Who I Am With You by Robin Lee Hatcher

     I recently joined an online book reviewing company, where in turn for a free copy of a book, I write a review for them! To me this is a dream and I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to join. I was sent my first free book by Booklook Bloggers! Who I Am With You by Robin Lee Hatcher, published in 2018 by Thomas Nelson of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Generally, this is not my typical pick for a book, because in my mind I'm thinking, "It's just a mushy gushy love story… Where's the action?!" Let me just say, man was I wrong and love stories can be more than just that.

This book is filled with, yes, a love story, but so much more as well. It's a story about healing the heart from pain and sadness, and healing where love once was and was thought to be lost.

This book gave my heart a good wrench and not in a bad way. In a way in that I felt deeply for the characters, and could feel their sadness and their heartbreak, but also their journey in their faith with the Lord. 

I felt encouraged by the unwavering trust that the characters showed even when they didn't know it.  Even when the characters in this book felt no trust or strength, they held on because their God is a mighty God who heals even when completely broken. 

Sometimes,  He even brings others into our lives to help give us a little push to trust and believe again. 

In this book, Robin Lee Hatcher did just that by bringing Ridley Chesterfield into Jessica Masons life, both coming from a past of pain and heartbreak and both in need of a little push to put their trust back into the Lords hands.

0

Favorite 5 Reads in 2018! ☕

Hello there!

Yes, it is February 2019, and yes I am just now getting to write this post… I've just been a little busy in the middle of moving, but have been wanting/excited to tell you all my favorite reads in 2018!

So, Here I ago... 

1) The Night circus

I did write book review on this one because it truly is still a favorite of mine! It's so different from any book I'd read before. I felt like it deserved a review but at the same time, I so didn't want to mess up. haha! This book was intriguing to me, and the poetry within just felt so magical to read. I felt by the end of the book I wanted the story to keep going, and to know more about the characters and their future. I think that truly determines a good book in my mind, when I don't want it to end!

2) Murder on the Orient Express

This book by Agatha Christie was my first of hers to read! I can't believe I hadnt't read more of hers before! I love mystery, and have grown up watching old black and white Sherlock Holmes films. So reading this book was exciting and I felt like a detective trying to figure out the mystery along the way, gathering any clues I could find. It is so well written and very clever. I hope whoever reads this post picks up this book to read if you haven't already! 

3) Harry Potter, (books 1-3)

I know…. I'm late to this party, but anyways, It was actually my first time starting this series! I read books 1-3 and am currently on the 4th. I'm already a big Harry Potter fan from the movies, but reading the books just brings you to a whole new level! There is SO much more detail and story line within the books, that you just don't get from the movies. I've learned so much more about the characters and their history, as well as details that never made sense before, now do! 

4) Waterfall 

This book is the first in a series and had me feeling all sorts of emotions! It is set back in fourteenth- century Italy, and I guess is put in the genre of historical fiction, but I feel like it has everything! Romance, humor, action and a little magical. Yeah, it's a little cheesy and facts aren't 100%, but it's a fun quick read! I enjoyed this series and love the author, Lisa Tawn Bergren! I plan on reading other books she's written. 

5) True Devotion 

I also wrote a book review for this book by Dee Henderson on the blog. A dear friend of mine had been trying to get me to read her books all through growing up, and after reading True Devotion, I wish I had listened to her sooner! Dee Henderson has written a ton of books, all ranging in different sorts of genres. This story is, in my own opinion a romance/thriller? I loved it! I can handle romance if there's a good plot in the book as well, and Dee Henderson did just that. Another good book by her thats on the side of thriller if you're interested is, Traces of Guilt, which is apart of her An Evie Blackwell Cold Case series. 

0

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night."
(taken from back of the book)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern reeled me into its most intriguing, yet enchanting world and I don't want to ever leave it! 
(spoiler free)

The Night Circus was published in 2011 by Anchor books, a division of Random House Inc. 
Let's just say, I wish this was the first book in a series. However, like any other breathtaking book that leaves you emotional and wishing for more, you can only sit and marvel at how well written the book was and in this case, what happens next is up to your imagination! 
When I think of a circus, I think of clowns, cotton candy, and entertainment such as acrobats, dancers and lions! This book was that and so much more! Filled with poetry within the words, sadness as well as glee, and a dash of romance! The night circus is filled with magic between the pages and characters, and I can't express enough how captivated I was reading this story. I found myself there, at the circus, and attached to the characters as if I'd known them and was always a part of their world. 
There is this mysterious battle between two young magicians, which takes place within the circus walls. What kind of battle you ask? No guts, no gore… just purely and simply, MAGICAL. Read it, you'll see.

