"the bridge" by karen kingsbury

A few years ago, I had a public breakup with Karen Kingsbury. (Well, as public as airing my complaints on my blog is—I'm certain Kingsbury doesn't know or care that I stopped reading her novels.)

Sometimes I wondered what it would take for me to read another Kingsbury novel—after the Cody-Bailey-Brandon debacle at the end of the Bailey Flanigan series, I completely lost interest in Kingsbury's novels.

I now have my answer: It would take the Hallmark Channel turning one of her books into a movie. They've done just that with Karen Kingsbury's The Bridge, which premieres this Sunday night. Suddenly, I realized that I wanted to read The Bridge before seeing the movie. Fortunately, the school library had a copy I could check out—my own copy (purchased but never read) disappeared.

---

Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a rare sort of love she hasn't found since.

Ryan Kelly lives in Nashville after a broken relationship and several years on the road touring with a country music duo. Sometimes when he's lonely he visits The Bridge - The oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin - and remembers the hours he and Molly once spent there.

For more than four decades, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing customers with coffee, conversation, and shelves of classics - even through dismal sales and the rise of digital books. Then the hundred-year flood sweeps through Franklin and destroys everything. The bank is about to pull the store's lease when tragedy strikes.

Now the question remains: Can two generations of readers rally together to save The Bridge? And is it possible that an unforgettable love might lead to the miracle of a second chance?

---

Hmmm...I may have to rethink that breakup now, as The Bridge has reminded me what I loved about Kingsbury's writing in the first place. She has a way of creating characters who feel so realistic, and it only takes a short time for me to become completely wrapped up in their worlds. (Hence my *cough* passionate *cough* feelings about the lives of fictional characters Bailey, Cody, and Brandon.) I read The Bridge very quickly because I simply could not put it down.

I loved the way Kingsbury slowly revealed Ryan and Molly's relationship through flashbacks interspersed throughout the present-day story, and, though I accurately guessed early on how The Bridge would be saved, that hunch didn't make the journey through the novella any less sweet.

If I have one complaint, it would be that I wish the story would have been told solely from Molly's, Ryan's, and Charlie's perspectives. The sections told from Charlie's wife Donna's perspective didn't grab me the way the other sections did. But overall, The Bridge is an excellent, heart-tugging novella, and I cannot wait to watch the film! 4-1/2 stars.

Note: Film-version Ryan is played by Wyatt Nash, who I thought looked very familiar, so I IMDb'd him. Nothing there that I would have seen, so I dug a little deeper ... and discovered that his real name is Matt Elrod, and under that name he's best known for getting blindsided twice by Boston Rob on the Redemption Island season of Survivor, which I binge watched earlier this fall.

Buy the novella.
Read my reviews of Kingsbury's Longing (if you dare!), Waiting for Morning (5 stars), and The Beginning (a prequel to The Bridge; 3-1/2 stars).

---

Karen Kingsbury is a #1 New York Times Bestselling novelist with more than 25 million books in print. She is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller as her last dozen novels have hit top spot on national bestseller lists. Several of Karen’s books are in production as theatrical and Hallmark original movies. 

Karen lives in Nashville with her husband and five sons, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. They live nearby to their actress/designer daughter who is married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked this book out of a library and chose to review it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

top ten tuesday: books i'm not sure i want to read

Obviously, I missed the "Tuesday" part of Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke & The Bookish—I worked about 12 hours on Tuesday because it was our back-to-school night at the school I work at. But I knew I still wanted to participate in this week's topic, so here's my Top Ten Tuesday ... on Wednesday.

This week's topic is Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read (books you may have bought but aren't sure if you are into it anymore, books you wanted to read but heard mixed things about, hyped books you aren't sure about—basically any book that has you going, "TO READ OR NOT TO READ?").

