"treasuring emma" by kathleen fuller

When Emma's mother dies--two short years after Emma's father's death--Emma finds herself at odds with her sister Clara, who thinks they should turn the workshop on the family property into a yarn store. Then, suddenly, Adam--the only man Emma has ever loved--returns to Middlefield, and a visiting relative of Clara's husband Peter also shows interest in her. As Emma tries to understand her feelings and deal with her sister, she learns what it means to truly rely on God.

I've read and reviewed several other Kathleen Fuller novels, but Treasuring Emma just may be my favorite. I think it's because this book deals more with family dynamics than romance (though romance is still a major part of it). I absolutely loathed Emma's sister Clara for most of the book--she was incredibly controlling, unappreciative of her husband, and conniving--and I wondered if Fuller would be able to redeem her. She did, and the Clara-Peter story line turned out to be one of my favorites. A few characters from Fuller's "Hearts of Middlefield" series make cameo appearances in Treasuring Emma, and it was fun to check in with them again. The story ends in a way that nicely sets up a second book, and I can't wait to read it!

Who should read it? Fans of Amish books, Christian romance, or family drama.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. 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."

the end of an era?

My parents have attended the Kansas State Fair every year since 1981-- when I was three weeks old, and Mom carried me around in a front pack. I never missed a fair until college, and then I only missed twice before beginning a new eight-year streak. That streak may be over now, though. See, we always went to the fair with my grandparents. Once they stopped going, we still went and stayed at their house. But my grandma died last Christmas, and her house is on the verge of selling. Once it does, we won't have any place to say--or really a reason to go down to Kansas. So it's possible that today's trip to the Kansas State Fair was our last. Just in case, I decided to document it through photos.

We had to get the fried cheese curds--it's become something of a tradition for Mom and me! (I looked for fried butter for the 35 before 35 project, but I didn't see any.)

Every year, Turkey Hill sets up a tent where they give away ice cream samples. This year's ice cream was Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. Yummy!

I've recently discovered I like almonds. Or maybe "love" is a better word. So I splurged on these cinnamon sugar covered almonds. Muy delicioso!

We had to ride on Ye Old Mill one more time. This year, it was actually kind of scary!

When we went into the Domestic Arts building, we saw they were giving away SPAM sandwiches. I thoroughly enjoyed mine ... but Steph refused to try one.

Steph tried out the Mix-N-Match slushy booth.

If this was our last Kansas State Fair, it was a great way to go out!

35 before 35: #23

#23: Go to a country concert

This goal isn't one I would have had five years ago ... or even last year, for that matter! I have rather recently become a fan of country music. So when I heard The Band Perry was coming to the Nebraska State Fair, I decided to go. And I knew exactly who to take with me--my friend Joanna. Jo is at least partially responsible for my conversion to country (though most of the credit goes to former roomie Melissa). One night, Jo and I watched country music videos for hours after I confessed that I kind of enjoyed them. Anyway, Jo and I decided to go together. The problem? Jo is a senior in high school, and she has volleyball practice after school. So we didn't get on the road to Grand Island until 6:45, and the concert started at 7:30.

Once we arrived at the state fairgrounds, we hightailed it over to the Events Center. We weren't even sure if we'd be able to get in, as the concert was free with gate admission, but you had to have a wristband to get in--and those were given out at the box office on a first come-first served basis. We arrived at 7:35, and a nice lady handed us our wristbands. When we walked in, the band was already playing, and the arena looked full. Jo has good eyes, though, and she found us seats ... pretty much as far away from the stage as you could get!

Going in, I knew two of The Band Perry's songs--"If I Die Young" and "You Lie." Going out, I still only knew those two songs, but I heard several others that I really liked! If I didn't have Spotify (which I talked about here), I totally would have bought their album by now.

My favorite part of the concert was when they started singing the Eminem/Rihanna song "Love the Way You Lie." At first, Jo and I just looked at each other ... and then we got it! They used it as a very effective lead-in to "The Way You Lie."

