't pick up a book, or I struggle to get through a single one in months.  Then there are times when I can't seem to get enough of reading, and I zip through the books as quick as I can read them.

 

February was such a month for me. 

 

I stepped away from social media, and just focused on living my life in the reality around me, which is something I do most of the time anyway, but even I get sucked into the doom scrolling on Instagram and other social media outlets.  It's never a good thing, and when I step away from it, I feel so much better.

 

So that's what I did, and I ended up reading 7 books.  I don't think there was a single book on that pile that I didn't enjoy or struggled getting through.  They were all Christian fiction which means very minimal nonsense and when I say nonsense I mean things that I don't want to read anymore.

 

As I have progressed in my Christian journey and have gotten closer to God, there are a lot of things that he convicts me to do, and things to avoid.  I used to love romance books, books with spice and smut and all that other stuff.  Now, I can't read them at all, they make me very uncomfortable and quite honestly, I don't think they add anything to the story itself.  But that is my personal opinion.  Instead, I have been nudged to read more Christian fiction, and I am loving it.

 

If that's a genre you are looking into reading, then here are some books that I think you will enjoy.

 

 

The Huntress by Carrie Cotten - #1 in the Medieval Christian Fiction

 

 Betrayed by their allies, the last of the Picts have escaped to the innermost part of an endless, dark forest, content to remain hidden there forever. Made queen at just a child, Cyrene has given all of her life and heart to the task of making sure her people are never terrorized again.

When a handsome stranger from the kingdom that betrayed them falls injured at the boundary of her village, she’s forced to choose between mercy and duty.

The second son of a ruling monarch, Duncan would never be considered for the throne, neither did he wish to be. But when a plague sweeps through the land, he is the only one of royal blood left standing. Returning to the tower that holds too many dark memories, the truth of his father’s tangled reign begins to unravel and Duncan is once again forced into a role he never wanted.

 

 

The Viking by Carrie Cotten - #2 in the Medieval Christian Fiction

 

Will the loyalty that saved their kingdom destroy their hearts?

As a girl, Astrid washed up on the shores of the Picts, haunting memories of her homeland locked deep inside. She began a new life serving Queen Cyrene, ultimately becoming her dearest friend and the captain of her army. But when Cyrene’s unexpected marriage unites her people with the enemy realm of Tràigh, only Astrid’s dedication to the crown can help her battle her mistrust of these rival forces, especially their maddening captain, Eowin.

Trusted as a brother, Eowin can imagine no life other than serving his king. As Tràigh struggles to hold its place amid tumult, a mysterious Viking warrior and his men sail in with a claim that will change everything. Sent to far lands on an impossible mission, Eowin finds his courage, integrity, and wisdom stretched to the limits.

Will he sacrifice everything for this warrior maiden he can never have? 

 

 

The Raven by Carrie Cotten - #3 in the Medieval Christian Fiction 

 

Will the darkness that hides her finally destroy her?

Revna has spent her whole life thirsting for justice. When the chance to avenge her murdered mother and enslaved sister is denied her, she finds an even greater cause in gathering her people from their Norse captors and sending them home. Using threats and violence as her shield, she has built a seemingly invincible and invisible persona of terror. Then the drunken son of a chieftain discovers that the much-feared “Raven” is really just a slight teenage girl.

Unable to please his angry father or protect his villagers from extortion and need, Aksel turns to endless mugs of mead to drown his despair. But a fierce little bird turns all that upside down. With her unequivocal purpose and unparalleled bravery, Revna rescues him from his meaningless existence but at a staggering cost neither of them expects.

Revna and Aksel will sacrifice everything to free the slaves, but who will free them from the bondage of their pasts and the truth behind their disguises?

 

 

Spark of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #1 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Contrary to her name, Patience Abbott has long felt unsettled and anxious to leave behind her painful memories in England for a fresh start in America. But her new life isn’t quite what she expected, and as tension grows in her new home of Boston, so does the distance between Patience and her estranged father. So when Josiah Wagner walks into her life, it finally feels like she’s not alone. If only his patriotic leanings didn’t put him at odds with her father’s loyalties.

