Top Ten Tuesday: 'Gateway' books/authors in my reading journey

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Here are ten genres that I enjoy reading and the first book of each I can remember that led me to fall in love with reading!

Regency

I picked up Dolly Blanchard's Fortune in the high school library. It's somewhat predictable, but the hero and heroine are so likeable, and the Regency details were wonderful to dream about.

Historical

Little House in the Big Woods is one of the first chapter books I remember reading. The characters and descriptions are so vivid and endearing. I always wanted to name one of my daughters Laura...

Christian/Clean Romance

 During my teenage years my mom started buying my sisters and me novels with clean romance themes. A Bride for Donnigan is the first mail-order bride book I read, and it is a piece of history that has fascinated me.

Fairy Tale Retellings

 I just fell in love with Ella Enchanted, and for several months I devoured fairy tale adaptations!

Western

My dad had quite the collection of Louis L'Amour paperbacks, and one bored afternoon I started Where the Long Grass Blows and was introduced to the cowboy adventure! I still love historical and contemporary books with a cowboy theme.

Love Inspired line

 At our local library's used book sale I picked up Everyday Blessings since I figured it had to be a clean romance (unlike much of what was there among the paperbacks...) Little did I know it would start an addiction to these sweet quick reads. 

Young Adult

What an adorable book! Fifteen is the sweetest story of young and awkward love.

LDS Fiction

As a teenager and young adult I spent much of my reading time with novels whose main characters are members of the church I belong to. Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites is an amazing and imaginative adventure of three modern-day teenagers time-traveling to the ancient lands of The Book of Mormon during one of the most volatile times in its history.

Classics

As the second of four girls in my family, I always related to Jo in Little Women, even though I was an artist like Amy.  I read a few others by Alcott, but went on to enjoy L.M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and Gene Stratton-Porter.

Fantasy

I don't read this genre much anymore, but there are a handful of books that I really connected with, mostly by Juliet Marillier. Wildwood Dancing was my first and still my favorite!

Free e-book! Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

Free today at Amazon: Made to Last by Melissa Tagg! I gave this one 4 stars- read my review here.

Review: Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-Home Mom by Tricia Goyer

My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

How can a work-at-home mom raise kids, juggle a career and take care of family responsibilities with only 24-hour days? Working at home while raising kids and juggling a career and family responsibilities is no easy feat. Author and homeschooling mom Tricia Goyer shares her tips for finding balance among all your many hats as a mom. Balancing is a process and a journey, one that Tricia herself has yet to perfect. But between writing more than forty books, raising and homeschooling six kids, being a wife, and being active in her community, she has amassed valuable tips she shares in “Balanced.”

The book includes tips on:
—how to create focus themes for your family
—how to prioritize your schedule
—how to utilize your job so it also benefits your kids
—how to keep yourself out of the comparison game
—how to make working at home work for you
—and much more!

My Review

This was a book I really needed to read! I've been feeling frustrated that even though I work at home, I never seem to be able to stay on top of things. I participated in the eleven-day Balanced Challenge the author led on her blog, and it helped me implement the advice I read in her book (instead of just reading it and thinking, "hey, that's a good idea," but then forgetting to actually try it out). The perspective, advice, and spiritual guidance she shares is invaluable, and can apply to women and mothers working in most any industry from their homes that find themselves in need of becoming a little (or a lot) more balanced.

(ARC provided via Litfuse Publicity for unbiased review)

The Inspiration Behind A Beauty So Rare

Here's another fun behind the scenes look at the book I'm currently reading, A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander. I'm enjoying the story so far, and I'm about 1/3 of the way through!

Check out my earlier post to view the book trailer and read an excerpt from the novel!

