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Oh my goodness. This book, y'all. THIS. BOOK. Angela Hunt is an amazing author. Her style is so incredibly unique. I was blessed to have EGYPT'S SISTER and now I've been doubly blessed to get to read another incredibly moving, mind altering novel by the uberly talented Ms. Hunt.

In this incredible novel, we get to see Judah and Leah. I had a deep sadness for all Leah went through. As someone who has dealt with an abusive man before, I felt all her trust issues, I felt all her pain and suffering. I can't imagine what it was like during that time period to be abused by your father and not be able to trust.

And Judah....oh, how I loved his flaw filled self. He was not someone I would have normally enjoyed seeing in a book, but as I read the story, I fell in love with him hard. He was such a wonderful person for the story. Seeing him with Leah, well I cheered them on throughout the book.

Ms. Hunt has, once again, hit the Biblical fiction nail on the head. This book will shake you to the core, and leave you with all the feels that a book can leave you with. The inspirational messages from the Lord are perfectly pieced together within the pages of this book. If I could give this book 5 million stars I would. Go grab it now! You won't be sorry!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
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Plain Perfect (Daughters of the Promise, #1)
Beth Wiseman | 2008 | Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A wunderbaar Amish novel set in the quaint Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Beth Wiseman combines love, faith in God, friendship and family in a way that captures the reader and holds them to the very end!
 
Lillian Miller, trying to escape a life of lies and a relationship she doesn't need, flees to her Amish grandparents' home in Lancaster County, knowing all along that she will never fit in with her modern style. While there, she discovers truths about her past...things her mother never told her.
 
Samuel Stoltzfus is a young Amish widow, trying to raise his young son. He meets the young Englischer, the granddaughter of his close friends. He knows the rules of the Ordnung, but can he truly deny what he feels in his heart???
 
She's forced to choose between two worlds...one of lies and abuse, and one of simple, family oriented, Godly, plain living...and a life with a wunderbaar, caring man.
 
What will happen to Lillian and her perfect, modern life and Samuel, with his plain living? Will they face the truth of their feelings, hearts and God and become Plain Perfectin this amazing inspirational novel?
 
Grab some coffee and a copy of Beth's novel, sit back and enjoy this first book in a wonderful series, Daughters of the Promise! You'll be glad you did! This book truly deserves to be highly praised and I think you'll agree once you,too, have read Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman!!!!! Two thumbs up and five stars to Mrs. Wiseman!!! <a href="http://cafinatedread.com/2009/09/16/review-plain-perfect-by-beth-wiseman/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
HC
High Cotton (Bucklin Family Reunion #1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's been quite sometime since I read a Debby Mayne novel, and I must tell you that I so glad to be brought back to her talented work. When I read the blurb of High Cotton, I knew it was one that I needed to pull me out of my book funk, and that's just what it did! To me, that says a a lot about the book and the person writing it.

Being southern born and bred, and loving anything that has to do with drinking sweet tea from a mason jar( I mean, really? How perfect is that cover!?), I really related to Shay. Her character was quirky, loving and I really enjoyed walking beside her in this story, watching how she handled things. Life isn't always easy in a family of people that you love but drive you absolutely, utterly wonky, but Shay.......she really gave me a lot to think about with my own life.

This book is worthy of so much more than just 4.5 stars. It deserves to be sitting on a shelf, to be read again and again. If you are looking for a book that is at times laugh-out-loud, dysfunctional and altogether, down right inspirational. Friends, family and old memories come together to create a novel that is both emotionally moving, and utterly heartwarming. Praise goes to Debby Mayne for her trademark writing style and bringing me back to the love her books! Well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
World Without End
World Without End
Ken Follett | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas—about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.

