Fabulous Friday 1/29/21

 Happy last Friday of January!! I can't believe this month is almost over. I hope that you all are doing well. I am super thankful that today is Friday, I am looking forward to sleeping in a little bit tomorrow!

Things that I am thankful for this week:

Getting better

 Junior is getting into a routine

We are getting back into a school routine

Matt went back to work today (good news/bad news 😂)

Matt got the outside playpen set up this week

Matt put an outside light up this week

Kayla went back to school this week

Family time

Laughter

Silly puppy

Got a gift card to Amazon today!

Spent gift card to Amazon 😂

Caught up on laundry

Finally got 2 workout's in this week

The sun is out

The ground is finally drying up

Junior is in the middle of a good nap

Quiet time

Good dog training videos

Elijah is enjoying Junior

Junior is starting to get the hang of his training

Elijah and I enjoyed playing with Junior outside this afternoon

My morning devotions

Good music

What is making this week/Friday great for you? I would love to hear from you. Have a great weekend friends!!

 

The Moonlight School

Title: The Moonlight School

Author:

Publisher: Revell

Publication date: February 2, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction; Christian Fiction

Synopsis: 

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

My Review:

I absolutely loved this story! I loved that it is based on the true story of Cora Wilson Stewart, who started the "Moonlight Schools" in September of 1911. Her goal was to teach illiterate and semi-literate adults how to read. These mountain people were being taken advantage of because of their lack of education. They would have to sign contracts that they could not read. Cora's mission to help these adults would change their lives and the lives of future generations.

Lucy is pretty much all of us. We take what we know for granted until confronted with a situation that challenges our thinking. Lucy is from a wealthy family and when she encounters the mountain people she is appalled by their living conditions and lack of education. She is quick (just like we are) to draw conclusions without all the information. Lucy was ignorant of poverty until she saw it first hand, she couldn't imagine adults not knowing how to read, or parents not sending their children to school. Lucy did not understand that not all parents can afford to let their kids go to school because they are needed more at home. 

As Lucy and Wyatt visit with the mountain people, gaining their stories, understanding their conditions, it turns into soul-seeking mission for Lucy. She must confront what she has always believed by what is right in front of her. As time passes Lucy really begins to understand and admire Cora's passion for the mountain people and their education.

There is quite a bit going on in this multi-layered story. There are several  surprises and quite a few tender moments. Fisher's writing is engaging, the characters are real, and I had a hard time putting down this fantastic book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Historical Fiction! 

Thank you to Net Galley and Revell for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but am happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crying over dog poop

 I got up this morning and hurriedly got dressed, and as I put on my workout shirt, the corner of my watch broke! It's one of those health mate watches where you track everything (BP, weight, exercise, heart rate etc.). Matt got it for me for Christmas, so I have literally had it a month. I don't even know how it broke, it's not like I was being rough, or that I have been rough with the watch. I didn't have time to process my upset and disappointment, because I needed to get moving, I have a lot going on today, and have a lot of things that I need to do.

After that I headed quietly downstairs because I didn't want to wake the puppy....no such luck. He started whining immediately, so I grabbed my coat and went over to him and noticed that he had just pooped (didn't realize he was actually pooping), so I picked him up and took him outside to his bathroom area where he peed. I was like, okay, all is good. I took him back inside, cleaned up the puppy pads and proceeded to make my coffee and grab my breakfast. I had given him his chew toy, thinking he would be happy and quiet. Nope, he kept whining because he wanted me. After I settled at the table to do my devotions he finally settled down a bit too, just occasional whining to let me know he still wanted my attention. After a bit Matt came down and started getting his stuff ready too. Junior started the whole whining thing again, so Matt took him out and he used the bathroom again. Once Matt brought him back in he set about trying to be mischievous in his space. We ignored him. After a while he started whining again, so I took him back outside. Once I came in and got him back in his play area, I turned and stepped lightly on something, it was already squished poop 😖. So, Matt and I set about trying to clean it up, and figure out where it had come from. He checked his shoes and socks, they were clean. I only had one sock on, because I had just taken off the one that had landed in the poop. I went and sat back down at the table and thought about where it had come from. That is when I realized that I had picked him up in mid-poop the very first time I had taken him out this morning and that some had landed on the floor. When I had brought him back in, that is when I had apparently squished it with the one sock I was still wearing😡😫😭 and then proceeded to walk ALL over my kitchen and dining room floors in complete ignorance. At this point, I had had it. I just put my head down and started crying, it was just too much. Now, my rock star husband, proceeded to go upstairs and get the mop bucket and mop the entire floor, to be sure that it was all cleaned up.

