TOP BOOKS OF MY CHILDHOOD

TOP BOOKS OF MY CHILDHOOD

~ AMERICAN GIRL ~

American Girl, even today is probably one of the most popular book series ever. I started these books very young and I still own my Samantha and Kaya box sets, with a little lonely copy about Kit. It was these books that began my love for historical fiction.

~ Little House on the Prairie ~

Oh man, these books (& TV series) was a HUGE part of my childhood. I devoured these books and quickly too. I would finish one and the immediately start the next book in the series.

~ Love Comes Softly ~

This series is one of my favourites of all time. And the movies are pretty fabulous too.

~ The Hobbit & LOTR ~

I couldn't do a post like this and not mention my favourite fantasy books ever!! They're the quintessential fantasy novels and in fact The Hobbit was the very first chapter book I ever read. It was these books that began my lifetime of nerdiness.

~The Babysitter's Club ~

I didn't read The Babysitter's Club as ferociously as these other book series, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. 

~ Nancy Drew Mysteries ~

Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene were the first mysteries I ever read and I loved them growing up. I even have a ton of them up in my bookshelf.

~ Chronicles of Narnia ~

Along with The Hobbit and LOTR this choice has to be up here. 

REVIEW: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

REVIEW: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

{About the Book}

After tackling her first mission and coming to terms with her power of empathy, Andriana discovers her first battles were only a taste of what is to come. She and her knight, Ronan, have admitted their feelings for each other, but their bonds are tested when Dri is captured by their mortal and spiritual enemy—Sethos—and his master, Keallach, emperor of Pacifica.

Andriana is certain Keallach can be convinced to follow the Maker’s plan and join the other Remnants . . . but in time, she must decide whether she really can pull him back to the Way, or if Sethos’s web of darkness has slowly and thoroughly trapped them both . . . forever.

Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

Blink YA/Zondervan

March 3, 2015

Dystopian, Fantasy

{My Review}

Woah! Book #2, Season of Fire really cranked up the intensity and action. Season of Fire continues right where Remnants left off and dare I say Season of Fire was even better than Remnants. The message in Season of Fire is an important one. Let God guide you, let him guide your path. That is such an important message for the young adult generation and so poignant as well. There were parts of the book I even re-read a few times just because it was that good.

I do recommend this book to all YA readers. but will caution the more sensitive readers. There are a few violent/bloody scenes, but they were done very tastefully. 

Let Love Reign: Poems by A.F. Washburn

Let Love Reign: Poems by A.F. Washburn

Poem #1: 

Sun rise and shine to greet us in the morn'

Cool early breeze roaring ferociously

Waves of glittering water come to meet my feet

Mountains stand tall in glorious strength

Sweet smiles of innocent babes

Moonlight and stars burn bright keep me company late at night

The world a canvas for God to create

God's hand over His creation

His only son sacrifices all

We shall live anew

St. Patrick's Day and My Irish Heritage!

St. Patrick's Day and My Irish Heritage!

"Erin Go Bragh" for those who do not know is Irish for "Ireland Forever". The beautiful country of Ireland and all of it's people have gone through so many trials and tribulations through out it's long history. War, persecution, land grabs, famine, and much death. My 3x great-grandfather, Morgan O'Neill was born in 1846 a year into the great potato famine and entered the United States in 1857. They remained in Ireland and suffered through it all. And even through all of these tragedies they have remained strong, resilient, and refuse to give up on their country, their history, and their culture. 

Many people know the story of St. Patrick. We know the story of the Christian missionary who came to Ireland to drive out the "snakes" in Ireland. Of course there are some people who say he drove out actual snakes. No, this isn't true. The snakes mentioned were symbolism, a representation of the evil and the wickedness that at the time was quite rampant in Ireland. The ancient Irish, or Celts were pagans. They worshipped the Earth, nature, and their other gods. Patrick, contrary to what many believe was not Irish himself, most scholars/educators believe he actually was from the country of Wales. He came to Ireland because he was called to spread Christianity to the Irish pagans. Many of the Irish converted and there are those who did not convert. 

One of the Christian converts was my ancestors, the O'Neill clan. The O'Neills are one of the most well-known families in Irish history. They were royalty, High Kings of Ireland. 

My oldest ancestor that has been discovered was Niall Noígíallach, or better known as Niall of the Nine Hostages. His son, Eoghan mac Néill, is the direct ancestor of the O'Neills' and one of the many converts. In fact, Eoghan was a close friend of St. Patrick and was even blessed and baptized by him. 

"Saint Patrick (window)" by Sicarr - Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Shane's Castle. The ancestral home of the O'Neill clan.

Hugh O'Neill, one of the most famous
and well-known of the O'Neill clan.

If you have any Irish heritage you should be proud. Proud that you come from a people who are strong, who don't allow anyone to step all over them, and who don't ever ever give up. No matter what may stand in their way.

Always remember.....

WE ARE PROUD.

WE ARE RESILIENT.

WE ARE IRISH.

