Top Picks of 2018

I love going through all of the books that I have read over the year and seeing what great reads they were! I had a wonderful year of reading pleasure. I made my Goodreads goal, but admittedly I set it pretty low. It seems that the older I get the more busy I become and reading is relegated to right before bedtime. I read a lot of my favorite genre which is romantic suspense, but I peppered in other genres that were just as entertaining and wonderful. So here are my top 10 favorites of the year, but I could have put pretty much everything I read on the list:

10. Karen Witemeyer is one of my favorite authors and I will pretty much pick up anything she writes. This was a sweet read and even threw in some suspense that totally made me happy!

9. The conclusion to this series was exciting! Luke ya'll!!! 

8.  I've always been a fan of YA literature and anything that Ally Carter writes. This was a fantastic read and I hope that there will be other books to go with it.

7. Cindy and Jeremiah have got to have a happily ever after or this reader is going to be totally ticked! So much time has been spent waiting for this series to close. I think the author's fan base suffers in the waiting, but we devour them when they finally come out and we breathlessly wait for more. 

6. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I hadn't really read much about it. Written in letter form, I really fell in love with the characters within it. 

5. Susan Sleeman writes my favorite genre of romantic suspense. I will read anything she writes! I read several of her books this year and they all should be on this list, but then that wouldn't be fair to the other books I read! This was my favorite of Susan Sleeman's this year.

4. Short stories, novels, poetry, YA, elementary, Holly Schindler can write it all! And write it all well! I loved SPARK! There were a couple of other books by Holly Schindler that I read this year that should be on this list as well, but again...I picked my favorite.

3. Julie Lessman! Her novels have the ability to make me laugh, make me cry, make me want to throw the book across the room! She can write the steamiest, sweetest kissing scenes without turning it into porn! And she can write the most heart-wrenching redemption-come-to-Jesus scenes that I have ever read. She's always at the top of my list of recommended reads.

 2. Terri Blackstock usually writes more mystery/suspense type books. I loved this Christmas story! It was lighter than usual, and just filled a warm-fuzzy need that I had at the time I read it. Perfect for Christmas reading.

1. Wow! This was such a good read. It was hard to read because of the slavery issues that it dealt with, some of the characters were definitely unlikable and even evil, but it reminded me of Gone With The Wind in it's epic-ness. Strong female character trying to make it in a man's world. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I read 2 books by Lisa T. Bergren this year. I enjoyed both, but this one was my favorite. 









Well there are my Top 10 of 2018. I have 2 more to share with you, but they were a short story and a novella so I didn't include them in the Top 10, but they were pretty good Christmas reads:

A re-imagining of A Christmas Carol. Perfect for a quick Christmas read.

A short story that will give you a warm fuzzy feeling. A nice little Christmas read! 










Did you have a successful year reading this year? Did you set any goals? Did you keep those goals? Did you have a favorite? Feel free to leave a comment on this post. I monitor all comments so it will appear as soon as I okay it. I pray you all have a blessed and happy 2019!

The Daily Bible

I have been reading through the Bible in a year for several years now(as in 18 or more) and each year I try to change the version I read and the reading plan. For 2018 I chose this Bible. I have to say that I read all of the scriptures, but I skipped the devotional parts. I'm not a big devotional fan and I do a pretty intense Bible study through Precept classes so didn't feel the need for the devotional part. This is the first time that I can remember reading the Bible chronologically. I wasn't that big of a fan of it. I prefer to start in Genesis and end in Revelation. I like to start and know where I am going to finish.

Dead of Night by Brandilyn Collins

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

Annie finds out just how true this verse is in DEAD OF NIGHT. A serial killer is on the loose and several women have been found dead. It seems the killer is escalating. Annie is once again chosen to draw the dead women in order to identify them. The killer seems to be taunting Annie and the police. Annie is feeling the evil that this killer represents. Annie has never felt such an urge to pray nor such oppression from being attacked by the enemy. Not only is Annie having to help the police track down a killer, but her family is once again in crisis thanks to her son Stephen. How much is too much for one woman to handle?