I decided to go with books that I already own but haven't read yet ... and might not ever. I own way more than 10 books that I haven't read, but these were the first to come to mind.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I bought Divergent about two years ago—after I heard there would be a film version. I loved The Hunger Games trilogy, and people kept saying that if you loved The Hunger Games, then you'd love Divergent. I didn't read it right away, but I always intended to read it before watching the film. Then my sister told me that she couldn't stand Tris in the book, and she thought it was kind of dumb. Now that I've seen (and loved!) the film, I don't see any reason to go back and read the book. The jury's still out on whether I'll read Insurgent and Allegiant before those films release.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Honestly, I'm not sure why I own this book. I bought it on a whim, but I don't really want to read it. I haven't seen the movie, either, and I'm not sure I want to. Hearing that my one sister sobbed her way through the book and the non-crying sister teared up at the movie makes me think I'd be an utter mess. I like happy things, you know?

Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Ally Condie
After I powered through the whole Hunger Games trilogy in like four days, I was looking for something similar to read. I saw an ad for Matched in Entertainment Weekly and bought it immediately. And then it sat on my shelf ... and it's still sitting there. It's been read, but not by me. My coworker's daughter borrowed the series (yes, I bought the other two books as they released, even though I hadn't yet read Matched), and her apathy toward them after she finished them made me even less inclined to read them.

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury 
This novel wraps up the Baxter series, most of which I adored ... and I might not ever read it. 1. I've heard it's sad. 2. I'm still mad about Bailey/Brandon/Cody in the Bailey Flanigan series.

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas 
I've heard fabulous things about this biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I bought it on sale, and I felt very intellectual when I did. Chances are, I'll never read even one page.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I bought Crime and Punishment for a world lit class in college. Then it turned out that the non-western lit class I took at community college transferred in as world lit, and I was able to drop the class. I kept the book—because, you know, it makes me look cultured and stuff. I'm not really a classic lit kind of girl, though, so I doubt I'll ever read it.

Naked Heat and Heat Rises by Richard Castle
I'm a huge fan of the TV crime dramedy Castle, so when I heard the Nikki Heat books that factor into the plot would really exist, I was on board. I bought and read Heat Rises, and while I enjoyed it, crime novels aren't really my thing ... which is why the next two books in the series, though purchased, have gone unread. I do think if I ever opened them, I'd enjoy them. We'll see!





There's my list. Do you agree? Disagree? Want to talk me into reading one or more of the above? Let me know in the comments! And if you've made your own list, be sure to link up here.

top ten tuesday: authors i own the most books from

The blog has been silent lately, mainly because I just got back from a week in Indiana, where my sister married the love of her life. (Trust me, a post is forthcoming.) While on said "vacation," I read a total of 1-1/2 books. That's it! It was nice to have a break, and now I'm ready to jump back into my normal insane reading schedule :-) I'll have a slew of reviews in the next several weeks, but for now, I thought it would be fun to do something different.

I've never done one of these weekly memes before, but several bloggers I follow have started doing Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke & The Bookish, and I thought it looked like fun! I'm sure I won't be doing these all the time, but if a Top Ten Tuesday catches my eye, then I'll jump in.

This week's topic is Ten Authors I Own The Most Books From. Since I didn't really feel like going through my bookshelves and Kindle to count everything, this is just an estimate. I'm very confident in the top five, but the rest are guesses :-) I thought it might be fun to give you a glimpse at my bookshelves as we go along. (If the pictures are too small, click on them, and they'll get bigger.)

This is just the 1st shelf—the shelf below
is about half full of Kingsbury books!

1. Karen Kingsbury—There was a time when I bought each and every Kingsbury book as soon as it released. That all ended with Loving, the last book in the Bailey Flanigan series. I began reading, then I flipped to the end to find out who Bailey chose in the end: Cody or Brandon. The result was what I feared. I put the book down and haven't read another Kingsbury book since. I know it's ridiculous, but I spent so much time (and money) invested in Bailey's journey, and I just can't get over the way it ended. (Full disclosure: At one point in the series, I wanted Kingsbury to end it exactly as she did, but then things changed, and I felt betrayed as a reader.) I do have two Kingsbury books that I haven't read yet, including Coming Home, which wraps up the Baxter series. I should really read them ... someday.

