Book Ponderings

BP Hiatus

2011-06-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Just wanted to hop on here really quick and let you know that, due to unforeseen circumstances in both Kait's and my life, we are going to take a break from posting on Book Ponderings. Not sure how long the hiatus will be, but hope you'll stick around for when we return

In the meantime, feel free to check out our own personal book blogs below. I'll still be posting there regularly. Hope to see you there! :-)

~ Katy

Katy's Blog, Legacy of a Writer

Kait's blog, Reviews by Jane

Ponderin' The Past...with Susan B. Anthony

2011-06-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! Today I am basing my history post off of a recent book I read called Courting Miss Amsel. Edythe Amsel was involved in woman's suffrage a bit and looked forward to attending a rally where Susan B. Anthony was speaking. So, I thought that it would make for the perfect post! :) Here is what I was able to learn about Susan B. Anthony.

Born in 1820, Susan B. Anthony grew up in a typical Quaker family with a long history of activist traditions, so we can be sure that Susan grew up with a great sense of justice. For 15 years, Susan was a teacher. and it wasn't until 1852 after having tried to be active in temperance, but was not allowed to speak because she was a woman, and meeting Elizabeth Stanton that Susan became involved in woman's suffrage.

The Revolution was published in 1868, and advocated an eight hour day and equal pay for equal work. It encouraged making purchases from our fellow Americans and immigration into the lower states, settling the entire country.

In 1870, Susan founded and was elected president of the Workingwomen's Central Association. This association kept track of the working conditions and educated working women.
While president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in the 1890s, Anthony emphasized the importance of gaining the support of organized labor. She encouraged numerous women fighting for Woman's Suffrage to continue towards their goal in protection for working women through trade unions.

There is SO much more I could say about Susan B. Anthony, but for ease of reading, I will end with this - Susan continued her work heartily until her death in 1906. She never married but devoted her entire life to woman's suffrage. She now is one of America's most well known social reformers, and stands for us as a symbol of determination and perseverance.

Book Discussion - Jewel of Persia

2011-06-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Hope your weekend went well. Can't beleive another week has already come and gone. Wow, day's seem to go by SO fast recently! Today I am going to be doing a short book discussion on Roseanna White's new release, Jewel of Persia, and I hope you all will join in with your thoughts on the book, favorite scenes, most touching moments, etc. :-) Remember, a discussion only can happen when people join in to talk. And what better to talk about then BOOKS! :-D

So! Jewel of Persia. Have you read it? No? *gasp* Go read it!! Yes? Oh, good! I'm glad you're not missing out. If your curious as to what I thought about the book, please know I gave it 5 BIG stars and posted a review, which you can read HERE. (But just to tell you up front, I spend around 500 words just raving about how much I liked it! :-P)

Back on track! We like to point out some of our favorite parts for the book discussion. Hmm...I'm trying to think...because just about the WHOLE book was amazing and touching! :-) Hmm....

Well, one part I really enjoyed reading (and even stopped to go back and savor the moment) was when Kasia was brought to the king that first night. That scene was SO well written and touching! When I came to the end of the chapter, I just stopped for a moment and sighed. How sweet! Right then I knew I'd cheer for Xerxes, even though (because of some research I'd done not too long ago) I knew how bloody and violent the king was. Kasia was a perfect wife for him. He changed with her...seemed like a completely different man...it was so sweet.

I know we usually only point out our favorite parts...but what often makes a book or author so good is when they can evoke emotions out of us just from reading the story--both happy and sad emotions. One of the most depressing moments in the book was when Xerxes sent Kasia back in anger. I wanted to cry! I was like "No, Xerxes! Don't do that! You need her!" LOL! :-) I felt myself mourning the loss of their relationship along with Kasia and I can't tell you how excited and thrilled I was as I watched their relationship rebuilt. I was dancing in my heart! "Yes! Y'all are meant for each other!!"

Well, I've babbled on long enough. What about you? What was your favorite scene in Jewel of Persia? Most touching? Sad? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book and have some fun talking about all the sweet, funny, sad, touching, tender, suspenseful, tear-jerking parts in Roseanna's AWESOME book!

What I've Been Readin'

2011-06-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday morning, all! Well, you know the drill! ;-) Below is the list of books I've read over the last two weeks. Enjoy perusing and be on the lookout for links to my blog, so you can read my full review of the book. :-)

Well, while on vacation my grandmother gave me Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo to read. It was a small book and so made for an easy, quick read. It was pretty interesting, reading everything this little boy, just 4 years old, went through. And the things he said years after his emergency surgery were amazing. It really makes you stop and think. I've heard stories of these, where someone seems to die and gets a glimpse of heaven. Very sobering and eye opening.

On the drive home I read Brandilyn Collin's new, and very personal, book, Over the Edge. Wow, was that an amazing read! As I read, it felt so personal. At the end, when I read the author's notes, I found out that she used many of her personal experience with Lyme's Disease in this book. I could tell. The way she wrote...I could tell she'd felt what Janesse was going through, experienced her helplessness, pain, and frustration. Before reading Over the Edge I didn't know anything about Lymes. This book is most definitely an eye-opener. And not only that, it is a tense suspense adventure as well as Janessa tries to figure out who gave her Lymes and keep him from infecting her daughter. Read my review HERE.

Deciding to pick up a more calm read after my grand adventure, I started Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson. This is the first I've read by her. I usually don't care for contemporary romance novels--I'm more into historical and suspense--but it was a nice break and I loved the laid-back style of the book, though the emotional pull and lessons portrayed through this story was amazing. You can read my review, where I go into more detail of my likes and dislikes, HERE.

A book tour for Kristen Heitzmann's new book, Indelible, was fast approaching, so I chose to read that one next. I've only read one other book by Kristen, but so far I am really liking her as a unique and unusual suspense writer. This book did not disappoint in the least. It's the second book about the people of Redford, so I was a bit confused about some of the history with the secondary characters, but that was my only complaint. Very great read! You can read my full review HERE.

Finishing that book I had another blog tour on Saturday for Catherine Richmond's debut novel, Spring for Susannah. I began it before bed and ended up staying up till the very wee hours reading. I really liked Susannah's husband, Jesse. When I reached the halfway mark and Jesse left, I started to loose interest a little, but I kept reading until the end where a sweet and happy ending awaited. Very nice read. My review can be read HERE.

After that I picked up Daughter of Silk by Linda Lee Chaikin. I still have to write a review for this book, but I really enjoyed it. A lot of historical detail, I loved the court intrigue. Reading about Rachelle's experience as a lady in waiting to the princess was interesting. She's so innocent to the double-crossing, seductions, and spies, I loved it how Fabien watched out for her and protected her. Definitely a great read with a lot of historical detail that I really enjoyed.

I'd begun Saint Bartholomew's Eve by G.A. Henty a while back and picked it up on a Sunday to finished up. It was my second time reading this book, but I always love reading Henty's books. All his books are FULL of historical detail and even though it might get long-winded at times, I've never learned to such from a historical fiction book as when I read his. :-) Reading about Philip's adventures during the Huguenot war was really interesting. Sobering to read what persecution Christian's have gone through in the past.

I recently participated in a bookswap and got Highland Blessings by Jennifer Hudson Taylor out of the deal. I was excited! It's a reread for me, but I love revisiting books I enjoyed. I haven't read many books that takes place in Scotland, and loved every minute I spent in the book. I loved how the author stayed so true to the accent. Makes it so unique and memorable! Hudson is coming out with her second book this year, and I cannot wait!

Next on my list to read and review was David Housholder's new book, The Blackberry Bush. You can read my full review of the book HERE, but I enjoyed this interesting and unique story. The writing was engaging and very different then what I usually read, which I found refreshing and took me deeper into the character's lives.

Scattered Petals is another book I got out of the bookswap and another book I've read in the past. The second book in Amanda Cabot's Texas Dream series, I really enjoyed this adventure. Almost instantly I connected to and sympathized with Priscilla. And Zach was awesome! The way he stepped in to protect Priscilla was wonderful...what a guy! lol Definitely one book that will be staying on my bookshelf!

I was surprised to see no books that needed reviews in the next few days (lol!), I decided to grab a book I won in a giveaway several months ago, Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall. Wow! Was it good! I loved every second I spent in the book and found it very hard to put down. Marianne and Noah made a great hero and heroine and I loved the high-sea adventure. Wonderful book that I highly recommend!

