I was tagged by Nicole from Thoughtful Inklings to do 'The Lovely Words Tag'. You can read her post here.
 
  She created this tag, which goes like this - pick three books with prose that stands out in vivacity and beauty. Books that could stand on imagery alone without characters or plot.

   Here are my three books!

  1. The Pilgrim's Progress | Christiana's Journey

Most people have heard of John Bunyan's famous allegory, which has influenced countless people and been referenced to in many other works - including 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott.

  This book follows the journey of Christian, as he makes his journey to the Celestial City. Along the way, he meets many colourful characters - Worldly Wiseman, Faithful, the Interpreter - and passes through many dangers.

    However, 'Christiana's Journey' is spoken about less, even though it is equally as wonderful a story! I've enjoyed both these books since I was young, listening to the dramatized audiobook tapes over and over again, and then reading the books several times too. The story of Christiana following in her husband's steps, with her children, and Mercy joining her has always been a favourite. The part where Great-Heart joins them, and together with her sons goes down to destroy doubting castle was one of my favourites.

    But as I've gotten older, each time I read the book I find more interesting metaphors, and appreciate the writing more. Here are some of my favourite quotes from 'Christiana's Journey'.

•  When he heard your lumbering noises, he gave a wonderful innocent smile...

•   It is my duty, said he, to distrust mine own ability, that I may have reliance on Him that is stronger than all. 

•  This day I see that Grace doth shine in your faces, and that you are my Lord's Shepherds indeed; for that you have not pushed these diseased neither with side nor shoulder, but have rather strewed their way into the Palace with flowers, as you should. 

• I have loved to hear my Lord spoked of; and where-ever I have seen the print of His shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot too.

  2. Words Unspoken

   This is a modern book, unlike the other two books I've included in this post. However, it's really beautiful and well written. This book by Elizabeth Musser is about a teenager who lost her mother to an accident and now can't drive without having a panic attack. She begins to take driving lessons and soon becomes fast friends with her elderly teacher and his wife. The book also follows his life, as well as his middle-aged daughter's life.  

     I really enjoyed this book, it does have a great plot, but although it's not super dramatic, and begins rather slowly, the writing style pulls the whole thing together. Here are some of my favourite quotes from 'Words Unspoken'.

•  She had a smile on her face that to Ev looked like the sun's rays spilling through an opening in the clouds

•   Thinking too much just brings it back to me, me, me-- but thanking takes my eyes off myself and my mistakes and puts them on others, on things bigger than myself. I can't stand here very long without being humbled at how small I am and amazed at how big and beautiful our world is. 

• I believe in a creator God, a God of design and power. An omniscient and omnipotent God who loves humanity and loves the individual. A God who's in the business of redeeming. 

 3. Little Women & Good Wives

  It's probably not surprising that I've included 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott, I love this book so much. This book follows the lives of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they grow up and learn life lessons. My favourite parts of this book are the everyday scenes, where sisters are at home, acting out scenes, or making a disaster in the kitchen, or just sitting around talking. Some people might find those parts boring, but there are so many wise quotes hidden in those scenes.

    I think that the writing style of Louisa was ahead of her time, I've read several other classics from her era which take forever to read, and are bogged down by so many words that it's really hard to get through them. But her writing is simple and easy to understand, with the occasional flowery description that is well placed so as not to bog down the story.

    Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book.

• After that, the little brown hood slipped through the hedge nearly every day, and the great drawing room was haunted by a tuneful spirit that came and went unseen. 

•  Conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long; even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty.

•   I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace.

•    As she lifted the curtain to look out into the dreary night, the moon broke suddenly from  behind the clouds, and shone upon her like a bright, benignant face, which seemed to whisper in the silence, ' Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds.'

•  Oh when these hidden stores of ours, lie open to the Father's sight, may they be rich in golden hours, deeds that show fairer for the light, lives whose brave music long shall ring, like a spirit-stirring strain, souls that shall gladly soar and sing, in the long sunshine after rain. 

