Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764209901
Published Feb 1, 2012
Trade paperback, 368 pages




Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

This is the last MM of 2012! It's been a great reading year. You can view my best reads here: Best Reads of 2012 and Year-end Wrap-up. Are you all gearing up for another year of great books? I am, and I'm happy to share my journey with the book blogger community. Looking forward to reading more of your reviews!

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia who now blogs at Mailbox Monday. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Suko at Suko's Notebook is hosting for the month of December. You can also view the touring blog list here for the upcoming months.

This is what I got in my mailbox this past week:

For review:
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (Audio Drama from Tyndale)

The story that has thrilled millions comes to life in a brand new way in Focus on the Family Radio Theatre's Les Miserables. This audio drama beautifully portrays the redeeming power of forgiveness through the story of Jean Valjean, an embittered convict whose life is changed by a single act of kindness. Recorded in London with some of England's finest actors, it will mesmerize adults and families alike.


Bought:
Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.

Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family’s hidden secrets, she’ll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin’s murderous plan and Churchill himself.

In this daring debut, Susan Elia MacNeal blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel.

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.

Read and reviewed:
Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Finished reading:
Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

Currently reading:
The Memory Clinic: Stories of Hope and Healing for Alzheimer's Patients and Their Families by Dr. Tiffany Chow

Hope you all have a great reading week!

This has been a very busy year for me, especially since I'm working more in my field and had less time for reading, although I ended up reading more books this year than last. (I'm a Special Care Counsellor, sometimes known as Specialized Educator). My tastes are still very much eclectic as you will see by my book lists. But there are two new things that happened to me this past year:

1) I started reading ebooks. I got a Kobo and I downloaded the Kindle app on my android phone. I still prefer print books but yeah, I'm getting with the times...
2) I've discovered audio books. Wow! I didn't know what I was missing. And listening to books suits my harried schedule since most of it's done in my car commuting to work.

This year I read a total of 121 books (10 children's, 25 middle-grade, 8 YA, and 78 adult books, of which 26 were non-fiction, and I did not finish 2 books). You can view my complete list here: Books Read in 2012


Another uplifting and inspirational book that celebrates women as unheralded heroines, telling of their quiet courage, their grace under fire, and their determination to use their skills to survive in impossible situations. In 2012, I also participated in 10 challenges and completed 6 of them. Here is a recap:

1. Time Travel Rerading Challenge (Completed!)
2. Short Story Reading Challenge (25% done)
3. War Through the Generations (Completed!)
4. TBR Pile Reading Challenge (Completed!)
5. Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge  (75% done)
6. Read Dystopia Challenge (Completed!)
7. YA Historical Fiction Challenge  (Completed!)
8. What's In a Name 5 Challenge  (83% done)
9. A - Z Book Challenge (85% done)
10. I Love Italy Reading Challenge (Completed!)

I will not be hosting any challenges in 2013 but will continue to read books and make it a personal challenge to read time travel books and books with an Italian connection . I am trying to focus more on reading without time limits and also reading books for Reading the World Challenge, which is a perpetual challenge that I neglected in 2012.

But enough about me, here are my review partner Sandra's best picks for 2012:

In 2013 I am not going to host this challenge, but will only make it a personal challenge for myself to read books with a time travel element. I will link my books for this challenge here. If you want to read books with time travel, feel free to visit this page to get ideas. You could also get more ideas for books here and here.

Books I've read for my personal  "Time Travel" Reading Challenge in 2013:

1. Infinity Ring: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner
2. Keeper of the Black Stones (Book One) by PT McHugh
3. Cragbridge Hall #1: The Inventor's Secret by Chad Morris


Books I read for this challenge in 2012:

1. The Other Elizabeth by Karleen Bradford
2. Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
3. Switching by Jody Kihara
4. The Keeper's Calling by Kelly Nelson
5. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
6. Dreamspell by Tamara Leigh
7. Trophy: Rescue by Paul M. Schofield
8. The Mine by John A. Heldt
9. Overseas by Beatriz Williams

Books I read for this challenge in 2011:

1. Trophy by Paul M. Schofield
2. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
3. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
4. The Speed of Light by Lee Baker

I have a personal challenge to read books with an Italian connection. I will link my books for this challenge here. If you want to read books set in Italy, by an Italian author or with an Italian connection, feel free to visit this page to get ideas.

1. The House by the Sea by Louise Douglas

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Atria Books
Published August 10, 2012
Kindle edition, 354 pages




Note: This book contains some crude language. No f-bombs. Some heavy kissing but no sex scenes.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: I bought this book and was not told how to rate or review this product.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia who now blogs at Mailbox Monday. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Suko at Suko's Notebook is hosting for the month of December. You can also view the touring blog list here for the upcoming months.