Here we are at the concert ... sort of. I took about 10 pictures of us, and one of us always looked bad--so I spliced together two pictures. Notice that I've never claimed to be a Photoshop whiz!

Overall, it was a great way to get my feet wet in the country music scene! Next stop, Carrie Underwood???

35 things before 35

Recently, I came across a "30 Things To Do Before I Turn 30" post on another blog. Obviously, I missed the boat on that one, so I decided to make a list of 35 things to do before I turn 35. These are things I haven't done before (or at least I hadn't done before my 30th birthday last month). Here we go!

1. bungee jump
2. make a quilt
3. get married
4. go to a spa
5. visit Prince Edward Island
6. try fried butter
7. take a cruise to Alaska
8. have a child (biological/adopted/step)
9. appear on TV
10. write a novel I can be proud of (whether or not it ever gets published)
11. go to Europe
12. release 35 pounds*
13. take my dad to a Cubs game
14. go to a dc Talk concert**
15. buy a house (fulfilled 8-2-13—see post)
16. watch the full series run of Friday Night Lights***
17. get a house cat (fulfilled 8-3-13—see post)
18. visit Maine
19. take a pottery class
20. go back to school**** (fulfilled Fall 2011—see post)
21. serve on a jury*****
22. have a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3
23. go to a country concert (fulfilled 8-26-11—see post)
24. learn how to make cheese
25. get a job in a library
26. go to the top of the Empire State Building
27. get a massage
28. grow my own herbs
29. take a cross country road trip
30. read the Bible from cover to cover
31. go to Australia
32. write something on this blog that gets picked up/linked to by a well respected website or blogger
33. attend a showtunes night at a piano bar
34. be a camp counselor
35. go to a Nebraska-Ohio State football game (fulfilled 10-8-11—see post)

*This is how Sandi Patty talked about losing weight at Women of Faith. It makes sense--if you lose something, you want to find it again. When I release 35 pounds, I will never want to find that weight again!

**Yes, I'm well aware that dc Talk broke up a good 10 years ago. Should they ever go on a reunion tour (and they should), I would pay insane amounts of money and travel a ridiculous distance to see them.

***I watched the pilot. Twice. And I was incredibly bored both times. But I hear that it gets a lot better as it goes along (though I've also heard that season two gets a little terrible), so I think I should give it another shot.

****Technically, I've already gone "back to school"--I took a semester off before beginning college, so when I started, you could consider it "going back." But I think it still counts--I want to go back again!

*****Ever since I learned what a jury was, I've wanted to serve on one. Strange, I know.

"forbidden" by ted dekker and tosca lee

By the 26th century, humanity has lived in peace for nearly 500 years, thanks to a virus that erased all human emotion save fear. Rom Sebastian, a young man living in the world’s capital city Byzantium, lives a low-key existence as an artisan—until an old man accosts him on the street, giving him a coded vellum and a vial of blood. When the man is brutally murdered, Rom realizes he possesses something that will put him, as well as those he cares about, in danger. As he seeks answers, Rom discovers that the blood restores life—emotions—and the entire population is living as though dead. While Rom searches for the truth, others are equally desperate to keep that truth under wraps.

Ted Dekker’s Circle series took the Christian fiction world by storm, and The Books of Mortals should do the same. Dekker and co-author Tosca Lee have crafted a fascinating story that is guaranteed to make you think, gasp, and yearn for more. Dekker’s work has long explored the importance of blood, and Forbidden carries on that theme. I'm intrigued to see where Dekker and Lee will go next.

Those familiar with Dekker’s other works know already, but it bears repeating: blood and gore, while not gratuitous, do feature prominently in Dekker’s writing. Forbidden is not for the squeamish, though it’s no more graphic than a PG-13 action movie or an episode of Bones.

If you enjoyed Immanuel’s Veins or the Circle series, Forbidden is the book you've been waiting for. And when you finish reading it (not long after you started, since it's one of those "can't put down" books), you'll most likely join me in counting down the months until book two, Mortal, releases!

Click here to watch the book trailer or preview the book below.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Hachette Book Group through NetGalley. 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.”

