The Five Times I met Myself

What if you met your twenty-three-year-old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go . . . and his greatest fear is that it’s already too late.

My thoughts: I will be honest, there were times when I didn't like the females in this story, since it felt like they were the ones being pretty selfish (like, bailing when the money threatened to no longer be there), but I wound up being happy with where the story ended up. I thought the story was an interesting "what if?" style, being able to change the course of our life through our dreams. The book is well written and hard to put down, as well as contains a great message!
I received this book from Lit Fuse in exchange for my honest review

A thousand Shall Fall

A story of love, hope, and healing set in the midst of the Civil War

Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off–only to find she’s fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they’re all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.

Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally–and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar’s extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.

My thoughts: I didn't know what I would find when I started this book, since I had not had the privilege of reading any of Andrea's other novels. What I found was a wonderful story, filled with likable main characters, some fun secondary characters (I especially liked Aunt Ruth and her spunk!), and a lot of rich historical details. I think it is neat that this series focuses on the battles fought in the Shenandoah Valley in late 1864.
If you are looking for a neat historical series, then I highly recommend the first book of this one! I eagerly await the second story in the series.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Take ten

This week, the subject is top ten books to movie adaptions that I am looking forward to or need to watch.;)

1. The Book Thief
I am horrible to have not watched this one yet! I need to remedy that soon.


2. Mockingjay
Though, it is with trepidation, since this was my least favorite of the trilogy.


3. Far from the Madding Crowd
Once upon a time, I read a lot of Hardy (which maybe wasn't the thing to do) and this one was my favorite.


4. Jungle Book


5. Allegiant


6. Paper Towns


7. The Fault in our Stars
Yes, I have yet to see this one.;)

8.Beauty and the Beast

9. Matched

10. The Selection

Lay it Down

There’s Good News for the Weary
Call it burnout, a spiritual breakdown, or a personal crisis, the toll of Bill Tell’s decades of successful ministry finally caught up with him. Incapacitated and depressed, he found that the road to recovery began at the cross. To his delight, healing opened new freedoms as he embraced the gospel in new ways.

Lay It Down: Living in the Freedom of the Gospel is a bold declaration of the overwhelming grace of God. More than merely saving us in our sin, by grace God delivers us from it, making us new creations and treating us accordingly—no matter what. For a generation of Christians who have learned a gospel of performance and striving, Lay It Down offers the good news of the grace that is already ours in Christ.

My thoughts: I very much appreciated Bill Tell's honesty about how he wore himself out with going so much with his ministry and having a break down of sorts. I also appreciate all of the realizations that he came to about the gospel and truly living a
life that has been changed by the grace of God. I like what he had to say about Christ dying on the cross so that we could live a life of freedom now. I also had to agree with him about how hurts from childhood can carry over into adulthood if not addressed, something I realized in my own life recently. This is a wonderful book that encourages readers to set their priorities straight.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Fire and Ice

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman--a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in
the process?

My thoughts: I enjoyed getting to know Bailey and Gage in this fun story filled with spunk and adventure! Their relationship is an interesting one as they form an uneasy friendship to band together against trouble in the wild west. While I didn't read the first and second book in the series, I felt like it didn't hinder me too much, since this book was about Bailey. I will have to go back and read her sisters stories though, since I think they will be every bit as enjoyable.;)
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Time Garden

My thoughts: I've been hearing a lot about asult coloring books, which intrigued me, since I loved coloring when I was a kid. Okay, I'll admit, I still like coloring with my daughter in her Curious George and Hello Kitty books.;) But, when the chance to review this whimsical coloring book, I just couldn't resist! The book is a story of a young girl who gets swept into a cuckoo clock style world when her father brings hime an antique clock. The pages are so much fun! I know I will enjoy using this book for some time to come.;)
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

The Ology

A page-turning storybook of theology for kids

In the cellar of the old stone cathedral, Carla and Timothy uncover a life-changing treasure, a carefully wrapped ancient book known as The Ology. What adults might describe as a beautifully illustrated storybook of systematic theology, the kids discover to be a story of adventure, mystery, and wonder that leads them to the truth about God, themselves, and the world around them.

Truth is for kids, not just for adults! So The Ology gives kids of all ages a beginner’s theology book to help them understand who God is and how we, as his children, relate to him. Arranged within a traditional systematic theological framework, each truth in The Ology is also connected to the larger redemptive story of Scripture. The doctrine of God, for example, is presented in the larger framework of creation, where the attributes of God are more clearly on display. The Ology takes abstract theological concepts and makes them easier to understand with the use of creative examples, illustrations, and analogies. The goal is not to say everything that could be said about a theological topic, but rather to share the key thoughts behind a theological concept. The Ology is a starting point to learning theology and aims to create a hunger and desire in children to learn more as they grow older.

Designed for six-year-olds through preteens, this flexible resource includes built-in adaptations for use with younger or older children, so that entire families can enjoy it together. Read The Ology to preschoolers, read it with grade-school kids, and let older kids discover the “hidden” truths by reading the corresponding Scripture passages for each section. However you read it, The Ology will give your children a gift that will last a lifetime—a solid foundation of life-changing biblical truth that will point them to the God who loves them and gave himself for them.

My thoughts: What an incredible story book! I love that it takes the truths of the Scriptures and writes them in a easy to read and understand manner for children. I wish there was a book like this around when I was a kid! Each thought is backed up with Bible verses and colorful illustrations. A lot of the principles include examples to help young people wrap their minds around an idea. The author did a fabulous job with this one!
The book is geared towards school age children, but I am sure that my daughter will still enjoy having me read this aloud, even if it takes her a few years to truly grasp a lot of it.;)
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.