I just counted, and I have 44 Karen Kingsbury books. Goodness!

Lori Wick & Dee Henderson. For
a while, I kept all my Wick books.
Recently, though, I decided to just
keep my favorites and try to sell
the rest. So if you're in the market for
cheap Lori Wick books, check out
my half.com shop!

2. Lori Wick—From 7th grade until I discovered Karen Kingsbury in college, Lori Wick was my favorite author. I loaned out Sophie's Heart so many times that it's practically falling apart, and I've still read it more times than any other book. Fun fact: Wick is the only author on this list that I've seen in person. Her son attended the same college as I did, and one Sunday morning I turned around in church and saw her about six rows back!

3. Susan May Warren—I liked the first few Warren books I read, but I didn't love them. Then I read Sons of Thunder. I was hooked, and now I read everything she writes. I just finished When I Fall in Love, and I absolutely could not put it down. (Review coming next week.) I can't wait for the next in the series!

It doesn't look like many books, but
The Chronicles of Narnia and The
Essential C.S. Lewis both contain
several books.

4. C.S. Lewis—Lewis is the only author on the list whose fiction and non-fiction I own. Of course The Chronicles of Narnia is a favorite; I also love Mere Christianity and Till We Have Faces.

I've loaned out several Dekker books. They go
(of course) where the gaps are. If you're interested
in the book flowers, you can see how I
made them here.

5. Ted Dekker—My friend Jodi gave me Green, my first Ted Dekker novel, about 10 years ago. After devouring the Circle trilogy (now a quartet), I moved on to his other novels. Some I loved (Skin, Immanuel's Veins), some I loathed (Boneman's Daughters). I haven't read any of his newer novels ... or even all of the novels that are on this shelf!

The end of Susan May Warren &
most of my Robin Jones Gunn.

6. Robin Jones Gunn—What Christian teenage girl in the 90's didn't love the Christy Miller series? I got into the game a bit late—Book 8, Starry Night, is the first book I read in the series. Then in high school, I started reading the Glenbrooke series, and I own all eight books. Most recently, I read the Katie Weldon series and was surprised at how much I liked Katie, as I didn't really enjoy her in the Christy Miller series. I also have a couple Robin Jones Gunn books on my to be read shelf.

I have two types of bookshelves:
those that hold books I want to
display, and those that hold books
I keep for sentimental reasons. This
shelf holds the latter.

7. Lisa T. Bergren—I first came across Lisa T. Bergren in high school. My high school library had the Full Circle series, and reading Refuge made me really, really want to visit Montana! I didn't read any more of her books for a long time, but I recently reviewed the Grand Tour series and loved it. I also have a few books from her River of Time series on my Kindle ... must make time to read them! (Hello, it's YA and time travel. Of course I'm going to love it!)

The end of Karen Kingsbury, a few Denise Hunter,
and the beginning of Susan May Warren. I've
loaned out a ton of my Hunter and Warren books.

8. Denise Hunter—Hunter is, hands down, my favorite romance writer. I got started with her Nantucket series, and I've read practically everything she's written since. The Convenient Groom is one of my all-time favorite books, but I haven't reviewed it. I should probably read it again and remedy that!

The Austen shrine.

9. Jane Austen—Is it OK to admit that the only Jane Austen book I've ever read is Pride & Prejudice, and even then, I skipped some in the middle? But I display the books prominently, right beside the film adaptations of her novels. (My favorite? The BBC production of Emma.)

10. Dee Henderson—Henderson's O'Malley series remains is one of my all-time favorites. I also read some of her True Devotion series and enjoyed them. I haven't read any of her recent novels—I've read some negative reviews, and I don't want to spend money on books I may not like.

So there's my list. What about you? Leave your top ten in the comments, or leave a link to your own top ten post.