Well, after I finished that I just HAD to read MaryLu's next book in the series, Surrender the Night...and was just as enthralled! Sympathy for Rose and appreciation for Alex's gentle way around her endeared me to these two. I was really glad to see Alex's story carry on to this book, and was so pleased with the outcome (I knew he wasn't all bad!). MaryLu wrote another awesome adventure (and this one, surprisingly, not on the high-seas!). I look forward to the next, and last, book in the series!

So...that's my list of books I've read over the past two weeks. What have you been reading recently?

Book Beginnings - The Brotherhood

2011-06-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

As you all know, when Friday rolls around Book Pondering joins in the weekly post, Book Beginnings on Friday! Katy, over at A Few More Pages, hosts this every week and it's always fun to participate in this! If you are interested in doing this for your blog, check out Katy's blog for details on what to include in the post! Today I chose The Brotherhood!

1 : 5 8 a . m . , F r i d ay , De c e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 1
“Wanna take this one yourself, Rook?”
Boone Drake shot his partner a double take. The 911 dispatcher had broadcast a domestic disturbance in progress at
a seedy apartment building on West Jackson Boulevard in
Chicago’s most dangerous precinct, Harrison, District 11.
“Myself?”
“I mean take the lead,” Jack Keller said, eyes fixed on the
pavement as he maneuvered the blue and white Crown Vic
squad through icy streets. “I’ll have your back.”

This was an awesome opening that immediately grabbed my attention. A rookie cop going in for his first job on his own? Immediately the suspense grabs you and makes you curious about what is to happen. The following pages continue to pull you into this action-filled, sobering story. I can't wait to finish that one!

We'd love to hear what's the first line - or paragraph - of your current read. Feel free to share it with us in the comments! Are you liking the book so far? Was the first few lines enough to grip your attention? We're looking forward to hearing from you! :-)

Book Review - Cascade

2011-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

What if you not only feel back through time...
But fell in love, too?

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

Even in the midst of the battles, Gabi's is increasingly drawn toward Marcello, just as Lia's is to Luca. In medieval Italy, the sisters discover things inside themselves that they couldn't seem to find in the present - connection with their mom, courage within, and the understanding that a life well lived often means encountering sacrificing. But in a world long past, many things will keep Gabi from giving Marcello her heart forever...and one thing in particular calls all three of the Betarrinis home.

Romance:

Violence:

Fear/Horror:

Overall Opinion:

KATY'S REVIEW:

Much like the first book in this series, Cascade was awesome! Even after I finished reading the last page—another cliffhanger, ugh!—I instantly went back and started re-reading the highlights…which was nearly the whole book! The River of Time series just keeps getting better and better! (is it September yet??) I am really looking forward to how this series will be concluded. Tuscany continually grows on me, as it does on Gabi and Lia, and I can only hope that they decide to remain back in time with the men they have each grown to love.

The adventures in Waterfall are intense and perilous—and the events that Gabi and Lia go through in Cascade are even more intense! Just when one of the girls get out of a situation, they seem to fall right back into another perilous predicament. Their men, Marcello and Luca, are beside them the whole time, rescuing them from dire situations and, on occasion, being rescued themselves! If I thought I was attached to these four characters in the first book, Waterfall, the bond only grew stronger in Cascade. These four young adults are the best hero’s and heroine’s I’ve read in an action/adventure book in a long time.

Gabi came back in Cascade even stronger than before. Ever protective of the people she loves—Lia, Marcello, Luca, and now her mother—she fights to protect everything she holds dear. But she finds it more difficult than before as she realizes that Marcello isn’t the object the enemy most desires now…it’s her and her sister that they want now—the mighty She-Wolves of Siena. There was only one questionable thing that I thought to point out for younger readers. When Gabi is captured a man tears her shirt down the front. Nothing much is seen as her chest and stomach are bound with a clothe, as Gabi was suffering from broken ribs. The man glances down at the rope holding her pants up, but somebody steps in just then and nothing else happens. Lisa Bergren handled this situation so well, though, that I would think its fine for young teen readers.

As the girls continue their fight to stay ahead of their powerful enemy, Gabi struggles with the biggest decision she will ever make. She loves Marcello, and Marcello loves her. But if she marries him, she will be tying down her sister and mother to remain in the past forever. My admiration for Gabi grew as she struggled with this issue. Showing a vast amount of selflessness, she considers her mother and sisters happiness over her own. Even though all she could ever want was to remain in the past, marry Marcello, and spend the remainder of her days fighting at his side, she thought of her family first. A wonderful character quality that I really appreciated.

I mentioned above that the book ends in another cliffhanger, and now I am looking forward to the release of Torrent just as much as I looked forward to the release of this book. I am SO curious how this series will end. Gabi and Lia want to go back, but if they do, it will be right around the time of the dreaded Black Plague. Are they willing to risk their own death to return to the men who have captured their heart? That is the question that will be answered in Torrent and I cannot wait! At least I can re-read Gabi and Lia’s grand adventures over and over while I wait. Cascade makes me wish I could jump inside the book and go back in time with Gabi. :-)

Originally reviewed on my blog, Book Reviews by Lady Katy

WWW Wednesday

2011-06-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Right now I am nearly finished with A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad. This book is HILARIOUS and I've found myself laughing continuously as I read it. This is definitely one I am going to recommend!!

What did you recently finish reading? Just last night I finished How Huge The Night. I really liked this one! I was actually surprised I liked it so much because there isn't much action or suspense - things I normally prefer in a book - I really enjoyed the history and meaning in it. I highly recommend this one to those who like historical books.

What do you think you'll read next? Well, I'll probably read two books; Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris and I'll finish up Angel Fall - one I started a while back but put down cause it was kinda boring. LOL.

I really am looking forward to reading Harris' book!

Well that was fun! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

Ponderin' the Past...in a Corset!

2011-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I laughed when I wrote the title for this post. Just the thought of pondering anything in an 19th century corset sounds stifling! Haha! But, anyhow, that is what we will be talking about today. Corsets! I got the idea to research this after reading Siri Mitchell's book, She Walks in Beauty and everything Clara had to endure to get the "perfect" waist size.

So to begin with, for any non-historical readers out there, a corset is a garment worn to shape the woman's waist into a desired shape. The first thought that might pop into your head (at least it popped into mine when I first heard of it) was "Cool! Something to make my figure look perfect!". But as I learned more about the corset, I found it more of an instrament of torture than to give a woman a nice figure. Just hearing the size of some of the woman's waists back then--18 inches--makes me cringe! (and Clara was forced to shrink her waist to a 16 inch! :-o)

Where did corset's come from? Well, the created of bringing them into style goes to Cathrine de' Medici, wife of King Henry II of France. During the 1550's she enforced a ban on thick waists at court attendance. I guess she had a problem and, since she was Queen, went to great lengths to see a bunch of thin-waisted women! (Talk about extreme! Wowza.)

Over the years the corset has undergone many changes. Its interesting watching the clothing fashion for women change as the years roll by until, in the 1900s, the corsets slowly faded from history. While I in no way would want to force my waist to 16 inches, the corset seems like such a neat part of the 1800s--at least to me, it did. I love watching the special features to movie set years ago and listen to the actors complain about not being able to breath in the corsets! Haha! Make's me want to wear one just to experience it. :-)

Well, that's all I have to say on corsets. If you have anything else to add about it, though, feel free to jump in with your knowledge in the comments section. I love learning more about our history!! :-D

Diving Into...The Truth Seeker

2011-06-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

What Book? This time I chose a book that I haven't read in a while, yet is one of my very favorites - The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson! :)

Women are turning up dead, and Lisa O’Malley has a habit of walking into crime scenes, curious. She’s a forensic pathologist, and mysteries are her domain. U.S. marshall Quinn Diamond has found loving her is easier than keeping her safe. Lisa’s found the killer, and now she’s missing too.

Introducing the O’Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O’Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.

Why That Book? This book has been one of my favorites for a while now. I have always loved reading FBI stories and learning about Lisa O'Malley, a forensic pathologist, was a real joy.