 
    This January I had a month of no electronics. This past November I participated in NaNoWriMo, and in December I was busy studying for an online exam. That meant being on my laptop all. the. time. So, I decided it was time for a break.
    I will be the first to admit that I looked at my phone more than I planned to during January. But, I definitely went no social media, and stayed off my laptop! Instead, I read. 13 books all the way through, and a couple more that I abandoned. Here are my favourite books of the month!
 

    Phantom's Daughter - by Ashley Nikole

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

    "A Light on the Hill" is a story about a young woman named Moriyah, who has a brand on her cheek, from a traumatic kidnapping in Jericho. She lives in shame and fear, staying silent and hiding, rather than standing up for herself. She believes that God has forsaken her, because of the fateful scar on her face, and His supposed silence.

    After a horrible accident occurs, and she is forced to flee to a city of refuge. Along the way she makes many friends who see her for who she is, becomes confident, learns the value of forgiveness, and that God does not forsake His children.

    Connilyn Cossette does a wonderful job showing us the world of the promised land, and the tension between the people were facing with the Canaanites who remained on the borders. The land comes alive, and the realities of the cities of refuge. Although we usually don't give them a second thought, this book shows just how important they were, and how they represented the mercy of God! 

   I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Moriyah, and remembered her from "Wings of the Wind", which included part of her history. She was a really interesting character, who I could relate to in many ways. The character development throughout the book was really dynamic, especially as she bit by bit, learned to live fully.

 Eiten was an adorable character. His compassionate and enthusiastic nature, made him likeable and charming. I am looking forward to reading more about him in the future. Ora was also a sweet character, who I had high hopes for in the beginning, and a suspicion that turned out to be true! (But you will just have to read the book to find out what it was.)

   Darek was also a fascinating character. The way he was willing to stand for justice, made him a strong character. Although he had his flaws, he contrasted so strongly to his brother Raviv. He was willing to try to understand, and forgive, while Raviv was bent on revenge. This was thought-provoking. Which of these character's actions do we follow in conflict?

   The plot was fast paced, unpredictable, but gave you time to keep up and think about what was happening. It was realistic, interesting, and held powerful lessons about forgiveness, God, and His plan for our lives.

   Overall, I would give "A Light on the Hill" four stars, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical or biblical fiction, or just a good story. My age recommendation would be sixteen up.

   As I say with all of Connilyn's books, I am not usually a fan of the Biblical fiction genre, but her books always are an exception. It is obvious that she does her research, and doesn't over dramatize or romanticize the world of Biblical times! So I definitely would suggest you go and get your own copy of "A Light on the Hill" in your book store, or here - https://www.amazon.com/Light-Hill-Cities-Refuge/dp/0764219863

   I hope you all enjoyed this book review, it seems that I frequently review Connilyn's books. She is among my favourite authors, so go check out some of my past reviews. Happy Reading!

   Sincerely, Rachel R.

   A book review - I haven't posted one of these in a while! Well, I'm going to start off the year with a really good book.



    The Pattern Artist by Nancy Moser, is a story about a housemaid, who isn't afraid to dream big. Annie Woods decides to take things into her own hands, and make a life for herself in America.
      I found this book a delightful read! The characters were interesting and loveable. Annie was relatable, and realistic, which made her a good heroine. She worked hard to get what she could, but struggled with doubts and worries. Along her journey, she learned to trust God, and let herself begin to enjoy the moment. One of my favourite characters was Danny, who was brave, optimistic, and kind. He added lightness to the story, when things were looking down.
      The villain was also well-written. He was revengeful and mean, but didn't seem too unrealistic. He wasn't the completely crazy-looking, suspicious man that everyone would look at and shudder, a common cliche.
      The plot was adventurous, and kept me on the edge of my seat. It wasn't exactly a mystery, but it definitely had some suspenseful moments.
       I really liked the setting. From America - to Paris, it was all nicely detailed. The historical aspects were pretty accurate, so was the sewing details. I definitely do not know as much about sewing as the author, but I learned a lot from reading. I also liked how the author could write about sewing, without making everything seem to heavy and fact-loaded.
     One of my favourite historic aspect of the story, was about the Reform Dress Movement. I've always been an interested in that movement. In the book it addressed corsets, and I believe that corsets are not good for your health, so it was nice to read about how the movement started.
      Overall I would rate this book 5/5 - ages 12+. I really enjoyed it, and would read it again!

