Top Ten Tuesday ... My Summer TBR

 Happy Tuesday!! Today's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl is our Summer To-Be-Read list. I have read some or a few of my list, but the beauty of having epilepsy is that it destroys my short-term memory, so if I don't review it immediately or write my thoughts in my journal, I'll forget. A benefit is that it's like I've read it for the first time.

I'm on Hayley's street team, and this is super cute!

Freddie and Grace are two of my favorite characters, so I can't wait to dive in!

I'm almost positive I've read this, but my brain says nope! LOL

I've started this, and I get interrupted and forget to go back to it, another fun side effect of Epilepsy. 

Do we share any books in common for the summer? Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments!

Dawn of Grace (Mary Magdalene's Story) by Jill Eileen Smith Reviewed

 About the book

Title: Dawn of Grace

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Published by: Revell

Genres: Biblical Historical Fiction

Format: Kindle

Pages: 368

Source: Purchased

From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow--until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.

Now, Mary's one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she'll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.

On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear--and Jesus makes all things new.

Goodreads || Amazon || B&N || Baker Bookhouse 

My Thoughts:

Jill Eileen Smith was one of the first biblical fiction authors I read when I first started blogging back in 2007. I fell in love with her ability to take the stories from the Bible, by giving our heroes/heroines legs, walking straight out of the Bible into our everyday lives. 

Can we just talk for a second about how beautiful the cover is? When I saw it last year, I knew I would need it for my shelf. Mary looking up at Christ is how I've always pictured her as I grew up.

We've all been Mary Magdalene at one time ... we all needed His healing touch, and some of us are still longing for that touch. 

Jill Eileen Smith takes Mary Magdalene and creates a story of how she may have become possessed by the demons. Her creation is very plausible given the time. She also shows how Mary becomes literally dependent on Christ. She doesn't think she can survive without Him.

This is an absolutely beautiful story of Jesus accepting the worst in society, comforting them, showing that no matter who they are or what they've done, they are loved by God who created them, and so loved that Christ would die on a cross for them. 

Bottom Line: 

This book is a beautiful depiction of Mary Magdalene and her demon possession. Mary is desperate, and once Christ comes on the scene, she wonders if He could do for her what He's done for so many others. Ms. Smith shows the true Comforter, Christ, is within these pages. If you've never read a book by Jill Eileen Smith, this is a good one to start with. There is so much more I could say, but I seriously do not want to ruin the reading experience.

About Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King and Star of Persia: Esther's Story. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

You can learn more about Jill at her website and follow her on the following social media platforms. Facebook || Instagram || Twitter 

The Alphabet Challenge THE A's HAVE IT!

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to a new Tuesday post. Today's Top Ten Tuesday, theme sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl, is fulfilling wish lists. I've done that one a couple of times, so I thought I'd try this Alphabet Challenge I've seen on a few blogs. The books will be in alphabetical order and will be perfect for fulfilling reading challenges. If the title starts with The, I will use the second letter.

If you sign up for Mesu Andrews newsletter, you will receive this book for free.

I was actually surprised at how many A-titled books there were. Have you read any of these? Are they on your ever-growing TBR? 

After She Falls, Across Ages (the entire series), and Abigail, I definitely need to read. 

Top Ten Tuesday...Summer FreeBie

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday. Today's theme is a summer freebie! I absolutely love summer! Now that I live in a state with four seasons, I can't wait for summer to arrive because not only do I hate the cold, but so do my joints, but that's another story. I grew up in coastal states, California, and Florida, and lived in Hawaii with my ex when he was stationed there. So, I'm a true blue beach bum!! If you like the beach, I have some books that will either take you to the beach or a perfect to take to the beach. Either way, I've got you covered!

I am so excited for this upcoming release by Rachel Hauck. Isn't the cover just gorgeous? 

Have you read any of these perfect summer books or plan to? 

Are there any summer books on your radar? I'd love to hear about them.

First Line Friday #110

 

Happy T.G.I.F.!!!! I've decided to go back to numbering my First Line Friday posts. I don't know why I ever stopped. LOL I was having a hard time choosing a book, and then Nicole Deese's new release came to mind. I am so behind in my reading. I've been so behind in my reading since I became the guardian and conservator of my mom. I read a lot . . . it's just not fun reading. It's the hospital, lawyer, rights, and responsibilities of the memory care facility she's living in. More information than you probably wanted to know. LOL, It's just frustrating when you love reading and can't do it as much as you used to.

