Update #2 on 2012 Reading Challenges

It's time for an update on my reading challenges:

Historical Fiction Challenge 2012

(complete 6/3/12)

See the first Reading Challenge update for list of books I read

2014 Winter Olympics Reading Challenge

(3/26/12 - )

There are three levels to this challenge: Level 1 (Gold): Read a book from every country that won a medal. (A total of 26 countries) Level 2 (Silver): Read a book from every country that won a Gold medal. (A total 19 countries) Level 3 (Bronze): Read a book from every country that won Gold, Silver AND Bronze medals - the * countries. (15 countries)

I love the Olympics and this challenge caught my eye because it is so unique plus you have four years to finish it…well if you started back in 2010 you’d have four years. I’m not sure if I’ll go back in time very far to see what I can cross off. We’ll see. And I’m definitely going to try for gold.

Here’s the list of the 26 countries that won medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics (* means the country got gold, silver and bronze medals):

• Australia - Gold & Silver (no Bronze)
• Austria *
• Belarus *
• Canada *
• China *
• Croatia - Silver & Bronze (no Gold)
• Czech Republic - Gold & Bronze (no Silver) - Mission Out of Control by Susan May Warren
• Estonia - Silver (no Gold or Bronze)
• Finland - Silver & Bronze (no Gold)
• France *
• Germany * - Goose Girl by Shannon Hale & Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
• Great Britain - Gold (no Silver or Bronze) - Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
• Italy * - The Duke's Promise by Jamie Carie
• Japan - Silver & Bronze (no Gold)
• Kazakhstan - Silver (no Gold or Bronze)
• Latvia - Silver (no Gold or Bronze)
• Netherlands *
• Norway *
• Poland *
• Russia *
• Slovakia *
• Slovenia - Silver & Bronze (no Gold)
• South Korea *
• Sweden *
• Switzerland - Gold & Bronze (no Silver)
• United States * - see the 50 State challenge below

Where are you Reading Challenge

This is simply a fun way to see where the stories take place that you read by pinpointing them on Google Maps. It’s kinda hard to figure out where a fiction story takes place.

View My book travels in a larger map

50 States Challenge

The goal of this one is simple – read a book that takes place in each of the 50 States. And I've thrown in the territories and DC. For a total of 56 places.

(12/56 - 6/3/12)

Alabama - Alabama by Kay Cornelius

Alaska

American Samoa

Arizona 

Arkansas

California - Whatever Tomorrow Brings by Lori Wick

Colorado - Morning Mountain by Peggy Darty

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia - Always a Baker Never a Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

Guam

Hawaii

Idaho - A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas - Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Kentucky - A Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz

Louisiana

Maine - Maine Brides by Susan Page Davis

Maryland

Massachusetts - Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato

Michigan

Minnesota - Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich 

Mississippi - The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Missouri - Forever After by Deborah Raney

Montana - Sabrina by Lori Wick

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico - Mercy Come Morning by Lisa Tawn Bergen

New York - Masquerade by Nancy Moser

North Carolina - Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof

North Dakota

Northern Marianas Islands

Ohio - The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer

Oklahoma

Oregon - The Doctor's Lady by Jody Helund

Pennsylvania - The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island - An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser

South Carolina - The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall

South Dakota

Tennessee - The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Texas - A Texan's Honor by Shelley Gray

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Virgin Islands

Washington - The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Can you tell I like geography and traveling? To add a bit of variety here is a challenge with two parts that Abbi over at Christian Novels is doing.

A-Z Challenge 

Read a book and a author for each letter of the alphabet
(Books:12 left to go - 6/3/12)
(Authors: 12 left to go - 6/13/12)
(except I missed a few so the previous stat is a bit wrong)

Books:

A- Always the Baker Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

B- Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

C- The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz

D- Dancing with Max by Emily Colson

E- Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

F- Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich

G- The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie

H- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I- Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

J- Jessie by Lori Wick

K-

L- The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

M- The Messenger by Siri Mitchell; My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

N- N or M? by Agatha Christie

O- Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

P- Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato

Q- Quiet by Susan Cain (except I didn't quite finish it)

R- Riona by Linda Windsor

S- Sabrina by Lori Wick

T- A Texan's Honor by Shelley Gray

U- An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser

V- A Vote of Confidence by Robin Lee Hatcher

W- Word's Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart

X-

Y-

Z-

Authors

A- Lynn Austin, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen

B- Charlene Ann Baumbich

C- Jamie Carie, Emily Colson, Suzanne Collins

D- Peggy Darty

E- Elizabeth Eulberg

F- Laura Frantz

G- Shelley Gray

H- Shannon Hale

I- Washington Irving

J- Reginna Jennings

K- Jane Kirkpatrick, Karen Kingsbury

L- Gail Carson Levine

M- Siri Mitchell, Catherine Gilbert Murdock

N- Lisa Norato

O- Bruce Olson

P- Mary Osborne Pope, Delia Parr

Q-

R- Deborah Raney

S- Anne Elisabeth Stengl

T- M.L. Tyndall

U-

V- Clare Vanderpool

W- Lori Wick

X-

Y- Kathleen Y'Barbo

Z- Zee-Zee

BH ebook deal 11/28: Unending Devotion

This month Bethany House Publishers has a special deal each day for a different ebook. 