Which Character Would I Be? Why? Originally I was going to do a previous book in the O'Malley series - The Negotiator - but after thinking about it, I realized that I was more like Lisa and would be more likely to have her job than Kate's, and liked Quinn more than Dave. Lisa, like I said, was a forensic pathologist(yep she studies dead people for the FBI for a living) and if I hadn't made the choice to be a stay-at-home mom someday and further my talents in things I could do from home, working in forensics is something I seriously would have looked into. I also loved Quinn(Lisa's guy). His cowboy attitude and...well...just everything about him made me really like him. Also, she had several awesome brothers - especially Marcus, who was my favorite of the brothers(closely tying with Jack). So all around, I think I would love being in Lisa's shoes!

So there you have it! There's my In A Book post! Want to join in the fun? Feel free! Comment and let us know what book you would choose to be in and why?

This post was written entirely for fun and does not suggest that we want to be any other person than who God made us.

What I've Been Reading

2011-06-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Good morning, readers! Today I have a nice stack of books to bring ya! :)

Spring For Susannah made it's way onto my reading list last week. It didn't take me long to get through this unique and sweet story. There were a few things in this book that bugged me, but overall I enjoyed the story. You can find my full review here! :)

Following that I read The Priest's Graveyard. While this became Katy's favorite Dekker, I did not enjoy it as much as previous I've read by him; but it still is keeping me hooked and easily obtained 5 stars. Definitely keep an eye out for this one!

While I had planned to read The Soldier's Cross directly after finishing The Priest's Graveyard, but when Kiss came in the mail, I couldn't help but indulge myself! WOW! What a book! I was a little apprehensive about reading this one because while I absoultely love Ted Dekker, Erin Healy is far from a favorite of mine. But I was pleasantly suprised by the amazing adventure I went on when I dove into this book. DEFINITELY a keeper!

After that I sat down and in only 14 hours started and finished Praying For Your Future Husband by Tricia Goyer and Robin Gunn. This was an EXCELLENT book that I really enjoyed and highly recommend to all single women out there. You can read my full review here!

Then I picked up Shattered by Melody Carlson. I'll be honest and say I didn't like this book to much for a number of reasons that you can find out in my review here.

Following that I read The Soldier's Cross. This was a nice book to read that held my attention throughout the story. While I did find some of it a bit unrealistic, the history in this book was very informative and enjoyable, and easily received 4 stars. This is definitely one I'd recommend to historical fiction lovers out there! The writing itself was very nice. :)

And lastly I reread The Healer's Apprentice, which I thoroughly enjoyed rereading. I enjoyed it a lot and once again I found myself whisked away into Rose's world. I definitely recommend this one to teenagers around 14 or 15 and up. :)

That's what I've been reading! What have you read recently?

WINNER!

2011-06-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's time to announce the winner of Susan May Warren's Missions of Mercy series! And the winner is...

Charity (photographer4ever832@...)

Congratulations, Charity! I hope you enjoy the Missions To Mercy series! I will be sending you an email shortly to get your mailing address. Or, if you see this before I contact you, feel free to send us an email. Again, Congrats!!!

Book Beginnings - Indelible

2011-06-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

A veined bolt of lightning sliced the ozone-scented sky as Trevor plunged down the craggy slope, dodging evergreen spires like slalom poles. Rocks and gravel spewed from his boots and caromed off the vertical pitch.

"Trevor." Walt skidded behind him. "We're not prepared for this."

No. But he hurled himself after the tawny streak. He was not losing that kid.

"He's suffocated," Whit shouted. "His neck's broken."

Trevor leaped past a man--probably the dad--gripping his snapped shinbone. Whit could help there. Digging his heels into the shifting pine needles, Trevor gave chase, outmatched and unwavering.

Just reading this, I can feel the adrenaline and urgency that is coursing through Trevor. It's like I'm there. The scene is brought to life before my eyes. I know it's kind of fuzzy what's going on, but another paragraph or two would've cleared it all up...or you can just read the first sentence on the back of the book -- "Rescuing a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion, Trevor..." Hope the picture is clear for you now! I was totally enthralled with this scene, unable to stop. Talk about a gripping opening to a gripping read!

Oh! And just a tidbit...if you want to read the rest of this scene - the whole first chapter, actually - then check out the post on my blog today. You'll find the first chapter there so you can continue reading...and beg for more when you reach the end. :-P

Book Review - The Lightkeeper's Ball

2011-06-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

In 1910, New York socialite Olivia Stewart resists an arranged, socially advantageous marriage, and the mysterious death of her sister Eleanor in Northern California is an unhappy but convenient excuse to go West to investigate. On the way, she is thrown off a Bay area ship and nearly drowned, so she has a number of reasons to hide her identity when she arrives in Mercy Falls, Calif. Her shipboard rescuer turns out to be her dead sister's fiancé Harrison Bennett, about whom she has suspicions. Harrison in turn has his reasons to distrust the Stewart family. In this atmosphere of deceit and suspicion, attraction between Olivia and Harrison grows.

Romance:

Violence:

Fear/Horror:

Overall Opinion:

I had read many great reviews of Colleen Coble's work, so when my reading companion, Katy, and I decided to get this one to read and review together, I was excited to dive in. WOW! What a story! While I expected a sweet romance story with perhaps a bit of mystery, I was amazed to find much more in this book. Adventure, peril, mystery, and a charming romance all wrapped up between two covers - quite the find! ;)

Coble's writing style was easy to read and comprehend. It flowed extremely well and really made the story what it was - amazing. Her character's were also extremely well developed and were easy to get to know - something I really value in a book. They were humorous and at times a bit quirky - entirely lovable.

I loved Olivia's personality. Though she drove me batty with her lying/secret keeping, I still found her an awesome character and felt myself being sucked into her investigation as she searched for clues to her sister's death. I found myself chuckling to myself at her spunk - she was quite the rascally one at times! But at the same time, she was so sweet and generous...it was impossible to not enjoy her character.

Harrison Bennett was the absolutely perfect hero. He was fun, protective, and caring, yet at the same side had his downfalls which made him seem realistic. Something that always annoys me is when the hero is this completely perfect angel who has all good side and no bad. It's SO unreal! But Harrison was a great character that has ups and downs and made him who he was.

As for the content, there is only one thing I really need to mention aside from a couple kisses and embraces. A man and a woman are stranded in the woods for a few days/night. While nothing improper happens, after their rescue there are rumors. They are minor and only mentioned a few times, but it is a part of the story. Another thing was that it mentions a man finding a woman and a man in a bed together in a shack doing things they shouldn't as the woman was engaged. Nothing explicit at all - just mentioned. Other than that, this book was very clean.

To conclude, this book is one I highly recommend. I can't wait to get a hold of more of Coble's works! This one was a joy to read and I can't wait to read more! :)

I received this free book in return for an honest review from TBB Media. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

WWW Wednesdays

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Yesterday I dived into Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann. I have a tour going up on my blog tomorrow, so will need to read and write a review for this fairly quickly. I've read one other Heitzmann book in the past and really enjoyed the suspense and adventure. (As you all should know, I am a BIG lover of a good, suspenseful read. :-) Since I haven't begun it yet, I don't know what I'll think of it. But...the cover looks good! ;-)

What did you recently finish reading? Yesterday I finished Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson. When I tried to think of one word to describe this amazing story, I settled on "Emotional". And it is. The characters in this book go through real-life experiences and all of them have to learn to grow and heal from past wounds. While I felt the love story in Chasing Sunsets moved a bit fast, it was still a great read. I just posted my review of it on my blog, which you can read HERE.

What do you think you'll read next? After I finished Indelible, I will pick up Cathrine Richmond's new novel, Spring for Susannah. I've heard mixed reports about this book, so am excited to read it for myself and draw my own conclusions. I've always liked the "mail-order bride" angle in a book--if it is handled right--and an intrigued how this author will use it to work in her plot. Catherine is a new author in the published world, and I always love to discover a debut novel. :-)

Thanks for looking into my stacks of books with me! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

Ponderin' The Past...with Mail-Order Brides

2011-06-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! A little more than a week ago I finished Spring For Susannah - Catherine Richmond's debut novel. A characteristic of this book is that Susannah was a mail-order bride. So, I thought that I would base my history post off of it and talk about mail-order brides! :)

Mail-order brides began to spread popularly as soon as America was settled. With an excessive amount of roudy men in the west and refined ladies in the east, it seemed to be logical to put an ad in the paper, asking for a wife.

