2019 Bookish Recap

*Cries* 2020 is here. I can't say that I'm not anxious for 2019 to be over, but somehow I feel so unprepared for a new year.

But y'know, I recently realized that it's okay not to have all your ducks in a row for the new year. You don't need to have everything planned out. Even though heaven knows I'd like to.

2020 is just picking up where 2019 left off. The earth finished its orbit around the sun. God is still in heaven, and He's still in charge, and he's gonna love me even when I feel utterly frazzled starting this year.

SO.

Let's get on down to the bookish recap, shall we, before I start rambling even worse?

According to Goodreads

Anyone else love seeing their Goodreads year-in-books?? 

In 2019 . . .

-I read 82 books (#mindblown)
-I read 22,319 pages (even more impressive, muahaha)
-The most popular book I read was Wonder by R.J. Palacio (pretty good book, actually)
-The least popular book I read was my Science & Nutrition textbook (big surprise there)
-My average rating was 3.9 stars (I read a surprising amount of 5-star reads, actually)
-The highest overall rated book was Behold by Faith Potts at 4.57 stars (all the fuzzy feels tho)
-My first review of the year was Fury by Jack Cavanaugh & Bill Bright (powerful book, that)
-My last review of the year was In 27 Days by Alison Gervais (5 stars, y'all. Wow.)

Top 5 books of 2019

Wow, guys. I read so many good books in 2019. BUT. If I were to pick just five . . .

Freedom—Faith Potts

Click to read my review 

Fallen Angel—Jeff Struecker & Alton Gansky

In 27 Days—Alison Gervais

Click to read my review

The Divided Nation—Angela Watts

Click to read my review

Monday Night Jihad—Jason Elam & Steve Yohn

Click to read my review

If I had to pick just one of them, though . . . hmm. Stay tuned for the end of the post when I announce my favorite book of 2019!

Writing

'Cause a writing update totally belongs in a bookish recap post, right?? Right. ;)

So, in Camp NaNo April I wrote somewhere around 30,000 words. Camp NaNo July, I did about 11,000 words. NaNoWriMo, I wrote about 26,000 words. Then with all the eclectic writing I did in between everything (which my best guess would be around 10,000, give or take), I wrote somewhere in the vicinity of 75,000 words! Wow, okay, I'm impressed with myself now.

*bows at all the applause* thank you, thank you, you're too kind.

So, you might be wondering just what stories I wrote in this year. 'Cause yeah, I mean, 75,000 is impressive but it's more fun if that's all in one story. Right?

Well, heh, you know that my project for both Camp NaNo July and NaNoWriMo was Little Boy Blue. I did some other writing in this baby, but it currently sits at 26,000 since I completely restarted it in November. Plus, it is in great need of heavy revision, so we'll see when this baby ever gets finished.

My Camp NaNo April project was Invisible, but right now it's been shelved—hopefully not for long!—since when I do pick it up again, it'll be completely restarted unless God tells me differently. So there's that.

Other writing projects I've been working on are obviously not nearly as big. I actually wrote several flash fiction pieces this year, and we'll see, maybe I'll write a bit more and compile them all into a flash fiction collection!

AND NOW FOR MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2019!

It was so, so close, y'all. Like, seriously. Trying to pick just one book out of the above five was so hard. 

Freedom was powerful.

Fallen Angel kept me on the edge of my seat.

In 27 Days was so impactful.

The Divided Nation had such a strong message.

Monday Night Jihad was so intense.

But.

But to my recollection, only one of these books made me laugh, get teary-eyed, make me go "AWWWWW" and get goosebumps within the pages.

That book is . . .

*drum roll*

I seriously can't recommend this book enough, y'all. Everyone should read it. Not only could it touch someone right where they need it, it makes us all aware of our calling to share Christ. Share His love with those who are despairing, and even those who seem like they have it all together. Because sometimes the brightest smiles hide the most broken hearts.

What was your favorite book(s) of 2019?

Book Review: Bespoke by Amanda Dykes

A Secret. A Bicycle. A Promise…

While the elusive Secret Symphony of Giovanni St. John captivated the world’s fascination, it left his daughter closed away in the Silent House – she, the one who holds the fullness of truth about the ninth symphony. Now Aria St. John is determined to not only break free of the loss that has defined her, but to honor her father through one final gift in his last days.

On the tiny Isle of Espoir, only one man can help in her quest: James Shaw, the village blacksmith… and the lost friend of her childhood. Will they be able to overcome the tragedy that separated them before it’s too late?

