Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind, and Soul by Ruth Soukup

unstuffed

Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind, and Soul
Author: Ruth Soukup
Publisher: Zondervan, April 2016
208 pages
Christian Living, Home Improvements

♥♥♥♥♥

Description from Goodreads:

STUFF. It’s everywhere. Lurking in corners and closets, spilling onto counters and coffee tables, creating havoc everywhere we look. And it’s not just the physical clutter that weighs us down. Oh no, it is the stress of overbooked schedules, and the weight of life that sometimes feels oppressive and totally out of whack.

New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain–she has been there too. Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans, she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real, honest, and gets right down to the question we are all facing–how can we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down?

My thoughts:

I really liked this book; this author writes amazing books. Unstuffed is full of ideas on how to
declutter your home, your life, and your relationships. The ending is phenomenal; but you really need to read the entire book to appreciate it. I’m rereading it because it’s that good.

I received an e-copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other books I have enjoyed by Ruth Soukup
Living Well, Spending Less ♥♥♥♥♥
How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul ♥♥♥♥♥

About the Author:

ruth soukup

Ruth Soukup

Website / Goodreads

The Girl from Summer Hill: A Summer Hill Novel by Jude Deveraux

the girl from summer hill

The Girl from Summer Hill: A Summer Hill Novel
Author: Jude Deveraux
Publisher: Ballantine Books, May 3, 2016
384 Pages
Kindle, Audio, Paperback, Hardback
Romance

♥♥♥♥

Description from Goodreads:

The first book of a new contemporary romance series set in the mountains of Virginia in a town with full of family legends, romance, and secrets from New York Times bestselling author of the Nantucket Brides trilogy.

Sparks fly as fiery Casey Reddick and brooding Hollywood actor Tate Landers clash in the Virginia summer heat. A chef who puts her career first and her love life second, Casey doesn’t see what every girl in town is swooning over. She made up her mind the moment she met Tate—he’s gorgeous, but stuck-up, nothing like his ex-brother-in-law, Devlin who’s playing the Wickham to Tate’s Darcy in local production of Pride & Prejudice. Casey makes the perfect Elizabeth Bennett—how could she be star-struck when she’s heard Devlin’s damning stories about Tate? As they rehearse together, however, Casey finds herself attracted to Tate—he’s much more down-to-earth than she expected and any physical contact between the two of them literally gives her a tingling, electric shock. As opening night draws near, Casey has some difficult decisions to make. Whom should she believe? The seemingly sincere, slighted Devlin or Tate, whose rough, arrogant exterior may only be skin deep. She’s come to love that jolt she gets when they touch—but will she get burned?

My thoughts:

Whenever anyone asks me for a book recommendation, without any hesitation I guickly reply,
“Anything by Jude Deveraux.”If you’re a fan of Jane Austen you’ll love The Girl from Summerhill.
I’m not particularly a fan of Jane Austen, but I still really enjoyed this fun-loving romantic
treat. I enjoyed the compelling characters, the delightful dialogue and the sweet storyline. As in
her other novels Deveraux teases us with her constant culinary references.

An e-copy of this book was given to me by Ballentine Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other Jude Deveraux books I have read:

Twin of Fire ♥♥♥♥♥
Twin of Ice ♥♥♥♥♥
Highland Velvet ♥♥♥♥♥
Velvet Angel ♥♥♥♥♥
The Velvet Promise ♥♥♥♥
The Black Lyon ♥♥♥♥
Sweet Liar ♥♥♥♥♥
Wishes ♥♥♥♥♥
A Knight in Shining Armor
An Angel for Emily ♥♥♥♥
Legend ♥♥♥♥♥
Ever After ♥♥♥♥

About the Author:

judedeveraux

Jude Deveraux

Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Parent’s Corner – Let’s Learn About Psalm 23

parent reading to child

 

 

Let's learn about psaalm 23

Let’s Learn about Psalm 23
Author: Catherine Devries
Illustrator: Ryan Jackson
Publisher: David C. Cook
26 pages

♥♥♥♥

Description from Goodreads:

In this second book of the HeartSmart series, preschoolers are invited to join five-year-old Jackson for a day at Grandpa’s farm. Together they learn how to gather eggs, feed baby lambs, and brush horses. When a storm approaches, they go inside for breakfast and Grandpa reads Psalm 23. Everything they have experienced on the farm helps Psalm 23 come alive.