When parents died, women had no where to go. It wasn't like today where women live on their own and have jobs, etc. If you were a woman alone in the world, you were in big trouble. Marrying promised protection, food, and a roof over your head. So the women from the east who knew how to cook, clean, take care of a family, etc were able to move west, marry, and start a family. I'm sure all the women were eager to "manner-up" their husbands too. ;)

In return, the men received hot meals and a help meet. It was a win-win!

Could you imagine seeing an ad in Sunday's paper these days? "Wanted: Wife."
Haha I can't! That would be ridiculous! But in fact, mail-order brides are still popular today! Shocker?
Often they come from other countries. I don't know much about contemporary mail-order brides, but I was amazed to learn that it was still practiced in today's society. Not so much in America, but in other countries.

So there you have it! There's some info on Mail-Order Brides. I think it's kinda crazy and appalling to marry someone like that. So I am happy society has changed! Lol

Book Discussion - To Win Her Heart

2011-06-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Howdy readers! Today I am happy to present you with a Book Discussion based off of Karen Witemeyer's newest release, To Win Her Heart! :)

Witemeyer's books always have sweet and humorous moments in them - a trait that granted her admittance onto my Favorite Authors list! ;)

I absolutely loved this book! Both of the characters were lovable and well written out - I couldn't help but enjoying them! The whole book was amazing, teaching great lessons about forgiveness and not judging one another. Each page was such a joy a read!

So it has been really hard for me to choose my favorite scene from To Win Her Heart - all of them were awesome! - but after much contemplation I have reached a conclusion...sort of.

There were two scenes I favored, both amusing and bringing a smile to my face. First, the scene where Levi first goes to the library while Eden is reading to the kids and also the scene where Levi meets her father. They both made me chuckle!

So, what about you? What was your favorite scene in To Win Her Heart? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book and have some fun talking about all the funny and sweet parts in Karen's book!

What I've Been Readin'

2011-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Today I have my list of books I have read in the last two weeks here for you. It's not as many as I could have done, but Jess(my older sister) and I have been watching some old movies together (Little Dorrit, Newsies, etc) together and they aren't very short. So that has been cutting into my reading time at night. Anywho, here we go!

Well I picked up the last book in Laurie Alice Eakes little New Jersey series, The Newcomer. I've enjoyed this fun series and, while this wasn't my favorite one, it was still a good read and a nice conclusion to the series. If you are curious to read my review you can go HERE. If you like Laurie's works, then you will enjoy this conclusion to the New Jersey series.

I read the third in the Woman of Justice series by Lynette Eason a little while ago, and since I had the first installment, Too Close To Home, on my kindle, I dived into eagerly.I was NOT disappointed in this book. Lynette is a gifted writer and her books are full of suspense, action, and heart-warming love stories. I look forward to getting the second book in this series so I can read about all three of these amazing women.

After that I grabbed T.L. Higley new book, Pompeii: City on Fire. I always love reading her books because I learn so much history as I go through the amazing adventures. Wow! The eruption of Vesuvius came to life through the stories of Ariella and Cato. Love historical fiction where you learn a lot? Get Pompeii: City on Fire! You can read my review HERE.

With a name like Tomorrow We Die, by Shawn Grady, I had high hopes for this book. A nice suspense/mystery, I loved the medical view of this book as it followed Jonathan, a EMT paramedic. You can read my review HERE, but if you like action and suspense you will really enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more by Shawn in the future.

I heard SO many good things about Robin Gunn and Tricia Goyer's first book they wrote together, Praying for Your Future Husband. And, wow, was it good! What a big encouragement it is to single women everywhere. And I liked it because it not only talks about your future husband, but also bettering your relationship with the Lord. Reading all the stories of other women who prayed for their future husbands...it was very uplifting and encouraging. Really, if you are waiting for your future husband, this is a wonderful book to get and really take to heart! My review can be read HERE.

Okay, I have been waiting and waiting to read Sarah Sundin's books. Well, it finally reached the top of my TBR pile and I dove into A Distant Melody with a lot of excitement. And I was not disappointed. I loved reading about World War II and I so enjoyed getting to know these two amazing characters, Walt and Allie. One thing I loved about their love story was that it didn't develop over physical attraction (though that was there), but over their exchanged letters. I can't count the number of times I laughed or cried with Walt and/or Allie. Certainly a book worth putting on your wish list.

After reading that lovely historical fiction, I dove into Randy Singer's suspense/thriller novel, False Witness. Oh-My-Word!! Talk about being taken for a WILD ride! I enjoyed every second of this book and look forward to re-reading it sometime soon. My review can be read HERE where I rant and rave on and on about how much I love it. ;-) There is torture and threats of rape in the book, but that's the only warning I have for you!

Last, I just finished Targets Down by Bob Hamer today. Another great suspense novel, I really loved reading about Matt's undercover work. Because his undercover work deals with a prostitute house, I definitely recommend this for mature readers. But besides that, this was a wonderful suspenseful read to add to my bookshelf. Since I just finished it, I still have not written up a review, but hope to soon. This is the first book I have read by Bob Hamer, but I look forward to reading more in the future.

Book Beginnings - Found

2011-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

It wasn't there. Then it was.
Later, that was how Angela DuPre would describe the airplane -- over and over, to one investigator after another -- until she was told never to speak it again.
But when she fist saw the plane that night, she wasn't thinking about mysteries of secrets. She was wondering how many mistakes she could make without getting fired, how many questions she dared ask before her supervisor, Monique, would explode.

Wow what an opening! A disappearing plane?! What's going on? This opening is great and immediately gets the reader wondering what on earth is going on. It's a wonderful start to a mystery/suspense teen book. I started reading this book to my brothers a while back and they absolutely loved it! This book's beginning promises an adventure and the following pages deliver in full! ;)

Book Review - A Great Catch

2011-06-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

She wants to change the world.
He wants to change her mind.

It's the beginning of a new century at Lake Manawa resort in Iowa, but some things never change. When Emily Graham's meddlesome aunts and grandmother take it upon themselves to find her a husband among the resort guests, the spunky suffragist is determined to politely decline each and every suitor. She has neither the time nor the need for a man in her busy life.

Carter Stockton, a recent college graduate and a pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team, intends to enjoy every minute of the summer before he is forced into the straitlaced business world of his father.

When their worlds collide, neither Emily nor Carter could have guessed what would come next. Will Carter strike out? Or will Emily cast her vote for a love that might cost her dreams?

The perfect summer novel, A Great Catch will enchant you with its breezy setting and endearing characters.

Romance:

Violence:

Fear/Horror:

Overall Opinion:

KATY'S REVIEW:

LOL!! That’s what instantly pops into my head whenever I think of Lorna’s first book, Making Waves. And she does not disappoint with her second book, A Great Catch! In fact, I think I was ROTFLOL through many parts of the book! My normal genre to read is suspense or tense action, but taking a break from all that and picking up one of Lorna’s books always promises light heartened amusement. When I received A Great Catch, I knew I was going to have a fun time reading it. And I was not disappointed!

It was so much fun to see some characters from Making Waves in this second book! As in the first book, I really like Marguerite! The main character for this book, Emily, was great and very humorous with her clumsy ways…but I’m afraid I didn’t connect with her as much as I did with Marguerite in Making Waves. I think it’s probably because I was completely annoyed at Emily’s “woman can do anything a man can do” and “don’t any man try to tell me what to do” attitude. But since this is just my personal opinions that set my teeth on edge around Emily sometimes, I am pretty sure that she will become a favorite with other fans just like Marguerite. :-) Carter was just awesome. I loved his patience with Emily and his determination to teach her a few “lessons”. I was laughing out loud when he made her promise to obey him as he taught her how to play baseball. One of my favorite parts in the book!

As before, Lorna has mixed in the humor and romance with a bit of a mystery toward the end. It’s a really nice mix to the books and keeps the readers guessing. I was a bit disappointed that both Carter and Emily let such vague accusations completely separate them, but I suppose it works to thicken the plot! Emily’s two aunts were pretty humorous and their constant barrage about bringing her suitors added to the storyline. I was laughing in my seat when they introduced her to balding Marion Wormsley. Wow! :-P

As I have said often when referring to Lorna Seilstad’s work, the thing that stands out most to me is her writing style. Light. Witty. Funny. It’s just SO much fun to read! It takes no effort for me to pick up one of her books and fly through the pages. There was nothing questionable in this book that I would need to point out. There is one very humorous time when Emily is given ‘bust food’ to help her in securing a husband The things that unfolded surrounding that tin can was laugh-out-loud funny!!