Review: A Marriage in Middlebury by Anita Higman

My rating: 3 stars (I liked it)

Synopsis from goodreads.com

What happens when the matchmaker finds a match for herself? Charlotte Rose Hill has been serving up country delicacies, uniquely blended teas, and matchmaking advice for her quirky but beloved customers for more than 10 years. But for her, marriage seems like an elusive butterfly, always out of reach. At 18, Charlotte fell in love with a young man, Sam Wilder, but his family convinced her to walk away from their relationship. Now, more than a decade later, Charlotte finds that she still has feelings for her first love. Initially thrilled to learn that Sam has come home to Middlebury, Texas, Charlotte is devastated to learn that he’s brought someone with him: his fiancée. But all is not lost when the townsfolk decide to get involved. Will Charlotte and Sam find their way back to each other?

My Review

I would describe this book as pleasant. There is an ensemble of quirky townspeople, and the author occasionally switches to their points-of view to further the storytelling. At first I thought this would be a love triangle story, but once the character of Justin is introduced and makes a connection with Audrey, the fiancée, you can see who everyone is supposed to end up with. Then it was just a matter of waiting for everyone to decide to communicate. I became somewhat impatient for the characters to get on with it, and there are several sub-plots that slow things down, but eventually it all ties together and everyone gets their happy ending.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Weekend Wrap-Up

This week I read...

 Severed Trust by Margaret Daley: 4 stars!

Balanced: Finding Center as a Work-at-home Mom by Tricia Goyer: 5 stars!

 

A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund: 5 stars!

 

The New England Romance Collection by Susan Page Davis, Darlene Franklin, Pamela Griffin, Lisa Harris, Lynette Sowell: 4 stars!

This weekend I'm reading...

A Marriage in Middlebury by Anita Higman

What are you reading???

(Weekend Wrap-Up inspired by Melanie of Christian Bookshelf Reviews)

$1.99 e-book sale on two of my favorites!

I adore these books by Karen Witemeyer! They are the first two books in the Archer brothers series (the third is a novella in A Match Made in Texas). Both are 5 star reads for me, especially Short-Straw Bride! The $1.99 sale is only for a couple days so get them at this steal of a price quickly!

 Download Short-Straw Bride at Amazon

Download Stealing the Preacher at Amazon

Review: Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from goodreads.com

The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can't wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference until the 16-year-old's best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn't think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn't know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.

My Review

Great suspense novel! This story is told from several points of view that switch constantly throughout the book, so I really had to stay on my toes. I could feel the anxiety and dread of the characters, and enough of the story from the drug users' points of view was shared to make the reader aware of things the investigators weren't, but some was also held back so the ending was a surprise twist. Romance definitely took a backseat, but there are some relationship subplots. The author did a fabulous job of making me aware of the dangers of prescription drug abuse, especially with teenagers.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Review: The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman

My rating: 3 stars

Synopsis from goodreads.com

Annie's life is deliciously full as the Christmas season approaches. She helps her husband, Samuel, attend to the community's minor medical needs. She occasionally assists Belinda, the local midwife, and most days, she finds herself delivering the buggy to her brother Adam. Annie s sister-in-law Leah is due to deliver their first child before Christmas morning, and Annie is determined to finish a crib quilt before the "boppli" arrives. With six weeks to go, she should have no problem . . . but God may have a different plan. Leah is rushed to the English hospital when the infant arrives early, and Annie discovers the Christmas quilt may hold a far greater significance than she ever imagined.

My Review

This is a sweet book. The characters are from a previous novel, so all the falling in love has already happened. The focus is more on relationship growth and enduring challenging times. I enjoyed the bond that the sisters-in-law shared, and their storytelling over each piece of the quilt.

(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)

Giveaway!!! Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma

I'm so excited to be participating in this giveaway hosted by Jo, My Gosh! I'm giving away a new paperback copy of Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma, set in the Netherlands during WW2.

Other prizes the winner of this giveaway will receive are...
a $15 gift card to Starbucks from Katherine at The Newsom's Nest
a month of ad space at The Artisan Life
$10 credit to the Etsy shop Stalking the Wild Snark
Month of the Telephone Call on Jo, My Gosh!


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