Back to Kingsbridge., Following the lives of the children from pillars of the earth. I loved this book so much even more than the first! Ken Follett has a way of dragging you into this world and just making you believe it's now and you seeing it all unfold. Caris is inspirational watching her fight her way through to be exactly who he wants be and letting noone stand in her way despite what they try and do! Gwenda has fought for absolutely everything in her life, her man , her work her children. Ralph is just absolutely vile never have I read about a character I despise more! Well philmore comes bloody close. So many lives to follow and lose yourself in. Highly recommended these books are just brilliant!!
Kingsbridge survives the plague so what's next??

The cathedral is still the centre of it all
  
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Kathleen Hanna recommended Santogold by Santigold in Music (curated)

 
Santogold by Santigold
Santogold by Santigold
2008 | Rap
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I think my husband was friends with or had worked with her or something and then I downloaded the record on iTunes. It might have been the first time I downloaded anything on iTunes. I was like, "Woah, she's fucking killer." I think it's cool how she wears her influences on her sleeve the way LCD Soundsystem does. Why is it that when women are open about their influences people are like, "Oh, you're copying that person", but when men do it it just shows that they have such a good record collection and how awesome they are? I thought, "She's so cool, she doesn't give a shit." Her sound is amazing and her voice is so good. She just put out a new record that's great called 99¢ but I chose Santogold for this because that record has the song 'Creator' that is really important to me. When I would get down in the dumps, I'd put it on and it made me feel like a million bucks. She was my inspiration. That song was the song that got me through really bad times of feeling very unconfident as a singer and as a performer after I'd had four or five years off, and thinking, "Will I ever be able to come back to it?" and, "Looking back at what I've done, did any of it mean anything?" I was listening to 'Creator' and she feels so confident about the fact that she's an important artist in that song. It was very inspirational and made me feel, "I'm an important artist too!" Now I have to listen to her every time I'm cracking up."

Source
  
Changeland (2019)
Changeland (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Drama
An outright blast - a revitalizing, unfiltered tonic through-and-through. Would pair perfectly with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘺 (2013) in elite-tier escapism pieces that so vividly believe in the curative power of getting away and living in the moment. Definitely one of the most depressing movies to watch during the COVID-19 pandemic in that it features some of the most beautiful location cinematography I've ever seen, a fucking *smashing* soundtrack + Patrick Stump score, and an absolutely infectious sense of healing and bliss delivered through an affable cast who fit spotlessly together. Reminded me a lot of something like 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦 in the best way. Just people coming together and having a good time, impossible not to fall in love with - one of the ultimate hangout movies there ever was. Huge props to Seth Green, who this was an obvious passion project for. I can't lie and say that the story here is super compelling, it isn't really - it isn't bad by any means either, but it's effectively 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 for people who don't hate themselves (minus the towering quirk). But it's clear he feels for this material so deeply that it shows through bigtime in the final product. What could have been some cheapoid DTV shrug instead comes across as a full-bodied experience because of the chemistry onscreen and belief in the picture. And of course I'm just a sucker for late-career Macaulay Culkin, who in this gets blind drunk into a Thai boxing ring wearing a pair of his signature bunny ears. Oh and also Randy Orton gives an inspirational speech. I loved this film deeply.
  
BI
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm a big cowboy romance fan, so I was excited to grab this one to review. Ruth Logan Herne was a new to me author and the synopsis of the story sounded intriguing. So, I settled in for the day/night and read through nearly to the end (then I got tired so HAD to go to sleep so my CNA job wouldn't fall to pieces the next day!), but quickly picked it back up and finished it the next morning. It was that good. I loved every part of this story wholly and it will be with me forever! This is a book that I will be sharing with all who want a wonderful, inspiring read!

Colt, Angelina, Nick and Sam, along with the other characters in the story, really gripped my heart. I loved watching Colt and his changes in life after leaving his city life to come home to his country family ranch. Angelina, bless her, I loved her character! Seeing her interact with Colt was a refreshing part of the story! These two were perfectly chiseled to be just the right amount of flawed.