If I ever want to just relax, enjoy the moment in life, and have some serious laughing fits, Lorna Seilstad’s book is the one I would instantly grab for. Her Lake of Manawa Summers series is such a great read—with great lessons interwoven into the plot—that I end the book with a reluctant sigh to leave the characters. Seriously, if you haven’t read either of Lorna’s awesome books, you need to!

WWW Wednesday

2011-06-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Right now I am waist deep in The Priest's Graveyard - Ted Dekker's newest release! While this became Katy's favorite Dekker, I am not enjoying this one as much as previous I've read by him; but it still is keeping me hooked. I am eager to finish it and figure out how it ends! Definitely keep an eye out for this one!

What did you recently finish reading? Just the other day I finished, for I believe the fourth time, The Negotiator by Dee Henderson. This is a favorite of mine, as if the fact that I've read it four times doesn't indicate this. :P Actually, it's the whole series. The O'Malley series is a very favorite of mine that I absolutely love! The adventure and suspense is awesome!

What do you think you'll read next? Next I will probably read The Soldier's Cross - an interesting looking book that's been begging for attention for the last month. I am eager to pick this one up and dive into it! I read the first chapter or two when I first got it a month or two ago and was quite saddened by the beginning, but I am looking forward to getting back into it! Review will come soon! :)

Thanks for looking into my stacks of books with me! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

Winner!

2011-06-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

These posts are always so much fun! We had 36 comments and even more entries for Lorna Seilstad's new book, A Great Catch. (Which was awesome, btw! Have you read my review on this book yet? Go HERE if you want to read it!) Yay! So, let's get right to it! The winner for A Great Catch is...

Courtney (kcmelone@...)

Congratulations, Courtney! I hope you enjoy A Great Catch as much as I did. Be prepared to laugh a LOT! ;-) I will be sending you an email shortly to get your mailing address. Or, if you see this before I contact you, feel free to send us an email. Again, Congrats!!!

Ponderin' the Past in...Pompeii

2011-06-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

I am excited to talk about today's historical post. Using T.L. Higley's new book, Pompeii: City on Fire, I'm going to talk about the city of Pompeii and the mountain that buried it back in 79 AD, Vesuvius. A few years back I was in a play that begins a few days after the eruption and before we could begin learning our parts, we had to learn about the time, society, fashion, and much more. The research was lots of fun and I always love learning about historical facts and occurrences. So let's begin!

What is Pompeii? It was a Roman town-city that is close to the modern city of Naples. Just pick up Higley's Pompeii" City on Fire and you will learn a LOT about the culture and people of this city. Because this city was buried by the volcano and preserved so well for so long (Don't know what I'm talking about? Keep reading and I will explain) a lot can be discovered about the 1st century roman life. Everything is well preserved because of the eruption - forums, baths, houses, and even many out-of-town villas.

Pompeii was a very lively place. Money abounded. There was an amphitheater, a palaestra with a swimming pool, and an aqueduct that gave water to many fountains, public baths, and private houses and business. The apphitheatre, which is where Ariella is in Pompeii: City on Fire, has been cited by modern scholars as a model in sophistacated design. Especially in the area of crowd control. Which is something we read about in Higley's book. (Don't you just love to learn so much historical while enjoying an awesome adventure?!)

So what happened to Pompeii (and Herculaneum--another city that shared similar fates as Pompeii)? Two words -- Mount Vesuvius. The volcano erupted in 79 AD. The unsuspecting people of Pompeii was taken by surprise and, over the course of two days, both cities were buried in ash, rock, and finally, a lava flow that completely buried them alive.

I was able to go and see an exhibit of Pompeii and Vesuvius and saw the remains from those cities. Pottery, statues, and even the victims bodies, buried and preserved all these years. (as you can see from these pictures.) After that eruption, the city was lost for over 1700 years before it was accidentally rediscovered in 1749.

I never tire of reading about Pompeii and Vesuvius. When I saw that Higley was publish a book on it, I knew I had to read it. And was not disappointed. I learned so much more about the city, time period, and people who lived there. As I read about Cato and Ariella's adventures, my heart went out to all the people who lost there lives during the eruption.

Diving Into....A Killer Among Us

2011-06-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone! Sorry this post is later than I usually do it. Crazy morning. :-) I hope your weekend went well. Today we have another "In the Book" post. These are always a lot of fun for me to dive into, and I hope you guys (and gals!) enjoy reading them as well. Remember, feel free to join in the fun by naming a favorite book of yours and who you would want to be! :-) Let's begin!

What Book? I picked a book I have recently finished reading...and absolutely loved! It's now sitting on my 'favorites' shelf and I am constantly thinking of the wonderful adventure and suspense that I read about within the book cover. What book am I talking about? Lynette Eason's new suspense/thriller, A Killer Among Us!! (Even the title sounds totally cool!)

What happens when the hunter . . .

becomes the hunted?

Kit Kenyon is a first-rate hostage negotiator. Noah Lambert is a good detective with excellent instincts. These new partners have hardly had time to get used to each other when they are thrown into a grisly murder case. As evidence mounts up and more victims are found, Kit and Noah realize they are on the hunt for a serial killer. The problem is, he may be hunting one of them too.

With nail-biting suspense, clever plot twists, and a hint of romance, A Killer Among Us is the latest thriller from Lynette Eason. It will keep readers up late as they race to discover the killer--and whether Kit and Noah will live to tell about it.

Why That Book? Well as I mentioned above, I just had such a WONDERFUL adventure in that book. I am a big suspense fan and love a book that will put me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath to see how the heroine and hero are going to make it out alive. And that is exactly what I found in A Killer Among Us. It was awesome!

Which Character Would I Be? Why? Out of the three female characters who play lead rolls in this book as well as the two previous books in this series (Too Close To Home and Don't Look Back), I found myself very much like Kit Kenyon. She was determined and head strong, yet wasn't the type of girl to push the guy out of the way and try to go all tough. She was strong, she did her job, but she was the type to allow doors to be open for her and to lean on a man's strength and support. All these are qualities I loved about Kit and if I was able to dive into this book, I'd pick her. :-) (Though the ending would be a little scary to go through...but at least I now know how it ends! ;-)

So there you have it! There's our first In A Book post! Want to join in the fun? Feel free! Comment and let us know what book you would choose to be in and why?

This post was written entirely for fun and does not suggest that we want to be any other person than who God made us.

What I've Been Reading

2011-06-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! In the past 2 weeks I've had ample time to read and have left a handsome pile of read books in my wake. Here's what I've been reading!

A Reluctant Queen made it onto my reading list early last week. I did not find this book extremely pleasing. The content was a bit too much for me, also, and I ended up just skimming it. Though done on purpose, the incorrect information bugged me to no end. But, I suppose other's would enjoy this story. :)

Next I read Return to Alastair - one I've been waiting to read for a long time now! I got it on my kindle and immediately picked it up. Following that, I was buried in this wonderful story that pulled emotional strings, loving every moment of it. Definitely recommend this one! :)

Following that, I read Bathsheba, which was highly recommended to me by Katy. It was amazing! I read it in one night and loved every moment of it. Katy and I both highly recommend this one!

Too Close To Home was read next, and WOW! What a story! This one was incredible - with surprising twists around every corner. I definitely suggest you read this one - it is not something you will regret doing!

After that I read Unbridled Hope. This made for a pleasant, one time read that I took pleasure in. While it didn't make it onto my favorites list, I did find it a nice read and recommend it to those who like a simple romance story. :)

Having been waiting to read this one ever since I read Head in the Clouds, I eagerly picked up To Win Her Heart. This was another incredible story that I highly recommend. With wonderful lessons that I immensely enjoyed, this made for an excellent story. Definitely keep your eye out for this one!

Having read several of Chuck Black's books, I knew to expect an adventure when I picked up Sir Quinlan. Boy did I get one! This may just be my favorite of Black's books! I absolutely LOVED this one! It easily made it onto my favorites shelf and will definitely be reread in the coming years.

Well there you have it - that's what I've been reading! :)

Book Beginnings - Making Waves

2011-06-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

If forced to endure Roger Gordon for five more minutes, Marguerite Westing would die. Dead. Gone. Buried. Six feet under Greenlawn Cemetery.

