Library Love

Growing up, visiting my local public library was one of my favorite things to do. I was a voracious reader from the moment I learned to read, and the library opened up so many worlds to me.

We moved into town when I was in the 6th grade, and suddenly I could go to the library basically whenever I wanted. I walked, rode my bike, and eventually drove to the library constantly. I checked out every Baby-Sitters Club book ever and discovered Janette Oke and Gilbert Morris on the shelves of the adult section. (At the time, Christian books lived with all the other fiction books, but they were marked by a round sticker on the spine.)

"On the Fence" by Kasie West

Moms of teenage girls, listen up: If you're looking for YA romance novels that are safe for everyone, check out Kasie West's books. I've now read 2-1/4 of her books (that 1/4 is her latest, Lucky in Love, which I just couldn't get into), and I can't remember a single swear word, instance of teen drinking, or sexual content that goes beyond fairly undescriptive kisses. Plus, the books are, for the most part, so much fun to read!

I read On the Fence in about three hours because I simply couldn't put it down! It's easily my favorite of West's books ... so far, anyway!

"Colors of Christmas" by Olivia Newport

If the Hallmark Channel can show Christmas movies in October, then I can read Christmas stories in October, right?

Olivia Newport's Colors of Christmas novella collection features two sweet Christmas stories—and they're low on romance, so if that's not your thing, you can still enjoy them!

"Champion" Movie Giveaway

Now that it's getting colder, one of my favorite things to do in the evening is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a movie. So I'm really excited that I have a great film to give away to one of my readers—it's perfect for one of those cold nights on the couch, and it's great for the whole family!

"The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey" by Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers of regency romance. Her Legacy of Grace series has been a treat to read from start to finish, and I think this final installment, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, is the best yet!

"Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

Full disclosure: The Fault in Our Stars is one of my DNF (did not finish) books. So I probably wasn't the best candidate to read John Green's new novel, Turtles All the Way Down. But I saw it on the new release shelf at my local library and snagged it. I mean, how could I not? With so many book lovers so excited for its release, I thought I should give Mr. Green another chance.

Review Wrap-Up #4: October 15, 2017

Welcome to Review Wrap-Up #4! I'm prepping this post as I watch Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The Nationals are currently beating the Cubs 4-1. By the time you see this post, there's a good chance the Cubs won't be playing anymore this season, and that makes me sad. I started following the Cubs more than casually almost exactly a year ago (Game 4 of the NLDS vs the Giants). It still astounds me when I think about the fact that I knew none of these guys' names a year ago. That I knew nothing about baseball. That I found baseball to be the most boring thing ever. What a ride this year has been! Even if the Cubs don't win tonight, I had great fun following the season.

"An Inconvenient Beauty" by Kristi Ann Hunter

Earlier this year, I read Kristi Ann Hunter's An Uncommon Courtship. I really enjoyed it, and one of my favorite supporting characters was Griffith, brother of the main male character. So of course when Griffith's story released, I had to get my hands on it.

"Ninja Girl" by Cookie O'Gorman

After reading Cookie O'Gorman's Adorkable last month, I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Ninja Girl.

Except I had to.

Adorkable and Ninja Girl are both part of Kindle Unlimited, and Kindle owners can choose one KU book per month to read for free. Adorkable was my September pick, so I had to wait until October 1st to check out Ninja Girl.

Trust me, I checked it out as soon as I could 🙂

"Christmas at Gate 18" by Amy Matayo

I love Christmas. I love Amy Matayo books. Combine Christmas and an Amy Matayo book, and you've got a read I can't resist!

"All This Time" by Melissa Tagg

All This Time took me, well, all this time to read for one simple reason: I didn't want the Walker Family series to come to an end!

(Yes, that is a bad joke, but I don't apologize for it!)

"Blind Spot" by Dani Pettrey

If you're looking for inspirational romantic suspense that's both believably romantic and believably suspenseful, you can't go wrong with a Dani Pettrey novel! (Believe me, it's hard to find romantic suspense novels that hit both of those aspects well, but Pettrey has the formula down.)

What's Val Reading? (September 2017)

You may not know this, but I'm not the only avid reader in my family. In fact, I think everyone in my immediate family (parents, siblings) loves to read, though two of us read much more than the rest. My sister Val reads nearly as much as I do, but we rarely read the same books. Since our reading tastes are so different, we thought it would be fun for Val to do a monthly wrap-up of her reads here on Christian Chick's Thoughts. So here's Val, and from here on out I'll try to be more timely in posting her monthly recap!

"The Answer" by Jeremy Camp + Giveaway

It's been a while since I've had a music review + giveaway for you, so I'm really excited about this one! It's Jeremy Camp's new album, which released today!

"Justice Buried" by Patricia Bradley

Apparently, reading about cold case detectives is becoming my thing ... last week, I read Bringing Maggie Home, where one of the main characters is a cold case detective, and I just finished reading Justice Buried, which is part of a series about cold case detectives!

"Bringing Maggie Home" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

In Bringing Maggie Home, Kim Vogel Sawyer has written a novel that pulls you in with the mother-daughter-granddaughter dynamic and keeps you engaged with a decades-old mystery.