The Tea Planter's Wife

I just finished The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies. It started a little slow, and I can't say I was looking forward to reading it very much. However once the plot developed I couldn't put it down. The story follows Gwen, a new bride who comes to live in Ceylon with her previously widowed husband. There are a lot of family secrets and scandal involved which just makes the story more interesting. I thought that the author did a great job of keeping the readers attention, giving you just enough information so that you thought you knew what was happening, but saving some surprises for the end. I would definitely recommend this book!    

I received this book in exchange for a review from Blogging for Books.

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Taste and See

I have been reading "Taste and See" by John Piper as a daily devotional. I have heard great things about John Piper, but had never read any of his work before. Each devotional is different, but it has a very good mix of deeply theological and down to earth. There were a couple I came across that didn't apply to me (ex. specifically written to fathers) but I just read the next devotional so I would have something to meditate on for the day. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who uses these kind of devotionals, if you're wanting more Bible reading, he definitely references a lot so you move over to your Bible to get better context on the passage. I'll be looking for more John Piper books in the future!

This book was received in exchange for a review from Blogging for Books.

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The Little Paris Bookshop

The Little Paris Bookshop looked like just my kind of book. There was adventure, romance, literature, and France all waiting. Focused on a literature kind of pharmacist- it was definitely an angle that you wouldn't expect, but that was so refreshing! We sometimes limit the books that can help us to the specified self-help books, but the main character sees every book as an opportunity to pull the best out of or heal the reader. It was a beautiful thought, that was surrounded by wonderful characters, and a life changing journey for him! While it was slow at some points the general idea kept me engaged as well as looking up all the mentioned books along the way. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in literature. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review. 

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Hope Unfolding

I recently read Hope Unfolding by Becky Thompson. This was a very encouraging and easy read. I'm not a mom, but I've been reading Becky's blog for a while. While the majority of her writing is about motherhood, she does a wonderful job of giving you principles and truths that really apply to any stage of life. This book was no different. I almost decided not to get it since the subtitle was specifically aimed at mommas- but I'm so glad I went ahead and got it. All of us need some grace-filled truth, and this book was full of it! All her stories and real life comparisons keep you engaged enough that you didn't feel like you were reading straight through a Bible study. I would definitely recommend this book, and perfect timing on the release since Mother's Day is right around the corner!

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

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The Invisible Front

I thought this book was going to be very interesting and eye opening concerning modern problems in the military. It did not disappoint.

The book is about the Graham family and the death of their two sons. Though the family has a history in the military and both boys were a part of that history, there is a lack of support and consideration concerning the suicide of one son.

In today's society mental health has taken a much more prominent role not only in the military, but across the school system, workforce, and hospitals. This book puts forward a very strong case that the military needs to put more effort into caring for the mental well being of their charges, and I applaud the Grahams as they continue on this road.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for the review. I would definitely recommend it.

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Plumdog

I thought this book looked so cute - it was an adorable design and was about dogs! It's a graphic novel/ journal type of book. It took no time to get through obviously because there's only a couple sentences on each page. The pictures were all pretty cute - I thought it was a sweet little premise. I wouldn't read it again, but it seems like it would be a great children's book, very easy to read and pictures to make it more interesting! I recommend it as a gift for a dog-lover, a child, or even if you want a beautiful book to sit on your shelf!

*I received this book from Blogging for Books in compensation for this review

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Reading Challenge Update

Well I have a little over 2 months left to finish up this reading challenge! I have most of my books selected at least, I have about 10 books left to go!

I just finished "The Secrets of Blood and Bone", this book was actually a sequel which I didn't realize until I got it. There were a few questions unanswered, but for the most part the author did a good job explaining what was going on. I don't like scary books, but I do like fantasy fiction, this was fantasy it pulled a lot off the vampire and werewolf legends, but it did get a little too into demons, for my taste.

This book also went back and forth between modern day and 16th century Italy. I don't feel like the Italy segments were as well thought out, there were also almost too many characters in those segments, it was difficult to keep track.

There are a lot of unfinished story lines, but it was very obvious there is another book to follow. I wasn't so interested in the story that I will be reading that 3rd book or going back to the first one.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

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