REVIEW: Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke & Laurel Oke Logan

REVIEW: Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke & Laurel Oke Logan

 {About the Book}

Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke & Laurel Oke Logan

Bethany House Publishers

February 3, 2015

Historical Fiction, Western, Romance

Gentle Inspirational Fiction from the Genre's Pioneer

Beth Thatcher returns home from her first year as a schoolteacher in the mining town of Coal Valley and steps into a whole different world. Her life back among her wealthy Eastern family is a stark contrast to her primitive life in the West, and Beth isn't sure where she belongs anymore.

She barely has time to settle in before her mother announces plans for a family holiday--a luxurious steamship tour along the eastern coast of Canada and the U.S. Wishing to reconnect with her mother and sister, Beth agrees to go but quickly finds herself at odds with her mother's expectations. After enjoying complete freedom in the western wilds, Beth isn't sure what to make of her mother's ongoing efforts to direct her life--and her heart.

Beth keeps in touch with her Mountie beau, Jarrick, even as young men more of her station catch her eye. Is she ready to fully give her heart to Jarrick, knowing it will mean saying good-bye to her family and her life of privilege once again? And when Beth trusts the wrong person, will Jarrick be able to help her despite the distance between them?

{My Review}

Rating: 5 stars!

Janette Oke has done it again!! Where Trust Lies is book #2 in the Return to the Canadian West series. Which is a companion series to Janette's original, Canadian West series. I read the original series many years ago, as well as Janette's Love Comes Softly books and films. I have been a fan of Janette's for the longest time, since I was a little girl. And when I heard she writing a companion series to the Canadian West series/When Call the Heart TV series, I was so ecstatic. Janette's books have beautiful prose, they are poignant, and they are just an absolute delight to read. I always look forward to another Janette Oke book. I highly recommend it.

Happy #WorldBookDay!!!

Happy #WorldBookDay!!!

 Happy #WorldBookDay bookworms!! And to celebrate today please support your favourite authors by buying and reading their books. I even have some recommendations for you.

1. Saving Yesterday by Jessica Keller

2. A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Loge

3. Resistance by Jaye L. Knight

4. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

1. Shadowhand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

2. An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund. Or any of her books!

3. Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert

4. Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg. Read all her books, seriously!

1. The Jessilyn Lassiter Trilogy by Jennifer Erin Valent. Read them!

RELEASE DAY: The Beast of Ravenston by Kelly Martin

 He could very easily picture his life like this. With a woman who loved him and smiled at him like he wasn't a monster.

Except he was.

The Beast of Ravenston takes Elizabeth from Betraying Ever After and throws her into a place she fears more than any other... Ravenston. A small town in the middle of a thick forest, Ravenston is home to the Duke-- Nicholas Wellington-- a man who not only has been scarred by a fire but is a man to be feared. He lives up to his reputation as 'The Beast'.

Nicholas wants to know who set the fire that disfigured him which means helping Mr. Dodsworth. Help Mr. Dodsworth-- get the name-- get his revenge

Except what Mr. Dodsworth wants Nicholas to do is worse than anything he's done in his past: make the girl pay.

Can Nicholas do what needs to be done to get his revenge? Or will Elizabeth steal something he didn't know he still had-- his heart?

ADD THE BOOK TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR!!

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REVIEW: Lethal Beauty by Lis Wiehl

REVIEW: Lethal Beauty by Lis Wiehl

{About the Book}


Mia Quinn discovers that a series of seemingly unrelated murders are linked. How far up are the strings being pulled--and what happens when one of her own is at risk?

The murder Mia is prosecuting seems like an open and shut case--until the accused claims he was the real victim and that the dead girl attacked him first. The tabloids dub her a "lethal beauty." Still, a conviction seems imminent. Then a key witness goes missing. Just when it looks like the killer could walk free, the dead woman's mother takes matters into her own hands.

Meanwhile, Charlie Carlson, a Seattle homicide detective, is investigating the murder of a man whose body washed up on the beach of Puget Sound, but he's got little to go on. He has no dental work, fingerprints aren't on file, and he doesn't match any missing person reports. Then a church pianist is senselessly gunned down before horrified parishioners.

All three cases seem unrelated--but are they? Together, Mia and Charlie race to find the answer before another crime hits too close to home.

Lethal Beauty (Mia Quinn #3) by Lis Wiehl
Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Murder Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars!

Lethal Beauty is the third installment of Lis Wiehl's Mia Quinn Mystery series. Now, I haven't read the previous two books in this series, but I absolutely loved Lis's East Salem Trilogy. The characters were lively and likable. I especially loved the title character Mia Quinn. I loved her. There was a wonderfully descriptive setting. The writing itself is very easy to read and it flows well. And of course the villain was deliciously creepy. Lis Wiehl, not only a New York Times Bestselling author, but a conservative legal analyst for Fox News.

Lethal Beauty is a fast paced, thrilling murder mystery. I look forward to picking up the previous books in the series and hope to see more installments in the future.