Review of And Every Morning

While this may be a short story, the message it brings is worth reading and will leave a lasting impression. 

"This is a story about memories and about letting go.  It's a love letter and a slow farewell between a man and his grandson, and between a dad and his boy."

I have enjoyed Fredrik Backman's books and this one may top them all.  It is a simple book to read but is about a topic that is complex and heartbreaking.  It is simply a novella about 3 generations and the struggle with life, love and losing those closest to us.   The way the short story is told will captivate your heart and engage you throughout the short story.  His writing has  a way of pulling on your heart strings and causing some emotional breakdowns while reading but at the same time he can make you laugh and smile to get you through these tough issues.   While this is a short story, it is full of so many different emotions and so much love that it is outstanding.      One of my favorite quotes from the book is, "My memories are running away from me, my love, like when you try to separate oil and water.  I'm constantly reading a book with a missing page, and it's always the most important one."

There is not a lot to say about his short story other than to simply read it.  I will leave you with one last quote.   "I know that the way home is getting longer and longer every morning.  But I loved you because your brain, your world, was always bigger than everyone else's.  There's still a lot of it left."

I did receive this book for an honest review.  

Tim Tebow - Shaken

"I'm grateful for the life experiences I've had - the good, the bad, and the ugly."

"But I'll say that in those places of doubt and even of darkness, I've realized that who I am has nothing to do with wins or losses, applause, or negative criticism." 

What an amazing young man.  He writes his story not for the world to know about him, but to know that he is a child of God.  "My foundation for who I am is grounded in my faith.  In a God who loves me.  In a God who gives me purpose.  In a God who sees the big picture.  In a God who always has a greater plan."

Tim Tebow has always stood for what he believes in through his ups and downs.   This book is a look into Tim's journey from being a Heisman Trophy winner to not being sure what to do when it's all taken away.  The story does not follow a timeline of his life but rather a journey to who has impacted him throughout his life.  Tim writes about different people from celebrities to patients that he has visited that have made a huge impact on his heart and inspired him to intercept his fears and give them to God instead of him carrying the weight.   He rises above his feelings and those around him and focuses on "Staying grounded in whose we are.   And choosing to do what's right."

Tim's story is an amazing read for the young and old, Christian and non-Christian.  I have heard him and his mother both speak at different conferences and while he is a celebrity in the eyes of many, he truly just wants to share his passion for Christ and live it out each day.   "But the more you make the choice to live above your feelings, to trust God instead of what you may be feel like doing, the stronger your faith becomes.  It's not about being perfect.  We will always be on a journey of growing closer to God."  He is so correct that we will never reach perfection on this side of Heaven, but the stronger our faith becomes the deeper our relationship with Christ will grow.  I love all the inspiration and  could quote from his book all day.   The encouragement to stay strong and grounded while life continues to battle around us or maybe life isn't going the direction we want and need to put our trust in God instead of ourselves.   "Who are you when storms come?" And they will come as long as we live on this earth.    So glad I received this book from Blogging with books for an honest review.  Totally enjoyed reading his journey and insight into life.  

"Even if I wrestle with internal feelings, I can hold on to God's truth.  I can flow north again.  I know He's got a plan for me, even when I don't know what it is or when it seems to look totally different that what I imagined."  

Between Hope & the Highway

A story of discovering hope & love and running from your past.   This book was a fun read and pretty quick and easy to read.  I seem to enjoy these simple romances of boy meets girl and girl transforms the boy.   I actually give this book 3.5 stars.  

Liz has had a difficult time of love and loss and decides to run away from her troubles and ends up in Montana at the ranch home of the Law brothers.   Liz is a strong, pure and virtuous women who has energy and endurance that truly makes her a very likeable character.   She has had a difficult past, but yet she is robust and independent.   When she arrives in Montana she meets Bentley.  Bentley was in an accident and is disabled.  He is one of the most lovable characters and is like a teddy bear.   (Bentley needs his own story told in his own book.)   Liz and Bentley get along great and she actually moves into the ranch and begins filling the roles of Bentleys older brother, Rawson.  Rawson is a typically wealthy cowboy except he is a model who returns home to find Liz in his space.  Rawson is not a lovable character at the beginning.   He is pretty much a jerk, but a funny jerk.  

This story is told from three characters point of view and my favorite was Bentley.  It is also told from Liz and Rawson's point of view.  I did enjoy having all three perspectives.   I will say that the story takes place over a long period of time which helps with the character development and things don't really seem to be rushed.   At some points I felt like there were some of holes in the story but I think it could just be the characters personality on how she handles different situations or lack there of.   I think if this story were a movie, you would not need the words and the story would be told in certain instances.   I was not a fan of all the swearing and romance scenes that may have pushed the limit and were not needed in this story.   Rawson was already characterized without his lustful desires.   Religion does play a major role in Liz's life and Rawson does begin to transform and his perception of Liz begins to change as he discovers who she really is.  She seems to captivate his heart.     The ending was perfect but I would have preferred a little less romance in the end. 

