What I Read in April

1. Sweet on You- I reviewed this book in December, but still had a couple of chapters to finish. I reviewed the second book in this series in April, but still have a couple of chapters to finish. I love this author. I like this character. Check it out!


2. Three Moons over Sedona- This is one I've had on my Kindle for a long time. I loved Sedona when I visited Arizona a few years ago, so I could totally picture in my head the land features described. In this novel, the main character's husband had just died, and she decides to have a "mid-life" crisis by driving until she doesn't feel like driving anymore. What results is new friendships, some romance, and a journey of finding herself that couldn't have happened if she had just stayed put in her hometown. I loved the characters. The writing flows well, and is easy to read. A great summertime read for sitting around by the pool!


3. Independent Study- This is the second book in The Testing Trilogy and it is great. Reminiscent of series like Divergent and The Hunger Games, this is a fast-moving book with well-developed characters that will keep  you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend it! I'm reading the last book right now.


4. Murder for the Time Being- Loved this book. Reviewed it at the end of March. Lexi is an awesome character and her story is amazing. Very fast-paced, that kept me guessing until the very end.


5. The Story of Land and Sea- This book is set during the final days of the American Revolution and tells the story of Helen, her daughter Tabitha, her slave, Moll, her father and her husband. Death is a central theme, as is the importance of allowing people to make their own choices. The interweaving of their lives is a haunting tribute to how we connect with one another. Not my favorite book, to be honest, but a good read nonetheless.


6. Zip It: The Keep it Shut 40-Day Challenge- I read this one as a part of Karen Ehman's #DoingLentTogether facebook page. Based on her book Keep It Shut, this book had 40 quick devotionals focusing on the power of our words. Loved it. Need to read it every month of my life!


7. The Women of Easter- I got this book from blogging for books and was delighted to discover Liz would be reading through it for Lent on her facebook page. It's a marvelous read that highlights the lives of the three Mary's in  the New Testament, as well as focusing on the relationship of women to Christ. Love it.


8. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk- This is a book I was excited about. I wanted to read it before I watched the movie, but we ended up watching the movie first. It's about war hero Billy Lynn's whose company is paraded around the country, ending with a televised halftime show during the annual Thanksgiving Day game for the Dallas football team (although I don't think it ever said Cowboys, probably because of copyright issues, I know enough about football that I pictured that team and their infamous cheerleaders throughout the prose). The story involves some flashbacks of war battles, time with his family, how he came to be who he is, and real-life moments including the half-time show. As expected, this book has a lot of inappropriate language. As much as I wanted to love it, I just didn't. It ended very abruptly and left me wondering if he'd go back to war only to get killed.


9. Steadfast Love by Lauren Chandler- I LOVED this book. Loved it. Focusing on Psalm 107, Lauren shows us how through worship and difficulties, God is our anchor, a steadfast love and hope for us. Beautifully written, Lauren draws from personal experience and pulls out portions of Scripture to encourage. Highly recommend this book!!


10. The Yellow Envelope- Loved this book as well. It tells the story of Kim and her husband Bryan, who quit their jobs and sold everything they owned to travel the world. I reviewed it this month, so click on the link to read more.


11. Lucky Us- This book tells the story of Iris and Eva, two sisters, and their motley crew of supporting characters in the 1940s. Well-written from the viewpoints of different characters, including through narrative and letters, the book shows how families can become frayed but can come back together. Again, not my favorite book, but not a bad read.


Lots of books left on my challenge. I'm reading 36 books right now- oh, boy!!!! But my favorite time of the year is coming up and I'm hoping for lots of reading!




2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge
A book recommended by a librarian
A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long- Girl on the Train
A book of letters
An audiobook
A book by a person of color
A book with one of the four seasons in the title
A book that is a story within a story-The Story Keeper
A book with multiple authors
An espionage thriller
A book with a cat on the cover- The Cat That Went Bump in the Night
A book by an author who uses a pseudonym
A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read
A book by or about a person who has a disability- Tough as They Come
A book involving travel- The Yellow Envelope
A book with a subtitle- Zip It: The Keep it Shut 40-Day Challenge
A book that's published in 2017
A book involving a mythical creature
A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile
A book about food
A book with career advice
A book from a nonhuman perspective
A steampunk novel
A book with a red spine
A book seet in the wilderness
A book you loved as a child
A book by an author from a country you've never visited
A book with a title that's a character's name- Dearest Dorothy...
A novel set during wartime
A book with an unreliable narrator
A book with pictures
A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you
A book about an interesting woman
A book set in two different time periods
A book with a month or day of the week in the title
A book set in a hotel
A book written by someone you admire
A book that's becoming a movie in 2017
A book set around a holiday other than Christmas
The first book in a series you haven't read before- The Most Famous Illegal Parade in Goose Creek
A book you bought on a trip



Advanced
A book recommended by an author you love
A bestseller from 2016- Hillbilly Elegy
A book with a family member term in the title
A book that takes place over a character's life span
A book about an immigrant or refugee
A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of
A book with an eccentric character
A book that's more than 800 pages
A book you got from a used book sale
A book that's been mentioned in another book
A book about a difficult topic
A book based on mythology