10 Booksh Questions For Me.........

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Hello! Yes, I'm still alive! Just currently swamped with boxes and mess everywhere. *sigh* Only for a little while, Kara. Only for a little while. Yes, I'm talking to myself.

Anyway!

I've been tagged and awarded in the last week or so by two lovely ladies. So needless to say, that means I was given a LOT of questions to answer! I could do as I did before and pull a few questions from each gal, but I decided to pick only one this week. I'm going with Rel's questions, because I feel like answering bookish stuff today. Perhaps another day I will answer Hamlette's elegant questions. (An elegant blogger? Who? Me? Wow. I don't know that I've ever been called elegant before. Thanks Hamlette! :)

Now then, onward to be amazed by all the cool things you're about to learn about me!

1. What is the name of the most recent book you have finished and loved?

The Icing on the Cake by Janice Thompson (Now if only I could get that review written!)

2. What is the 17th line on the 125th page of the book you are currently reading?

 "A shaft of sunlight beat down through the clouds, but its warmth wasn't causing the moisture on her brow." (Anybody know which book that's from? Anybody? :)

3. When did you realize you were a true book lover?

I've always loved to read and I don't know that there was ever one moment where I actually thought about it in those terms. But if I have to choose, I'll go with when I reached adulthood and still loved to read as many books as I could get my hands on. That's when I decided that books just made me happy, whether I've read them or not. I love to be surrounded by books!

4. What is your genre of choice? Why?

Romantic Comedy - because I'm a sucker for a good romance and I love to laugh.

5. What is the name of your ‘comfort reading book’? (one you will pull out and read when you want something familiar)

Are you saying that I should only have one comfort-reading-book? Impossible! I have bunches! :D An old favorite is Splitting Harriet by Tamera Leigh. This summer I found a new favorite, which is Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter.

6. Who has encouraged you the most in your reading pursuits?

Probably my mom. She's a book lover as well and she and I made many a trek to the bookstores together when I was young! We'd come home with a bag each and then proceed to go through the other's bag and share the books back and forth. We tend to like similar books. :)

7. Your most memorable hero, and why?

 There have been several I'm sure, but I'm going to go with the first guy that entered my mind when I read the question. Captain Frederick Wentworth from Persuasion by Jane Austen. Try as he might, he could not forget Anne and once he accepted that, oh my! Even in the midst of his anger in the beginning, he still couldn't help but be affected by her. And once he gives in to his heart and decides to tell her? Then we get that beautiful and swoonworthy letter! Let's just say he knows how to be romantic. :D

8. If you had to swap lives with a character, who would it be and why?

I'd love to try out Allie O'Connor's life! (From Moon Over Tokyo by Siri Mitchell) Firstly, she's a writer. Secondly, she's living in Tokyo without knowing the language, and is still able to live a normal life. Plus she has awesome friends and a pretty swoonworthy hero by her side! Sounds like fun. :)

9. Do you alphabetize your books by author or title, on your bookshelves?

Well, right now, my shelves are pretty much cleaned off (except for the bunch that I can't pack yet because what if I really, really want to reread one of them before I move?), but they were alphabetized by author last name, then by title. I plan to do the same thing once I get to reshelve them.

10. Why do you read?

 Honestly? I'm not really sure. I have always loved to read stories as far back as I can remember. I love to be swept away for a few hours. I love the worlds that authors create. I love to meet the awesome characters. I love to forget my real life stuff and visit amazing places where anything can happen! Books, to put it simply, are comforting in and of themselves. There's just a certain feeling I get whenever I enter a bookstore. I could go on, but I'm not sure I'm even making any sense at all. I just love stories!


I decided not to take the time to nominate anybody else. But if you'd like to answer Rel's questions yourself, then leave me the link in a comment so I can hop over and read them! :)

Review: The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann

Goodreads :: Amazon

Morgan Spencer has had just about all he can take of life. Following the tragic death of his wife, Jill, he retreats to his brother's Rocky Mountain ranch to heal and focus on the care of his infant daughter, Olivia. Two years later, Morgan begins to make plans to return to his home in Santa Barbara to pick up the pieces of his life and career.

Quinn Riley has been avoiding her past for four years. Standing up for the truth has forced her into a life of fear and isolation. After a "chance" first meeting and a Thanksgiving snowstorm, Quinn is drawn into the Spencer family's warm and loving world, and she begins to believe she might find freedom in their friendship.

The man Quinn helped put behind bars has recently been released, however, and she fears her past will endanger the entire Spencer family. As the danger heightens, she determines to leave town for the sake of the people who have come to mean so much to her.

Fixing problems is what Morgan Spencer does best, and he is not willing to let Quinn run away, possibly into the clutches of a man bent on revenge. But Morgan's solution sends him and Quinn on an unexpected path, with repercussions neither could have anticipated.

Oh! Oh oh oh! I absolutely loved this story! It had been highly recommended to me and I was so happy that it lived up to my high expectations. No, actually it exceeded them! :) I knew I liked Ms. Heitzmann's writing prior to reading this and this book has solidified my love for her stories completely. I am not ashamed to say that I am officially a fan of Kristen Heitzmann! I will wear my fangirl hat for everyone to see! :D But you say you want an actual review and not just a million exclamation points? Well, I'm sorry my friends, but if you're tired of the exclamation points already, you'd better just stop reading right now. Because there's many more to come! See?!! ;)

I'm not really sure I can be coherent enough to make much sense beyond "It's awesome! Go read it right now! You won't be disappointed!". But I'll try. I'll start by saying that it's much more than just a typical love story. There's a little mystery and heartache and suspense too. I have to confess though, the love story is what I was swept up into from the beginning, and by the last page I declare I was swooning! Morgan and Quinn are flawed and human, yes. They make mistakes, yes. They make a decision at one point that seems a little rushed and perhaps they should have thought a little bit more about it, yes. But you know what? They have chemistry like you wouldn't believe! And watching them fall in love? Is a beautiful, beautiful thing. They take care of one another. They acknowledge their mistakes to one another. They support one another. They get snarky and sarcastic with one another. They made me laugh and swoon and sigh and go back to reread all my favorites scenes between them again. They are, simply put, awesome characters!

Now, as I said before, there is much more to this story. There's lots of moments where things happened that I wasn't expecting. There's a villain and his actions bring about much intrigue. Ms. Heitzmann hasn't written just a fluffy little romance, lest my exclaiming above makes you think that. But the romance is where she hooked me and kept me flipping pages as fast as I could. There were moments where I was flipping ahead to find out what happened, but then I'd have to backtrack to finish where I had been, and back and forth I went. You know it's a good story when that happens! :D

So. It's awesome! Go read it right now! You won't be disappointed!

Going back outside as the sun sent scarlet flame across the rosy sky, Morgan raised his head. "Hear that?"
She said, "Elk." The screeching bugle was unmistakable.
"Someone's proud of himself."
"That noise would make me run."
His mouth pulled sideways, "Good thing you're not a lady elk."
She cast him a glance. "Thanks for not calling me a cow."
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he pulled the truck door open.

Little Moments :: Happy Heart :: Second Edition

I figured while I was on here, I'd just post a few random little moments from my life. Fun, right?! :D

Firstly, while sorting stuff the other day, I happened to find a book I'd forgotten I had. I know! ;P Have you read it? It's a childhood favorite of mine.

Have you ever sorted through years of stuff and found something that made you laugh and remember waaayyyy back? This straw used to make a noise when I used it. Yes, it was supposed to sound like a monkey. Some friends and I bought them from McDonald's years ago, during a weekend camping trip. You know. The kind of trip where you're tired and and silly and ridiculous things make you laugh? Yeah. That kind.

I got this lovely book in the mail the other day! I'd been waiting and waiting for a different one and was not expecting this one at all. So it was a wonderful surprise to walk out to the mailbox and see it there! Cannot wait to dive in. :D

And while excitedly contemplating the book above, lo and behold a couple days later, an even better surprise came in the mail! I'd ordered the book from the author weeks ago and she had mailed it, but it got lost somewhere. Still don't know what happened to it. But Ms. Thompson was kind enough to send another one. And I've already read it! Yes, it was just that good. :D I hope to get my review written soon.

The other day, I received this beautiful bouquet of flowers from a coworker. I had not had a good morning, and this was sitting on my desk when I got back from lunch. They cheered me considerably and made my afternoon a whole lot happier! Plus, they were given in honor of my birthday which just happened recently. Happiness all around! (Yes, I'm shamelessly mentioning my birthday on here. Silly, aren't I? ;)

Lastly, I found this poem over here the other day. (Don't ask how. It's a long and complicated story. Well. Not too complicated, but anyway....) It really encouraged me, so I decided to share it.

Open one fist, close the other,
I have better plans for you.
Don’t hold on to lesser shadows,
they will fade, and you will too.

Child, your heart is listing, longing
for some balm to ease the ache
that disintegrated hopes and dreams
have left within their wake.

You’re crying ‘there’s no surety!
There’s no anchor for my soul!’
But you’re searching in the sand, love,
you need something strong and whole.

Cast again your anchor higher
beyond what you cannot see.
I am just beyond the darkness,
child, trust; and cast on me.

Unclench your grasping fingers
holding on to what seems right.
All the good things will be as tarnished
when I cast my morning light.

Grasp for me now in your wanting,
dare to trust what others fear.
Only I can quell the hurting,
only I am ever near.

Close the other fist now, child
wait not for what you deem best.
Trust my ever loving heart
to render to you joy and rest.

Open one fist, close the other,
anchor hopes and dreams in me.
I am all you have and need and want,
I will set your bound heart free.

So there were a few random little moments from the last week or so. Hope you have a fabulous rest of your week! And stay tuned for more reviews soon. Hopefully anyway. (Do notice that I said soon. I can't promise a time, but I do promise to try!)

Review: Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink

Goodreads :: Amazon

The deadliest animal in the jungle is the two legged kind.

Nina Truman is a missionary nurse, serving in a tiny Guatemalan town not far from the Mexican border.  It's a fulfilling life, tending to the village poor, a way to serve in the country from which she was adopted. The day she leaves on furlough, is the day her life falls apart. Her bus is ambushed and she must flee from forces who inexplicably wish her dead. Trapped between a ruthless drug lord and his assassins, a corrupt police chief, and colleagues with ulterior motives, her friends may prove just as deadly as her enemies as she uncovers a plot tangled deep in the roots of her own past.

Nina's only hope of survival lies in the hands of Shaw Wilder, a man who despises missionaries and the God they serve.  His skill is in handling a landmine detection dog, not helping a woman he blames for the death of his sister. When the lethal drug kingpin El Escorpion seeks to capture Nina, and the local police are no help, Shaw has to choose: flee into the Guatemalan jungle with a naive woman who has vowed never to take a life or follow his own spiritual demons and walk away. His choice may leave them both imprisoned in a jungle from which neither will escape.

Goodness, what a ride! You jump right in immediately and the action never stops! There's hardly a moment of downtime and peace for these characters. I mean, you know things are going to be crazy when the opening sentence is: Nina never imagined her life would end on a bus. It does get a little harry every other moment, but you're so involved in the story that you barely have time to wonder when things are ever going to slow down. This is the kind of story that you want to have several available hours for reading. Because once you start it, you aren't going to want to put the book down as there's never a good moment to stop reading! It's exciting and scary and fun all at the same time. Plus a little romance helps sweeten the plot even further. ;)

Nina and Shaw are wonderfully flawed people. Nina, who has always felt called to be a missionary yet still struggles with doubts and fears like anyone else, and Shaw, who refuses to believe that God is good and would love nothing more than to deny His existence. But God has bigger plans for both of them. Nina is being chased by people out to kill her or kidnap her or both and Shaw ends up right in the middle of her situation, exactly where he doesn't want to be. But he can't seem to help himself. With their foes on their tail, and with no idea who they can trust, off they run into the jungle. Like I said, there's not much peace and quiet to be found in their story. But somehow, Ms. Mentink sprinkles little spurts of amusement and fun intermingled into the adrenalin rush. Which means we get a few cute moments between our would-be couple. And they are pretty cute!

And Axel! I loved Axel. He's such a fun addition, yet fierce enough to defend his master every single time. Yes, Axel's a dog. But a protective and awesome dog! He's a trusted friend who gets them out of scrape after scrape and just when things look awfully dark, Axel shows his determination and loyalty time and again. They'd be rather lost without him around actually. There was a moment where he had me really worried and I was so, so happy things didn't go the way I thought they had!

As a matter of fact, that's what Ms. Mentink does really well. She led me down her path and where I thought we were going to end up was completely different from where we actually did. She kept me on pins and needles much of the time! There were a few rough spots however. I confess to being quite irritated with Nina's father. He kept so much from her and even at the end, I still wasn't satisfied with his explanation. Also, some parts of the ending felt a little too convenient for me. Still, after all the fear and frustration of Shaw and Nina's adventure, I was very happy they got their happy ending. :)

So. The fun of this story is that, while you have a good idea how it's going to end, you still have absolutely no idea how you're going to get there! I say go get this book and sit back and enjoy the ride. There's never a dull moment in the jungle! :D

This is where it would end, her strange journey. She imagined consumption by fire, ignoring the fact that death would come first from the choking smoke. Her knees weakened and she dropped to the floor, head spinning and face wet with acid tears.
The boy's face appeared again, and his hands thrust through the opening. They were such tiny hands, so delicate and finely boned. How could those hands reach through such overwhelming heat? Those yearning fingers reached out for the father.
Something flickered deep inside Nina and she forced herself to her feet. Maybe if she could turn the man on his side. Grabbing hold of his thick shoulder, she heaved him into position, hoping not to hear the crack of broken bones as she did so. Sweat ran down her face, stinking the multiple cuts as she tried to shove him toward the window.