The little tale that was born in hopes of sending a single real-life bicycle to a missionary in Asia, Bespoke was hidden away in the Espoir Archives after sharing the joy of funding nearly fifteen bicycles.

My rating:

When I first picked up Bespoke, I was a little hesitant to start it. I mean, the cover is gorgeous, but an author I'd never tried before? I was almost scared to see what was inside, haha! Not to mention that I'm not much of a seasonal reader (I only have a handful of Christmas books on my shelf)!

So. Bespoke started out slow and sweet. The prologue thoroughly confused me, but it was written so beautifully—the entire book was, really! And then we get even more confusion in chapter 1. . . in a blacksmith's forge. But to read about James watching Aria exit her father's cab, their brief glance at each other, the hint of tragedy in their past . . . it made me so frustrated not to know what happened, but yet it made me so excited to read the rest of the story.

Have I mentioned how beautiful the prose was? Oh my goodness, y'all. And the plot line? GUYS. MY HEART. It is so, so sweet, but the ending wasn't one big kiss (thank you for that, Ms. Dykes)! I'll try to refrain from mentioning spoilers here, but . . . y'all . . . that ending . . .

Let me back up just a bit and talk about the plot. Aria wants desperately for James to help her with a gift to her father—give him his ninth symphony. (and if you don't read the book, this won't make sense to you.) James, convinced that the aforementioned tragedy was all his fault, wants nothing to do with her for fear of ruining everything once and for all. The secrets and backstories were woven so well into the story, it was like peeling back one layer to find something better and more beautiful underneath.

Y'all, have I mentioned how much I loved the plot?? Gahhh, just . . . just go read it! Executed beautifully, and a book that made me want to go back and reread it immediately after finishing it. I can't recall the last time a book made me want to do that.

As always, check out Faith's blog with the 12DoC posts and GIVEAWAY!

What are you waiting for?? Go read Bespoke right now! (Quick, you can get it free on Amazon!)

Christmas Albums for Writing

CHRISTMAS IS SO CLOSE Y'ALL. Christmas Eve is a week from today. ACK. #mindblown

SO. Since Christmas is so close, I of course have to do some Christmas-themed posts! Today I'll be sharing some Christmas instrumental albums perfect for holiday writing.

Also, I'm joining in Faith Potts' Christmas blog party, 12 Days of Christmas! Click on the graphic below to be redirected to her blog, where you can find all the other 12DoC posts and a GIVEAWAY! Go check it out!

Lindsey Stirling—Warmer in the Winter

I especially love her version of I Saw Three Ships and We Three Gentlemen!

Craig Duncan—Bluegrass Christmas

If you know me, you of course know how much I love Craig Duncan's music . . . ;)

The Piano Guys—A Family Christmas

Who else loves The Piano Guys??

The Nativity Story Soundtrack

Is any explanation needed??

Eden Symphony Orchestra—Classical Christmas

For all my love of bluegrass music, I still have a soft spot in my heart for orchestras . . . 

The Nashville Superpickers—Pickin' on Christmas

Mooooorrrre bluegrass!

Do you listen to music while you write? Do you have a current Christmas WIP??

Book Review: The Justice Riders by Chuck Norris

Sorry, y'all, this was gonna be a Christmas book review buuuuut I don't really have the time to type one up, so you get a Chuck Norris book instead! (Well, it's by Chuck Norris + three other people, minor details)

When General William T. Sherman commissions Ezra Justice to form a secret band of cavaliers to help and the war between North and South, his order may impact the West as well.

Justice, a complex Southerner of simple faith, gathers a pro-Union posse of diverse multi-nationals second to none in their fighting abilities.

There is Nathaniel York, an African-American who once slaved on the Justice family plantation; Reginald Bonesteel, a British sharpshooter denounced by the Queen of England; Harry Whitecloud, soft-spoken Indian warrior and medicine man; Shaun O'Banyon, the strapping Irishman who would fight an entire army himself; and Carlos and Roberto Hawkins, Gypsy-blooded twins who do a bang-up job with explosives.

From dusty canyon shootouts against Confederates to the horrors faced aboard the doomed Sultana steamship, these dynamic men shine as goodhearted heroes who need each other just as much as so many others need them.

But how they might stay together after the Civil War is a question that's as wide open as the Old West itself.

My rating:

I was so excited to start this book; I mean, Chuck Norris! However, there were so many Walker, Texas Ranger/Hayes Cooper vibes in this book that it was really hard for me to connect to, well, anything. Don't get me wrong—the plot line was fabulous, as were the characters (for the most part).

But let's talk about the characters, shall we?