Be sure to check it out! Happy reading.
   Sincerely,
   Rachel R

  Today is the last day of January. Time has flown! One month of 2016 has already passed, eleven more to go. So I thought I should do a summary of what I've been doing, and learning this month.
     As you know from my New Year's post, I'm doing a social media fast for the month of January. It has taught me a lot, and I'm actually glad I did it. The first day was almost torture, I didn't realize how much I use my phone. My nephews were here, and I was busy cooking up a storm that day, and you wouldn't think I'd have much time to check instagram. That's what I'd say if I missed my devotions, "I didn't have time, I was on my feet all day!". Well surprisingly all day, at every little spare moment, I found myself reaching for my phone. The second day was just as bad, I kept thinking that I still had pretty much a whole month in front of me.
     After the first week things started going uphill. I found myself absentmindedly clicking on my social media apps, and then closing the app before it loaded. Or I'd see something soooo Instagram worthy, and want to take a picture and post it. There was quite a few times where I was ready to give up, thinking it wasn't really worth it. But here I am, the last day of my fast! (I won't say that I'm a bit excited...)
   So what did I learn from that? I spend so much of my spare time scrolling through Instagram, seeing if anything new has been posted in the last hour, pinning something on Pinterest, or posting something random on Google+. I also learned that we will ALWAYS find something to get in the way of Bible reading. It might not be social media, but it could be reading, or writing, or anything else. If we don't have a mindset of 'God > everything else', we will always find an excuse to deny God the time He deserves.
    
      I've discovered the Bible app this year. I made an account before, but I'd never really checked into it enough to see how amazing it really is. There are a ton of devotionals and Bible plans you can do, and interacting with friends really encourages and pushes me to spend more time in the Word of God. I recommend it 100% and if you're on there already, comment your username so I can add you. I've also been using the She Reads Truth app, which has a lot of devotionals too, and beautiful wallpaper for your phone.
    
   This year I've been reading a lot of books. I review for Netgalley, and I decided to go on a requesting books spree, because I didn't have any books to read. Pretty soon I was swamped in books, if you include the fact that I also ordered a ton of books from the library. Today I finished the last book, but there's more waiting for me at the library now.
   Anyways, some of the best books I've read this year are: The Silver Suitcase by Terrie Todd, Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose, Counted With the Stars by Cossette Connilyn (Review coming soon), and Trouble in Store by Carol Cox.
  
    I haven't seen very movies this year, but the two that were my favorite are Polycarp and Alone Yet Not Alone. Some of the best music new artists I've found this year are Ellie Holcomb, Dan Bremnes, Lauren Daigle, and the best soundtrack is Emma.
    What else have I been doing this year? I've been able to get some more writing done, not as much as I'd hoped, but still a fair amount. I also did an English provincial (my first provincial ever), which went pretty well I think.
  
   To wrap things up, this new year has been wonderful so far. God is so good, already He's blessed me so much. What are some highlights of your 2016 so far?
     Sincerely,
     Rachel R.

     I know I'm not fooling any of you with my book review of the WEEK. I'm lacking big time, but I'm going to keep calling these book reviews of the week, because it sounds better than, book reviews at random times. :)  This review is of "Blue Ribbon Trail Ride" by Miralee Ferrell.

