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I want to start by saying this.... DO NOT COMPARE YOUR READING JOURNEY TO SOMEONE ELSES! These month-end blogs about the books I've read are to share my personal reads, my thoughts on them, and what I would rate them and hopefully encourage you and give you book recommendations. AND keep in mind, these are my personal thoughts... just because I don't like a book, doesn't mean that you won't love it!
Below is a graphic sharing how I rate books.... It's pretty simple and based on MY PERSONAL READING EXPERIENCE!
★★★☆☆
Abby and her 12-year-old daughter, Hannah took a road trip meeting family along the way. This was a sweet story of a young girl coming of age and the process of forgiveness. By the end of the book The Lord heals lots of brokenness and the Epilogue was a letter from Grand Lady. It wrapped up beautifully. It was a good book. I rated it 3 stars because it had me in tears at the end, but it was kind of slow in my personal opinion.
★★★★★
AMAZING BOOK!!! This book had me BAWLING LIKE A BABY! It's a beautiful deep story that is truly captivating from the very first page! I felt like I was living on that orchard with Eliza, Gabe, Aunt Batty, and those sweet babes. This is a book I want to remember and read again if I ever face the grief of death of someone I love. That may sound dark, but it had so many amazing reminders of God's promises for those dark times. It's a book Id like to own so that I can mark, highlight, annotate.... such beautiful truths all throughout! Seriously one of my all-time favorite reads!
★★★★★
I started and finished this book in just ONE DAY! It's a beautiful split timeline about a midwife who delivered a baby boy.... & a man looking for his birthparents after he finds out he is adopted, and it turns his life upside down.
"Living life aint about seeing and doing. It's about loving and taking care of those who've been put in your path."
★★★★☆
A Lovely Time Slip Novel 1961 & 1897 in Nashville. The story line is interwoven with details about the historic Maxwell House Hotel (I had no idea this is where the coffee came from or was named after I should say), the Tennessee Centennial Expo & Human Trafficking. Both Story lines were engaging and had me eager to switch to find out what else was happening. I loved how the fonts changed as the timeline slipped back and forth. A portion of the proceeds from purchasing this novel go to a Christian organization that helps rescue and restore victims of human trafficking.
"Count your nights by stars, not shadows; count your life with smiles, not tears."
★★★☆☆
It was kind of a slow start. If it hadn't hooked me with the story line, the details would have bored me to death until about held way through the book.... but the last several chapters gripped me and brought me to tears! I cried when I thought we lost Annie... I cried over the last letter that helped Reese SEE! There is so much to be learned about LIVING from this work of Charles Martin.
"If anything in this universe reflects the fingerprint of God, it is the human heart."
★★★★★
Oh. my. heart! This book!!!! It was heart-wrenching, extraordinary, deep, raw, sad, gripping.... TEAR>YOUR>HEART>OUT! It's brilliantly written and the affects from this one runs deep. It celebrates redemption && presents God's love, weaving it throughout the story and wrapping it all up with a perfect little bow. Even the note from Francine Rivers at the end was moving! This is one that I'll be thinking on for a while. It's beautifully written, the characters change and grow, the setting is immersive but warning: there is sexual assault and violence.
“Because, for some of us, one mile can be farther to walk than thirty.”
***We are reading this book for my online book club.... on Fable. More info below!
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN MY ONLINE BOOK CLUB!
All you need to do is download the Fable app in the app store on your phone or tablet. Once you set up your profile, search under "clubs" for "The Bookshelf by Michelle Warren" and it should show the above graphic. If you have any issues, feel free to reach out to me on Facebook! I'm happy to walk you through it! We will be reading 1 book a month and it will be strictly Christian Fiction. In February we will be reading Redeeming Love.
I hope that you will join us on our ONLINE BOOK CLUB and that you have found some books to add to your TBR list! HAPPY READING, SWEET FRIENDS!
<3 The Bohemian Homemaker - Michelle Warren