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Love Unexpected. Such a simple phrase. Can love be expected? Is love expected? I like this title. Ms. Jody Hedlund selected a widely accepted and searched two words for the title of her new book, "Love Unexpected (Beacon of Hope Series Book #1)". As you can see, it is the start of a series, and it's a promising start. Ms. Hedlund got me hooked on the first chapter. The start was riveting, as Emma, our main female character, along with her brother, Ryan was on a ship to a new land for job opportunities. Nothing special there, but then pirates attacked, and they were stranded into sea. And they are saved by our main character, Patrick. Pirates have always been a hot topic throughout the ages, and in recent years from the Pirates of the Carribean franchise, to Disney's Jake and the Pirates characters, the topic doesn't seem to slow down.  To be honest, I thought Ryan will be missing during the shipwreck until the end of this book and his story truly begins in...

" To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" - Ecclesiastes 3:1 I believe it is to this verse that the title to this novel, To Everything a Season  by Lauraine Snelling derived from.  I love everything about this verse, and Ms. Snelling does a great job in giving us a story that relates to it. She showed us life and what life entails.   I love how the stories played out throughout this book. The relationships between every character, as well as the relationship between each of them and God.  Having a strong character to pull everyone together is key, and we find that in Ingeborg Strand, the matriarch of the Bjorklund clan.  Who is Ingeborg, especially when there's no mentioned of her in the  synopsis  on the back cover? Well, you'll have to read to find out. And trust me, you won't be disappointed in this character. However, you might be if you purchase this book solely based on the back description. Wh...

A Match of Wits by Jen Turano is the 5th book of the Ladies of Distinction series that revolve around the same group of characters since Ms. Turano's first book, Gentleman of Her Dreams , a novella (short novel available only as an e-book). Gentleman of Her a Dreams  is more of a companion book to her first full novel (2nd book of the series), A Change of Fortune.   I loved A Change of Fortune . It was a great first novel that had me searching for more of her work, only to find out that she doesn't have any other books yet.  It was a long 7 months before I get to read her 3rd book, Most Peculiar Circumstances .  If you're already confused with all the titles of the series, scroll to the bottom of this post for a look of the full series' (to date) covers.  Now, it's been awhile since I read the previous books of the series, so let's get back to A Match of Wits.  A Match of Wits by Jen Turano If you have not read the first 4 books of the series, n...

After reading about George Washington, our first president of the United States of America, I was quite interested in the personal connections he has; and who better than his wife of nearly 40 years. Martha Washington, born Martha Dandridge and became Martha Custis after her early marriage to Daniel Parke Custis (died 7 years afterwards) was the epitome of a gentle-woman and the first of all First Ladies. Martha Washington: An American Life by Patricia Brady In this biography, titled Martha Washington: An American Life , by Patricia Brady gave us readers a young, vibrant, strong-willed and independent woman in Martha Washington that we hardly hear about. We, at least I, since young always associated the First Lady as an old, grandma figure. I think paintings from Art History doesn't help either. Similar to what we see in Edward Savage's "The Washington Family", a prompt and refined elderly woman was the first image that comes to mind when speaking of Mrs. Wash...

George Washington: The Crossing by Jack E. Levin is a wonderful account of the Battle of Trenton, an important event and a turning point during the American Revolution. George Washington: The Crossing A portion of "Washington Crossing the Delaware River", an oil painting by Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze aptly used and spanned as the book's front and back cover (jacket). This painting evokes a patriotic sense in viewers and illustrates the strength, as well as the struggle of the soldiers as they crossed the Delaware River. If you know the painting, without reading the book, you can probably guess some of the issues and the thoughts in the subjects' mind. Not only was the cover art perfectly selected for this book, Mr. J. Levin also used a variety of artwork and prints to give readers a more vivid image of the story as events unfold. Not that he needs the artwork, but it sure adds to it.  Mr. J. Levin wrote with such a story-telling way, that it was easy to read a...

It was an awesome experience. It was nice to finally be able to check this festival out. I only wish that I get to experience this at the National Mall where it was previously held since its inception. It was a crowded event and the schedule was jammed pack. I think it needs to be two days instead of the one. There were so many sessions I wanted to attend around the same time. And if you want to get books signed by authors, you'll need to be on line hours before, which means you'll have to skip other presentations. The booths around provided great information from the Library of Congress. The Pavilion of the States were also a hit and great opportunity for kids to learn more geography. Many of the states provided bookmarks and a list of great reading materials, but then there were some that provided tourist maps and info. At a book festival, I find that inappropriate. Lisa See (fiction novelist, author of China Dolls) and Carla Hall (cook book author and co...

Gone from my reading list. I did not enjoy Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl." Don't get me wrong, it was a fresh story with great writing from Ms. Flynn.  Labelled as a suspense thriller, it delivered. However, I find the story disturbing. I'll try not to spill anything significant and spoil the read.  The premise was understandable, with themes on relationships, mainly between the main characters, as well as the relationships between the main characters and the supporting characters. What I find so disturbing are the ideas that Ms. Flynn wrote about in regards to the main couple.  I know the world is not perfect, and us as humans aren't as well. Each one of us are flawed, but to think there are such sick people out there, just gives me the creeps, and ultimately I find sad. People aren't perfect, but I think there's a desire to be genuine in who they are, especially to those closest to you. Marriage should and is designed to be sacred, but in this age,...

For my first presidential biography, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I've read multiple biographies and non-fiction before, so I'm not new to reading this genre of books. However, as the first presidential biography, "His Excellency" by Joseph J. Ellis exceeded much more than my mediocre expectations. He increased my appetite for knowledge of the subject and all that relates.  Let me explain. I'm no historian or professional book reviewer, so don't expect that out of me. My husband asked me when I first approached this new project of mine, what do I want to get out of this, and specifically this book on George Washington. I thought for a minute and then responded with something along this, "For me, it's about getting to know a little more about the people who lead our country, and ultimately shaped it to what it is today. Who, what, why and how were my questions. Who are these people besides what we were taught in school, (mainly in eleme...