I can't give this book less than 5 stars! It's worthy of so much more. It had me twisted up inside and had me falling in love at every turn. From start to finish, this book is epically created and has the perfect amount of inspirational faith and hope woven among the pages. I can't wait to read more about these beautiful characters in book 2! Well done, Ms. Herne! You've gained a new fan in me! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/?p=12890"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
How Do You Like Me Now?
How Do You Like Me Now?
Holly Bourne | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, so I think I’m the only person left who hasn’t read anything by Holly Bourne before this point. I didn’t even realise she was a YA author before checking out her twitter, and I’m definitely going to get some of her YA novels now.

Tori is an author of a self-help novel about how to survive your twenties. Now in her thirties, she’s lost, unhappy, and worried about where her life is going. On top of that, she has got another inspirational book about how brilliant and perfect her life is waiting to be written.

Only her life isn’t perfect. She’s falling out of love with ‘The One’, constantly worried about looking too old and not seeming perfect enough on social media for her fans, and she feels unsuccessful.

It was really nice to read an honest book for once that shows that someone’s persona on social media is not who they really are. Tori is constantly posting on social media about how perfect her relationship is and how successful she is, when really, her life is the exact opposite.

The novel focused on Tori trying to find her happiness again without hurting people around her, and trying to write her next novel that thousands of people are desparate for.

The whole book was a nice surprise, as it was brutally honest and still an entertaining read. I devoured it in a couple of days, never wanting to put it down.

I did feel that the plot was lacking a bit. It did just seem like the whole thing was a bit of a sub-plot, but that did make it a nice, easy, and quick read.

I will definitely be checking out more of Holly Bourne’s books now.
  
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
The Born Again Runner by Pete Magill is about motivating people to get out there and run. The book is simple, has a clear structure. It has three sections which are before, during, and after the process of becoming a runner, each with four chapters. Each chapter begins with an introduction and ends with a summary to reinforce the lesson. My favorite part of each chapter is the "becoming a runner" profile, which is a story of a man or woman who one day decided to start running. Some are now record holders, some are ordinary people who like to run. They are all inspirational.

I like the persistent focus on starting easy and slow, which is something a lot of beginners do not realize or simply forget. The biggest mistake for any runner is in the actual training itself. In the book Magill talks about how in the beginning programs people should spend the first three weeks walking. I think this makes sense for those who are "couch potatoes" and are just getting out and being active. This; however, will be extremely frustrating to active people who want to start running. The training schedules focuses on time rather than mileage. This makes sense for those who are beginning. I like that he recommends strides and hill sprints for speed workouts.

The sections on "mythbusting" and on running and racing etiquette are nothing an experienced runner does not know, but useful for the real beginner. The section on "mistakes" is something even experienced runners could use a reminder on, and the injury prevention exercises would be useful to all runners.

I received this book from The Experiment via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
The Undertaker&#039;s Daughter
The Undertaker's Daughter
Kate Mayfield | 2015 | Biography
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
4 Stars

I have always been interested in looking into the ins and outs of funeral homes and so this book definitely caught my interest. I found it very difficult to put down and found that it was quite well written. The combination of eccentric characters were thought provoking and at times inspirational.
There are, however, some reasons why I could not give this book five stars. The first reason is because of the depth when it came to certain aspects of the process of preparing the bodies for the funerals. The lead character seemed to be very interested at times in her father's work yet when he chose to explain it in detail she backed out and didn't want to know anymore...often to do with her feeling uncomfortable. This was a little frustrating as admittedly I wanted to know all of the details. The second reason is the distance created between the lead character, Kate, and the reader. After I had finished the book I had to look at the front of the book to read the author's name as I couldn't remember it. Kate is not called or mentioned by her name within the book, this for me created a distance. The third and final reason is the lack of ages being mentioned. Time often moved back and forwards within the book telling us about different times in Kate's life, but it didn't give us her age. There were times when I just thought...so when did that happen? How old was she? How old were her sisters when that happened? This led to some of the back stories being a bit muddled and unclear but they were still very interesting to read.