Oh. My. Word! DEAD OF NIGHT was a true thriller a minute! The author truly captured the evil that the killer represented. You could practically feel the oppression of the enemy while reading. I loved how determined Annie was to not lose her faith and to not let the enemy win. It seems Annie is growing stronger. In this book she didn't seem as hysterical as in the first two books. There were still a couple of times that I wanted to shake her, especially where her son Stephen was concerned. It was frustrating how she wanted to constantly protect him even when he was in self-destruct mode. And her ex-husband? Ugh! What a total JERK! In the midst of all of the danger and all of the crises with Stephen, Annie and Dave start realizing they have feelings for each other...eep! Poor Chetterling! I was hoping it would be him! Sigh...DEAD OF NIGHT is not for the faint of heart. If you aren't a thriller fan it could be hard to read this one. If you are a thriller fan, then this one will surely keep you turning the pages and possibly even keep you up at night!

Stain of Guilt by Brandilyn Collins

Annie has spent the last 10 months learning how to become a forensic artist. When she is asked to do an aged drawing of a killer that has been on the run for 20 years she has her misgivings. The case is going to be featured on the TV show American Fugitive with Annie's drawing hopefully bringing justice to a family beyond ready for closure. Once again Annie and her family are in danger and Annie is feeling overwhelmed. With her son Stephen acting out Annie's life is slowly spinning out of control. Having promised God that she would seek Him after the last time she was in danger, Annie has been attending church. She believes what she is hearing but still is wanting to hold on to what little control she has.

I have so many feelings about this book! I found it exciting and suspenseful at times and then other times I found it frustrating and a bit irritating. I loved the suspense and the danger that Annie and her family was going through. I loved how we got peeks into the killer's thoughts. There were several twists that the story took that had me holding my breath with anticipation of the outcome. The frustrating/irritating parts to me were Annie's son's behavior and even Annie herself with getting overwhelmed so easily. Stephen, Annie's son is a typical self-centered teen, but add in some drugs, questionable friendships, and anger at both of his parents and you have a very unlikable character. At one point(spoiler alert!), he is arrested and this is where Annie's behavior irritated me. The inability to know what to do and function in the setting brought my hackles up. Even though she was encouraged to let the brat sit and stew she couldn't do it. Gah! I hope she gains a backbone soon and grows in confidence because she is irritating me! Now, all of that being said, the book still held my attention, it had me turning the pages quickly to find out what happens and it had enough suspense to keep my heart racing. There isn't any romance so far, but it seems that there are 2 guys that may be vying for her attention in the close future. All in all the Hidden Faces series is exciting and had me going to buy the next one as soon as I finished STAIN OF GUILT.

Christmas Cake Kisses by Lena Goldfinch

Malcolm Ashbury, the Earl of Kentwick married Arabella for her large dowry. His estate was in disrepair, and Arabella's father, a man from humble beginnings, thought that the title for his daughter would be the perfect match. While Malcolm is kind and courteous to her, his staff is suspicious and protective of him. Arabella has such a sweet nature she hopes to win them over soon. Hoping to make Christmas special for her new husband, Arabella ventures down to the Cook's domain to enquire about baking him his favorite cake. A luscious affair that would challenge even the most practiced baker. When Arabella chances to hear part of a conversation between Malcolm and his best friend all thoughts of making a cake flee and insecurities arise that threaten this fledgling marriage.

Such a sweet Victorian short story! I thoroughly enjoyed it. The description of the cake was mouth-watering. Chocolate y'all! The characters are both very likable, especially Arabella. Even though this was a short story, it had all of the elements of a story that keep the reader interested. There was romance, the fly-in-the-ointment, and the Happily Ever After. A perfect Christmastime read that will have you sighing with satisfaction when you come to the ending. And look at that cover! It reminds me of old-time Grace Livingston Hill covers which I was always drawn to.

