Book Review || Just Friends: Guarding Your Heart for a Wonderful Someday by Mike Ray + Cary Schmidt

 

 

Just Friends

By Mike Ray and Cary Schmidt

264 Pages

5 out of 5 Stars

 

 

SUMMARY

 

What is this thing between guys and girls? Do we call it Dating? Attraction? Interest? We all know it’s there, but no one really knows what to call it, and for some strange reason everyone is afraid to talk about it! So what do you call it? You’ve probably said it. “We’re just friends!” Sometimes you mean it; sometimes you mean something a little stronger, but a bit harder to define. Whatever you call it, it’s time to understand a reasonable and biblical approach to guy/girl relationships. This book will help you protect your heart as you journey through the dangerous minefields of young emotions and early attractions. And it will help you understand the biblical principles that will ultimately lead you to true love and a “wonderful someday.”

 

 

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

"Just Friends" is a GREAT book for teenagers. When I first picked it up I thought it would be boring, but I honestly REALLY enjoyed it and it helped me out a lot. I read it a few weeks ago and I'm thinking about reading it again soon to take notes (That should tell you how much I enjoyed it!).
I loved how it focused on being "Just Friends" and having a godly relationship with the opposite gender instead of having a relationship of feelings, especially when you're still too young to start a serious relationship with that person.
The book also touched on being a godlier person and becoming the right person for your future spouse which I really enjoyed reading.

 

 

Like I said earlier, this was a great book and I recommend that every teenager read it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever read this book? What book have you read recently? What book are you currently reading?

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review || Where Dandelins Grow by Lydia Howe + a GIVEAWAY!!!

 

 

Where Dandelions Grow has officially been released!!! *throws confetti* A friend of mine recommended that I read this book by Lydia Howe and I'm VERY HAPPY THAT I DID!!! It took me a few days to read it, but only because I've been VERY busy with my school work and haven't read anything except textbooks since I started! xD


Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of Where Dandelions Grow in exchange for my honest review.

Where Dandelions Grow
Author: Lydia Howe
4 out of 5 stars

Summary

 

Cousins are forever, or at least they’re supposed to be.

What happens when your world falls apart and your dreams are mocked by those closest to you?

Destiny’s idyllic childhood full of laughter and cousins abruptly ended when her mom uprooted the family to move them across the country with strict instructions to never talk about Swallow Ridge again. Eleven years later Destiny moves back to her hometown, determined to find her cousins… and answers.

Plagued by generations of bitterness and manipulation, Destiny hides her life-long goal - unwilling to let anyone else trample her fragile dreams. But life in the cozy town full of dandelions teaches Destiny there’s more to life than what she’s been taught.

Is it possible Swallow Ridge not only holds the answers Destiny so intensely searches for, but also the hope?

 

 

 

 

 

My Review

 

Where Dandelions Grow was a great book! It's a good book to curl up with on a chilly afternoon with a fuzzy blanket, and a cup of coffee! xD

The story line was really good and it was VERY, VERY clean. I REALLY liked the setting (I WANT TO GO THERE xD). And I wish Noveltea was real. Noveltea is a place I'd LOVE to work at!

The writing voice was gorgeous . Lydia described things very well. And the characters were really sweet, although they were a bit hard to get close to, compared to other books I've read, and hard to figure out.

But overall, it was a GREAT book and like I said earlier, VERY CLEAN!! I highly recommend that you read it!  

 

 

 

About The Author

 

 Lydia Howe (aka Aidyl Ewoh) is a twenty-something adventurous author who enjoys hiking in the mountains of Asia and South America, building life-size models of dinosaurs, taking road trips across Europe and cooking for large crowds.
Lydia grew up in a barn and has always dreamed of living in a tipi. She is trained as a John Maxwell coach and her passions include self-development and Christian apologetics. One of her life-long dreams was realized when her first book, “Cave Secrets of the Pterodactyl”, was published by Answers in Genesis in 2013. Her second book, “Action Kids’ Club” was published in November of 2014. Go follow her at lydiahowe.com

 

 

 

 Follow Lydia on Social Media

 

  

Facebook    Twitter   Goodreads   Google+

 

 

 

 

Enter The Giveaway

Click here to enter an AWESOME giveaway to win a $25 Gift Card to Amazon!!!!

 

 

 

 

  

 

Buy Where Dandelions Grow on Kindle

 

You can buy YOUR OWN copy of Where Dandelions Grow on Amazon. GO BUY IT NOW!!!!

