Happy Resurrection (Easter) Sunday, friends! Regardless of the day that it falls on, each month on the last day of the month, I'm sharing about the books I read that month. Also, before I go on and because of the holiday that today is, I hope that you celebrate the significance of this day in a beautiful way today. It's not just another day to celebrate; it's a day that represents the day that Jesus rose from the grave and gave us new life in Him, once we believe in and place our faith in Him. As always, if you ever want to talk more about how you can have a relationship with Him, reach out to me! You can always comment here or email me at allboys@gmail.com.
And now on another note...
I read some great books this month! Here's the one I started with. (Click on each picture to be taken to a separate Amazon link in a new window.)
This one didn't disappoint! The day I started reading it, I read through fifty percent of it in one sitting. I could have stayed up all night to finish it, but life has to happen, so I went to bed. Here's a little blurb of what it's about:
When Frankie McGrath hears the words "Women can be heroes", something lights up within her, and before long, she finds herself enlisting in the United States Army as a nurse to serve in Vietnam. Her brother is over there as well, and she has dreams of them doing something so significant together. Also, who wouldn't want their picture on the hero wall that resides in her dad's office? But when Frankie lands in a foreign country and is whisked away to her first assignment, she is shell-shocked. It's nothing at all like the media had portrayed in the days leading up to her departure; thankfully she finds fast friends in her bunk mates. Fast forward to the end of her tour, and she finds herself being cursed at and spit on when she lands back on American soil. How will she ever make it back at home after the horrors that she saw while in Vietnam?
Friends, I have a love/hate relationship with this author's books; while they're always good, they're also always extremely heavy. I skipped her last book because of this, but for whatever reason, this one was one I knew I wanted to read and I loved every page. I also am not a fan of historical fiction, but this one was fascinating to me, probably because it's something I've heard about all of my life. I am shocked to think that Americans treated soldiers the way they did, and a lot of this book reminded me of what it's like to live in America right now. This was heavy, but not so much so that I felt weighed down for days after. This may be my favorite book of the whole year!
Next up was one I'd been looking forward to...
...and then was disappointed by. Maybe I should have read her other one first, but even though I love Lauren Graham as a Gilmore Girls and Parenthood fan, this one just felt like one big book of gossip and her experiences as an actress. I thought I'd get to know her more in this book, but I didn't at all; I will always be impressed by her ability to speak in run-on sentences, though.
Next up was an old favorite and a re-read:
These books are like coming home to me! I love Robin's writing and the friendships that she depicts so beautifully in this series. This one is about Hope and Laurie fulfilling a long time dream of traveling to Hawaii together; though the trip doesn't get started as they'd expected, they quickly fall into a beautiful rhythm together again while they're on this beautiful island. Hope has a moment of experiencing God throwing "garlands of hosannas" around her neck as she witness the balmy breezes and the amazing sunrises and sunsets. By the end of their journey, they both feel ready to walk the path that God has for them upon their return to their homes.
I love these books about godly friendship!
Next up was the first in a series of books by an author I've never read.
Finlay Donovan is at a crossroads in her life: she's low on money, her ex-husband is fighting her for custody of her kids, her agent is hassling her about the next book that she's working on being due soon, and did I mention she's low on money? One meeting with her agent at a public restaurant changes everything, when she finds a note in her bag that someone slipped into it while she wasn't looking. In talking with her agent about her new book, someone overheard and mistakes her for a hitman, offering her a huge amount of money if she can take care of someone for a disgruntled wife. What can it hurt to do a little investigating, right?
This was a very fast paced book that I could barely put down! When I got to the end of it, I couldn't stop reading it, because I had to know how it would all wrap up. I love books like that!
Needless to say, my next book was the next one in the series. (You can read books 1 and 2 free right now through Kindle Unlimited!)
I don't want to tell you too much about this second book, because I want you to read them, except for that with each book in this series, Finlay, Vero, and Finlay's kids become more and more endearing. Have I convinced you to read these yet? They kind of remind me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Did you ever read those?
Lastly, I read the third installment of this series...
Finlay and her sidekick Vero are up to their same sleuthing as in the first two books, and this third one is a continuation of book two. I will spare you the description, since it's a series, but expect to see book four in next month's review. I will say that the more I read these books, the better they get! I literally gasp out loud sometimes, like I did when I got close to the end of this one.
What have you been reading this month? Anything new or noteworthy I need to know about? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!