Her parents would need to purchase a large headstone to fit all the words of epitaph, but they could do it. Money wasn't an issue, and after bearing this unbelievable torture, she deserved an enormous marble marker complete with a plethora of flowery engravings. She could see the words now:

Here lies Marguerite Westing.

Only nineteen, but now she's resting.

Strolling through the park with Roger Gordon,

Once full of life, she died of boredom.

HAHAHA! I love reading those first few paragraphs. What a humorous beginning to a fun and witty book. :-) Lorna writes her books so well and with such dry humor for her characters that whenever I feel like reading something that will make me chuckle...I pick up either of her two books! I just reviewed her second book on my blog, A Great Catch, so go HERE if you want to read it. It was just as good as the first! :-D

Book Review - To Win Her Heart

2011-06-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets...

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

Romance:

Violence:

Fear/Horror:

Overall Opinion:

Having read Head in the Clouds, I was SO excited to receive To Win Her Heart in the mail. The cover was so pretty - with Eden's fine green dress and Levi's strong build, it was a cover that made you wonder what goodness was stored within the pages. Witemeyer did not disappoint with this one! With each page, I became more and more hooked on the story - it was nearly impossible for me to put down!

Witemeyer's writing style is vivid and extremely easy to understand. Not once did I find myself flipping back to previous pages because I was lost or confused. Perfectly descriptive, Witemeyer's writing style has once again wowed me.

All of her characters were awesome, but the two main characters, Eden and Levi, were amazing. Few books allow me to understand the character as Witemeyer's do. I felt as if I were entering their lives - joining them on their ride through life, learning lessons along side them. There were several instances where I found myself chuckling at some of the happenings - I always love this in a book, too.

Levi was an awesome hero who I fell in love immediately. He was the perfect example of a gentle giant - I absolutely loved his character! The added twist of him being unable to pronounce his S's was so creative and I really think it added to the story. It was neat watching him trying to come up with other words to use instead of ones that contained S's. It must be challenging!

Eden was also very likable and I can see why Levi fell in love with her. She was so sweet and reminded me of myself in a lot of ways - one of them being that she LOVED books and discussing their qualities with others.
What I liked most about Eden was the lesson she learned towards the end of the book. I will not spoil it, but one of the reasons I love Witemeyer's works so much are because of the amazing, unique, and too-little spoken lessons that are placed within the story - it is something that always makes me want to snatch up the next book of hers as soon as it releases.

Another character I really loved was Chloe - she was so funny and I found myself smiling at some of the humorous things she said and did. She definitely was a great add-in to the story!

As for content, this book was pretty clean. There is a bit that involve prostitutes, but it was all very mild and indescriptive. There is just the daughter, 15 years old, of a prostitute who was attacked by a guy who was paid to "break her in". Little is described though - she simply retold the story and said a guy attacked her and she hit him on the head with a pot. She escaped and was sheltered in someone's house who then was frowned upon a bit for sheltering "someone like that". There also is a scene where a woman has to pretend to draw a man in - both know of the act but it mentions her rubbing her leg against his and flirting. But other than that, there were just brief mentionings of the bar or the women within - nothing else worth mentioning.
Other than that and a bit of violence from a scene where a guy is attacked, there are only a few kisses and embraces - nothing exceedingly sensual at all.

With an intriguing plot and exceptionally lovable characters, you won't want to miss this novel! I must warn you though - once you pick this one up you won't want to put it down until you turn the last page!

WWW Wednesday

2011-06-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Right now I am reading Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady. I just picked it up this morning, so can't say much about how it is. But, man, does it have a cool beginning! It isn't hard to be pulled into this story and wrapped up in the plot and the characters. I can't wait to pick up the book and continue reading! :-)

What did you recently finish reading? The last book I finished was Pompeii: City on Fire by T. L. Higley. Wow! That book was amazing! On my personal book blog, Legacy of a Writer, I just posted my review of this book. Click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the post to read it. :-) But just to wet your appetite...if you have ever read any of Higley's work, know that she has done it again! What an awesome story! Her historical insight into the year, culture, and people is amazing. I loved it!

What do you think you'll read next? Hmm...That's always hard to tell, but I really want to pick up Sarah Sundin's A Distant Melody. It looks SO good and I've been looking at it sitting on my shelf for weeks just aching to be read! :-P lol So, if no other pressing reviews are going to be due soon, I'll pick that up next! :-) I haven't read much on the world wars before, so am eager to dive into this book and broaden my horizons. :-)

Thanks for looking into my stacks of books with me! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

Ponderin' The Past...with Prizefighting

2011-05-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! I recently finished To Win Her Heart, which was amazing, and decided it would make a good choice for today's history post.
Levi had a past - he had once been a prizefighter. When I read this, I was like "What on earth is that???", but as I read I learned a bit about it. It's pretty crazy. Here's a bit of info on it.

Prizefighting goes back a long way, but it wasn't until 1743 when a man called Jack Broughton created a list of rules after one of his opponents died. There were then rules about hitting below the belt, hitting when a man was down, and a few other things. Surprisingly, and a bit horrifyingly, punching, scratching, kicking, throwing, stomping, and strangling were all acceptable in the ring, and it wasn't uncommon for a man to die. In fact, in 1787 Birmingham, two out of the days fights ended in death.

Ridiculous amounts of money were poured into bets during prizefighting. It was quite nuts. No gentlemen or middle class men ever fought, but it was not unheard of for women too - something I was appalled to find out!

Prizefighting is known by a different name today...
Boxing.
Yep that's right - prizefighting is what started the common, well known sport of boxing today. Luckily, we now have rules that keep people from killing each other! :o

Well there's a bit about Prizefighting...not much but it was only very popular in the 1700s-1800s and soon became known as boxing. But it was quite crazy to read about!
Hope you enjoyed!

Book Discussion - Making Waves

2011-05-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my turn to write a discussion post. When trying to think of the book I would talk about and what I would talk about, I decided to change stuff up a bit. So I picked a recent favorite book that I am hoping a lot of y'all of read and am going to talk about one of my favorite parts (without giving away anything big, for those of you who haven't had a chance to read it yet.)

So! Let's see if I can do it! I picked Making Waves by Lorna Steilstad for my book today. If you've read it, please join in with your favorite part. And if you haven't read it, feel free to comment and let me know if you are looking forward to picking it up.

So let's begin! :-D

Well, one thing I LOVE about Lorna's books is they are SO humorous. If I want a laugh, I just pick up one of her books (Both Making Waves and A Great Catch are so witty and fun!).

The beginning of this book was laugh-out-loud funny. Amazon.com lets you read the first chapter of the book, so if you haven't read it, go read it now! The dry humor as Marguerite foretold her untimely demise from boredom if she had to listen to Gordon anymore, was hilarious!

But overall, one of the sweetest moments, for me, is when Trip takes Marguerite down on the toboggan. That whole day they spent together was really special. It was, undoubtedly, my favorite scene to read and just go "awwww" over. :-)

So, what about you? What was your favorite scene in Making Waves? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book and have some fun talking about all the funny and sweet parts in Lorna's book!

What I've Been Readin'

2011-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday morning everyone! I always enjoy telling you all what I've been reading! I'm not sure which post I enjoy doing more on Book Ponderings, but this one is certainly close to the top! :-) So, let's dive right in!

Well, I had a due date for this review, so since it was soon approaching, I dived into The DMZ, a rather formnible read to some with its 500+ pages. Jeanette Windle was a new author for me...but after finishing this book, I KNOW I want to read more by her!! While it was a little tedious for the first hundred pages, after that, the adventure doesn't stop! Read my full review here. It was a great book and would make an awesome movie, too! ;-) As I mentioned, the review was due and I've already posted it. So if you want to read it, HERE is the review.

Next I picked up A Heart Divided by Kathleen Morgan. I've seen Kathleen's books around, and currently have one of them in my Kindle App on my phone, waiting to be read. The girl on the cover of this book is BEAUTIFUL, so I was eager to find out what kind of story was between the cover. While I wasn't blown away by this book, it was a good, one-time read. If you are curious as to my thoughts on it, you can read my review HERE.

Grabbing How Huge the Night off my bookshelf right before I left on a 6 hour car trip (My family went to Alabama to help friends of ours hit by the tornado), I was able to finish this great, Young Adult fiction by Heather and Lydia Munn before we reached our destination. It was an easy read, the writings of these two ladies easily pulling me into the story of Julien. Reading about Nina's adventures were a bit vague and hard to understand at times, but that was minimal. Read my full review of this new book HERE.