THANK YOU, Lydia, for letting me read the book! It was great and I can't wait for you to write your next one!

Have YOU ever read Where Dandelions Grow? Are you excited to go read it? Did you go follow Lydia on her blog and social media? 'Cause you should. Are you going to buy Where Dandelions Grow on Amazon? Did you enter the giveaway? ENTER IT NOW!!!!

my current wip "the room" || synopsis and snippets

 

 

I am in the process of writing a book that I'm calling, "The Room." The name may or may not stay that after I'm finished it!!

Story Line:

Three young men are robbing a gas station. One girl unknowingly wanders in during their holdup. She witnesses a murder and is knocked out and taken hostage. She is imprisoned in a dank, cold room in a dilapidated trailer. The men watch and soon notice something different about her. She has forgiven them. She shares the story of a Savior who died for everyone's sins. They can't understand why she has forgiven them. Can't understand why a God, so holy and powerful would love the likes of them. Die for them.

So that's a little peek into what my story is about!! Not a very good synopsis, I know, but at least you know a little bit of what I'm writing! :)

 

I got all of my photos from Pinterest and made the collage on Canva.

Main Characters:
Lauren (Age: 19) (Girl on bottom right)
Jonas (Age: 23) (Guy on bottom left)
Simon (Age: 24) (Guy on top left)
Thomas (Age: 20) (Guy on top right)



I'm having SO MUCH FUN writing this story!! Kristen, my sister, has been helping me out A LOT with it. Helping me come up with ideas, different plots, and writing. THANK YOU SO MUCH KRISTEN!!!
I was writing another book called "The Deceiver", but since I wasn't finished plotting it out, I decided I better just save that and start something else.
I've been writing "The Room" for five days and I am SO HAPPY with how it's going!!
I love my characters, my settings, the dialogue!! EVERYTHING!!!

Here are some snippets from my book. I haven't edited any of them, so bare with me please! :)

The 1998 burgundy Ford Fiesta pulled into the antiquated Express Stop gas station and parked in one of the pavement cracked parking spaces. It lurched to a stop. Jonas removed the key from the ignition, then rested his dry hands on the ripped steering wheel, his gray eyes staring straight ahead.
"I wont be long", Simon affirmed as he opened his squeaky door in desperate need of oil, and slammed it shut. He adjusted his coat while he searched the property for any sign of a policeman, and then trudged into the gas station.

"Remember the plan?", Simon asked as they sat waiting in the gas station parking lot. Jonas pulled out his gun from the inside of his coat and checked the bullets. He looked at Simon and Thomas and said, "We're only using these to scare him. No killing."
He looked at Simon more closely. "No killing", he repeated.
He placed the gun back in his pocket and buttoned his coat.
"Let's go."

"We gotta get out of here now!", Jonas demanded.
"I'm not leaving her here alive", Simon promised. "She's seen us. She's seen everything!"
"We'll have to take her with us", Jonas decided as he saw Thomas holding her limp body. "We'll figure out what to do with her later."
"I don't like it", Simon hissed.
Jonas got in Simon's face. So close he could feel the warmth of Jonas's breath on him.
"That's what we're doing", Jonas said between clenched teeth.

 In a haze, Lauren could hear people mumbling, but their voices sounded like they were in in tunnels. Her vision was blurry and she could barely make out the silhouette of a man sitting beside her. She felt the floor beneath her vibrating as if moving.

I must be in a car.

The faint smell of sweat and blood  filled her nostrils. The next second, she was out again.

So, there are a few of my snippets! I'm only on chapter five, so it's not that many snippets, but maybe I'll get more on here soon!!! :)


Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful Daddy!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH and I hope today is very special for you!!

 

 

 

 

 

what was your favorite snippet of mine? do you want me to share more in the future? do you like to write? what genre of books do you like to write? tell me about the book you are writing. what are your characters like? 

book review || the great divide by Davis Bunn and GIVEAWAY results

Some friends gave this book to my sister, Kristen, for her birthday last year (2016) and I just got around to reading it myself.
Like any other Davis Bunn book, I loved it!! He never disappoints me.