-Ezra Justice. Cordell Walker all over again. While I appreciated the admiration and respect his men had for him, he was . . . well, for lack off a better phrase, too perfect. He was constantly considerate, constantly made right decisions, and was generally unscathed throughout the whole book. And yeah, just so much WTR stuff in there that, in my humble opinion, just really retracted from the story. But, I mean, if you've never seen the show, you might enjoy it more.

-Shaun O'Banyon. He was the typical Irishman, loved to fight, but he was also tenderhearted, which I loved.

-All the rest of the Justice Riders: Fabulous, but yet too perfect. I mean, they had minor flaws because Justice, as the leader, had to be the most perfect, but still. The Hawkins twins were epic, though.

All the emotions, y'all. There were . . . none? Okay, yeah, there was emotion. But I couldn't feel it. It was like it was more told than shown. Anger, yeah. Sadness, yeah. But it was basically only in the form of "we're gonna get so-and-so back for what he did" and "tears mingled with the river." Blood boiling, revenge, and a little crying.

One thing I did appreciate, though, was Nate's faith. It was there from the beginning and all the way to the end, and his faith in turn helped Ezra's grow. There was a good amount of praying, which I also appreciated, and I really appreciated the lack of language this book contained: zero.

So yeah. Kinda ridiculously hard to relate to the characters, but the plot was good and kept me reading, and I look forward to reading the next book!

Have you seen Walker, Texas Ranger? 

The Writer Games

Guys, I'm SO EXCITED to help Julia and Kassie spread the word about their unique, genius, MYSTERIOUS (yes, this contest is full of MYSTERIES). Announcing...

THE WRITER GAMES!

*grins* Doesn't that name just make you feel like you're about to jump into a colosseum filled with computers and bloodthirsty writers?!

As the name suggests, this isn't just your ordinary contest. No, this one lasts four whole weeks, complete with elimination rounds, weekly prizes, AND a grand prize that includes mentoring from a published author, as well as a mysterious item that has yet to be revealed! (Yes, they're big into mystery *rubs chin*)

But, of course, what contest would be complete without judges? The rounds will be judged by four people that you may already know—Kassie Angle, Julia S. (the hostesses of The Writer Games), Jenna Terese, and Cassandra Hamm!

Each week will have a different POV with which the writers are to challenge themselves, and gahhhh, I'm so excited, y'all!! You can find out more at Julia's blog, The Writer Games' website, orrrr you could jump on the bandwagon right now and sign up!

Who else is excited for The Writer Games??

Book Review: In 27 Days by Alison Gervais

Hadley Jamison is shocked when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, has committed suicide. She didn't know the quiet, reserved guy very well, but that doesn't stop her from feeling there was something she could have done to help him.

Hoping to find some sense of closure, Hadley attends Archer's funeral. There, Hadley is approached by a man who calls himself Death and offers her a deal. If Hadley accepts, she will be sent back 27 days in time to prevent Archer from killing himself. But when Hadley agrees to Death's terms and goes back to right the past, she quickly learns her mission is harder than she ever could have known.

Hadley soon discovers Archer's reasons for being alone, and Archer realizes that having someone to confide in isn't as bad as he'd always thought. But when a series of dangerous accidents starts pushing them apart, Hadley must decide whether she is ready to risk everything - including her life - to keep Archer safe.

My rating:

This book, ya'll. Whoa. Um, yeah. Wow.

Can you tell I'm kinda speechless over here?

I snatched up In 27 Days when I spied it at a bookstore, as I'd seen my Goodreads friends rant and rave over this piece of gorgeousness. However, when it comes to popular books, my opinion seems to differ from everyone else's. So while I was super excited to read this baby (I mean, c'mon, a girl fighting to keep a guy from committing suicide? Sign me up!), I was also skeptical that it would knock my socks off. I was afraid of a letdown, so I tried not to get my excitement up too much.

So I started it with great trepidation. (yeah, I'm in a dramatic mood rn. Just roll with it.)

What did I like?

-The plot! Golly, the plot was amazing! Hadley's determination to keep Archer from giving in to his desperation was endearing, and the setting was fabulous. I was afraid that, being a country girl, I wouldn't like the fact that the book was set in NYC. But it didn't take away from the story at all for me.
-The characters! I've already mention that I loved how Hadley wasn't going to let Archer continue to wallow in his depression, even when he made it clear that he didn't want her there. Because she knew better. And Archer! Man, this dude. I loved how his tender heart gradually shone through the cracks of his carefully constructed walls. I loved his mother and sister, and his grandmother—yes, even her. ;)
-Hadley's job! Ahh, I love (yeah I know I've been overusing this word. idec.) books where a good portion of the plot takes place in a bakery or coffeehouse. So when Hadley went to work for Regina, I was so thrilled!
-Alllllll of Archer's extended family. Goodness gracious! So loud, so boisterous, so . . . so lovable!