Brink of Death by Brandilyn Collins

Annie and her family have just moved into her father's house. Hoping to get her son away from the influence of bad friends she moves to a smaller community. But right across the street a break in and murder occur shortly after they move in. Annie has been a courtroom artist for years, when the police can't get the murder victim's child to give a good description of the killer, Annie reluctantly volunteers to see if she can draw him from the child's description. Annie is scared that she will somehow traumatize the child more than she already is, but through a slow process they manage to come up with a likeness of the killer. Annie realizes right away that she has seen the face before. As the police run into one dead end after another Annie becomes frustrated and, hoping to keep her family safe, helps the police follow a trail that may once again lead to a dead end or may lead to putting herself into more danger.

BRINK OF DEATH had one thrilling scene after another that kept this reader on the edge of my seat the entire time. In fact it was so tense at times that I had to put it down and go do something else in order to be able to handle it when I came back to it! I love forensic shows on TV and so it was fascinating to me to read about Annie's transformation from courtroom artist to becoming a forensic artist.  I especially loved the little glimpses we got into the killer's thoughts. I did get frustrated with Annie a couple of times when she couldn't seem to deal  with life, but she matured as the book went on and she gained confidence so became a much more likable character for me. If you are a fan of thrillers/mysteries I definitely recommend this book. Not much in the way of romance, but there are a couple of men I have my eye on for Annie as the series continues!

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason

Brady St. John is taking a much needed break. Away from his job, away from people. The only problem is, Brady is bored! Hearing a woman's screams on the lake in front of his cabin, Brady races to her rescue. Someone is trying to kill the woman on the boat. When Brady intervene's the would-be killer takes off. Brady rescues Emily Chastain. Who wants Emily dead? And why?

Emily's friend is missing. The last she was heard of was a 911 call saying someone was going to kill her. Now Emily is being targeted by the killer. Can she and Brady figure out what is going on before the killer finds her?

CODE OF VALOR was one exciting event after another! I couldn't put it down! CODE OF VALOR is the 3rd book in The Blue Justice series. The book took different turns that had me guessing and wondering who the killer was. I did get a bit confused at times as to who was calling the shots. It is all wrapped up in the end and tidily settled. There seem to be a lot of characters and sometimes I got a little confused as to who or whom they were working for, but it was still a thrilling read. I loved both Emily and Brady. They are perfect for each other. I love how patient Brady was with Emily and I loved how much Emily's faith influenced Brady and helped him overcome his anger towards God. I love the St. John family and this was definitely a wonderful addition to the series!

**I received a copy of the book from the publishers through Netgalley. All opinions are my own**

Aire by Lena Goldfinch

As a Principessa of Isalla, Annalisia is expected to marry a man of her grandmother's choosing and one of noble birth. Unfortunately Annalisia has no interest in the man that has been chosen for her. Granted it would be a great alliance for their country, but Annalisia can't imagine sharing her life or her secret with this man.

Yes, Annalisia has a secret. An ancient gift that nobody has seen in centuries. When Annalisia's handmaiden, Mira, is mistakenly kidpnapped in Anna's place she is determined to help find her. Jovanni, Mira's brother, is also searching for Mira. Anna and Jovanni join forces to try and find Annalisia and another girl that has been kidnapped. Jovanni is not afraid of Annalisia's gift/secret for he carries a secret of his own. As the two pursue danger and intrigue they become closer, but their affection can never go any farther than friendship. Jovanni is not of nobility and it would never do for a Principessa to marry a commoner.

I truly enjoyed AIRE! I loved the mythical aspect of it, I loved the setting and I loved the storytelling of the author. The characters were also endearing. I loved that both Annalisia and Jovanni knew they must honor custom over their hearts yet their love was so tender and sweet for each other. I also loved Ilan, Annalisia's friend and protector from childhood. The villain(s) were sufficiently evil without dipping too far into their depravity. I found the intrigue surrounding the castle to be exciting and I definitely loved both Annlisia and Jovanni's gifts. A sweet read and one that I would definitely recommend!

**I received a copy of the book as a gift from the author, I was not expected to review this book. All opinions are my own**