It really is hard to pick just one favorite quote because like I said, there is just so much poetry within, but I really liked, 
“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.' 'But you built me dreams instead.” 
because, I think we don't know sometimes how we effect people, and we don't say things in fear of it not being "good enough" but most times it IS enough and can mean so much to someone just the thought and the effort to say it, and sometimes you just got to do it! 

So, if you haven't gathered from my review so far if I think you should read this book, the answer is READ IT. I didn't feel disappointed by this book at all, only that I wish there was a second.

-Phoebe

4

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Childhood's End is a science fiction novel set on earth. Humans are the main characters, although quickly visited by an unknown race (they don’t show their faces until they’ve been on earth for 50 years). The book fast forwards several times, but brings everything to a conclusion, which is (SPOILER ALERT) the end of the human race, although not the way you’d think. The unknown aliens bring order amongst the human chaos, and establish what is essentially a utopia while waiting for the emergence of the next powerful race coming from the homo sapiens species. Eventually that race comes, and destroys the earth, almost nonchalantly.

The book brought up many interesting ideas. Would a utopia be good? What would we lose as humanity if another race stopped allowing us to make mistakes that “would no doubt destroy us?” There was one section of the book talking about our culture’s idolization with science and how science is ill-prepared to answer questions beyond itself. The author in many ways tried his own sort of predicting what a future in this universe would look like. I love the practice of being forward thinking, especially socially. What will society look like if X, Y, & Z happen?

A question I think is important when reading a book is: “How did reading this book make me a better person?” I think the author is right when he says the world will end. Are you prepared for that? What do you believe about the end? How will you choose to live your life in light of your beliefs about the end? These are important questions, and today, we are often so distracted by trivial things that we fail to wrestle with these necessary conversations. This is where the book has enormous value. If we began to think more about what happens after we die, I think it would greatly shape how we live our life, how we spend our precious moments here on earth, and ultimately how we interact with other people.

Overall, this was an extremely fun read, and you could read it in a day. Science fiction fans will love it, and even if you aren't a huge science fiction fan (like me), you will enjoy it as well. The ending of the book will be polarizing. Some may love it, some may hate it, but hopefully the entire book will at least encourage you to have an opinion.

-Evan

             

0

True Devotion by Dee Henderson

I’ve recently become a Dee Henderson fan because of her book, True Devotion published in 2002 by Multnomah Publishers. I was intrigued from the get go and that’s always a good sign when starting a new book!

True Devotion starts out with an intense scene of survival out in the open Pacific off of San Diego, where Kelly Jacobs treads below freezing waters, holding on to not only her own dear life, but onto a 15 year old boy who gets pulled out to sea while surfing by rip tides. They barely make it. Talk about stressful and terrifying. She doesn't give up, even when her mind and body tell her to give up.  

Kelly is widowed to a Navy Seal, Nick, who has passed away, she’s told during a “training” accident. This story tells about her life after his death and how it just may have been more than a training accident that killed Nick. Kelly is wounded and trying to heal from the pain of losing a loved one, she's fragile but courageous. She's smart, her husband Nick taught her to be in the years before his death. She shows how moving on is possible after horrible events and seasons of life, and even how falling in love again is not completely absurd. 

Navy Seal Lieutenant Joe Baker, "Bear" was Nick's best friend and partner, who swears to take care of Kelly, possibly because he partially feels responsible for his partners death. What could he have done differently on the mission, "training accident", to change how things went? Joe is always there for Kelly, keeping her safe from the evil that follows her after Nick's death and she finds comfort in that. Someone she can trust with everything in her, someone who will do anything and everything to keep her safe and alive. Joe has to figure out what the right thing to do is, while still an active duty navy seal and his dedication to serve, his spending more time with Kelly he is realizing his feelings are more than just friendship. Can he risk putting Kelly through that life again? 

This was not my first Dee Henderson book I've read, but it is by far my favorite one so far.  Something I love about Dee Henderson is her ability to balance romance along side suspense, keeping it interesting but not over dramatic. To be honest, some of her books can be too slow for me or have too much detail that I lose a little interest, but that wasn’t the case with this one. I definitely recommend True Devotion, and if you love a good romance/suspense you won't be disappointed with this one.

-Phoebe 

0

A Society For Reviews

Hello book friends!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and check out my book blog!
I'm calling it "Stories Society" because I want this to be a little society full of all things adventure, mystery, romance and magic that takes you to another universe.

I hope to write my own honest reviews that help you and whoever is reading, decide if a story is for you or not.
It means the world to me that you've stopped by, and I hope you come back soon to read my first book review on Stories Society!




Sincerely,

Phoebe

0