"waiting for morning" by karen kingsbury

About the book: Hannah Ryan's idyllic life is shattered the moment a drunk driver careens into the vehicle bringing her husband and two daughters home from a camping trip. After her husband and oldest daughter die from injuries sustained in the crash, Hannah makes it her life's mission to ensure the drunk driver pays for what he did.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Bronzan specializes in drunk driving cases, and with his latest case, he hopes to make history by winning California's first murder one conviction of a drunk driver. He works closely with Hannah to ensure their message to the public is the same—that drunk drivers who kill are committing murder. As he spends time with her, he comes to care for her—but all she can see is her hatred for the man who killed her husband and daughter.

Hannah's bitterness threatens to destroy the only good things left in her life. Will she understand her need to forgive before it's too late?

My take: In Waiting for Morning, Karen Kingsbury has written a heartbreaking family drama with a powerful message about the perils of drunk driving. More importantly, though, she shows how bitterness can take root and destroy lives. As Hannah allows bitterness to take over her life, she can't see how her unforgiveness is harming herself and her remaining daughter. And isn't that the way it works? We refuse to forgive because we feel we have a right to our anger ... and then before we know it, we're so wrapped up in our pain that we've strained or ruined our other relationships. Obviously, I speak from experience here—and I hope that by reading this book, others can avoid some of the mistakes I made!

This is one of Kingsbury's earlier books, and I can't believe it took me to long to finally read it. It was published in 1999, well before everyone had cell phones. That's the only thing that seems to date it, though—a couple times I wondered why Hannah didn't just call her daughter's cell, and then I'd remember that they didn't have them! Overall, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.

Read an excerpt.
Buy the book.
See what other bloggers are saying (including my friend Holly).

About the author: No. 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Dubbed by Time Magazine as the Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen has also been a featured guest on the Today Show, Fox News, USA Today, and numerous other television programs and magazines. Her fiction has made her one of the country's favorite storytellers. Others of her emotionally gripping titles include the 9-11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays.

Karen is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen and her husband, Don, live in Nashville, TN with their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti. Their daughter Kelsey is an actress who has appeared in several Christian films. She is newly married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky. The two also live in Nashville.

Visit Karen's website at www.KarenKingsbury.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

kindle book sale!

If you love Karen Kingsbury's books or have always wanted to check them out, today's your lucky day: Amazon is having a one day sale on Karen Kingsbury books! Today, October 27, you can get the Kindle version of any (or all) of the books featuring the Baxters and Flanigans (except for the final book, Coming Home) for $1.99 each!

And remember, you don't need a Kindle to read a Kindle book—you can get free Kindle reading apps for your computer, tablet, or smart phone.

Happy reading!

"the beginning" by karen kingsbury

"The Beginning" is a short story prequel to Karen Kingsbury's book The Bridge. I bought it because I read practically everything Kingsbury writes, and I thought it would be fun to read it before I read The Bridge.

About the story: Donna and Charlie are no strangers to tragedy, and when it strikes again, they decide to begin anew in Franklin, Tennessee, where they will fulfill Charlie's lifelong dream of running a bookstore.

One day Edna, a woman grieving a terrible loss, enters the bookstore. As Donna uses books to help Edna escape the pain, she discovers that the bookstore may be more than Charlie's dream—it may be their calling.

My take: When I heard about this short story, I knew I wanted to read it before reading The Bridge. It's a quick read that introduces readers to Donna and Charlie, owners of The Bridge bookstore. I enjoyed it, and I definitely can't wait to read The Bridge, but this story lacked the emotional impact present in most of Kingsbury's writing. I was interested in the story, but I wasn't emotionally engaged. Still, I'd recommend it as a precursor to The Bridge. 3-1/2 stars.

About the author: No. 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

what's in the mail? 6-28-12 edition

Once again, I'm posting late. With a cousin's wedding, another cousin staying with me, and my sister visiting from Indiana, I haven't felt motivated to blog ... well, except about singleness! Here it is, finally ... what I'd received in the mail as of a week ago Thursday!

