Monthly Archives: May 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Reads of 2017 (The Second Half)

Back in January I blogged about my top 10 most anticipated new releases for the first half of the year. Now I’m following that post up with my top 10 most anticipated reads scheduled to release this July through December. That also happens to be the Top Ten Tuesday topic over at the Broke and the Bookish, so be sure to hop over there and check out what upcoming books other bloggers are excited about too. And, as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on which books you’re most excited about right here in the comments.

top_10_tuesday_anticipated_reads

Light of Dawn by Vanetta Chapman
The Remnant, Book 3
Futuristic Suspense from Harvest House
Releasing July 2017

Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh
Standalone Novel
Contemporary Romance from Tyndale House
Releasing July 2017

A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren
Montana Rescue, Book 3
Contemporary Romance from Bethany House
Releasing July 2017

The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin
Standalone Novel
Contemporary Romance from Bethany House
Releasing August 2017

Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason
Elite Guardians, Book 4
Romantic Suspense from Revell
Releasing August 2017

Rule of Law by Randy Singer
Standalone Novel
Military and Legal Suspense from Tyndale House
Releasing September 2017

Isaiah’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews
Standalone Novel
Biblical Fiction from WaterBrook Press
Releasing October 2017

Perennials by Julie Cantrell
Standalone Novel
Women’s Fiction from Thomas Nelson
Releasing November 2017

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
Standalone Novel
Women’s Fiction from Thomas Nelson
Releasing November 2017

The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Standalone Novel
Historical Book Club Fiction from Bethany House
Releasing November 2017

Audiobook Review: Moving Target by Lynette Eason

Title: Moving Target
Author: Lynette Eason
Print Publisher: Revell
Audio Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Rachel Dulude
Published: January 2017
Series: Elite Guardians, Book 3
Genre: Suspense
Length: 8 hours, 19 minutes. Unabridged.

About the Book: (from the publisher’s Web site)

Intensity. Skill. Tenacity. The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.

When Maddy McKay and Quinn Holcombe don’t show up for Quinn’s birthday party, his friends know that something is very wrong. Their search turns up little beyond evidence that Quinn and Maddy have vanished. And it soon becomes apparent that they did not leave of their own accord.

Maddy awakens in a cement room with no idea where she is. But it’s not long before she realizes she’s in the clutches of a madman who exacts revenge through games–hunting games. His prey of choice? Humans. Now Maddy and Quinn must run for their lives and outwit their killer when their game begins.

Because if they don’t win this game . . . they die.

My Thoughts on the Book:

The Elite Guardians series is sooo good! If you haven’t read Always Watching and Without Warning yet, check out my reviews. Each book can be read independently, but I recommend reading them in order for continuity from one storyline to the next. Best of all, each book in the series is as unique as its lead characters, so you won’t get bored or feel like you’re reading variations on the same book repeatedly.

Moving Target is Book 3 in the series and I found it as fresh and enjoyable as I did Books 1 and 2, in its own unique way. I found the villain and the whole “game” scenario, particularly creepy. Maddy and Quinn face a cunning adversary, who packs the book full of action and suspense. Meanwhile, our hero and heroine are working through issues of their own and coming to grips with what the nature of their relationship actually is and what they want it to be. I liked the fact that both hero and heroine in this story were professionals and treated each other accordingly, even as they watched each other’s backs and protected and supported one another. They make a really great team on multiple levels!

It was nice to meet up with the other ladies of the Elite Guardians agency again, even if they played a smaller role than in earlier books. I’m very much looking forward to reading Haley’s story next in Chasing Secrets.

Specific to the Audio Edition:

Narrator Rachel Dulude is very good at what she does, and I appreciate the consistency she brings from one book to the next in this series. I’ve already said so many great things about her narration of the earlier two books, I feel like no matter what I say, I’ll be repeating myself. So can I just use the word “excellent” and leave it at that? Those readers who enjoy a good and suspenseful audiobook will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing a complimentary copy of the audiobook for review purposes.

Quick Links: About the Book | About the Series | Audio Sample (Audible) | Author’s Site | Narrator’s Site

Three for the Books: Featured Reads in Christian Fiction, May 2017

Three for the Books, May 2017

The monthly “Three for the Books” post is where I feature new (Hot Off the Presses), best selling (Topping the Charts), and award winning (Cream of the Crop) Christian fiction books. I select one title to feature in each category and provide links to where you can browse additional newly released, best selling, and award winning titles. For my featured reads, I’m also including links to some fabulous reviews by fellow bloggers, so you can check out what others are saying. Have you read any of these featured titles? Any others you’d like to give a shout-out? Comments are always welcome!

Hot Off the Presses

True to You by Becky Wade is kicking off a new contemporary romance series this month. It’s available in print and electronic editions from Bethany House and in audio edition from Recorded Books.

Featured Review: Rachel at the Smiling Book Reviews blog says, “This is a light-hearted, funny, but also deeply emotional story with some swoony romance and a twist that made me gasp!  You’ll want to read this book!” Check out her full review of True to You here.

Quick Links: About the Book | Author’s Site | More New Releases

Topping the Charts

A Trail of Crumbs by Susie Finkbeiner appears on the CBA Historical Fiction Bestsellers list for May. This sequel to A Cup of Dust is available from Kregel Publications in print and electronic formats.

Featured Review: Jamie at Books and Beverages reviewed this novel, saying, “I enjoyed her debut, but this one had me even more fully engaged. With an authentic child’s point of view (y’all she had me cracking up sometimes!), Finkbeiner brought to light important issues through her young voice.” Click to read more of this review of A Trail of Crumbs here.

