fearless and funny.

Funny girl and writer for Chelsea Lately, Heather McDonald has come out with a sort of memoir about her inappropriate life and questionable morals. Something I am still planning on doing eventually, when the time is right, and motivation strikes, and we get a new president.

My Inappropriate Life is McDonald's second book and I'd say it trumps her first. She is Chelsea Handler funny, but she's married with children, so her stories are a bit more hilarious to you mommy's out there. However, I still found myself LOLing pretty often. I especially love McDonald's vent sesh on an obnoxious mom from her social circle who drives everyone crazy with her views on parenting the most brilliant child known to man. And when she brings her kids to a raunchy Vegas pool party. McDonald is a fabulous storyteller who's not afraid to air her own dirty laundry when it comes to being a working mom in the real world.

curious and curiouser.

When Laura Gantt returns to her hometown to bury her mother, she is hit with the impossible news that her father, who drowned when she was a teenager, has returned to town as well when sightings of an unkempt mountain man circulate through the small town. Like this woman doesn't have enough to deal with her mother passing away, she now needs to come to terms with the fact that the father that she loved dearly could have deserted her. As Laura tends to her mother's affairs, she also rekindles the flame with her high school sweetheart, Sean, who knows much more about her father than he cares to share. Dark, dark secrets are looming over this second-chance romance, adding a chilly air to the otherwise romantic novel A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Moseley.

 



living in the fruits of the spirit.

Many of us have made a mental or physical "bucket list" for our lives. What do we want to do before we die? What do we want to accomplish? What do we want to see? And most of us truly believe that crossing things off our tailor-made bucket lists will make us happy. I have to say, crossing skinny dipping in the Mediterranean off my list was sweet as hell, but at the end of the day, will I find a continual lifetime of happiness based on pleasures alone? Uh, well, I kind of thought so until I read Teresa Tomeo's God's Bucket List.

Tomeo is not trying to tell us that creating a list of goals for ourselves is a bad idea, the opposite really, in this book she is more guiding us toward practices for achieving happiness. Because simple manmade pleasures are not enough, and many of us, especially younger adults are so busy making plans that we forget to include God in any of them.

God's Bucket List consists of eight "agenda of adventures [God] wants you to experience, ways of living before you die." These include: Live with Stillness, Live Your Passion, Live with Instruction, Live in the Mess, Live with Understanding, Live by Confession, Live the Good Life, Live like You're Loved. In Tomeo's opinion, each of these eight practices are surefire ways to achieve happiness in this life and beyond. I can't say I disagree. It's nice to stop and be reminded why we're here.

unlike any nun i've ever met.

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau is the second book in the Crown series that takes place during the reign of King Henry VIII. We met Joanna Stafford in the first installment of the series (The Crown) and she continued to become one of my favorite heroines to date, at least in the historical fiction genre. Joanna is a nun during the terrible period of the Reformation as King Henry orders monasteries and convents to close down leaving Joanna, as well as other nuns, monks, friars, and priests to be tortured and killed, unless they escape. The year is 1538, and England is in the midst of bloody power struggles between crown and cross that threaten to tear the country apart. Since her escape from The Tower of London, Joanna has lived a quiet life as a seamstress, until she decides to give into fate and join the efforts to destroy the King.

England has such a dark history, and Nancy Bilyeau flawlessly brings this time period to life.

keep the tissues handy.

I reviewed My Hope is Found, the third and final installment of the Cadence of Grace series a few months ago. Sorry to go about things a tad backwards, but I’m here to report about the second novel, Though My Heart is Torn today. As to not leave anything out, the opening novel, Be Still My Soul, was when I was first captivated by these characters author Joanne Bischoff so graciously brought into my life. I’ve loved each one.

Though My Heart is Torn is good to its name as it will tear at your heart as you read the hardships your beloved characters must endure. Main characters Lonnie and Gideon have been through their share of trials, but nothing compares to the heartbreaking separation they must face when Cassie Allan claims to be Gideon’s first wife, and wants him back. How can Lonnie and Gideon simply fall out of love with each other and move on with their lives? You’ll soon find out.

children’s book that takes you back in time.

Annie never knew her grandmother since her mother didn’t talk much about her family and her childhood. But when her grandma got sick, Annie and her mother traveled to Baltimore to take care of her because no matter what happened in the past, you take care of family. The grandmother lived in an old hotel, which Annie thought to be very fascinating. However, the grandmother wasn’t exactly excited to see her long lost daughter who she hasn’t seen or heard from in years. But Annie was able to see a different side to the women when she was transported in time to 1937, and was able to get to know her grandmother when she was a sweet little girl named Molly who was trapped in her room due to illness.

Seven Stories Up by Laurel Snyder is such a charming little grades 4-6 novel about friendship and understanding. If only we could all visit our family trees like Annie.

let god come to you.

I don’t hear many stories about people chasing God. I mean, not in a bad way.  However, Angie Smith insists that many Christians are using the wrong approach to reach God in her self-help titled Chasing God, and it makes sense to me now.

This resource is for those of you who have this idea of what your relationship with God should look like, but aren’t able to achieve it. In a way, you are chasing Him, trying to become closer, but it’s not working. Smith states that “when we spend more of our time searching for assurance than we do acting out of belief, we are chasing God”. Trusting in God and his purpose for your life will stop the chase that leaves many Christians doubting God’s love for them, showing the difference between religion and a relationship when it comes to our Heavenly Father. Smith weaves in her life experiences with the scripture stories beautifully throughout the book, and she’s a funny girl to boot!