The Great DivideBy: Davis Bunn
448 Pages
4 Stars

When attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from a prestigious corporate law firm to retreat to a small town in North Carolina and rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy, he suddenly finds himself in the biggest and most emotionally difficult case of his career.
Fragile and spiritually wounded, Glenwood is introduced to Alma and Austin Hall, whose daughter Gloria has disappeared in China while investigating the slave-like practices of New Horizons, the world's largest manufacturer of sports shoes and athletic gear. Persuaded by Alma's pleading, and their obvious distress, Marcus accepts the case.
No one, including Marcus himself, can believe how quickly his investigation untangles a web of deceit that stretches from Washington , D.C., to Europe and Asia and back to his own North Carolina backyard. With the power to obstruct, manipulate, intimidate, injure, and eliminate, the giant multinational sports company New Horizons has never lost a case. But they underestimate Marcus Glenwood.
Step by cautious step Glenwood moves forward to uncover the horrifying truth about New Horizons, Gloria Hall, and ultimately himself.

This book caught me in the beginning. The story line was amazing and  loved the characters, the courtroom scenes (they were awesome) and how descriptive everything was!
The only thing I would say negative about it was that it got to be a little long, but I still really enjoyed it!!

Before I say who won, I would like to thank everybody for participating!! I had 16 people who entered, and I wish everybody could win, but unfortunately, that cannot be. So without further ado, here are the results.
Drum roll please... *drum roll*

 

Emerald 

CONGRATULATIONS, EMERALD!!! *throws confetti and gives you heaping bowl of ice cream*
I will contact you as soon as I can for your information!!

 

Yes. You read that right. This is a gift for YOU!!

Bri (from Forget Not His Benefits) has offered all of you girls 50% off of hairpins on her etsy page!! All you do is enter this code: SUNSHINE50PERCENT for 50% off of your hair pin purchase!! It starts August 11th and ends August 18th. So you girls get on over there and order yourself some hair pins!!!

 

have you ever read books by Davis Bunn? ('cause you should). what are some books that you've read recently? your favorite author? did you enter the giveaway? should I do another giveaway in the future? are you going to go buy yourself some hair pins? which ones are you going to buy?

book review || tortured for his faith

I read this book about a year ago and I loved it! Haralan Popov's faith is incredible. He is tortured so much and still he remains faithful to the Lord.



Tortured For His Faith
By: Haralan Popov
146 Pages
5 Stars



Tortured for His Faith: An Epic of Christian Courage and Heroism in Our Day. Haralan Popov was the pastor of one of the largest churches in Bulgaria. The Communist government imprisoned him for 15 years.



I really loved this book. Like I said earlier, Haralan Povov's faith is incredible. He amazes me. He loved the Lord so much that he was willing to go through years of torture for Him.
I recommend that every single Christian read this.
You can purchase the book here.

Also, Happy Birthday to Kris, Ben and Emma! Kristen and Ben's birthday is on Wednesday. They share a birthday and are nine years apart. Kristen will be twenty three and Benjamin will be fourteen
Emma's birthday was last week and she turned two.
I love all of y'all so much!

have you ever read Tortured For His Faith?
how did you like it?
do you enjoy reading real life stories?

my thoughts on real books vs. tablets

I love reading  (as if you didn't already know that by now ;) ). But when I read, I like having a real book in my hands. I know a lot of you enjoy reading on tablets (I've actually read a book or two on a tablet myself) but its just not the same. There is something just so much more special reading from a real book than it is reading from a tablet.
Today I will share with you why I think real books are better than tablets.

Every time I get a new book to add to my shelf, I normally end up changing its home from one shelf to another about 81717838294 times (ok. I know I'm exaggerating :) ) before it looks perfect. And every time I get a new book, I admire seeing on the shelf with my sizable collection of books.
But when you have a tablet, you cant admire your library like you can when your books are on a bookshelf. Its just a long list of books and its not very pretty.

I love smelling my books. (maybe i'm weird??) Especially when they're really old. They just have that certain smell about them that I love. Even the new books have the scent of newness. But the tablets just don't have that smell. In fact, they don't smell like anything at all, which is really quite sad. :(

Ok. So if you are anything like me, you buy your books mostly by going to thrift stores. I cringe when I spend money on books over $10. Actually I cringe when I spend money on anything over $10! :D
Anyway, when you have a tablet, you cannot buy second hand books to read on it. They have to be brand new.

I love sharing books with my bookish friends, and I love borrowing books from them too. But if you have a tablet I would think that it would be really, really hard to do.

I love pressing flowers in my books. I guess you could say that its a hobby of mine. I love it when I'm reading a book and I turn the page and I see a perfect flower pressed on the page! It just makes that book even more beautiful!

Reading real books is just so much nicer. You can listen to that lovely sound the pages make when your turning them, you can skim through your book without much difficulty, and they're just so much more special. Tablets just don't have that kind of magic.

what are your thoughts on this?
which one would you rather use to read?
do you have another point i didn't mention?