Before I had left the house, I packed Passion from the Heart by Deborah Lynne in my backpack for the ride home. Being a rather thin book, I was easily able to finish it not long after we stopped for lunch. My full review can be read HERE. While I am not a big fan of a lot of romance in my book, I am pretty sure other people who are romance fans will really enjoy this fun adventure with Erika and Nate.

I began A Killer Among Us (which I had also stashed in my backpack when preparing for the weekend trip) shortly after finishing the last book and was able to get well into the book before the night was out. Oh. My. Word. This book was AWESOME!!!! I posted a review for it on my blog, so feel free to go HERE and read me rant and rave over this new suspense/thriller book by Lynette Eason. I loved ever minute I spent with Kit and Noah and when I finally finished the book, I was SO sad to leave them. What an awesome adventure! I want to read the rest in the series, now!

The Kindle App on my phone is awesome, and since I won a Kindle book of Michelle Griep's new book, Undercurrent, on Amber's blog, I was excited to put it to use, since I haven't read a book on the app in a while. The story plot was intriguing -- a 21st century woman get's sucked into some time-travel vortex and landed during the viking age. Staying up until the VERY wee hours of morning, I finished this book in one day. Wow! What an adventure. I would only recommend this to mature readers because of the very sensual scenes that are in this book, but if you don't mind that, I am sure you would enjoy this book. You can read my mini-review of it HERE.

After that I read Lilie's in Moonlight by Allison Pittman. That was a few days ago and I still haven't sat down to write the review. I'm not sure as to my thoughts on it. I think I'm split. Pittman's writing is wonderful and engaging, but I didn't care for the whole, general plot. Maybe it's because I love adventure and suspense, and this book just contained a book story of the two character's growth. It was a good story, just not my type. I hope to write a review of it soon on my blog. :-)

The other day I finished reading Lorna Steilstad's new book, A Great Catch. I so enjoy Lorna's books because I find myself continually laughing and having SO much fun while reading her books. Clumsy Emily was constantly a laugh as she blubbered one thing and then another thing. And Lorna just makes you grow to appreciate and love Carter. What a guy! I will be writing my review of A Great Catch on my other blog later next week, if any of you stop by and care to read it. :-)

Book Beginnings - Cascade

2011-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's Friday, so here is my Book Beginnings on Friday! Katy, over at A Few More Pages, hosts this every week and we thought it'd be fun to have Book Ponderings join! If you are interested in doing this for your blog, check out Katy's blog for details on what to include in the post!

Mom freaked out when she saw us, of course.I couldn’t blame her, with Lia in her medieval gown. And melooking like I’d been mauled by a bear. Especially when two meaty guards were hauling us into Dr. Manero’s tent. “It’s all right, Mom,”I said, hands out, as she rushed toward us. Her face was white.

“Lasciateli,”

she shouted in irritation—

let them go

—brushing the guards’ hands off our arms, staring at the blood on me. “Girls, what in the—”

“She’s all right, Mom,” Lia began. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“It’s okay,” I said, pushing her hands away as she touched my underdress—a gown made hundreds of years before—and tried to figure out what kind of wound had made me look like I’d been doused in ketchup. “I’m fine, Mom. Really.”

This book picks up right where Waterfall left off - immediately making you wonder what's going on and what's to happen - especially after the ending of Waterfall! While Waterfall takes a chapter or two to really get into, Cascade obviously grabs you from the get go - pulling you right back into the story where you left off. The story that follows will not disappoint - Katy and I enjoyed it more than the first, even! Make sure to snatch this one when it releases next month!!

We'd love to hear what's the first line - or paragraph - of your current read. Feel free to share it with us in the comments! Are you liking the book so far? Was the first few lines enough to grip your attention? We're looking forward to hearing from you! :-)

Book Review - Darkness Follows

2011-05-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

Sam Travis lives in a Civil War era farmhouse in Gettysburg, PA, where he awakens one morning to find an old journal with an entry by a Union soldier, Lt. Whiting…written in Sam’s own handwriting.

When this happens several more times, both at night and during waking “trances,” Sam begins to question his own sanity while becoming obsessed with Lt. Whiting and his bone-chilling journal entries. As the entries begin to mimic Sam’s own life, he is drawn into an evil plot that could cost many lives, including his own.

Can the unconditional love of Sam’s daughter, Eva, break through his hardened heart before a killer on the loose catches up with them and Sam’s past spurs him to do the unthinkable?

Romance:

Violence:

Fear/Horror:

Overall Opinion:

KATY'S REVIEW:

This story jerks you into this fast-paced suspense thriller from the very first pages and does not let up. I was completely wrapped up in this book. From the get-go, when Sam awakes in the middle of the night to the sounds of a battle somewhere nearby and hearing his long-departed brother calling his name. Believing he is going insane, Sam is at the end of his rope as he tries to reassure his wife and daughter. What a compelling beginning—I can’t imagine what I would think if I thought I was losing my mind. Scary!

All of the characters in Darkness Follows are extremely well developed and believable. From the mysterious Symon to the desperate Sam, these people leave you with a great impression. Sam’s daughter, Eva, was very endearing and I instantly liked her undying and unconditional love that she showered on her father, no matter if he acknowledged her or not. Sam’s wife, Molly, was also easy to sympathize with as she tries to keep the family together and help her husband. My favorite would have to be the emotionless Symon. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him as he blindly commits his crimes, all the while wondering who he is. Each character in this book is wonderful and their feelings vivid and deep.

This is the first book I have read by Mike Dellosso, so I wasn’t sure what kind of thriller writer he was going to be. Well, it was awesome. The writing was superb, the characters realistic (as I’ve already said), and the plot unique and intricate. I felt as if I was literally “IN” this adventure, the writing just grabbed my attention and put me there with Sam, Symon, Molly, or Eva. What else can you ask for, right?!

So, in short, I really enjoyed this awesome suspense. I am a new fan of Mike Dellosso and will keep my eye out for his books in the future! If you enjoy a good suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your sear, I would highly recommend Darkness Follows. He reminded me of a Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti. And since those two are my all-time top-favorite suspense writers, that’s saying a lot. :-)

WWW Wednesday

2011-05-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Right now I am reading Unbridled Hope by Loree Lough. I have barely started this one, but it looks promising and I am eager to dive into this story! The tour is due on Friday so you can be sure it will be featured in my next What I've Been Reading with my thoughts on it! :)

What did you recently finish reading? Just this morning I finished Return To Alastair - the second book in the Tahn series by L.A Kelly. I enjoyed this one as much as the first and cannot wait to dive into the third! If y'all have read my reviews, you know how hard it is for books to receive much praise from my lips - I am very picky! ;) - but these books are incredible and I highly recommend them!

What do you think you'll read next? As soon as I finish Unbridled Hope, I 'spect I'll pick up Bathsheba - a book Katy let me borrow last time I was in town. I have heard so much praise for this book, I can't wait to dive in!

Thanks for looking into my stacks of books with me! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

Monthly Interview & Giveaway

2011-05-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I realize that I am a bit late in posting this interview and giveaway (I had originally planned for the 20th), but my family ended up going up to Alabama to help a family hit by the tornado a few weeks back and my Internet and cell service was horrible there. But! I am here now!

After a lot of discussion, around the time we changed up the template and blog posts on this blog, Kait and I also decided to change up our interviews and giveaways. From now on, we will be interviewing a certain character from a book. Sound like fun? Ya, we thought so too!

So, please help me welcome Emily Graham, the main character for Lorna Steilstad's new book, A Great Catch. (Which I have currently sitting on the top of my TBR pile, just teasing me to dive into it! :-)

Hey Emily! Welcome to Book Ponderings. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! This is going to be fun. J Would you like to introduce yourself to the readers of this blog?

First of all, Katy, thank you so much for inviting me to Book Ponderings. You have such a lovely place here. My name is Emily Graham and I’m the main character in A Great Catch. I’m twenty-two years old, and to my aunts’ despair, I’m still not married. I’m the president of the Council Bluffs Equal Suffrage Club, and I’m spending the summer at Lake Manawa in Iowa.

My strengths are being a determined, hard worker for the cause, and my weakness is that I’m a bit clumsy. Actually, if you drew a chalk line on the sidewalk, I’d trip over it.