Wednesday's deal is

Unending Devotion by Jodi Heldund

Regular Price: $14.99

80% off at Amazon

84% off at Christian Book Distributors
Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 28th)

Goodreads Summary:

Michigan, 1883 In Her Darkest Hours, Is He the Man She Needs?

Lily Young longs to find her lost sister or will die trying. Heedless of any danger, she searches logging camps and towns, posing as a photographer's assistant. And then she arrives in Harrison, Michigan--and the sights of Connell McCormick.

Connell is determined to increase the fortune of his lumber-baron father and figures as long as he's living an upright life, that's what matters. But when Lily arrives in town she upends his world, forcing him to confront the truth that dangerous men have gained too much power while good men turn a blind eye.

Vexing but persuasive, Lily soon secures Connell's help, drawing them ever closer to each other. Will standing for what's right cost them both everything?

I recently read The Doctor's Lady also by Jodi Hedlund and I really enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to reading this book.

UPDATE: At Every Turn by Anne Mateer is FREE today only!
Missed that when writing this post real quick earlier. See the Bethany House link below to find your favorite retailer to get it from.

Check out the rest of the Bethany House November deals

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Waiting on Wednesday #18: Ashton Park by Murray Pura

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Ashton Park by Murray Pura
Harvest House - January 2013
Series: The Danforths of Lancashire, #1

About
For fans of the hugely popular Downton Abbey series, comes this equally enthralling story of the Danforth family of Ashton Park.

Among the green hills and trees of Lancashire, only a few miles from the sea, lies the beautiful and ancient estate of Ashton Park.

The year is 1916. The First World War has engulfed Europe and Sir William’s and Lady Elizabeth’s three sons are all in uniform—and their four daughters are involved in various pursuits of the heart and soul.

As the head of a strong Church of England family for generations, Sir William insists the Danforth estate hold morning devotions that include both family and staff. However, he is also an MP and away at Westminster in London whenever Parliament is sitting. During his long absences, Lady Elizabeth discreetly spends time in the company of the head cook of the manor, Mrs. Longstaff, who is her best friend and confidante. This friendship includes visits to a small Baptist church in Liverpool that exposes Lady Elizabeth to a less formal approach to Christian worship and preaching than she is used to and which she comes to enjoy.

Readers will follow Ashton Park’s charming upstairs/downstairs characters through the perils of war and the affairs of the heart with relish—and with an eye to the sequel coming in Fall 2013.

Why I want to read it

My cousin introduced me to Downton Abbey last Christmas; my mom, sister and I watched the entire first season in the two or three days we were there. Currently I'm enjoying season three (there are benefits to living in Africa!). And since I enjoy reading more than watching TV, it's quite exciting that a new series is coming out set in that same time period. This is a new to me author but his other books have high ratings so this should be good too!

Where you can find it

Amazon and ChristianBooks

Book Trailer

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013's Most Anticipated Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

The year is winding down. Hard to believe Christmas is just under a month away and that soon it will be 2013! There are a number of great books coming out, but I choose my top five and then included a few books that the students at the school I work at are eagerly awaiting.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For 2013

1. The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

Absolutely loved her first two books! The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter

2. Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

I can’t wait for summer! This series is simply fabulous (you should know that by now, I mention it every chance I get). Go read the beginning of the series so you’ll be ready for this one! (#1: Heartless, #2 Veiled Rose, #3 Moonblood, #4 Starflower)

3. The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen

I’ve enjoyed her other books, particularly her last one and am excited about this one!

4. Love in the Balance by Reginna Jennings

The first book in this series is a retelling of Ruth, Sixty Acres and a Bride and I loved it. Excited to hear Molly’s story!

5. Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

I've enjoyed a few other books by this author and the description promises an interesting story.

The books the students at my school are looking forward to the most:

6. The Third Wheel (#7) by Jeff Kinney

Yes, I know it already came out, but we won’t get it until January (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8 is untitled as of now but will come out in 2013)

7. Ranger’s Apprentice Series #5 onward

Yes, again, all but #12 are out, but our library doesn’t have them and the kids keep asking when we’ll get them. Oh the joys of having to wait for someone to come from the States and giving them money for the extra baggage fees.

8. 39 Clues: The Cahills vs. Vespers Series Shatterproof  (#4) & Trust No One (#5)

Those are out as well, but again we don’t have them yet and number 6, Day of Doom is coming in 2013.