I received this book from ebooks for an honest review. 

Gil by Darin Gibby

No Spoiler Review of Gil

Gil is a book for anyone to read.  Whether you are a baseball fan or not, you should read Gil.   I do happen to love the game of baseball, but this story is so much more than a story about baseball.

Darin Gibby has written an exceptional story about a man named Gil.  Gil gave up  his dream of playing baseball professional when his girlfriend (now his wife) became pregnant.  Gil became a high school teacher and baseball coach.   He has two wonderful children and life seems to be going along great until a lawsuit occurs and causes Gil to rethink life.   During this time, Gil discovers that he has a superb ability to pitch the ball at astonishing speeds.   There is a strike occurring throughout baseball and the local team, the Colorado Rockies, happen to be looking for undiscovered talent ("misfits, wannabes, broken down old men").  It has "America has talent in baseball" vibe in a very fun way to read.   Gil does join the Rockies team but encounters disapproval, contention from his father,  hostility from other players and aversion to his own natural ability to pitch the baseball over 100 mph.    
 
This is where the story truly began for me.  It is a story about love, friendship, family, dreams, and the ability to overcome obstacles while holding your head high.   I totally enjoyed reading the entire book but I absolutely loved Darin Gibby's ability to write a story about baseball that could be applied to life in general.  When the going gets really tough, we let our personality shine and keep on going.   We do not turn away or choose to frown.  Gil always smiled and always seemed to find the good.   Gil's wife gives him good advice early on, "You should follow your dream just because it is your dream."  We should not let others determine what our dream is but follow our own heart and encourage others. 

I was hesitate when I first received this book from library thing to review but oh I am so thankful that I decided to go ahead and read it.   It is a quick read that reads really fast and will consume your heart.  

Christmas GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter for a Giveaway of Heartless or $15 Gift Certificate!!!

 I love this time of year and want to celebrate with everyone.  Plus I happen to own 2 copies of Heartless.  I just finished reading Heartless and posted my review on my blog.   I want to giveaway my extra copy for someone else to read and enjoy.  I have a 2nd Giveaway for a $15 gift certificate to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Target.  You can choose your favorite place to shop for books.   You can enter both giveaways but will only win one or the other.   Please see below on how to enter.

1.  Be a subscriber to my booktube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKoNZRJObeMJXNPKKMi3PA.

2.  Comment on my Giveaway video https://youtu.be/yrfwN5G93vM and tell me what your favorite book (a must read) would be.  Also tell me your favorite part about this time of year.  Tell me if you would rather have a gift card to Barnes & Noble, Amazon or Target if you won and which giveaway you would like to be entered into or both. 

3.  You must be 18 years or older to enter or have parents permission.

4.  For a second entry you may subscribe to this blog and leave a comment which giveaway or both you would like to be entered for and I want to know how many books are on your TBR. 

Thanks for joining me on this giveaway.  I will post the winner on December 15th. 

Heartless - No Spoiler Review

"Sometimes your heart is the only thing worth listening to."

Marissa Meyer has the ability to take a classic story and make it into a captivating story with so many twists and turns. This is the 4th book I have read by Marissa Meyer and her writing style seems to dazzle my soul with every book I read by her. I become so fascinated and entwined into her story that I totally want to escape into her fictional world.

I have always enjoyed the Alice in Wonderland story and truly have not thought much about the Queen of Hearts until now. Heartless is not really a retelling but a creative telling of the Queen of Hearts. You could read Heartless without knowing the story of Alice in Wonderland, but oh how it enhances both stories when you have the background of Alice in Wonderland.

Catherine wants nothing more than to become a baker at her own bakery. It is her ultimate dream until she becomes charmed by the mystifying Jest. Catherine is truly determined to discover her own destiny but is also mindful of her parents and the Kings desires. But in a land full of magic, deception, and mad hatters, ones fate may take many twists and turns.

The character development was wonderful in this book. Yes there are some things that may be confusing if you have not read Alice in Wonderland, but with a little creative imagination you will be ok. There are so many moments in this book where I could not believe the direction that it went. The heart will take many turns throughout this book especially the ending.

There are a few moments in the book where I wish there was a little more world building or some more details were provided. Some things may have been just a little rushed but overall it did not affect my overall understanding of the book. I think ones imagination is extremely important when reading Heartless. You might have to read between the lines a bit which I think is rather exciting.
I absolutely loved the banter between Catherine and the Jest. Also, loved Catherine's demeanor around the King. Her love for lemon tarts and macrons totally had me baking while reading. This book makes me totally rethink Alice in Wonderland and I may have to revisit the book. Catherine is certainly a dreamer in a world full of wonder and possibilities. Sometimes our dreams and desires can change our hearts forever.