Now, I was not really crying over the poop, I was crying for a multitude of reasons and that was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak. I have been sick for a while and am still recovering, so I am extra fatigued. I am not sleeping well and last night was no exception, so I was not ready to get up when the alarm went off at 4:50am. My blood pressure has been out of whack since around June, it's either too high, or too low, and both make me fatigued with lots of headaches, and at times cranky. We are adjusting to a new puppy, we are adjusting to Kayla having gone back to school over the weekend, we are adjusting to Matt having been home for weeks and going back to work tomorrow. We have really been trying to get back into our FULL school routine this week. I taught youth group again last night for the first time in a few weeks. People are putting expectations on me that I am not sure I can or should even try to handle. Plus, just dealing with some other stuff that I can't mention right now, right here. So, I let myself cry for a minute or two, wiped my face and got up to go take my shower.

Once I got upstairs I plugged in my Alexa and I was like "I don't know what kind of mood I am in and what will be the best thing to listen to while I get ready." Then the song "Goodness of God" popped into my head (I am sure God put it there), so I listened to it on repeat while I was getting ready this morning. As often happens when I am in the shower, I could feel God speaking to me (because I am alone with no distractions), through the song and in general too. I started to worship and praise God because I KNOW that God has ALWAYS been faithful to me, and that was what I was focusing on in that moment, trying to improve my mood.

Anyway, I took the time to clip my nails this morning, such a small thing, but I am so good at taking care of other people, but not as good at taking care of myself. Again, clipping nails is such a small thing, but something I have not taken the time to do, because I was so busy doing other things, for other people. As I was clipping my nails, the verse "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)." flitted through my head. I know this was from God. If I am not taking care of my body, even in the small ways, how can I take care of my body in the big ways? If I want to serve God fully, and I do, then I need to do better with managing my self-care. Obviously, this is my own fault, and it is something I need to recognize and fix. 

So, then the words of the song really started penetrating my subconscious (third time through), and I started to cry again. Here are the lyrics:

I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

And all my life You have been faithful, ohh
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me, oh-ohh
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing
'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God 

The line that is bolded is when I started crying again. Because, again, I felt the Lord speaking to me once again. The first thing you should know is that SURRENDER is the word that the Lord gave me for 2021. I have been meaning to write a blog post on it, but with so many things going on, I just haven't had the time. The second thing you should know is that I haven't been surrendering to the Lord, and that is why it hit so hard. I have not surrendered my fatigue, my health, my frustrations at the things that I have not been able to do, my frustrations of the expectations that people have put on me (either real or perceived), the feelings of lack of control when the dog poops (lol) where we don't want him to, I have not surrendered my all. AND that is what brought me to tears again. I needed to surrender this stuff to Him, instead of trying to carry this heavy load that I was not meant to carry.

Maybe I sound crazy, and that is okay, but this is where I am at today. I am going to do some self-care, in the areas that I can. This looks like not working together with Elijah with school today, he will only do his independent work, because my emotional health is very unstable and if we get into math and he gets frustrated, I am going to cry. It looks like putting more of Junior's care on Elijah today. It looks like going to the dentist, even though I don't want to, to get a filling fixed that has cracked. It looks like taking a nap this afternoon and finding another pocket of time to just be alone and do something that I enjoy doing. It also looks like surrendering some (all) of the junk that I am holding on to. What does self-care look like for you today? Are you taking care of your emotional, mental, physical health? Do you have things that you are carrying around that you need to surrender? Can I just give you a bit of advice? Take some time for self-care today (and every day) and figure out what you need to surrender, or you just might find yourself crying over dog poop.