Title: The Voice We Find

Author: Nicole Deese

Series: Fog Harbor #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Source: Purchased

Pages: 416 pages

Sophie Wilder returns home to California with nothing more than a failed Broadway career and a geriatric cat. Stuck working at the family winery with her egotistical brother and desperate for a way to revive her acting dreams, she takes a side gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books. But getting mixed up in the life of her reluctant sound engineer was never a part of her plans. 

August Tate is still reeling from taking guardianship of his teen sister. Determined to find a solution to her degenerative hearing loss and to prevent his private recording studio from going under, he agrees to produce audiobooks part-time. When Sophie breathes new life into his creativity and forms an unexpected bond with his sister, rooted in their common faith, he must confront the reasons he turned away from his own.

Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Baker Bookhouse || Nicole Deese

First Line

August

I duck dive the nose of my surfboard under the next breaking wave using the same technique my dad endeavored to teach me back when I was a know-it-all punk who believed time was something to exhaust, not cherish.

Have you read any of the Fog Harbor series? I need to read books two and three. 

Please leave your first line in the comments, and then go to Reading Is My SuperPower for more first lines.

Top Ten Tuesday Featuring Disney Side Kicks

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday, sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's topic is bookish animal companions. I couldn't think of one bookish animal, but all of the Disney sidekicks, and they were a book before they were a movie, right? Whether that's true or not, I'm going with truth! Let me know your favorite sidekick in the comments.

Gus, is my favorite but I love all of them!

First Line Friday Featuring You and Me, For Real by Hayley Elliot

 

Welcome to First Line Friday sponsored by my friend, Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower. My First Line Friday is sporadic; it's been worse since becoming a guardian and conservator for my parents. I could write a book about that...hmmmm...Naw! I'm going to be honest, I'm not exactly sure how I ended up on Hayley's street team. My only thought is that it happened late at night. That's usually when I do stuff I don't really remember. Hayley is a cutie and this book sounds super good! 

                                                     About the book:

Title: You & Me, For Real

Author: Hayley Elliot

Series: Hollywood Hills Series 1

Publisher: Lighthearted Reads Publishing

She swore she’d never be in front of the camera again, but now she’s falling for a Hollywood heartthrob with a tabloid-worthy secret.

Former child reality star Ashton Reid is done with fame and dreams of a quiet life and finally opening her own animal rescue. But establishing a non-profit requires funding and, therefore, publicity. For Ashton, this means facing her crippling anxiety anytime a camera is pointed in her direction. Despite her best efforts to avoid all things Hollywood, when celebrity Griffin Ford rushes into her shelter carrying an injured dog—with his impossibly muscled arms and notorious abs—she’s helpless against those almond eyes. The dog's eyes, that is.

Actor Griffin Ford is desperate for his first meaningful role. Tired of being seen as nothing more than washboard abs on an angsty teen drama, he’s agreed to a fake relationship with his co-star to guarantee the lead in her father’s next movie. But when the contract requires more than he’s bargained for, he begins to question the future he always imagined. To take back some ownership of his life, Griffin adopts a new dog—despite being clueless about pet ownership.

Drawn to Ashton’s authenticity, Griffin recruits her to train his new rescue. In return, Griffin helps her navigate publicity and social media for her foundation. Outside the glow of Hollywood, it doesn’t take long for Ashton to see that Griffin is more than the hunk he portrays on TV. As their professional and personal lives intertwine and their attraction grows stronger, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But when the heat of the spotlight threatens to expose Ashton’s past and Griffin’s secret, the two must fight for what’s real between them, or risk becoming another casualty of fame.

Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble 

Chapter 1

Ashton

Sometimes, you have to pull up your big-girl panties and face your fears. But this is not that moment, my friend.

Oh, I already like the snark!! This is my kinda book! I'm so looking forward to diving in this weekend! My house is empty and will be quiet, and with my new swing, I'll be getting in some reading time!

Share your first line, then tell me what your weekend plans are.