Schick Hydro Silk for Women Razor
I've used the Schick Quattro for years, and it's by far the best razor I've ever used. So when Vine offered me this 5-blade moisturizing razor, I figured the extra blade and moisturizing strips would be an improvement on the Quattro. I was wrong. Here's my review.

Crossing Values by Carrie Daws
This is my first book for the CWA Review Crew, which I got linked up with through facebook. I finished it yesterday and posted my review right away. It had a Hallmark movie vibe to it, which is usually great in my book, but it was completely lacking in the romance department. See my review here. Also, I have a copy to give away, so if you're interested in that, be sure to scroll to the bottom of my review.

Submerged by Dani Pettrey
I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since I saw it on a list of the best upcoming fiction in January or February. I'll be reviewing it for Bethany House and just started reading it last night. So far, so good!

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury
I got this book on release day, as I get most KK books ... but I haven't opened it yet. Why? Because I still haven't finished Loving ... I think I'm still in denial about the ending! I would like to read Coming Home soon, so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and finish Loving.

Inescapable by Nancy Mehl
Inescapable is Mennonite fiction; I've read tons of Amish fiction in the past, but I don't think I've ever read any Mennonite fiction. Since there's a horse and buggy on the cover, I'm thinking the brand of Mennonite in this book is closer to Old Order than independent. (My mom grew up Mennonite, and trust me, they drove cars and wore pants!) I'm reviewing this one for Litfuse.

Mindful of Him by Hollis Hughes
I don't know much about this book going in ... I think it's about a guy who has everything that has ever meant anything to him stripped away. I'm getting it through Litfuse, and honestly, I picked it because of the cover! Doesn't it just look literary?

Philips O'Neill SHO9565BK/28 THE STRETCH Headband Headset (Black)
These headphones come from Vine. My options for that newsletter were these headphones, the razor I got, men's shampoo, and a bunch of books. I decided a while ago that I'd only request books I really wanted to read, and none of the books on that newsletter fit into that category, so that left me with the headphones, razor, and shampoo. Obviously, I'm not a man (or married to one), so my choice was simple! They're the best headphones I've ever owned, and they almost completely block the sound when I'm mowing. They also prevent me from hearing myself as I sing ... which resulted in me putting on a boy band/country concert for my neighbor the last time I mowed!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of these products free in exchange for my honest review. Other products I purchased myself. Regardless, I was not required to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"loving"--bailey chooses ...

Karen Kingsbury's Loving released today. I know lots of people out there are dying to know if Bailey chooses Cody or Brandon in the end. Well, I got my book today, and after wanting to throw it across the room multiple times in the first 30 pages, I decided to go ahead and "cheat"—I flipped to the end to find out.

If you really want to know, keep reading. Otherwise, get yourself out of here, because I'm about to tell you how it ends!

best books of 2011

I intended to post this before the new year ... obviously, I didn't quite make it!

I read a ton of books in 2011. I reviewed 59 of them, and I probably read at least 10 that I didn't review. If you figure an average of 5 hours per book, that comes to a whopping 345 hours—or just more than 14 days! When you read as much as I do, it's hard to remember which books you liked the most. So I've compiled a list of my favorite reads of 2011 in several different categories (some are a bit contrived so that I can include more books). If I reviewed the book, I've included a link. Note that these are books that I read in 2011—they may have been published earlier.

Historical Fiction
Heiress by Susan May Warren (review)—This is my favorite of all of Susan May Warren's books, which is saying something, since I've enjoyed most of her work. I love how real the characters seem, and it's a great mix of high society and the Wild West. (Sounds strange, I know, but Warren makes it work!)

Contemporary (non-Romance) Fiction
The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt (review)—This is the story of three sisters who gather to go through their deceased grandmother's things. The Fine Art of Insincerity certainly isn't "fluff"—and the book caused me to think about the way I relate to my sisters.