Fabulous Friday 1/22/21

 Well, it has been a crazy, busy, sick week for me. I am sad that I have not had an opportunity to blog this week, but I refuse to let today get away without saying what I am thankful for. Before that, I just want to do a quick update of where we are and what is going on. Obviously, if you have seen my posts on Instagram or Facebook you know we have gotten a new puppy. We are adjusting to him, but he has now moved into the "testing" phase, especially with Elijah 😞 He senses the weaker link (insert eye roll here). Overall, he is doing pretty good. (I wish you could hear his yawn (Junior), it sounds like a cat and is hilarious)! He is consistently letting us know when he needs to go out, he is doing well with me with sit (testing Elijah), he is working on leave it, and learning his name. I feel like there is so much to teach him and not enough time! However, I am super thankful that I stumbled across Zac George's teaching/training videos! They have been very enlightening. I could literally sit and watch them all day!

Matt has been working from home since we both got sick. He has been feeling great since Monday, but his work is making him quarantine for 10 days from that day, to ensure that he is not sick and doesn't have Covid (his test was negative). He goes back to work on January 29th. I think he is ready as it has been hard for him having the distractions of a new puppy, us trying to do school, and he could only work in the living room because his work computer had to be plugged straight into the router. But, he is a trouper and has handled it really well.

Kayla was supposed to go back to school 2 weeks ago, but we got the call from Matt's work ON OUR WAY to Ohio that he was quarantined. Long story short she has been quarantining at home with us the last 2 weeks. I think it was a good decision and I think she is emotionally and mentally more prepared to go back to school. Especially after having several internet issues this week 😜 I think it made her first week and a half easier to be at home, eating home cooked meals, having someone else continue to do her laundry, and getting that extra time with us. It also makes the semester just a little shorter. Matt and Elijah will drive her back to Ohio tomorrow, and then they will come back home on Sunday. Pray for them for safe travels, and pray for Kayla as she tries to get back on the school routine.

Elijah is doing good, despite all the choas. We both thrive on our routines and he was upset that Kayla didn't leave when she was supposed to. (He loves her and loves being with her, but it was another disruption to the schedule. He is sad she is leaving tomorrow and is really going to miss her). We had a plan and it literally got changed at the last minute. So, he has had to adjust to dad working from home, Kayla schooling from home, the new puppy, me and Matt both being sick at the same time (which literally never happens), trying to get back on a school schedule (not working great), having to have his music lessons online since Matt and I were both sick and adjusting to the responsibility of taking care of a puppy. Tonight he broke another bracket on his braces (the second one in 2 months and he's only had braces for about 6 months, LOL). I will have to call the orthodontist first thing Monday morning to get him an appointment. Kayla never had any issues with her braces or brackets, I told him his orthodontist is just going to know him better, lol.

My blood pressure has been out of whack since we traveled to Ohio to get Kayla in November. I was off medication and have had to go back on it. With being sick, my BP is all over the place, so it is hard to know if the new meds are working or not. I have been sick for 13 days, but I finally feel like I have turned the corner today. I am still exhausted, but I feel like I actually had some energy today. I have also been trying to adjust to all the changes and trying to go with the flow, but it has been hard. I would not recommend getting a puppy when you are sick, but I don't regret it. We feel like this is the right one, the right time. We have good moments and frustrating moments, but we are trying to focus on the good. 

So, if you are still reading, thank you, lol. I will now say what is making this Friday/week fabulous:

We do not have Covid

I do no have pneumonia

Matt is better

I am getting better

Kayla and Elijah are healthy

Junior makes us laugh

Junior gives good cuddles

Our Church has online services so we are able to watch from home

We have gotten some school work done this week

I was able to help Kayla pack up her stuff

I got the laundry done

I am finally sitting on the couch

Laughter

Family time

A friend calling to check on me

Chats with friends this week

Grocery pick up

That God's mercies are new every morning

Funny videos

That Kayla gets to go back to school tomorrow, I know that is where she is supposed to be 

Talking to my mom this week

Training videos

Uninterrupted quiet time

Good books to read

Able to give a gift this week (in the mail, not in person)

Matt helping around the house (he always does!)