"blue skies tomorrow" by sarah sundin

When Helen Carlisle's husband is killed in World War II, she inwardly rejoices. Outwardly, however, she dutifully plays the role of the grieving widow--so that her young son, her in-laws, and the town will see her husband as a hero. After her husband has been gone for a year, Helen's father-in-law gives her permission to date again. She immediately begins seeing Lt. Raymond Novak, and their relationship progresses quickly--until one horrible night when everything falls to pieces. In the aftermath, Helen moves in with her in-laws, and Ray goes into combat. Not only is their love tested by the separation, but they both find themselves in situations for which they are ill prepared. If their love stands a chance, both Helen and Ray will have to face their demons and rely on God for strength.

Blue Skies Tomorrow is officially my favorite read of the summer! Captivating from the first page, it is also extremely thought provoking. I made the mistake of reading it on the way to church, and I ended up thinking about it throughout the sermon! The characters jumped off the page, and I ached for Helen (while simultaneously wanting to shake some sense into her). Author Sarah Sundin seamlessly weaved a heavy, timely plot into a fascinating WWII adventure story. Perhaps this is premature (as this is the first Sundin book I've read), but I'm going to go ahead and dub Sarah Sundin the historical fiction version of Karen Kingsbury. Yes, this book is that good!

Should you read it? Absolutely--without a doubt! Seriously, go buy it now!

About the author:

Sarah Sundin received the 2011 Writer of the Year Award from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and her second novel A Memory Between Us is a finalist for an Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. Her stories are inspired by her great-uncle who flew with the U.S. Eighth Air Force in England during World War II.

Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. Visit with Sarah online at www.sarahsundin.com.

Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Blue Skies Tomorrow, the final installment of the Wings of Glory series, Sarah is giving one lucky winner A Vintage Kindle Prize Package! 

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One winner will receive:

* Kindle with Wi-Fi

* Handmade vintage apron for you and a friend (see a photo here)

* Blue Skies Tomorrow (for Kindle)

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/10. Winner will be announced on 9/12 at Sarah Sundin's blog. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. 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."

a deal for your kindle

You know I love telling you about books. (Eighty-three book reviews and counting!) You know I love Amazon.You may or may not know that Karen Kingsbury is my favorite author. So I'm especially excited to tell you about this deal: Right now, the Cody Gunner series--A Thousand Tomorrows and Just Beyond The Clouds--is currently available for your Kindle (or free Kindle app) for $1.99!

Admittedly, A Thousand Tomorrows isn't my favorite Karen Kingsbury book (it may even be my least favorite), but a "bad" Kingsbury book is still better than most other books I've read! A Thousand Tomorrows is Cody and Ali's story. They meet and fall in love on the pro rodeo circuit, but tragedy awaits. Because it's been several years since I read the book, I can't remember what exactly I didn't like--except I do know I didn't like Ali very much. I also remember bawling like a baby at a pivotal moment, so Kingsbury still gets to my emotions even when I'm not enjoying the plot!

Just Beyond the Clouds, though, is a different story. I really enjoyed this book, although I was hesitant to read it due to my negative reaction to its predecessor. This book picks up after (GIANT SPOILER ALERT!) Ali's death. It centers around Cody's brother, Carl Joseph. Carl Joseph has Down's Syndrome, and in the wake of Ali's death, Cody becomes incredibly overprotective. (Apparently Carl Joseph was also in A Thousand Tomorrows, but as I blocked nearly everything about the book, I didn't remember that when I read Just Beyond the Clouds.) Carl Joseph's teacher, Ellie, believes he should be independent, putting her at odds with Cody. There's also a wonderful subplot involving Carl Joseph's love life. This is a book that I highly recommend!

Here's the deal: $1.99 for a Karen Kingsbury book is amazing. $1.99 for two? Fantastic! If I didn't already own Just Beyond the Clouds (and have this thing about owning physical copies of Kingsbury's books), I would buy these books in an instant! Even if you find that you, like me, don't really enjoy A Thousand Tomorrows, Just Beyond the Clouds will more than make up for it. Enjoy!