           
     Blue Ribbon Trail Ride was is in my opinion better than the second book. It follows the story of Kate, and her friends, and I found it to be very well written.
     The characters are all very nice. In the second book I found Kate to seem a little spoiled, but by the end of the book I saw a lot of character change. In this book she was very lovable. The characters all were very believable, and growing up with an autistic brother I can see that she portrays Pete very well.
    My favorite characters are probably Kate and Colt. Kate shows a lovely spirit of selflessness and forgiveness in this book. She stays encouraged for the most part, and has a cheerful mindset even when things don't go the way planned.
    Colt also is still his old humorous self in this book, which probably is what makes him so like-able. I am home-schooled, so I always am a little biased towards home-schooled characters though.
     The plot is surprisingly well done for a book aimed towards middle-school children. Usually they are very predictable, but I found this one really good, I would even go so far as to say as good as some of the adult christian fiction I've read! It was fast paced, and not boring. I was kept guessing through the whole book, and at the edge of my seat.  
      I love Miralee's style of writing, as it isn't too flowery, neither dry. It is a great example of showing not telling when writing. It flows smoothly, and has a sense of humor and mystery to it.
     This book has many great lessons to it. Kate shows faith in God, selflessness and a love for others that even adults can learn from. She and her friends also learn forgiveness, and the dangers of presumption.
    Overall I would rate it 5/5, and I would definitely recommend it to girls or boys ages 8-16. I found it better than most YA fiction, so even those older who have a love for horses would enjoy it.
    Good work yet again Miralee Ferrell, I look forward to reading more of your books, and I will be reading the third book in this series, which I missed.
I've read the first two books in Miralee Ferrell's series, and although I enjoyed both of them very much, I didn't have high expectations for this book. Series, with the exception of some very special few, usually go downhill with each sequel. But this was not the case for this series!

Never judge a book by its cover is a saying we often hear. It applies to people, and of course to books. Today I learned a very good lesson about this.
     I order a lot of books from the library and today I went to pick up a bunch, so happy to get some books again. One I'd been waiting a very long time for was 'Sinners & the Sea'. It's a book about Noah's wife. I was so excited to read it, and the cover was so beautiful. Another book among the pile was, 'Phoebe: A Novella.' by Diane Noble. It was smaller than I had expected, and the cover wasn't quite as nice as the other; 'Sinner's & the Sea'.
       I began the Phoebe one first, and fell in love with it, after only a few chapters. It was a beautiful book, about a doll made by a father for his daughter and it's journey through the hands of many people. It was such a well written story, and it seemed way longer than the book looked. The perfect length. I definitely recommend for you to go check it out. I love the cover now, after reading it and seeing how it was such a good book. Haha, and I also learned 'never judge a book by its size'.
    Then I picked up 'Sinners & and the Sea', and after admiring the cover for a few moments dove in. It was the perfect sized book, and I was so excited! I found the beginning a little weird, how Noah's wife had a large birth mark on her forehead causing everyone except her father to believe she was a demon. Not exactly how I envisioned this book but, I figure it would change after a while.
    Now a little farther in this book was getting me riled up a little. I was getting a little angry, at how it portrayed Noah, and I was only reading it now to see what it would say next. I only read to almost the middle of the book before I had to put it down. I found it so inaccurate, and it was really showing Noah as a crazy fanatic man. You can read my whole review here if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1248972057  
   I could go on forever about how much I disliked this book, but I don't want to bore you.
  So lesson learned, NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. I don't care if it the ugliest cover you've ever seen, the words are the things that matter. And even though it might be the prettiest cover you've ever seen, it may be the worst book you've ever read.
   And here's something I read a while ago that I found interesting. All books are made up of 26 letters. I cool way to look at it eh? Well, I hope we all use those letters in a way pleasing to God!
   Also I'm working on the second draft of one of my books, who'd like a sneak peak? Comment and let me know if you would.
    Sincerely, Rachel