Matt putting up an outside light in the backyard

Answered prayers

Friends and family who will pray with us and for us

Facebook (helps me stay connected to friends near and far)

That the election is finally over

How is your week going? What are you finding to be thankful and grateful about? I would love to hear from you!

Fabulous Friday 1/15/21

 Happy Friday to you!! I hope that your week has gone well and you are enjoying your Friday. Mine has been a bit busy with getting a Covid test this morning, trying to do some school with Elijah, coordinating the kids getting the new puppy to the vet, then multiple phone calls with the vet...I could go on, but you get the point 😂 Here are the things, in no particular order that are making this week/day a fabulous Friday:

Covid test, so will know soon whether that is what I have or not 😷

Matt also got Covid test today

New puppy 🐕

The vet caught Junior's ear infection and a few other things early

Some time to read this week 

Kayla's first few days online have gone well

Time in the Word

Phone call with my mom

Texts with my sister

Phone call with a friend

Another friend calling and checking up on me

Sister-in-law checking to be sure we had food

Prayers

Answered prayers

Elijah is enjoying the puppy

Some school has gotten done 😜 

I know the list is short today, I am having trouble thinking and concentrating. I know I have more to be thankful for, but at the moment, they slip my mind. I am blessed beyond measure and thankful for each and every day that God gives me. What are you thankful for this week?

Newest member of the family

So, yesterday I posted that we (me, Matt, and Elijah) were on our way to a socially distant adventure...here is the rest of the story...

Well, it may surprise you, especially if you have known us a while, to announce that we have added a puppy to our household.

For real.

The reactions I have gotten most are: "Are you sure?" "Do you think it will stick this time?" "Maybe you will keep this one." "Dogs want forever homes."

I am not offended. This is our third attempt to have a dog in the last eight years. We have learned from our mistakes (6 week old puppy when your husband is leaving for Iraq = bad idea); (big dog that your kid is afraid of = bad idea); (a dog that has more hair and sheds more than you do = bad idea); (dog with no fence = bad idea); (puppy with no training = bad idea).

So, before we got this dog we had a lot of conversations. We started having them last summer, so while this may seem sudden, it has been thought about, talked about, prayed about, and talked about some more. I did a lot of research (and read books) and Elijah and I have watched (and are still watching) a LOT of training videos. We really, really enjoy watching Zac George on YouTube. He seems to be very knowledgeable and has given us hope that we can do this right and make this dog a permanent part of

our family. He has a lot of great tips, and he makes it enjoyable to watch.

The actual "yes we will" to taking possession happened in less than a week (yes, that was sudden). Once we found the puppy they literally wanted us to take it the next day (Saturday), but we couldn't because we would be traveling to Ohio and back on Monday and Tuesday (yeah, we did not make that mistake!!).  While our plans changed, we started to Ohio on Monday and had to turn around and come back, we did not change our pick up date (Wednesday). As I type this we have had the puppy for about 31 1/2 hours.

So, the details....

Name: Junior

Age: 9 weeks today

Breed: Miniature Schnauzer

Gender: Male

Weight: about 3 pounds!