What didn't I like?
-The teen romance. It was cute, but . . . nah. I get that they're almost adults. Yet I just have this thing against kissing teenagers? Thankfully it wasn't a huuuuuge part of the book—the kissing wasn't—but I still didn't like it. You'd probably be shocked if I did, right? ;)
-Death made me . . . uneasy? I mean, I understand that the point of the whole book is Hadley's deal with Death. And that's why I didn't dock my rating. It's still slightly unsettling, though, when Death walks up to someone on the street and drags them to Starbucks to strike a deal.

So, yeah. A couple of minor things that I didn't like, but the rest of the book far outweighed the bad parts. <3

Have you read In 27 Days? What are your thoughts?

NaNoWriMo Recap

So. I wasn't planning to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. "You can hardly keep up with life," I told myself. "That blog tour nearly did you in. You do not need to try to write 50,000 words in one month."

Ha.

I should take my own advice sometimes.

So, about two days before the whole shebang started, I decided to restart my July Camp NaNo project, from a different point of view.

So, the big question: Did I win NaNoWriMo?? The answer: a big, fat NO. Not even close, haha! I hadn't planned to go for the gold when I started, but when I wrote 3,000 words on day 1 and continued working ahead for the rest of that week, I thought it would be very doable.

And then we went on vacation.

Okay, I can't blame the trip on losing NaNo. Not completely, anyway. I'd already started falling behind and was rather frustrated with myself for not keeping up. So when my parents announced that we'd be taking a trip to Kentucky to see the creation museum and the Ark Enounter, I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of taking days off of NaNo, but I figured that hey, I could at least write a little bit.

But y'know what? I didn't take the laptop. And I didn't even open the notebook + pens that I brought along. So by the time we got home I was over 10,000 words behind schedule, and I was finally okay with that. Over the next couple of weeks, writing was only a half-hearted effort. Not because I lost interest in the story, but because I realized that other things take priority over writing—even in National Novel Writing Month. ;)

So my final word count for the month was 26,088 words. Not as many words as I got in April NaNo, and more than I got in July. And that's okay. This year has been one for trying new things—especially as a writer/author—and I really branched out. I got an author account on Instagram, I created this blog, I participated in three major writing events, and I published a book alongside my bestie.

The question you might be asking now is, will you attempt NaNo again next year? I can't exactly predict the future, but as of now, the answer is no. I'm grateful for the experience, but writing 50,000 words in 30 days is for people who can write crazy fast and don't need as much sleep as me. (Contrary to the stereotype, I hate staying up ridiculously late to write. I also hate coffee, but that's another topic.)

If I do decide to do it next year, I need to seriously question my sanity. Or get therapy. Or both.

Do you want to hear details about my WIP?

Little Boy Blue underwent a complete overhaul. I changed the setting a bit, finagled the timeline, and made it through the part that is so crucial to the sequel. *nervous laughter* I've never written anything like this before (other than my 391937 previous attempts at this first draft *cough*), and it definitely needs research.

However.

I've never reached this word count on my other tries, so I'm hopeful that this time I'll make it all the way through the story! And if I don't . . . well . . . y'all won't be seeing this baby for quite some time!

What major changes did I make in the book? The most prominent change I made would be a couple of name changes. Wyatt is now Micah, Jason is now Shane, and Jayne is now Claire. Another major change would be that instead of Judah's point of view (which, you might remember from my last post about this story, was super awkward to write because he's married), I switched to Micah's point of view. Other changes probably wouldn't make sense to you unless you know all about the story, which should only be my writing partner and I.

Or maybe just me, since I've changed my mind so much that poor Livi must be so confused right now!

Wanna read some snippets?

If you follow me on Instagram, you might've seen my stories throughout the month with all the tiny snippets I shared. But I'm kinda proud of my baby so maaaaaybe I'll share some more here. ;) I can't promise that they'll all stay in the story, but for now . . . here ya go.

Micah wanted to ask Judah how his family was, how they were doing. But what could he say? “Hey, I was just wondering if you knew what my criminal family was up to. Have they asked if they can see me yet? I know they killed your brother and all, but y’know, I was just kinda homesick.” Yeah, that’d go over real well.

Judah raised an eyebrow. “And this is less embarrassing than what you were wearing earlier?”