Romance
The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus (review)—Anyone who's tired of reading about 22-year-old heroines should check out Kaye Dacus's books. She writes about real women. Women who wear a size 14. Women who didn't get married straight out of college. Women who live their lives, rather than waiting around for the "perfect" man. The Art of Romance is the first Dacus book I read, but it won't be the last!

Science Fiction/Fantasy
Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee (review)—Ted Dekker is a masterful fantasy writer. (His crime novels? I could do without those.) The Circle series (and all the other connected books), Immanuel's Veins, and now The Books of Mortals feature well-constructed worlds that sweep the reader into them. Forbidden, the first in The Books of Mortals, is my favorite Dekker book since Black—it's that good! 

Romantic Comedy
Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones (review)—The time I spent reading Save the Date was probably the most fun I had reading all year! One of those implausible yet hilarious stories, Save the Date is pure fluff and pure enjoyment.

YA Fiction

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg (review)—It's Pride & Prejudice set in an elite boarding school. Such fun!

Anthology
Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress—This is the only book on the list I haven't reviewed (though I may still get around to it). It's a series of short stories inspired by Jane Austen's books. Not all of the stories are winners—"Waiting," a continuation of Persuasion, just about put me to sleep—but most are lighthearted and fun.

Nonfiction
Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler (review)—Ira Wagler's memoir chronicling his life in and journey out of the Amish church is an incredibly fascinating look at the Amish faith.

Amish Fiction
Beside Still Waters (review) and Along Wooded Paths (review) by Tricia Goyer—In a sea of Amish fiction, Goyer's Big Sky series stands out. First of all, it doesn't idealize the Amish lifestyle. Instead, it features real characters grappling with issues of faith. I can't wait to read the third book this spring!

Suspense
Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann (review)—A character-driven mystery featuring a protagonist with an eidetic memory. Very interesting and quite suspenseful.

Book I Talked about Most
Longing by Karen Kingsbury (review)—I talked about this book so much because it made me so mad! And now I'm scared to read the final book in this series, Loving, because I just know I'll be really upset if Bailey & Cody don't end up together. Never before have I had such strong feelings for book characters!

Literature
The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson (review)—I'm not even sure how to describe this book, other than to say that it is art in words. It is well worth your time.

Self-Published
Forsaken Kingdom: City of Prophecy by Peter Dudek (review)—In my time as a book blogger, I have read some absolute drek that is self-published. City of Prophecy is not one of those books. If you just picked it up and started reading, you would have no idea it hadn't come out of a traditional publishing house. I really enjoyed this story, and I hope to be able to read the second book in the series soon!

Favorite Book of 2011
Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin (review)—A World War II story with a timely subplot, Blue Skies Tomorrow is absolutely captivating. I completely devoured the book, and I look forward to reading more books by Sundin!

Any thoughts on my picks? What were your favorite books of 2011?

"Longing" by Karen Kingsbury

If you got to this page while trying to learn who Bailey ultimately ends up with, I have the answer! Click here. If you're looking for a discussion of Longing, keep reading ...

After we texted back and forth about this book, my friend Kensy asked me if I was going to review it. I decided writing up my thoughts would be a good way to get some things off my chest. So, this will not be a traditional review; rather, it will be more of a response to the book. If you haven't yet read Longing and plan to at some point, STOP READING NOW!!!

november kindle book deals

Amazon has started offering monthly Kindle book deals (similar to the $5 mp3 deals that I'm such a sucker for!). This month, they have 100 books for $3.99 or less. I just glanced through the list, and there are many Christian books there—including The Art of Romance (which I loved) for $1.99, A Heart Most Worthy (which I liked) for $2.99, and Learning and Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury for $2.99 each. Also, several other books by Kingsbury are on sale for $2.99, but they're not on the monthly list, so I don't know how long the prices will last. You can see those books here. (Can you go wrong with Kingsbury? I don't think so! Though if you're caught up in the Bailey Flanigan saga—of which Learning is book two—you're probably ready to bash some heads together by now!)

You can check out the full list of discounted titles here. Happy reading!