His name was Junior, Elijah liked it, so we kept it. We need to train him to recognize his name, we have mostly been bonding, learning more about him, and letting him get used to us. I will say that even with me and Matt sick, this has been the easiest transition that we have had with a dog before (seriously!). I think because of the research, adjusting our expectations, expecting it to be hard, all four of us are here, so it has been easier because we can all do things. (Not that Kayla is, or plans too, she had been planning to be gone, and had made it clear she didn't mind getting one as long as she didn't have to do

anything 😂) 

Yesterday Junior (and Elijah who doesn't like changes) were both anxious and nervous. Honestly, I was a little nervous too, it's a big step and a big change. Today, they have both settled down, Junior has eaten better (yesterday he would not eat out of a food bowl, today he is!), and we have seen the playful side of him that we knew would be there. We have introduced him to a lot of different sounds (Elijah said he was scared of the birds chirping outside today 😂, we are noisy when he sleeps, we are getting him used to our routine, while adjusting for his. He is super smart and even Elijah said he thinks he will enjoy him. Elijah has been outside more today than he has been for quite some time (with the exception of our hike last week). We are supposed to be socializing him as "much as possible" too, to help make him a social dog, and get lots of interactions, but obviously with the pandemic AND us being in quarantine, he is only getting to socialize with us.

Now, for the part you really care about...pictures! Enjoy, and if you think of us, pray for us as we adjust to this major change, and as we get better, pray that the kiddos do not get sick.

Um, not sure what to do with this 😂

Lethal Intent

 Title: Lethal Intent

Author: Cara Putman

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishing

Series: Hidden Justice #4

Publication date: January 12, 2021

 

Synopsis from Goodreads:  

Caroline Bragg’s life has never been better. She and Brandon Lancaster are taking their relationship to the next level, and she has a new dream job as legal counsel for Praecursoria—a research lab that is making waves with its cutting-edge genetic therapies. The company’s leukemia treatments even promise to save desperately sick kids—kids like eleven-year-old Bethany, a critically ill foster child at Brandon’s foster home. 

When Caroline’s enthusiastic boss wants to enroll Bethany in experimental trials prematurely, Caroline objects, putting her at odds with her colleagues. They claim the only goal at Praecursoria is to save lives. But does someone have another agenda? 

Brandon faces his own crisis. As laws governing foster homes shift, he’s on the brink of losing the group home he’s worked so hard to build. When Caroline learns he’s a Praecursoria investor, it becomes legally impossible to confide in him. Will the secrets she keeps become a wedge that separates them forever? And can she save Bethany from the very treatments designed to heal her? 

This latest romantic legal thriller by bestseller Cara Putman shines a light on the shadowy world of scientific secrets and corporate vendettas—and the ethical dilemmas that plague the place where science and commerce meet.

My review:

Lethal Intent, by Cara Putman is book #4 in the Hidden Justice series. This book can be read as either a stand-alone or part of the series. I would recommend reading the first three books before reading this one as Caroline’s friends make multiple appearances, as does Brandon’s, all of whom we have learned more about in the first three books.

Having read the first three books of the series I had high hopes for this book. It does not disappoint, although I felt that it started a little slower than the previous books. The book starts out with Caroline and Brandon going on a date, making the point that they were ready to take their friendship to something more. The friendship begins in the first book, again, making it a more solid read if you start with the first book. Throughout the book they slowly build their relationship, having some bumps and communication issues that they need to work out.

Caroline’s new job is high-intensity and not all is as it seems to be. She finds herself facing opposition at every turn, which is completely unexpected since Praecursoria hired her to be their legal counsel. When things start to go south it is hard for Caroline to determine who is friend or foe, since she has had so much opposition from the beginning of her job.

Brandon is struggling himself, as he waits to find out what the new regulations will be, he is looking at having to revamp his group home. While this is incredibly stressful, he finds himself struggling in his relationship with Caroline when she realizes that he is an investor in her new job, putting added stress on both of them. Especially since one of Brandon’s foster children is in the trial phase that Caroline is working on.

Both Caroline and Brandon have things from their past that they are dealing with, which adds another level of stress to their story. This story has murder, mystery, a light romance, and engaging characters. The story, once it gets moving, is hard to put down. I am not very knowledgeable of legalese, but this book does a great job of describing what needs to be known, without bogging the reader down in extra details.  While it is classified as a “Christian” fiction book, little is mentioned of God or religion. Fans of legal thrillers, mystery and suspense books will enjoy this clean thriller. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but was happy to do so. All opinions are entirely my own.

