Classics Club Spin 18

My Classics Club Spin List for August

This is a hodgepodge of books left on my list I made in 2017 for the Classics Club. Tomorrow the club will pick a number and that is the book I will read in August.

1. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
3. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
4. The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Burnett
5. Good Evening Mrs. Craven by Mollie Panter Downes
6. Greenery Street by Denis Mackail
7. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathon Swift
8. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns
11. The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
12. Mariana by Monica Dickens
13. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyles
14. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
15. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
16. The Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery
17. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
18. Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple
19. Emma by Jane Austen
20. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

Love Inspired May 2018 Blog Tour

Feel comforted and at peace when you read these uplifting romances of faith, forgiveness and hope from Love Inspired. There are 12 new books each month! 6 from Love Inspired for those who love contemporary romance and 6 from Love Inspired Suspense who like some danger with their romance stories.

Love Inspired Blog Tour Sweepstakes! 

Widowed single mom Rebecca Mast returns to her Amish community hoping to open a quilt shop. She
accepts carpenter Daniel King's offer of assistance---but she isn't prepared for the bond he forms with her son. Will getting closer expose her secret---or reveal the love she has in her heart for her long-ago friend?

Review: This was a sweet Amish book. It is a quick satisfying read. Recommended to fans of Amish fiction.

Marcus Palermo's simple life gets complicated when he meets the son he never knew he had---and his beautiful guardian. Lissa Hart thought she'd only stick around long enough to aid Marcus in becoming a dad---but could her happily-ever-after lie with the little boy and the rugged rancher?

When Sgt. Linc Colson is assigned to monitor Zoe Sullivan and determine if she's secretly aiding her fugitive serial killer brother, his instincts tell him she's not in league with the criminal---she's in danger. It's up to him and his K-9 partner, Star, to keep the pretty single mom alive.

Framed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend---and then attacked at the crime scene---fire investigator Mitch Callahan turns to ER nurse Dana Petrie for help. As they fight for their lives, can she be convinced of his innocence---and in his promise of love?

Dewey's 24 Hour Read a thon Intro Post and Update

I am participating in the April 2018 Dewey's 24 Hour Read a thon. It has been many years since I last did one. I know I will not make it all 24 hours since I value sleep a lot more than my younger years and I am going to play with my niece for awhile. lol I intend to read at least 8 hours. 

Update: 

I have finished reading Dangerous Waters by Christy Barrett (really good)

Currently Reading:

HCCA Privacy Manual (for certification test)

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham

To Die but Once by Jacqueline Winspear

The Moon Stands Still by Sibella Giorello

Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering (Review)

• Series: A Drew Farthering Mystery
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (November 7, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764218298
• ISBN-13: 978-0764218293

The Fartherings' Scottish Holiday Takes a Dark Turn

Drew Farthering arrives in idyllic Scotland for the 1935 British Open at Muirfield hoping for a relaxing holiday, but he soon finds a mystery on his hands. Lord Rainsby, his host at Thorburn Hall, fears his business partner may be embezzling and asks Drew to quietly investigate. Before Drew can uncover anything, Rainsby is killed in a suspicious riding accident.

Thorburn Hall is filled with guests, and as Drew continues to dig, he realizes that each might have had a motive to put Rainsby out of the way. Together with Madeline and Nick, he must sort through shady business dealings, international intrigue, and family tensions to find a killer who always seems to be one step ahead.

My Review:

This was a good Christian British cozy mystery set in Scotland. It is book six in the Drew Farthering Mystery series. The main characters are Drew and his wife Madeline along with their friends Nick and Carrie. It can be read alone but I enjoyed the whole series. This mystery starts with Lord Rainsby asking Drew to investigate his business partner for embezzling. Then, Lord Rainsby dies in a suspicious riding accident. Drew, Madeline, Nick, and Carrie have their hands full investigating all the leads. The book was interesting and I did not guess the who done it before the end. There was also development in the relationship between Nick and Carrie. Recommended to fans of Christian British cozy mysteries. 

JULIANNA DEERING (also writing as DeAnna Julie Dodson) has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness, and triumph over adversity.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner (Review)

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Revell (October 3, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800727665
• ISBN-13: 978-0800727666
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches

Becoming a Christian is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to Sarah Hollenbeck. Best because, well, that's obvious. Worst because, up to this point, she's made her very comfortable living as a well-known, bestselling author of steamy romance novels that would leave the members of her new church blushing. Now Sarah is trying to reconcile her past with the future she's chosen. She's still under contract with her publisher and on the hook with her enormous fan base for the kind of book she's not sure she can write anymore. She's beginning to think that the church might frown on her tithing on royalties from a "scandalous" book. And the fact that she's falling in love with her pastor doesn't make things any easier.

With a powerful voice, penetrating insight, and plenty of wit, Bethany Turner explodes onto the scene with a debut that isn't afraid to deal with the thorny realities of living the Christian life.

My Review:

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is the debut Christian fiction book by Bethany Turner. I did not particularly enjoy reading it but my grandmother loved it. It is amazing how two people can read the same book and have very different opinions on it. I thought it was unbelievable and underdeveloped. She thought it was great. The book had great promise and an interesting premise. I would not be opposed to reading the next one and giving the author another chance.

Bethany Turner is the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former VP/operations manager of a commercial bank and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned 35), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she's chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason (Review)

• Series: Blue Justice (Book 1)
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Revell (January 2, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800727215
• ISBN-13: 978-0800727215
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches

Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.

Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?

With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.

My Review:

Oath of Honor is the first book in the Blue Justice series by Lynette Eason. It is Christian fiction with mystery, suspense, and a little romance. The main character in this book is Isabelle St. John. She is a police officer in Columbia, SC.  Her mother is the police chief and most of her five siblings work in law enforcement too. This book reminded me of the show Blue Bloods. I do not want to give away any major plot details so all I will say is that this book involves the mafia, gang warfare, and possible bad cops. The romance part is between Izzy and Ryan, her dead brother's partner. I would have liked to see more development with that. The book is full of suspense and I did not figure out the who done it until the end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Recommended. 

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series, the Deadly Reunions series, and the Hidden Identity series, as well as Always Watching, Without Warning, Moving Target, and Chasing Secrets in the Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of two ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. She has a master's degree in education from Converse College and lives in South Carolina. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett (Review)

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook (June 6, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735289549
• ISBN-13: 978-0735289543
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.
 
But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
 
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
 
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."

My Review:

I love love the cover art for this series. The Road to Paradise is the first book in the Shadows of the Wilderness series. I am a huge nature lover so I couldn't wait to read a book set in Mount Rainer National Park. This book is a historical Christian fiction book and is set in 1927. The author does a good job describing the scenery. It made me want to go hiking and read Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The main plot line in the book is the relationship between Margaret Lane and Chief Ranger Ford Brayden. She is a rich girl who father is a state Senator. She loves nature and considers herself a naturalist. Margie is not your typical rich girl and wants to work with the park rangers. Chief Ranger Ford has been struggling ever since his father's death and does not want her there. Margie's former fiancée comes to the mountain and is not happy with her decisions so he decides to make trouble. The first half of the book is definitely my favorite even though the pace is slower. The second half of the book has a lot of action in it. The ending is satisfying. The author does a good job developing the characters and plot. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Recommended. 

KAREN BARNETT is an award winning author of four novels who draws on her firsthand experience as a naturalist, former park ranger, and outdoor educator to transport readers to America’s national parks.. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two children.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.