“But it was another reminder to hold tight to today. The gift of this one sunrise and sunset. God alone knows what the future holds for any of us, but He has called us to appreciate this life, and to thank Him daily for it. While we still can.”—Karen Kingsbury, Just Once. Just Once begins when Irvel Holland Myers receives an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Knowing she has just six months before the disease ravages her brain so badly that she forgets everything, her husband records her memories, including those of her time serving as a code breaker, a secret she has kept from her entire family. Set against the backdrop of […]
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The Widows of Champagne
Wow, what a book! I dove into The Widows of Champagne thinking it might be just another sad World War II tale, but boy, was I in for a treat. This novel took me on a journey with three generations of resilient women fighting to safeguard their family’s vineyard during a tumultuous time in France. Gabrielle Leblanc Dupree, a woman with a secret mission, is at the forefront. Instead of gearing up for a grand celebration of two centuries of champagne excellence, she orchestrates a covert operation to protect the vineyard’s most precious vintages from the clutches of the Nazis. The tension is palpable, and you can feel the weight […]
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The Tehran Initiative
The Tehran Initiative by Joel C. Rosenberg is a gripping, action-packed thriller that picks up where The Twelfth Imam left off. In this book, things are even more intense as Iran conducts its first atomic weapons test, setting off a chain of events that could change the world as we know it. Millions of Muslims believe their long-awaited messiah, the “Twelfth Imam,” has arrived, sending shockwaves across the globe. Israeli leaders fear that Iran, under the influence of the Twelfth Imam, might launch a devastating nuclear attack. The president orders CIA agent David Shirazi to sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike. The […]
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Aftermath
“His ways were mysterious and sometimes painful. They didn’t always make his children happy. But one thing was for sure. God used everything. He always had a purpose.” —Terri Blackstock, Aftermath. In Aftermath, author Terri Blackstock expertly weaves together the storylines of two disparate characters. The book begins with a bombing at a political rally in Atlanta that kills twenty people. Three best friends attend the rally to hear their favorite band play, but only one makes it out alive: Taylor Reid. A short time later, police pull over Army veteran Dustin Webb, who is a security expert. When they search his trunk, they find four boxes of explosives stolen […]
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My Favorite Reads of 2022
I read 106 books in 2022, so narrowing it down to my very favorites was a challenge. The list below comprises my crème de la crème in a great year of reading. You’ll find a variety of genres set in the United States, Mexico, Ghana, Ukraine, China, England, Poland, Austria, Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, and Vietnam. Most of these were 5-star reads for me, but one was a 4.5 rounded up to 5. I hope you find something you love! Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid “We live in a world where exceptional women have to sit around waiting for mediocre men.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, Carrie Soto is Back. […]
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Bridge of Gold
Bridge of Gold is an entertaining history lesson about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge during the Gold Rush era. Imagine constructing a 1.7-mile suspension bridge in the 1930s without modern equipment? To set the footings, divers wore clunky suits that weighed hundreds of pounds with heavy copper helmets. It’s mind blowing to me. As I read, I stopped many times to do online research. San Francisco’s famous fog and rocky coastline make for a deadly combination. There are an estimated three hundred wrecks in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the adjacent Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Fascinating. But I digress. Bridge of Gold is a […]
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Dark Intercept
The day before Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson is set to retire, he receives a frantic call from his estranged childhood friend. David’s daughter, Sarah Beth, has been kidnapped off the streets of Nashville in broad daylight. The police have no suspects and no leads. The only clue: the body of a dead priest left behind at the scene. David and his wife, Rachel—Jed’s first love—are desperate for help. The police don’t appreciate Jed’s interference in their investigation, but he is determined to find Sarah Beth. Soon he experiences dark memories, voices in his head, nightmares, and visions, and someone tries to kill him. He’s saved by an ancient group […]
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Rising Danger Review
An environmental terrorist is planting explosives on dams in the Twin Cities, and Bristol Bachmann and her bomb-sniffing dog must hurry to find them before everything ends up underwater. That means teaming up with the dams’ supervisor—an ex-boyfriend she never thought she’d see again. When the bomber sets his sights on Bristol and her K-9, it becomes a lethal game of cat and mouse. I appreciated that Rising Danger is set in the Twin Cities where I have lived my whole life. Reading about familiar places is always fun. The author did a good job setting the stage, and she certainly knows a thing or two about dogs! The plot […]
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The Water Keeper Review
“I don’t really understand it, but somehow, in some impossible way, love reached down inside me, took out all the old and dirty—the scars and the stains that no soap anywhere would ever wash out. And love didn’t just clean me but made me new.”—Charles Martin, The Water Keeper Author Charles Martin has a powerful way of sharing his faith that touches my soul. The Water Keeper is a story of God’s love encased in an action novel, and if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll want to. Retired priest Murphy Shepherd lives alone on an island off the eastern coast of Florida, tending the grounds of a church […]
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Amy’s Reads: June 2022
Uff, another delayed book post. This has been an eventful summer with vacations, family visits, writing and pitching a book proposal for one client and pitching a historical novel of my own. I still read, though, just not as much! In June, I enjoyed thrillers, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, Christian fiction, self-help, memoir, relationship fiction, and mystery. So here they are, my June 2022 reads and reviews. There’s something here for everyone! Lights Out by Natalie Walters “Choose fear or choose faith, but only one choice will bring peace.” — Natalie Walter, Lights Out As a CIA analyst, Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and invited members of […]
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