Favorites of 2011

It took me long enough, I know. It was harder than you realize to narrow down the list too. I had 25 books designated as favorites this year. I didn't think you all would let me list them all, so I had to go through them and pick out those that were the very best of the best. Here's that list (in ABC order):

Best of 2011

1. A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander ~ I still think this is one of the most most stunning covers. I love looking at the book - and the inside is just as good.

2. Dance of the Dandelion by Dina L. Sleiman ~ This was one of those fantastic surprises you're so thankful you got a chance to read. If you haven't yet ... 

3. Letting Go by Michelle Sutton ~ Michelle tackles subjects other authors wouldn't want to come anywhere close to. This is a great example of how well she does it.

4. Surrender the Dawn by M.L. Tyndall ~ I pre-order all her books and haven't regretted it yet. They all have plenty of adventure and romance. 

5. Surrender the Night by MaryLu Tyndall ~ This is one of those stories that reaches off the page and captures your heart. I felt I lived it all with Rose.

6. The Colonel's Lady by Laura Franz ~ This one had everything ~ a little mystery, a little adventure, a lot of romance, colorful characters ... I didn't want it to end.

7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ~ {blushing} I didn't read the 1st book until this year. It's my favorite book in the series. If you don't know what all the fuss is about, you should really check it out. It's great fodder for discussion.

8. The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden ~ I talk a lot about characters, but this book sort of exemplified what those can mean to a story. Gorgeous.

9. The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson ~ This is pure magic. She manages to make the story totally new and keep the heart at the same time.

10. While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austen ~ This has a lot of layers - and tons about relationships. I found it very touching and the kind of thing that changes you ... makes you feel as if you've read about real people.

Well, that's my list. I thought about adding honorable mentions, but I better end before it gets to be every book I read this year. lol

Heart of Ice

Summary:
The Triple Threat Club novels follow three fiercely intelligent women-a TV reporter, a Federal prosecutor and an FBI agent-as they investigate crimes as current as today's headlines.
The Triple Threat women have faced intense situations before…but never such a cunningly cold-blooded murderer.
Elizabeth Avery is a stunningly beautiful woman. But her perfectly managed exterior hides the ice cold heart of a killer.  She ingeniously manipulates everyone who crosses her path to do exactly as she wishes--from crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, who thinks Elizabeth is her new best friend, to a shy young man Elizabeth persuades to kill for her.
As Elizabeth leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, Federal prosecuter Allison Pierce and FBI agent Nicole Hedges must piece together clues from seemingly unrelated crimes. Can they stop her before she reaches her unthinkable, ultimate end-game?

My take: This is the third book in the series, something I didn't know when I chose it. I think it would benefit readers to read the others in the series first - not for the story but so you can better "bond" with the characters.

Elizabeth is fascinating and very well written. I disliked her immensely, but I couldn't take my eyes off my Kindle when she was there. I wanted to see what she would do next.

The "triple threat" all did their jobs well and were pretty realistic. Their friendship didn't get in the way of the case (I've known some books that have done that - and it becomes more about the friendship than the mystery). The problem was that I hadn't read the other novels so the relationship felt somewhat shallow to me.

Although this is put out by a Christian publisher, one of the three is very anti-religion and one is a Christian who mentions she prays every now and then. There is no Christian themes or people accepting Christ, no prayers, sermons or anything like that in the book. This could just as easily have been published by a secular publisher.

It was an interesting story the pacing was good throughout. I want to thank Thomas Nelson for providing my copy in exchange for my honest review.

New Year Giveaway

There is a giveaway being hosted at Stiletto Storytime for Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King. Hurry because the fun ends midnight, December 31, 2011 (EST).

Here's the summary of the book:

Refugee. Queen. Saint. In eleventh-century Scotland, a young woman strives to fulfill her destiny despite the risks . . .

Shipwrecked on the Scottish coast, a young Saxon princess and her family—including the outlawed Edgar of England—ask sanctuary of the warrior-king Malcolm Canmore, who shrewdly sees the political advantage. He promises to aid Edgar and the Saxon cause in return for the hand of Edgar’s sister, Margaret, in marriage.

A foreign queen in a strange land, Margaret adapts to life among the barbarian Scots, bears princes, and shapes the fierce warrior Malcolm into a sophisticated ruler. Yet even as the king and queen build a passionate and tempestuous partnership, the Scots distrust her. When her husband brings Eva, a Celtic bard, to court as a hostage for the good behavior of the formidable Lady Macbeth, Margaret expects trouble. Instead, an unlikely friendship grows between the queen and her bard, though one has a wild Celtic nature and the other follows the demanding path of obligation.
Torn between old and new loyalties, Eva is bound by a vow to betray the king and his Saxon queen. Soon imprisoned and charged with witchcraft and treason, Eva learns that Queen Margaret—counseled by the furious king and his powerful priests—will decide her fate and that of her kinswoman Lady Macbeth. But can the proud queen forgive such deep treachery?