“Hey, I like it.” Jayden pulled at his own sweat pants. “We’ve got class.”

“See?” Emma smiled and planted a quick kiss on her husband’s lips. “Your brothers actually do have fashion sense, after all.”

Shane blinked, took in a deep breath as if to speak, paused, and held up a finger. “Okay—uh—none of that made sense.”

“Sorry.” Micah grinned sheepishly. “I tend to do that when I’m nervous.”

“I make you nervous?”

“No, of course not.” Again, Micah thought of how terrible a liar he was. “Okay, yes. You’re three times my size, with arms the size of tree trunks. Who wouldn’t be terrified of a dude who could benchpress a Buick?”

After five more minutes, Micah ventured the question again. “So, were you following me?”

“Huh?”

“Tonight. Like, did you have a tracker on me or something, or were you just passing by, or . . . ?”

Shane just stared at him for an uncomfortably long while. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re quite possibly the most annoying human on the face of the earth?”

“Are you sure you’ve never met my brothers?”

“Can’t say as I’ve had the pleasure.” The remark was hardly more than a growl.

“Too bad. I think you guys would get along great.”

“I doubt that.”

“Well, I mean, obviously you wouldn’t now, seeing as how you’re kinda mad at my family right now, but—”

“Shh!” 

Micah frowned. “No, wait, you can’t just—”

“No, I mean it—be quiet.” Shane stared at the console, index finger poised in the air.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, Micah finally broke the stillness. I hate silence. “If you hold that finger up any longer, Jesus is liable to grab it.”

“This isn’t a movie, EmmaLee,” Judah said gently. “We can’t play vigilante without either doing something illegal or getting someone killed.”

Killed. The word sent shivers down Micah’s spine, and he took a deep breath. “So that’s it, then? We just sit here and wait?”

Shane chewed his bottom lip. “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, he strode out of the house, started his truck, and left.

“Well, if that isn’t the kind of news that makes a fellow want to get up in the morning, I don’t know what is,” Judah quipped.

Micah didn’t laugh. There’s no good way that this is going to end.

Did you participate in NaNo? How did that go for you?

Book Review: When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she's involved with murder, arson--and a handsome detective. 

But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light. 

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension readers have come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series.

Series: Deadly Reunions, #1

My rating:

Umm . . . wow. For a romance, that was phenomenal.

The upsides:

-The female protagonist, though determined to solve the mystery, wasn't the stubborn, do-it-all-myself type, which was fabulous. Because I tend to, um, highly dislike those. XD
-Chad. I mean, (SPOILER) I suspected him of the murders almost from the beginning, but when he actually sobered up, I liked him almost more than Hunter. And I was so glad he ended up not being the killer. (END SPOILER)

-The real murderer completely blindsided me. I mean, I guess the clues were there and really pointed to it, but...idk, maybe I'm just unobservant. But it all made sense. And it was fabulous.
-The love triangle. Before you start shaking your head or rolling your eyes at this, let me tell you that I'm not a fan of love triangles either. But idk, maybe it was because I actually liked all the parties involved that it didn't bother me...? Anyway, I thought it was pulled off really well, and everyone's attitudes about it—*SPOILER* especially poor Chad's *END SPOILER*—really impressed me.
-Um...all the characters?? I just loved them all. I mean, Hunter almost seemed...idk...shallow sometimes? But his faith was there and it made the whole thing better.
-Alexia's vulnerability. I know that sounds kinda cruel, but I could relate to her y'all!!
-The couple didn't start out disliking each other!! I'm so stinkin' tiredof couples falling in love after being mortal enemies. They let each other know about their mutual attraction pretty much right away, which I could've done without, but it was definitely better than hating each other. MUCH, much better. I can't even describe how refreshing that was. XD

The downsides:
-The romance. Ugh, please, please don't give me so many details about a kiss. I don't want to know that it starts out lightly, exploringly, then turns deeper. I don't want to hear about kisses all over eyelids. *shudders* spare me plz. I mean, I guess some people like that kind of thing. But there's SO MANY romance books out there, can there please, please please be just ONE intense book out there with amazing cops in it without all the romance?? Pleeeeeeease?! I think this book would've been amazing without it.
But *coughs* that's just my humble opinion.
-And yeah, that's it...? Like I said, it was amazing, and the only thing I didn't like about it was the romance. It was okay when the couple wasn't kissing. I could handle that (except I don't wanna hear about how you think each other smells plz)

I fall in love with each Lynette Eason book I read! Who's your favorite romantic suspense author?