October Wrap Up

I had a great reading month in October. I read four books total and they were all excellent. no bad reviews this month. Here's what I read and my thoughts.

Five Miles South of Peculiar

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for years. I think I picked it up on one occasion and abandoned it. I don't know why. It was sweet and quirky. I love family drama and this had plenty. I loved these three sisters and all of their perceived issues. There was a gentle, later in life romance, and I loved the small town Florida setting. Definitely recommended if you enjoy small town fiction or family stories. 

Jerusalem's Queen

This is the third book in The Silent Years series. I am loving and learning so much from these books! This one is about Salome, who I had never heard of. There is lots of palace intrigue which I love. Salome was a great character. I loved how wise she was, and she had such a heart for her people. This is also a story about friendship. Salome's servant plays a big part in her life. It's also romance free which was nice.

I received this book from Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Virgil Wander

I sometimes struggle with literary, character driven fiction. Leif Enger is an author I can connect with. I love his writing style. Not a lot happens action wise in this book, but the characters grow and change through out. This was a perfect fall read with it's small town, Midwest setting and just enough plot to make it interesting. It takes a an odd turn towards the end, but that didn't effect the overall reading experience for me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Mark of the Raven

I have struggled in recent years with reading fantasy fiction. I love the genre in movie form, but I usually find fantasy books to be long and confusing. Mark of the Raven was great! The world building was well done and not overly detailed, and the magic system is easy to follow. The main character is a bit of an anti-hero too, which is a nice change. If your looking for a new series to start I would recommend The Ravenwood Saga. It's really good.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and Bethany House for the purpose of review.

Check out more books reviews at Modern Mrs. Darcy.

Can't Wait for Jerusalem's Queen by Angela Hunt

I'm linking up with Wishful Endings to share an upcoming release I'm excited about.

What I'm waiting for:

Jerusalem's Queen 

When does it release? November 6, 2018

Why am I waiting? I love Angela Hunt, and this series is amazing.

What are you looking forward to reading? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Books That Had Me Worried

I don't read scary books. I do most of my reading at night, and I have no desire to give myself nightmares. Scary doesn't appeal to me, but intense does. Here are a few books that kept me on the edge of my seat, and had me guessing about the outcome. While I wouldn't call any of these books scary, I did find them to be unsettling.

The Distant Hours

The Cruelest Month

I Was Anastasia

Then She Was Gone

Let Me Lie

Force of Nature

The Great Alone

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond

And Then There Were None

Check out more top ten lists at That Artsy Reader Girl.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I'm linking up with Book Date to share this week's TBR.

Just finished:

Virgil Wander

Currently reading:

Mark of the Raven

The Clockmaker's Daughter

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments.

Cover Love ~ November and December

There aren't as many covers in November and December so I decided to combine them. I'm going to do a special Christmas Cover Love post next month, so stay tuned for that. Here are my favorite covers coming out in the next two months.

November

On Magnolia Lane

It's Not Supposed to be This Way

Mark of the Raven

December

The Bride of Ivy Green

The Liberty Bride

Searching for You

I think my favorite is The Bride of Ivy Green. I've loved all the covers in this series, but this one is my favorite. The Liberty Bride is really pretty too. What's your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

Can't Wait for Marilla of Green Gables

I'm linking up with Wishful Endings to share an upcoming release I'm excited about.

What I'm waiting for:

Marilla of Green Gables

When does it release? October 23, 2018

Why am I waiting? I've read a couple of the "Anne" books and enjoyed them. I also love a good origin story, so this looks really good.

What are you looking forward to reading? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Big Books!

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl to share this week's top ten list.

Here are some of the larger and longer books I've read over the past few years.

Middlemarch


Emma


The Count of Monte Cristo


The Secret Keeper


The Distant Hours


The Nightingale


The Darkest Minds


Divergent


Keepers of the Covenant


Where We Belong

What are some long books that you've read? Let me know in the comments.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I'm linking up with Book Date to share this week's TBR.

Currently reading:

Jerusalem's Queen

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments.

Up next:

The Solace of Water

First Line Friday

I'm linking up with Hoarding Books to share the first line of my current read.


The Time Between

"The first time I died was the summer I turned seventeen."

What are you reading this weekend? Let me know in the comments.

September Wrap Up

I read five books this month which is right on par with my normal reading. I enjoyed everything I read, and would recommend all of these books without reservation. I think Legacy of Mercy was my favorite. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint. Here are the books I read in the month of September.



A Rumored Fortune

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought the mystery elements were well done, and I liked the characters. Tressa was a great female lead. I felt like it could have ended about twenty pages sooner. I got a bit bogged down towards the end. The romance was a little gushy for me as well. Thank you Netgalley for the free copy for review. Waves of Mercy This was a reread for me. I wanted to refresh my memory before the sequel cam out. I did a full review here. The Uncertain Season I loved this historical fiction set in turn of the century Galveston. It was a great end of the summer book to read. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. I really seem to click with her writing style. I'd Rather Be Reading I enjoyed reading this little book of essays about the reading life. If you love books, you should pick this one up. It's really cute too. I have it sitting on my coffee table. Legacy of Mercy I was very excited when Lynn Austin announced she would be writing a follow up to Waves of Mercy. This was a great conclusion to the first story. She wraps up everyone's story, and even brings in some new characters to fall in love with. I could go back and visit Holland Michigan again and again. I loved how much the characters grew in there faith and how much they leaned on that faith when they faced trials and difficulties. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. Just make sure you start with Waves of Mercy. Thank you Netgalley for the review copy. What did you read this month? Let me know in the comments.

Can't Wait for The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

I'm linking up with Wishful Endings to share an upcoming release I'm excited about.

What I'm waiting for:

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

When does it release? October 9, 2018

Why am I waiting? I read Last Christmas in Paris and The Cottingly Secret by Hazel Gaynor last year and enjoyed them both. I'm excited to read this one as well.

Top Ten Tuesday~ Authors I Would Love to Meet

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl to share this week's top ten list.

One of the things I love about social media is the ability to interact with authors. I may not know them in real life, but it totally makes my day when they respond to my comments or like a post on Instagram. Here are a few authors I would love to meet in real life.

Angel Hunt


Lynn Austin


Susan Meissner


Jocelyn Green


Jaime Jo Wright


Connilyn Cossette


Sarah E. Ladd


Lysa TerKeurst


Anne Bogel


Julie Klassen


Have you ever met any of your favorite authors? Let me know in the comments.