9. Maximum Ride Series – Nevermore (#8)

Yes, this one is out too but we don’t have it yet.

10. What book are you eagerly awaiting in 2013?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

BH ebook deal Nov 23: Short-Straw Bride

This month Bethany House Publishers has a special deal each day for a different ebook. 

Friday's deal is

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Wittemeyer

Regular Price: $14.99

80% off at Amazon

84% off at Christian Book Distributors
Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 23rd)

Goodreads Summary:

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

I definitely recommend getting this book! Here's my review and rating:

Check out the rest of the Bethany House November deals

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Waiting on Wednesday #17 - Princess of the Silver Woods

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're

eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Bloomsbury - December 2012

About
When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

Why I want to read it

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, Princess of the Midnight Ball and Princess of Glass, and am excited for one last book in the series. I love retellings of fairy tales and this sounds like a real gem with the Twelve Dancing Princesses mixed with Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood!

Where you can find it

Amazon and Barnes & Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Head in the Clouds - BH discounted ebook Nov 16th

This month Bethany House Publishers has a special deal each day (almost) for a different ebook. 

Friday's deal is

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

Regular Price: $14.99

80% off at Amazon

84% off at Christian Book Distributors

Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 16, 2012)

Goodreads Summary:

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.

When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?

Check out the rest of the Bethany House November deals

Lady of Milkweed Manor & a freebie - BH discounted book Nov 15th

This month Bethany House Publishers has a special deal each day for a different ebook. 

Thursday's deal is

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

Regular Price: $14.99

84% off at Christian Book Distributors
80% off at Barnes & Noble
Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 15, 2012)

Goodreads Summary:

As Charlotte drew closer to the looming grey edifice that was to become her temporary home, she could not help but notice the secretive shuttered windows. Then she noticed the milkweeds...

Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake—and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London's forbidding "Milkweed Manor," a place of mystery and lore, of old secrets and new birth.

But once there, she comes face to face with a suitor from her past—a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required.

Sprinkled with fascinating details about the lives of women in Regency England, Lady of Milkweed Manor is a moving romantic drama about the redemption of past failings and the beauty of sacrificial love.

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And they have a second book that's free!

Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife: True Stories From People Who Have Glimpsed the World Beyond by James L. Garlow and Keith Wall

Regular Price: $14.99

Free at Christian Book Distributors
Free at Barnes and Noble
Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 15, 2012)

Goodreads Summary:

What happens when we die? What is heaven really like? How do spiritual beings--angels and demons--interact with us here and in the hereafter? Real-life, credible stories of near-death experiences and spiritual encounters gathered by the authors of Heaven and the Afterlife paint a clearer, fuller picture of exactly what readers can expect when it's their turn to "cross over." These gripping true stories--written from a solidly biblical perspective but accessible to seekers--provide fascinating glimpses into the spiritual world around us and the one that awaits us.

Check out the rest of the Bethany House November deals

The Doctor's Lady - BH discounted book Nov 14th

This month Bethany House Publishers has a special deal each day for a different ebook. 

Wednesday's deal is

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Regular Price: $14.99

80% off at Amazon

84% off at Christian Book Distributors
Double check the price before you buy - the sale is only good for one day (November 14th)

Goodreads Summary:

Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.
 Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

Check out the rest of the Bethany House November deals

Waiting on Wednesday #16 - Breath of Dawn

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're

eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann

Bethany House - November 2012

About
Corporate turnaround specialist Morgan Spencer, dubbed the "success guru," has a Midas touch in business. But losing his wife sent him to the brink, and his two-year-old daughter, Livie, is all he's living for--until they encounter a woman whose trouble just might draw him out of his own.

Four years ago Quinn Reilly did the right thing. Now the man her testimony put in jail is getting out. Though she has put up barriers to protect herself and those around her, she has come to care for the Spencer family, especially the winsome Livie and her mercurial father. Unwilling to put them at risk when the threats begin, she requests something she hopes the super-successful Morgan might be able to deliver.

Fixing problems is what Morgan does best, but his counterproposal takes them in a direction neither is equipped to handle. Determined to confront the past, will they survive to build a future?

Why I want to read it

This is a bit different from books I usually read, but this sounds interesting. A bit of mystery, a bit of romance perhaps.

Where you can find it

Amazon and ChristianBooks (as of 10/18 ChristianBooks.com is cheaper)

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

A Duke’s Promise by Jamie Carie

A Duke’s Promise by Jamie Carie. B&H, 2012. p. (9781433673245) Series: Forgotten Castle, #3

Here’s another book that I should have written the review for last summer but never got around to doing so. One reason for the delay was I wanted to post a review closer to when it was released, the other reason was that I didn’t like this final book in the series as well as the first two – The Guardian Duke and TheForgiven Duke, and was reluctant to write a bad review. But such is life.

Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t read book one and two there will probably be some spoilers, but you might have already guessed what happens between Alexandria Featherstone and Gabriel the Duke of St. Easton.

Goodreads Summary:

From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England’s shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her husband has promised a wedding trip to take them to the place where her imperiled parents were last seen -- Italy and the marble caves of Carrara -- but a powerful Italian duke plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents.

Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured by Gabriel’s affliction to the breaking point, they must learn to work and fight together. The mysterious key is within their grasp, but they have yet to recognize it. This journey will require steadfast faith in God and each other -- a risk that will win them everything they want or lose them everything they have.

My Review:

In my review of The Forgiven Duke I mentioned that while book one could be considered YA, book two and also book three had scenes that were not PG. Or even PG-13 for that matter. TFG ends with the wedding of Alexandria and Gabriel. Duke's Promise opens with the wedding night and Alexandria’s worries about what will happen that night and what might have happened that one night she was drugged. There’s plenty of affection.

And as with book two this final book in the series the adventure continues and the danger escalates. It’s not often that characters travel by balloon (only other one I can think of is Wisdom’s Kiss by Catherine Murdock) but Alex and Gabriel set off on quite the journey. I really enjoyed their travels and could imagine myself floating along with them and praying that lightning wouldn’t strike.

The Carrara Marble Caves where part of the story takes place - the author has this picture on her Pinterest page

The ending was rather strange and I wish the solution to the mystery had been a bit more fully explained. Especially since up until the end the story didn’t seem too fantastical.

Overall Jamie Carie did an excellent job writing an action packed series that smoothly blends the characters’ spiritual journeys. Just wish the romance had been toned down a bit in the last two books.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from Christian Book Distributors  

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Strong Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is a freebie and since I had started a list for last week but didn't have time to finish it I'll use it this week! The topic is Top Ten Favorite Strong Heroines.

Top Ten Favorite Strong Heroines

1. Princess Cimorene from Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

2. & 3. Beanna and Rose from Veiled Rose and Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Can't have a list without mentioning one of my favorite series! And while Beanna is "just" a goat she's a pretty special goat.

4. Mara from Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Goodreads Summary: Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies - each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.
Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara's life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.

5. Ella from Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

6. Buran from Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy

Goodreads Summary: In an ancient Arab nation, one woman dares to be different. Buran cannot -- Buran will not -- sit quietly at home and wait to be married to the man her father chooses. Determined to use her skills and earn a fortune, she instead disguises herself as a boy and travels by camel caravan to a distant city. There, she maintains her masculine disguise and establishes a successful business. The city's crown prince comes often to her shop, and soon Buran finds herself falling in love. But if she reveals to Mahmud that she is a woman, she will lose everything she has worked for.

7. Harry Crewe from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

8. Mandie Shaw from the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard
She's headstrong...

9. & 10. (& 11.) The ladies from the Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale
Ani in The Goose Girl
Enna in Enna Burning
Rin in Forest Born

Which heroines would you add to the list?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer. BethanyHouse, 2012. 363p. (9780764209659)

I could not wait to read this book. So much so that I read the first 70 or so pages on Google books and then went to Barnes and Nobel the next day and sat on the floor for two hours finishing the story. They had the AC set way to low and I was freezing, but it was well worth it.

Turns out I didn’t need to freeze in Barnes and Nobel because a few weeks later I received a copy from Bethany House to review. That was last June or July and my delay in writing and posting this review has nothing to do with what I think of the book. So if you haven’t read this yet, let this book review remind you of a great summer read that you missed.

Back Cover:

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance harden a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can’t bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

My Review:

This isn’t your typical marriage-of-convenience story where the couple is in dire straits (think Love Comes Softly) or a mail-order-bride tale. Instead both Meredith and Travis secretly love or think highly of the other but are too prideful or misguided to acknowledge their feelings to the other.

Nor are they isolated or semi-isolated. Travis’ three brothers live in the house, two temporary farm workers are old friends of Meredith’s father, and a tradesman stops by with deliveries every few months.

Another difference is that the story is not solely about the couple falling in love and overcoming their personal obstacles. Instead, while that still is a part of the tale, there is more focus on what brought them together in the first place: the threat against the Archer’s farm that Meredith warned them against.

This book is full of good laughs - or if you're reading it in Barnes & Noble and can't laugh out loud, it'll make you smile like crazy. One lady saw me sitting on the floor with a big grin on my face and asked what I was reading. :-)

There is a fair amount of kissing – after all Meredith and Travis are a married couple in the process of figuring out that they are falling in love (hope that’s not a spoiler for you…). But the romance is sweetly and sincerely written.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy itfrom B&N; Buy it from ChristianBooks

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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