Trip over a chalk line, eh? Love your humor, Emily! So on the cover of your book, A Great Catch, you are holding a baseball. Are you fond of the sport?

I wasn’t fond of baseball, but I was fond of a certain baseball player. As a leader in the suffrage movement, I wanted to do something that would show men that women could do whatever they could. I came up with the idea of having a Bloomer Girls Baseball team come to the lake. I needed a team for them to play. Carter agreed to let his team do it—if I played for his team. I agreed, but it was hard to learn since I am so clumsy.

Ah, I see. Well, I'm not a big fan at playing it either - have a problem with hitting the darn ball - so don't feel too bad! ;-) What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time? What’s that? I spend all my extra time writing suffrage articles, practicing speeches, and writing congressmen. Actually, the little free time I used to spend with my friends, Marguerite and Lilly. We’d go swimming or roller skating. But once I met Carter, well, he had a way of taking up most of my time.

Ohh, are you friends with Marguerite Westing in Making Waves? I loved reading her adventures! If you used one word to describe your personality, what would that be?

Driven.

Strong word! Why would you use that word? Can you elaborate on your personality a little bit more now?

Women have not been granted the right to vote in 1901 and it is a horrible thing. How can women ever be treated with equality if we are not even allowed to choose who represents us in government? I’ve dedicated my life to righting that wrong. If you’d like to sit down and talk about taxation without representation, I’m your girl.

Looks like you have a great purpose in life. By the way, you’re wearing a beautiful outfit on the front cover. Where does your family stand in society?

Why thank you! My grandfather made his fortune in silver, and my father owns an implement company. We are considered well-to-do, but my family isn’t an uppity family. My grandmother would never have allowed us to put on airs of any kind. She’s much too down-to-earth for that.

Ah, okay. So, back on track (sorry, I love a pretty dress!). What is your goal in life?

I would love to work on the National suffrage scene beside Carrie Chapman Catt, and I want men to see how capable women are. Deep down, I have to admit I hope that by committing to this cause, others will see me as valuable.

Not to give away anything in the book, but do you realize your goal or does God show you a different path for you to take?

Hmmm. No, women don’t get the right to vote in 1901, but God’s had special plans for me and Carter.

Hmm, can't wait to read A Great Catch and find out what those plans are! What is your favorite memory at Lake Manawa?

Oh, that’s going to be hard. I’ll never forget my two aunts. They were so determined to see me married off, they’d bring all sorts of fellows around. Can you imagine courting an undertaker?

But I think my favorite memory will always be the first time Carter kissed me. Any man that will kiss you after you’ve fallen in the mud has to win you heart.

Wow! Kissed after falling in the mud? I have to agree with you. So, after going through all the adventures in A Great Catch, what is one lesson that you really learned from your experiences?

I believe I learned that I was pouring so much into the suffrage fight in order to validate myself. I think we women do that a lot. We have to be the best wives, mothers, soccer moms, Christians—somehow believing that our hard work makes us worth of the respect and love of others. I learned that I’ve always mattered to the Lord.

How very true. Well thank you SO MUCH for coming out here today, Emily, and participating in this interview. I cannot wait to read A Great Catch!

GIVEAWAY:

Emily spoke to Lorna Steilstad on your behalf, dear followers, and she has agreed to give A Great Catch to one of Book Ponderings followers! Awesome, right?! Ya! In the comment section, feel free to leave any comments/questions for Emily or Lorna. I can't promise she will have time to read and reply to them all (that totally depends on her!) but I know she would love to see the support! :-)

Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment.USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 3rd of June. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 30th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!

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Diving Into...Head In The Clouds!

2011-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here we go again with this weeks In A Book!

What Book? This was quite easy for me to choose - it's one of my all time favorites! Head In The Clouds by Karen Witemeyer! :)

When a recovering romantic goes to work for a handsome

ranch owner, her heart’s not the only thing in danger.

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her

mother.

The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.

When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the

clouds and put her heart on the line?

Why That Book? If any of y'all know me or have read many of my reviews, you'll know that I am not a huge of sappy romance stories with no lessons or adventure or anything in them 'sides romance. This book had it all - lessons, adventure, a tad bit of suspense, and a sweet love story. It easily became a favorite book of mine and I loved reading it! I chose this book because 1) I loved the story - it was so good - and all the lessons learned in it, and 2) because of the setting - 1800s sheep farm. I'd love to live back in that time - SO cool!

Which Character Would I Be? Oh that's easy - Adelaide! She reminded me of myself in SO many ways! 'Sides - she got the awesome hero, Gideon! ;) I really loved her character and the things she learned throughout the book - she was continually making me think "Hey that's me!".

She was also cute Isabella's governess - I would love to take care of such a sweet, darling girl! :)

Well there you have it! :) Check back tomorrow for our author interview and giveaway! :)

OOPS!

2011-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon! I have a confession to make - I had a blonde moment yesterday and posted today's post yesterday! OOPS! So sadly, today I do not have a post to present to you. Sorry!!! But make sure to check out our surprise giveaway below! :)

What I've Been Reading

2011-05-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! Today I am happy to present to you the books I've been reading these past 2 weeks! :)

The Fire In Ember was a quick read for me - it was so engaging! I read it in a day and absolutely loved it. Definitely a keeper that I recommend! The story was unique and the characters well fleshed out and enjoyable. Keep an eye out for this one! :)

Waterfall was an AMAZING book that I had the immense pleasure of reading while I was in Milton last week. It was incredible! Full of exciting adventure, suspenseful peril, and sweet romance, this made for a great read and easily made it into my top 10 favorites - a hard place to get!

Cascade, the following book in The River of Time series, was another that I picked up immediately after reading Waterfall, which ended with a cliff hanger! I liked this one more than Waterfall and it had my attention captured from the get go. This is another one I highly suggest you read upon it's release! :)

Just last night I finished Disaster Status. It was an excellent book that I really loved - even more than Code Triage, the next book in the series!(yeah, I kinda accidentally read em out of order. :P) Keep an eye out for this one - it was really good!

There you have it! What have you been reading??

Surprise Giveaway!

2011-05-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Alrighty readers - I have finally found a moment in this busy day to put up this giveaway! :) In case you missed my post where I explained this surprise giveaway, I am posting this as a graduation celebration/make up for late/missing posts in the past week while I was out of town. Katy and I both were very busy this past week, so we thought a bonus giveaway was warranted.

So, after much contemplation, we decided to giveaway three books. Yep, three! Yay! We will be giving away the Missions of Mercy series by Susan May Warren to one lucky winner! Keep reading to learn how to enter! :)

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WWW Wednesdays

2011-05-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Today we are having our weekly WWW Wednesday posts. If you are interested in reading more about these posts, check out MizB's blog, Should Be Reading for more info!

To play along, we must answer three questions...

- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you'll read next?

So! Below are my answers for this time around! :-)

What are you currently reading? Right now I am reading Passion from the Heart by Deborah Lynne. I'm reviewing this for her and I've also hosted her on my blog for an interview. (btw, she is giving away a copy of this book to a follower, so if you want a chance to win, go HERE.) I just began this book last night and am only in the second chapter, but so far the writing is good and I am intrigued to see what is going to happen.

What did you recently finish reading? Just the other day I finished A Heart Divided. It's a new book, just released, by author Kathleen Morgan. It's the first in a new series. I wouldn't call it a favorite of mine, but I did enjoy the read. I am actually working on a full review right now, so check out my main book blog, Legacy of a Writer, later today and see if I've posted a review yet. :-) If you enjoy historical romance, then I think you will probably love this new book by Kathleen.

What do you think you'll read next? Well, as soon as I finish with the book I am reading now, I need to pick up How Huge the Night. I'm scheduled on a blog tour to post my review this Saturday, so I need to get that read. :-) It looks really neat. I've never read anything by the authors--Heather and Lydia Munn--but the back of the book was intriguing enough for me to get it. :-) Check out my blog, Legacy of a Writer, on Saturday to read the review!

Thanks for looking into my stacks of books with me! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what your WWW is for this week! :-D

What's Up

2011-05-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! Some of you may have been checking our blog, looking for today's post. You may have been doing that a lot lately. lol. I, Kait, have finally returned from my week long vacation and am back, ready for action. Unfortunately my family did not get home until about an hour ago, so my post did not get up. Sad. BUT, to make it up to y'all, I have a surprise planned for Friday. So, be on the look out! It's gonna be awesome! ;)