Bought at BookCloseOuts.ca:


The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace
An enchantingly imagined romance inspired by the true story of the typewriter's invention.

Carolina Fantoni, a young contessa in nineteenth-century Italy, is going blind. Neither her parents nor her fiancé believe her. Only her friend Turri, an eccentric local inventor, understands. As darkness erases Carolina's world, she discovers one place where she can still see-in her dreams-yet she remains isolated from the outside world. Desperate to communicate with Carolina, Turri creates a peculiar contraption for her: the world's first typewriter. His gift ignites a passionate love affair that will mark both their lives forever.

Dolci di Love by Sarah-Kate Lynch
New from the author of House of Daughters- an irresistible confection of love, loss, and Italian sweets in the delectable tradition of Chocolat. 

Corporate star Lily Turner abandons the boardrooms of Manhattan for the steep streets of Montevedova when she discovers her "perfect" husband, Daniel, has another family tucked away in the hills of Tuscany. Once there, her plight attracts the attention of the Secret League of Widowed Darners, an all-but-invisible army pulling strings behind the scenes to create happy endings. Soon founding members, Violetta and Luciana, are scheming to mend Lily's broken heart-and to enlist her help for their struggling pasticceria.

With the lush landscape of a sumptuous Tuscan summer in the background, and the tantalizing scent of fresh-baked cantucci in the air, Dolci di Love is the joyful celebration of a modern recipe for life.

For review from Pajama Press:

A Good Trade by Alma Fullerton, illustrations by Karen Patkau
In a small Ugandan village, Kato wakes early to start the long barefoot trek beyond his village and along fields dotted with cattle and guarded by soldiers. As it is every day, his destination is the village well, where he will pump a day's supply of water into two jerry cans before trudging home again. But this is no ordinary day. The aid worker's truck arrives at the village square, and in the back is a gift so special, the little boy rushes home to look for something to repay the aid worker.

Alma Fullerton's spare, lilting prose tells a deceptively simple story of one day in a little boy's life. But in a place ravaged by a generation of civil war and drought, a village well brings life, a gift of shoes is a cause for celebration, and a simple flower becomes an eloquent symbol of peace and gratitude.


A Bear in War by Stephanie Innes & Harry Endrulat, illustrated by Brian Deines
Teddy belonged to ten-year-old Aileen Rogers, whose father Lawrence left Aileen, her little brother Howard, and his wife Janet home on the family farm in Quebec when he went to war. Janet and Lawrence exchanged more than 200 letters during his service. Aileen and Howard also wrote their dad — and Aileen sent her beloved Teddy overseas to help protect him. Sadly, Lawrence died at the battle of Passchendaele. In 2002, his granddaughter Roberta Innes found Teddy and the letters in an old family briefcase. Her findings uncovered how a Canadian family’s strength was tested by war and how a small stuffed bear became an enduring memento of their love. Sensitive text by Harry Endrulat and Roberta’s daughter Stephanie, and Brian Deines’ lovely illustrations bring this unusual story of love and war to life.






This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.  The kidlit version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

Read and reviewed:
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (good Irish lit)
Cold River by Liz Adair (mystery and suspense)
Ashes in Twilight by Kassy Tayler (I loved this audiobook!)
The Keeper's Calling by Kelly Nelson (a fun time-travel tale)

Finished reading:
Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Still reading:
Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings
The Infinity Ring #1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner (with my daughter)
Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel (with my son)

Hope you all have a great reading week!

The Keeper's Calling by Kelly Nelson
Walnut Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1599928449
Published Feb 20, 2012
Trade paperback, 312 pages


Note: There is some violence in this book during fight scenes and one gruesome scene of finding a dead body. There is also a scene with a powerful sorcerer who controls a character's mind.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: A-Z Book Reading Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to Amy Orton from Walnut Springs Press for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler
AudioGo
Released Nov 13, 2012
Narrator: Nicola Barber
Length: Unabridged 9 hrs 25 min





This is one of the best YA audiobooks I have listened to this year! I didn't really know what to expect when I requested to review it. I was hooked from the first 10 minutes of listening.

Cold River by Liz Adair
Walnut Springs Press
ISBN: 978-1599928036
Published September 29, 2011
Trade paperback, 324 pages

I was quickly pulled into this story and found that the suspense built right from the beginning. Dr. Mandy Steenburg accepts a position as superintendent of a remote school district in Limestone, but encounters hostility from the staff and townsfolk the minute she sets foot there. Old family feuds, people set in their ways, secrets, and respect for the former superintendent who they still look to for support make it hard on Mandy, but she works hard to make a difference, until it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill her and drive her out of town.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge, and TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to Amy Orton from Walnut Springs Press for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Here are two free romance novels that are clean and well-written: