Booktubeathon 2018

The books that I will be reading for Booktubeathon will be:

"Here After" by Kate Brian

"How my Bookclub got arrested"  by Leslie O'Kanen

"Matilda" by Roald Dahl

"The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

"Playground" by 50 cent

"The Ditchdigger's Daughters" by Yvonne Thornton

"Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina Garcia

 So the day has arrived for the start of "Booktube thon 2018".  If you are unaware of what this is, please check out this video. I love the booktube community and I love  what they are doing in the literary world, so I had to join in on the fun this year.  

 

By participating in Booktubeathon, there are 7 challenges to complete in order to receive the accomplished status of Booktubeathon warrior.  Many readers are participating all over the world to read 7 books this week.  Would you like to be one of them?  If so, I will be joining you and others as we tackle this crazy, but exciting week of reading.

 

Here are the challenges!

1. Have a coin toss decide your first read

2. read a book about something you want to do

3. read and watch a book to movie adaptation

4. read a book with green on the cover

5. read a book while wearing the same hat the whole time

6. read a book with a beautiful spine

7. read 7 books! 

 

 

Here are a few of my favorite youtubers with their TBR for the booktubeathon!

 

Booktubeathon 2018

Naya Reads and Smiles

Hailey In Bookland

 

 

 

Please join in the fun and ofcourse, Happy Reading!

 

 



The Road Home review

"The Road Home" by Beverly Lewis
Series: not included in any series
Pages: 316
My Ratings: 3 stars
Goodread ratings: 4.38 stars

Back of the Book:
As the sun began to rise, Lena Rose leaned against the cool pane of the bus window and gazed out at the familiar landscape of her life.  I'm leaving my family and everything I know behind.  She sighed, trying to keep her composure.  Grieving the death of her Amish parents and the separation from her nine close-knit siblings, Lena Rose Schwartz consoles herself that her new life in Lancaster County won't be forever.  Surely someday soon she will return to her beloved Michigan settlement, including her beau.  But even as she holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own.  Will she find the courage to open her heart to other possibilities?

My Thoughts:
Amish fiction is one of my favorite genres to read.  I long to escape the reality of city life at times to find myself in the Amish country life. So accepting to read Beverly Lewis's book was a no brainer.  Despite Amish fiction being a favorite to read, I was slightly disappointed with this read. I enjoy reading many books written by Beverly Lewis, however I felt as though this book and several of her recent books that were written, has been her best.  Even though the storyline was great and encouraging, I had a hard time starting this book.  Honestly, I had to set the book down twice because I felt bored. Even though the story begins with a tragedy, it didn't inspire me to read on.  Maybe it was because of one of my own moods, or a lack of desire to read, however I couldn't get past the first few chapters. 

Even though I had a hard time starting this book, once I got over the hump, I was able to finish the book.  Due to the family in the story having a tragedy, their faith kept them going with life, which held my interest in finding out what will happen at the end of the story.  The message that repeats throughout the story is "to have faith and trust in God".  The main character Lena, goes through a series of friendships and trust issues that stem from the tragedy in her family.  Her feelings about life are relatable and understandable.  The Amish faith and their way of life is often viewed as having it all together and full of faith.  As "Englishers" (what the Amish call us), we look to them as examples of being devoted to their faith.  To see Lena in the story struggle with her faith in the story is an encouragement to those whom may find themselves trying to come to grips with tragedies that happen in their lives. 

Despite the low rating and a slow start to the book, it was an easy and fun read.  There is limited Amish dialect to pronounce in the story and the story is easy to follow.  This book is considered Christian fiction, which includes Bible scriptures, prayers, and Christian views on life.  The is romance among some of the characters in the story, but it is limited to kissing, hand holding, courtships, and dating. 

Would I read another Amish fiction book again? YES!  Would I read another Beverly Lewis book again? YES!! However I prefer her book series since I can understand and follow the characters in the story. 


This review is based on my honest opinion and was not monetary compensated for my review, and because of my hones review I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. 

The Hate U Give book review

 

Buy it here

 

My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads rating: 4.62 stars

 

 

Inside Cover: Sixteen-Year-Old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends.  The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer.  Khalil was unarmed.  Soon afterward, Khalil's death is a national headline.  Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger.  Starr's best friend at school suggests he may have had it coming.  When it becomes clear the police have little interest in investigating the incident, protestors take to the streets and Starr's neighborhood becomes a war zone.  What everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night?  And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.  But what Starr does or does not say could destroy her community.  It could also endanger her life. 

 

 

"T-H-U-G L-I-F-E, The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody, meaning what society gives us as youth, it bites them in the but when we wild out."  Tupac

 

My Thoughts:

WOW!  Imagine a picture of someone with their mouth open wide, well that is my response.  With all the racial tension in this country, this book spelled out true emotions regarding this hard topic.  The main character, Starr Carter is me when I was 16.  I grew up in the city where life was/is hard.  Where violence, drug dealing, gangs, and drama was or is still a problem.  Where children grow up in a lifestyle where it is hard to get out of.  Starr knows what life is like in both worlds and switches her specific persona with each location.  Once both worlds are combined, Starr is unsure how to be herself.  The emotions described from the characters in the books, especially of the main character are pure, honest, and real.  If you have never witnessed a police shooting or someone being killed especially at a young age, the author clearly defines how it can affect you mentally and emotionally. 

 

I recommend everyone to read this book.  White, black. Rich, poor.  City dweller or suburban resident.  Democrat, Republican. EVERYONE!  Our country is plagued by hate and violence therefore talking with those who seem different from us is hard.  We have opinions that we love to share but often lack respect.  This book will put you in perspective of those who are victims of gun violence, police brutality and poverty.  If you need great, urban read with Tupac quotes and young adult slang, this book is for you.  If you are looking for a book that makes you think of other people than yourself, this book is for you.  If you stand against racial discrimination and police brutality, this book is for you. 



Fall TBR 2017

It has been rainy and cool for the past couple of days, so with Labor Day in the rear view mirror, the Fall season seems to have started a few weeks earlier.  I am eager to enjoy the fall season with great books while wrapped up in a blanket and sipping on hot tea or coffee. 

Each month since the beginning of the year, I would create a TBR list of books that I would like to read during the month.  However, I would either forget to read the books or read other books and neglect the books on the list.  So after thinking about how to create my TBR's, I have decided to create seasonal TBR's.  Each season is about 3 months which gives me time to read all of my books and add new ones. 

My Fall TBR includes:

1 "The Coldest Winter Ever" - Sister Souljah

2 "The New Jim Crow" - Michelle Alexander

3 "Fatal Trust" -Todd Johnson

4 "The Proving" - Beverly Lewis

5 "Everything, Everything" - Nicola Yoon

6 Black and Blue

7 "Uninvited"-Lysa Terkeurst

8 "Coming of Angels" - MJ Banks

I know there are many great book releases this fall, so I am excited to see which book I grab to read.  If you have a TBR list or a list of books that you would like to read.  Comment and share!! I love to see what others are reading or planning to read. 

"Amish Weddings" Leslie Gould



amazon.com Amish Weddings


My Rating: 3 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.43 stars

Back cover: Gregarious Rose Lehman, who's always the life of the Amish youth singings, is determined  to marry the bishop's son, Ruben Byler - until the handsome Army buddy of her future brother in law shows up in Lancaster County.  In comparison to Trevor, Reuben seems downright boring.  Trevor shares Rose's sense of fun and adventure, and her easygoing disposition.  When her sister Lila is injured in a devastating accident, Rose finds herself with more freedom than she's ever experienced in her life.  Only Reuben seems to notice, but he never voices his concerns.  Part of her relishes the freedom she's found with Trevor, but the other part wishes Reuben would finally express his love and "fight" for her.  Have her choices ruined her best chance at love, or is there another path to happiness she just hasn't seen yet?

Amish Wedding is Book 3 in the Neighbors of Lancaster County and focuses on the younger Lehman sister, Rose.  Rose is a fun character who seems to be the life of the party in her Amish community.  She hopes to marry her bishop's son, Ruben however after meeting Trevor an army friend of her brother to be, she finds herself drawn to his easygoing nature.  Rose finds herself in a tough predicament, since her sisters gets injured in an horrible accident and Rose now has to be the "mom" of the family and finds out some disturbing news.  Rose know has to make tough decisions, those ones that she thought she would never have to make. 

I enjoy reading Amish fiction due to being  an urbanite it helps me escape my fast paced reality and enter into the country life of the Amish.  I think despite that this is a book on the Amish, I feel as women, we might have felt like Rose at one point.  Being with one man, but drawn to another.  Making important decisions that will affect your future.  Being heartbroken and torn.  It was easy to get lost in Rose's world, because she is like that friend that you just want to save and help. 

Since this book  is in a series, I recommend reading the first 2 books before reading this one, since you can learn and follow the characters.  Also, if you are new to Amish fiction, research some of their language, since there are a few Amish words that many might not understand.  My overall rating was a 3 out of 5 stars.  It was a great read and I enjoyed it, however I felt as though the beginning of then book was slow.  Also, the ending was rushed but still left you wondering what the future will be for Rose.  I am hoping to see if Leslie Gould would create a book to finish off the series, since I would love to know what might happen in the future for the Lehman family. 



This review is based solely on my opinion. I was only compensated with a free copy of the book.
 

"The Underground Railroad" book review

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Negro's story may have started in this country with degradation, but triumph and prosperity will be his one day." Colson Whitehead

 My Ratings: 5 stars
Goodreads Ratings: 4.06 stars

 

"The Underground Railroad" follows a young woman, Cora who is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia.  She befriends a man name Caesar who tells her all about the underground railroad, which can lead them to freedom.  Of course, this path to freedom does not come easy and leads Cora into some painful situations.  She faces death, hate, and mistrust on this road.  She grows up and begins to find her true self and strength on this journey.  

We all have heard stories about the underground railroad, read books, saw movies, or was taught about this secret path to freedom.  As I read this novel, I must say this was one of the best accounts of history.  I wondered how old Cora was in this story, but being a slave you didn't have a birthday.  I wondered about her family members, however her family could have been sold off, since as a slave you watched your family get sold to other slave owners. 

Being a slave at that time was horrible.  The living conditions were poor, food was scarce or you were given scraps to eat.  You were raped, beaten, and killed all because you were black.  As a slave or if you were free, you were injected with diseases such as Syphilis to help doctors find cures or medicine to fight those diseases. Or if you were a woman, you forced to sterilization just for being what people thought were "ugly" or "too stupid".   Also, while traveling on the underground railroad, you were reminded that your life is on the line by rows of dead bodies hanging on trees.  I guess reminding those slaves that if you slip up and get caught or make a mistake, you will join those dead bodies. 

As an African American, I could not fathom what my ancestors would have went through.  While reading this book, I had to stop many times because well the same hate described in the book is being displayed within our society.  It seems as though it is easy to hate, judge, or hurt those who are different from you or  hate those you  don't understand. 
One point I learned about this hate was that as an African American you are generationally taught to not trust white Americans.  Cora was taught by her mother and grandmother about the abuse they went through and then Cora witnesses this same abuse and mistrust first hand.  Imagine Cora having a family, she would share the same judgements to her children that what she went through and then it goes on and on.  This applies to many African Americans in our country.  They were told stories, then personally they either were hurt by a white American or witnessed something that confirmed that truth and they go on to teach their children to fear  white Americans and then it gets past on and on.  In order to stop this generational curse or hate, we must identify this hate, and acknowledge that it must not continue. But let's face it, that is unrealistic.  So our job is to respect each other and our differences and understand that it is better to love one another than to live in hate.

"And American, too is a delusion, the grandest one of all. The white race believes, believes with all its heart that it is their right to take the land.  To kill Indians.  Make war.  Enslave their brothers.  This nation shouldn't exist, if there is any justice in the world, for its foundations are murder, theft, and cruelty.  Yet here we are."

This review was based solely on my opinion and I was not compensated for this review in anyway.

 



Bruised and Broken

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

 

This weekend was a wild one.  It started off great with a soul food platter for dinner and ended with a trip to the hospital.  My little 3 year old broke his little finger on Friday evening which prompted a change to my weekend plans. 

 

As my little man is resting and recuperating and we are actively praying for his healing.  As my little one is bruised and in pain, I can only have sympathy for him since I know what it is like to feel brokenness. 

 

As a born again Christian, I know what it is like to feel broken.  I know all about the heartache, the pain, the restless nights, the frustration, and loneliness.  I know what it is like to numb the pain that I am feeling with my own remedies such as alcohol, medication, music, or another person.  Or I have tried to stop the pain with many things which actually made the pain worse.  

 

This feeling of brokenness is similar to the pain my little one must have been feeling.  The sadness, the restlessness, the pain, the frustration with might have felt as a never-ending pain, and weakness.  We tried to end the pain by our kisses and hugs, medication, and our own remedies of hand soaking and ice.  Then we tried to numb the pain with distraction of movies, music, and games.  Every option that we tried didn't work.  The pain was still there and I believe our remedies made the situation worse.

We as a fallen world, we try everything to stop the pain we are feeling or attempt to numb the pain.  We try to figure out ways to take the pain away, but with every attempt our pain seems to get worse and worse.  Just like dealing with my little one's pain, the only way to end it is to seek the doctor.  With his expertise and knowledge he can tell us what is going on and what we must do to end the pain and fix the injury. 

 

Our doctor is not the man or woman in the white coat in the office or hospital, but the man who will give us a white robe and that sits with the Father.  This man understands our pain since he felt that very same pain on the cross.  This man has the power to heal every broken bone, heart, and mind.  This man is Jesus. 

 

We were eager to get my son some help and figure out what was going on.  Our guess was right that my son had indeed broken his finger.  Our hearts dropped and we were worried, but the doctor gave us instruction on how to handle the injury. 

 

One great thing about being a Christian is to know that we too, have instruction on dealing with our pain.  We must understand that first we are a sinner in pain, acknowledge our need for a Savior (doctor), repent, and ask for forgivness of trying to heal our pain ourselves.  We must understand that we are not alone in this journey called life and that we should follow the commandments or instructions (Bible).

 

Yes, dealing with pain and brokenness is hard.  To have our doctor or Jesus confirm our brokenness, and confirm that it was brought on by rebellion or in my son's case not listening to the rules about horseplay, is a big pill to swallow.  But please know that once you humble yourself to the doctor, he will take away any pain and replace it with joy. 

 

If by any chance you feel that brokenness described, the only thing I can say to do is pray and surrender to Christ.  He will listen to you and will be there for you.  If you need someone to pray for you, my email is always open.