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Sounds great, right? Good luck and let me know if you read it first. :o)

The Merchant's Daughter

Summary: An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice.Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

My Take: I think someone needs to check Melanie Dickerson for a magic wand. She knows how to weave an almost magical tale that manages to reinvent the classic tale completely and yet keep it's heart and soul. 

This is one of those perfect books. From the cover, (I thought it was so cleverly designed. I love his reflection in the mirror on her arm.) to the last page,  you are totally submersed in the world she has created. She balances it so perfectly that you aren't overwhelmed with details about how they live.

The progression or pace of the story is done very well also. Instead of Annabel immediately falling for Ranulf (or the other way around), their relationship slowly develops over time. In the meantime there is plenty to keep you interested and flipping pages. Will she really go to the convent? Will the villagers accept Lord Ranulf or will they blame him for their troubles? That kind of thing. 

I loved the back story she gave Ranulf to explain his appearance and attitude. She is wonderfully creative. I shut the book and actually sighed with contented pleasure - beaming all the while. It made me feel like a twelve year old girl again -- lying on my bed and dreaming about fairly tales. Thank you for bringing back that lovely feeling. I can't wait for whatever she decides to do next. 

I do need to thank the publisher for providing my copy in exchange for my honest review. It didn't influence me in any way, but I appreciate their generosity. 

A Christmas Quiz

This is a picture of our old house - all dressed up for Christmas - that we now have to rent or sell. :o(

I got this idea from Diane Estrella's blog That's What I'm Here For.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I'm not ashamed to say Hot Chocolate - and with all the mini marshmallows I can fit in my mug. :o) 
2. Colored lights on tree/house or white?  I like white. We used to have enough space at the old house to have two trees -- one in the entryway that had colored lights and kind of funny decorations and one in the living room that was white and gold. Now it's just the white and gold.
3. Do you hang mistletoe? No. We're actually pretty low key about decorating inside. We switch out some pictures, cover the tables with Christmas mats and runners, put up an advent candle wreath, hang stockings ... I have a corkboard that I covered with a "Christmasy" plaid and we attach our cards to it. We have a Nativity that stays out all year and we put up a tree and a couple small decorations - but that is about it. 
4. When do you put your decorations up? Usually we do it Thanksgiving weekend. It was a little later this time because we had to travel to do work on the other house to try and get it ready to rent/sell.                        
5. What is your favorite holiday dish? I like the homemade bread... then I guess Buttermilk pie ... candied sweet potatoes. 
6. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I remember the first year my parents used all white lights on the tree. I sat under it at night and saw the glow ... I sung Silent Night over and over to myself and felt like I finally understood what that star lighting the way was all about. It's why I like white lights now.
7. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was fairly young - but one of those ... precocious children - always hanging out with adults and acting more mature than I was. I must have been 6 or 7. I had decided they were lying to me about Santa and I was going to catch them "in the act." Then they wouldn't be able to lie anymore. Our house was a bi-level and they had the tree downstairs and our bedrooms upstairs. I waited until I heard them putting together the presents and I slipped down to the staircase and watched for a little while. Then I confronted them - crying. I told them lying was bad and they shouldn't do it to someone they loved. So they must not love me. Then I ran off to bed. The next morning they explained why they had done the Santa thing but I was not budging. I told them it meant more to me that they picked out the gifts for me. They agreed not to "do" Santa anymore and I agreed not to talk about Santa with any other children. lol The next couple years were hard on my family and it really did mean a lot to know how they sacrificed for us.
8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We used to. The boys got older and started wanting less presents. Partly because their own faith was stronger and they wanted to focus more on others - and partly because what few gifts they got were more expensive. So we started saving all the gifts for Christmas morning.
9. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? How? We use an artificial tree - it helps my allergies, saves a tree, helps with the cats, saves money ... There's a picture below.   
   
10. Snow! Love it or dread it? I don't like snow except to look at when it has just fallen.
11. Do you remember your favorite gift? Nope. I know it sounds strange, but I don't like getting gifts.
12. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Making a body pick? Totally unfair!
13. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? I like them - for a while. They can get old fast.
14. Favorite Christmas movie? I don't know - I'm a sap for all of them. 
15. What is your favorite Christmas song? "Little Drummer Boy"  & "Silent Night"  

  

Your turn! Take the quiz on your blog and let me know here so I can check out your answers. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year. I hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family - making memories, eating wonderful food, playing games with each other, and taking turns giving and receiving not just presents - but presence. Blessings to you all. {hugs}

Wordless Wednesdays

I don't often share pictures of my family on the internet. I like to ... protect them and let them choose to share what and when they want. My oldest son recently got married and I am so happy for them both. This is one of my favorite pictures from that day. Isn't it romantic?

Save 30% on The Christmas Singing

After Gideon coldly broke her heart, can the warmth of the season revive Mattie’s hopes?
Mattie thought her childhood sweetheart adored her until he abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve.

Three years later, will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy – or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?

Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration.


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If you love Amish fiction, I've got good news for you. Right now you can have 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title) when you use promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/ . The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.

I haven't read this one yet, but if you'd like more of a peek, here's the trailer:

Enjoy the book and the sale!