Quick Links: About the Book | Author’s Site | More Best Sellers

Cream of the Crop

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks won the INSPY Award in the Mystery / Thriller category for 2016. This book follows A Cry From the Dust in the Gwen Marcey series, and is available from Thomas Nelson in print and electronic editions.

Featured Review: Beckie at By the Book wrote of this book’s heroine, “In Gwen, Parks has created the ideal character — smart, gutsy, flawed and vulnerable. This one merits a highly recommended read from me.”  You can find her full review of The Bones Will Speak here.

Quick Links: About the Book | Author’s Site | More Award Winners

Book Review: Forest Child by Heather Day Gilbert

Since today is International Viking Day, and the title I’m reviewing this week seemed a particularly good thematic fit, I’m posting this week’s blog post a day earlier than normal. Happy International Viking Day!

Title: Forest Child
Author: Heather Day Gilbert
Publisher: WoodHaven Press
Published: October 2016
Series: Vikings of the New World Saga, Book 2
Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

About the Book: (from the author’s Web site)

Viking warrior. Dauntless leader. Protective mother.

Determined to rise above her rank as the illegitimate “forest child” of Eirik the Red, Freydis launches a second voyage to Vinland to solidify her power and to demand the respect she deserves. She will return home with enough plunder to force her brother, Leif, to sell her the family farm in Greenland.

But nothing can prepare her for the horrors she must confront in Vinland…and nothing can stand in her way when her family is threatened.

In her race to outrun the truths that might destroy her, Freydis ultimately collides with the only enemy she cannot silence—her own heart.

Historically based on the Icelandic Sagas, Forest Child brings the memorable, conflicted persona of Freydis Eiriksdottir to life. This immersive tale is Book Two in the bestselling Vikings of the New World Saga.

My Thoughts:

It was a long wait between the release of the first and second books in Heather Day Gilbert’s Vikings of the New World Saga, and then it was a while more before I could make the time to squeeze that second book into my reading schedule. But now that I have read it, I can say that Forest Child is so worth the wait.

If you have read and enjoyed God’s Daughter, then you’ll definitely want to find out what’s going on with Freydis, a colorful secondary character in that tale, who takes center stage in Forest Child. If you haven’t, then I have one word for you:

Vikings.

Yep. These two historical novels are based upon The Saga of the Greenlanders about the Vikings’ exploration of North America. I would recommend starting with God’s Daughter and reading the whole series through at once, though Forest Child could be read as a stand-alone, if you really want to.

Freydis, the lead character in Forest Child, is a strong woman who doesn’t trust easily, and who alienates a lot of people. But with her as the first person viewpoint, the readers know her motivations for the things she does, and we can empathize with her feelings and her reasons, even as we cringe at many of the decisions she makes along the way. And with the story told in the present tense, there’s an unusual level of immediacy, naturally drawing the reader in to experience the story’s vivid descriptions and historical details as if it were all happening right now.

Themes of marriage, motherhood, and family ties give this story many layers, but for much of the plotline, I wasn’t sure where the Christian element would fit in. We don’t start out with a strong Christian character like we did in God’s Daughter. But looking back on it now, I can see how the twists and turns in Freydis’s journey were leading her to a point where she could come to an important realization and make some much needed changes in her life. That’s where the Christian element fits in, and in my opinion, this kind of redemptive story is very much worth telling and worth reading.

Highly recommended. Particularly for those fascinated by Viking history, as I am.

Thank you to the author for providing a complimentary electronic copy of this ebook for review purposes.

Quick Links: About the Book | About the Series | Author’s Site

Christian Fiction Book Club Connection, May 2017

Book Club Connection

Welcome to the May 2017 edition of the Christian Fiction Book Club Connection. Thanks for stopping by! Whether you’re a pastor or ministry leader thinking of forming a book discussion group at your church, a current member of a book club, or simply a fan of Christian fiction hoping to connect with other readers, you’re in the right place. Please consider subscribing to my blog so you won’t miss future posts.

Today I’m providing information on Christian fiction discussions scheduled to take place around the web this month. I’m also featuring a handful of recently released Christian fiction titles for which a discussion guide is available, either included in the book itself or on the author’s or publisher’s web site.

Online Discussions Coming Up This Month

The ACFW Book Club‘s May selection is The Memory of You by Catherine West. You can subscribe to the group’s e-mail list now, by following the instructions on their Web site, to be sure not to miss any announcements or discussion questions.

By the Book is an in-person book discussion club that has introduced an online Facebook-based discussion option. To join in online, like the By the Book Facebook page, and be sure to check back there periodically for any discussion that may not have made it into your news feed. May’s selection is If I’m Found by Terri Blackstock.

For May, the Christian Fiction Devourers group on Goodreads is discussing A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter AND The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray. Grab your copies and head on over to the discussion forum to check in with others who are in the midst of reading these books.

The Fans of Amish Fiction Goodreads group discusses one Amish fiction title per month. The selection for May is Herb of Grace by Adina Senft. To join in, visit the group’s online discussion board.

Jamie of the Books and Beverages blog hosts a monthly Inklings discussion series for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Sometimes fiction, sometimes non-fiction, the title for the month of May is From the Library of C. S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey by James Stuart Bell & Anthony P. Dawson. The discussion is planned for May 18, 2017.

Recent Christian Fiction Releases Featuring Discussion Guides

The Memory of You by Catherine West (Thomas Nelson, May 2017, General Fiction)

A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot (Revell, May 2017, Historical Romance)

When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin (Revell, May 2017, Historical Romance)


So, friends, what have you been reading lately? Any titles you’d recommend for book club discussions?