Josiah Wagner has spent his life yearning for a true home and family, something he works toward each day, forging tools as a blacksmith, and each night, forging plans with the Sons of Liberty. But when the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor lights the spark of the Revolution, Josiah finds himself drawn into its tumultuous wake, pulling the woman he loves along with him.

As tensions mount, will their search for belonging lead to each other, or will the obstacles between them be too great to overcome? In a land on the brink of war, can they find the home they seek in the One who calls them His own?

  

 

Secrets of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #2 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Hannah Pierce is determined to keep her father‘s apothecary shop running, despite his failing health, the heavy burden of her mother’s recent death, and the mysterious disappearance of her brother. She’ll do whatever it takes to preserve her family’s legacy, including joining a dangerous ring of patriot spies...and falling for a revolutionary printer with a brave heart.

William Abbott always keeps his promises. He vowed long ago to never abandon those in need like his father did. So when new British acts of Parliament threaten Boston and endanger his family, he throws himself into serving the Patriot cause, using his position at the printing office to gather and spread intelligence. But when his clandestine role in the newly formed spy ring causes him to cross paths with the apothecary’s beautiful daughter, he may find himself fighting for more than the cause.

As tensions in Boston reach a breaking point, Will and Hannah find their bond deepening even as the noose tightens around the spy ring. When promises and determination are not enough to protect the ones they love, they’ll need to trust God if they are to survive what is to come. 

 

 

Scars of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #3 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love. 

 

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar

 

Before Christ called her daughter . . .

Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment . . .

Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. After her only brother is killed while in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father's textile trade and caring for her family. When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for. As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love. Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.

No physician can cure her. No end is in sight. Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal. After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body . . . and soul?

 

 

 

{ Reading an author to zero }

Reading and author to zero!

 

That is a term that I was not familiar with, until I saw a lot of booktubers talking about it, and even though I don't like following trends and I definitely am not one to go with the crowd, I thought this was quite an interesting concept.

 

What does it mean exactly?  I have to be honest and say that the term itself is weird to me, it doesn't sound right, but the point of it is to read all the books that author has ever written, thereby reading them to zero.

 

It's something that I've done over the years, without even realizing there was a label for it.  Have I ever told you how much I despise labels of any kind?  That's a whole other post for a whole other day, anyway, back on track.

 

I think the only author I have ever read close to zero, is Nancy E. Turner, the author of my favorite book of all time These is My Words!

 

 

 

I only have one of her books left to read and I haven't because I knew there were no others, and I didn't want it to end, but I may just get through it this year and thereby close this chapter.  The book I have not yet read, but do have on my bookshelf, is The Water and the Blood.  

 

 

 

Nancy E. Turner is a fantastic writer and her books won a special place in my heart.  I may get rid of books here and there, but this collection will stay on the shelves forever.

 

I don't have any other authors that I have read to zero, but I do have a few I would like to, the first one coming to mind being Phillipa Gregory.  Over the years I have read many of hers and have many more on my shelf waiting to be read.  Every time I go by a thriftbook store, and I see one I don't have, I grab it.

 

We were at my local thrift store yesterday afternoon, and I saw one that I don't have in my stack, so I immediately grabbed it.  The Favored Child.

 

Another author I want to read to zero is Alison Weir who writes amazing historical fiction.

 

Others on my list are:

 

Francine Rivers

Ken Follett

Janette Oke

 

Do you read authors to zero or have done so in the past?  I would love to know!  

{ Thrift store books for only $2 }

My local thrift store always has a huge selection of books, especially older ones and always for very cheap.  

 

We had a few errands to run, and right before heading back home, Curt decided to stop at the thrift store just to wander around.  We are at that age now, where our dates consist of browsing the stores, having a cup of coffee or a quick lunch and heading back home to rest.  Some may see it as boring, and no doubt, about 10 years ago I probably would too, but this is the joy of growing older together.  

 

The things you do change, you adapt, you start enjoying the simple things in life without needing expensive outings or big to dos.

 

Anyway, the only thing we got was some books for me, as they were 5 for a $1.  I found some that I was actually looking for or authors I wanted to try.  It was a good haul.