 

Fabulous Friday 1/8/21

 Does this year seem to be flying by to anyone else, or is it just me? I am still trying to keep up with the blog three times a week, but this week I am failing. Not sure how your weather is, but today is rainy and dreary, we have a tiny chance to see some snowflakes later this afternoon. Despite the gloomy weather and busy week, I am thankful it is Friday and I am on here doing another Fabulous Friday post. So, here are the things that are making this day/week fabulous in no particular order:

Family hike yesterday

Quite a bit of family time this week

The game "Pinch and Pass," loads of laughter with this one

When Calls the Heart (tv series)

Cuddles with my loves

A slow start to the school semester

Lots of time to read

Quiet time

Naps

Coffee

Books with humor

Energy to exercise

Motivation to exercise

Connecting with friends (phone/text)

Healthy

Heat working

Groceries

Research

Our appointments going well this week

Encouragement

Sleep (still struggling with Insomnia, but thankful for what I do get)

My loves (always!)

Good ideas

Answered prayers

Things getting done

Kayla gets to be back in person at College next week

All the time we've had with Kayla being home

Laughter

Good food

What are you thankful for today? What is making your Friday fabulous or this week great for you? I would love to hear from you.

Top 25ish Reads of 2020

 Once upon a time there was a little girl who was not a good reader. That little girl was me. At the end of first grade I was below average of where I should be, at the end of second grade I was still below average, but my reading was average for the second grade, however at the end of third grade, I was above average and was reading in at a fourth grade reading level. So what changed? The difference is that I had good teachers who loved me and motivated me. My second grade teacher got me a reading tutor and really challenged me. That year I won first place in the second grade reading club for having read the most books. This was a huge accomplishment for me, and the prize was two books. I believe this is when my love of reading really started and took off. I was always an A/B student, but it wasn't because I was smart, I really had to work hard for those grades. Had it not been for my second grade teacher taking such an interest in me, I would have struggled more in school and would have stayed a poor reader. (Never under estimate a good teacher) Fast forward to today and I still love to read.

For 2020 I set a reading goal to read 100 books, once I surpassed it I reset it to 150, then I set it for 184. I ended up reading 225 books, which is probably more than I have ever read in a year. It was not necessarily because of the pandemic, although that helped, but going from homeschooling 2 kids to 1, freed up some time, then closing our foster home freed up quite a bit more time. Plus, all the time we didn't get to travel and visit family and friends. So, now I am going to try and narrow down 225 books to 20 top books of 2020, in no particular order (if you click on the title it will take you to my review:

1.  Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter

2. Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer 

 

3. From this Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer

4. The Duke Meets His Match by Karen Tuft 

5. The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark

6. Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green 

7. The Silver Suitcase by Terrie Todd 

8. A Man Worth Shaving for by Michelle Pennington

9. The House on Foster Hill by Jamie Jo Wright

10. The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson 

11. The Bristol Park Detective by Ellie Thornton (book 2 as well) 

12. Divine Intervention by Hope Callahan

13. The Lost Art of Reverie by Rae Walsh 

14. Fried Chicken and Gravy by Sherri Schoeborn Murray 

     

15. Injustice for All by C. C. Warrens (whole series)

16. Invisible by Ginny L. Yttrup 

17. Criss Cross by C. C. Warrens (whole series)

18. Before I Saw You by Amy K. Sorrells 

19. The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

 

20. Happily Every After by Susan May Warren

21. The Inn Keeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen (series)

22. Mind Games by Nancy Mehl (series)

23. One Little Lie by Colleen Coble (series)

 

24. Over the Line by Kellly Irvin

25. A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

This is just a small sampling of what I have read this year. I have discovered a lot of new-to-me authors and some new favorites. I only touched on fiction reads, I read a lot of nonfiction this year as well. If you want to see all the books I read, you can checkout my Goodreads account. What are some new authors to you? What was your favorite read of 2020? I would love to hear about your reading this year!! If you did a blog similar to this as well, feel free to leave in a link in the comments section, I would love to see what you have read and get ideas for this year, lol!!