july - august 2016

a note from me:

hello, dear reading friend!!!

welcome to my blog where i share my favorite five star reads with you!!! i hope you find something for yourself and for someone you love!!!

how are you?!? our family is entering a new season of life as we get used to a new normal without our favorite daughter/sister (college) and my husband's traveling schedule. but i'm filled with gratitude as i look back and see how God has faithfully provided!!! he is without a doubt... Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who provides or YHWH will provide).

one of my favorite "go to" verses for this season of my life is found here...
1 thessalonians 5:16-18 "always be joyful. never stop praying. be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

i hope you find some encouragement from that verse! whatever you're going through and whatever situation you're in, know that you will be in my prayers. email me your prayer requests and concerns at thereadingmom@gmail.com. i can't wait to hear from you!!!

happy reading with blessings & love!!!

your reading mom, susan :o)
jer. 29:11


fiction

eden hill is the debut novel by bill higgs (he's the husband of one of my favorite authors to interview, award-winning liz curtis higgs)!!! the colorful characters of eden hill, a little town in kentucky have grown up and lived there all their lives. family loyalty goes very deep. very little changes in eden hill and that's fine with most everyone; however, the winds of change are in the air and no one feels it more than virgil t. osgood, owner of the only service station in eden hill. someone has purchased the property directly across his lot with a big sign, "coming soon - zippo super service station." cornelius alexander III is determined to provide well for his wife and unborn baby which is why the zipco franchise is the answer to all the dreams he wants to make true for his family. but they're the newcomers to eden hill and the inhabitants of eden hill will be faced with what the practical answer looks like to the question Jesus asked... "who is my neighbor?" besides having the best names (virgil, mavine, cornelius, arlie and lula mae to name a few!), these characters are going to make their way into your heart!!! this nostalgic era story touches on the themes of marriage, loyalty, contentment and the command to love our neighbors.

elegant solution, an by paul robertson takes you back to eighteenth-century switzerland where a family is divided by ambition, secrets and maybe even... murder. young math prodigy leonhard euler is being groomed and trained hoping that one day, he will be selected for mathematics physics chair in basel. he has been given the assignment to solve the puzzle that is so complicated that he will uncover brilliant minds with greedy motives, blackmail and more. now it's up to him to find answers and provide an elegant solution with drastic measure to change the future by altering the present! if you like mathematics and history, then i know you're going to love this one!

honor redeemed by christine johnson is the second book in the series, keys of promise. after the death of her mother, prosperity jones leaves the safety of nantucket to take a ship to find her fiancee lt. david latham in key west. but the last thing she expects to discover from the man she's expecting to marry occurs and prosperity is left with very little options. prosperity is courageous and a pretty incredible heroine---you'll find this story heartwarming and inspiring!

missing by lisa harris is book 2 in the series, the nikki boyd files where danger, suspense and mystery reign in this story. beginning with two dead bodies and the missing homeowners, nikki has her hands full following the hard-to-track trail of clues and time is ticking. a dead body shows up on her deceased best friend and her husband's boat and nikki must solve the link between them and the missing homeowners. a woman is running for her life and it's up to nikki to find her before it's too late. the dramatic ending is like a story from the tv shows criminal minds, csi or law and order!

no other will do by karen witemeyer is set in 1894 in baylor county, texas where emma chandler's established colony for women in need is in danger. threatening notes have been appearing and after shots have been fired at them by the mysterious assailant, she needs help from a man she can trust with all her heart. enter malachi shaw. he was saved by emma and her suffragette aunts in 1882 and now he has grown up and found a respectable job as an expert with the railroad. malachi will do anything for emma and her aunts and his pride in emma's independence  and abilities have captured his heart. but she doesn't know that. now her life is in danger because there's someone in her colony working with the assailant and malachi must track down the cowardly bully who is trying to drive out the women of emma's colony, harper's station. it all boils down to one thing in the end... find out when you read this story!

no way up by mary connealy begins a new series called the cimarron legacy. cimarron ranch is owned by the bone's but when an accident forces the patriarch of the family to leave by train for additional treatment, everything changes for the independent siblings who have all found a life away from the ranch. justin, sadie and cole are shocked to discover that their father is committing them to live on the ranch for one year or it will pass on to a distant and questionable relative. the siblings are irate that they have to change their lives to accommodate their father's unfair demands but they have no choice. you'll find some romance, mystery, danger and a murder attempt in this new series. through these elements, the three siblings learn the importance of the legacy their father wants them to get.

raven, the by mike nappa is the second book in this coffey & hill novel series. first of all, i love mike nappa! his stories are impossible to put down once you begin reading!!! if you like crime fighting shows like criminal minds or law & order, then you'll love reading anything mike nappa. private investigators trudi coffey and samuel hill are working to beat the clock as they scramble to figure out the clues leading them to the rescue of one street magician (or deception specialist) who blackmailed the wrong person... and one other thing... his life depends on them finding him! get ready for a wild ride into the world of the ukrainian mafia!

refining fire by tracie peterson is book 2 in the brides of seattle series. militant scott is training at the madison bridal school in seattle which is run by her best friend's aunts. although her heart is not into the training, it's the perfect place to hide from her past. abrianna is militine's best friend and the two could not be more different! abrianna's faith is strong while militine feels alone in her doubts. when she meets a man who struggles with the same issues of faith, militine is drawn to him despite herself! i love abrianna's personality---she's exactly what militine needs in her life!

second half, the by lauraine snelling is a heartfelt story that will remind you of the strength of families pulling together. mona sorenson has launched a successful event planning business for the past four years but is she taking on more than she can handle with her depression issues from the past? kenneth, her husband is retiring from a successful career of being dean of students at stone university. his heart has been for the students and fighting the university politics regarding funding is wearing him down. now he feels like the legacy he built has been reduced to nothing. both of them are looking forward to their retirement years until an unexpected call from their son, a special forces officer in the army derails their plans. this is not the second half of their life they expected, but they both learn to trust in the One who has given them so much.

soul of the matter, the by bruce buff is definitely an intriguing story with suspense, relationships, science and faith! when his estranged brilliant friend is found dead under suspicious circumstances, it's up to dan lawson (formerly a cyber-intelligence analyst) to figure out what stephen bishop was working on. there is danger and evil at every turn and dan finds that he may need to return to the faith of his youth. can i tell you something? after reading this debut thriller on the mysteries of dna, faith and reasoning, i felt so much more smarter! i don't know why! You'll find this one available on september 13th!!!

silence in the dark by patricia bradley is the final book in the four-book series, logan point. bailey adams is serving on the mission field in chihuahua, mexico and her ex-fiance danny maxwell is shocked to find her there. but what is most surprising is the sudden danger bailey finds herself in and now she is on the run with one of the mission children, maria. the calatrava (a dangerous drug cartel) are involved and bailey has no idea who she can trust. all the people helping her along the way are in danger too, including danny maxwell and bailey is in danger not just for her life but her heart, as well. this is a fast-paced-danger-in-your-face kind of story, so hang on tight as you follow the kidnappings, murders and rescues! whew!

what matters most by kellie coates gilbert is the fourth book in the texas gold collection. leta breckenridge drops out of college to take care of bills for the facility her mom with dementia is in. after working crazy hours for little pay and satisfaction, she lands a job in a public relations firm where she is rewarded for her strong work ethic. but something is wrong and her dream job turns into a nightmare. leta is forced to make a decision in order to stand for her principles and the consequences may crush her. you'll learn about the world of politics in this one and root for nathan emerson, a rising political star who stands for integrity in a world that operates on the opposite! 

family-friendly resources

God made the sun and God made the moon by mary manz simon are two of the cutest child-friendly board books ever! In addition to the sweet rhyming words and the lessons they teach, the cut out of the sun and the moon make it a lot more fun for little fingers. in God made the sun, children will hear the message that God made the sun to remind us of his love everyday. it goes through the different parts of the day and in different weather and the message remains that God's love is constant. in God made the moon, the message for little ears is the same---the moon is a reminder of the love God sends each night and that he's with us all night long. children are also reminded that God hears their prayers as the moon is God's natural night light for them! i love the messages of these two little books!!! your little ones are going to love hearing your read over and over of the message of the sun and moon! Yay to dr. mary manz simon for another five star hit for children and their parents!!!