HeartSmart is a Scripture memory series designed to create opportunities for children to fill their hearts with God’s Word. HeartSmart combines key scriptures with songs, giving parents a spiritual formation path for building a strong foundation of faith.

 

My thoughts:

Charming illustrations. Very age appropriate. This is one your children or grandchildren will love hearing over and over again. I’m a big fan of all Catherine Devries’ children’s books. This would be great as a gift, especially at Easter.

 

An Amish Noel (The Amish Bachelors #2) by Patricia Davids

an amish noel

An Amish Noel (The Amish Bachelors #2)
Author: Patricia Davids
Publisher: Love Inspired, November 2015
288 pages
Christian Romance
Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover

♥♥♥♥

Description from Goodreads:

Luke Bowman’s homecoming is turning Emma Swartzentruber’s carefully ordered world upside down. Gone is her rebellious girlhood crush, and in his place is a handsome man who seems committed to serving the community. Luke’s even agreed to work for Emma’s ill father, whose last wish is to see his daughter wedded to a stable, loving man. But Luke – a man who flirted with the outside world with disastrous consequences – is hardly marriage material for a good Amish woman. Yet this Christmas, when her family is flung into crisis, Emma finds that he may just be the one to capture her heart for good.

My thoughts:

One of the reasons I love Patricia David’s novels is that she cares about her characters. In An Amish Noel it’s not just the characters she cares for but it’s also the chemistry between the two main characters, Emma and Luke. They both have to learn how to forgive. Emma learns to forgive Luke; and Luke learns to forgive himself. This well-paced novel is a very likeable story in The Amish Bachelors series.

 

About the Author:

patricia davids

Patricia Davids

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

A Cold Creek Christmas Story by RaeAnne Thayne

a cold creek christmas

A Cold Creek Christmas Story
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: Harlequin, November 2015
240 pages
Contemporary Romance

♥♥♥

 

Description from Goodreads:

Celeste Nichols has always preferred to keep to herself in her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho…until she becomes an instant celebrity! When one of her children’s stories becomes a major success, she’s suddenly the talk of the town. Celeste should be gloriously happy…but something, someone, special is still missing from her life. Could the return of her childhood crush be the answer?

Flynn Delaney has moved back home for his daughter’s sake. Yet all the millionaire’s resources can’t help the little girl heal from the tragic loss of her mother. Shy librarian Celeste and her stories do hold some indefinable magic, though. Flynn came home looking for support—can he find that, and true love, in the one who got away?

My thoughts:

The spirit of Christmas unfolds in this delightful romantic novel by RaeAnne Thayne. I enjoyed the setting of Pine Gulch, Idaho and the sweet characters within this book. Although it was quite predictable I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will be seeking out more Cold Creek stories.I hope all her bachelors are as dreamy as Flynn Delaney.

About the Author:

RaeAnne Thayne

RaeAnne Thayne

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

 

 

Hanover House by Brenda Novak

hanover house

Hanover House: Kickoff to the Hanover House Chronicles
Author: Brenda Novak
Publisher: Benda Novak, Inc.
234 pages
Thriller
Content: Some violence and adult language

Kindle, Paperback

♥♥♥♥

 

From Goodreads:

Welcome to Hanover House….

Psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her life to solving the mysteries of the psychopathic mind. Why do psychopaths act as they do? How do they come to be? Why don’t they feel any remorse for the suffering they cause? And are there better ways of spotting and stopping them?

After having been kidnapped, tortured and left for dead when she was just a teenager—by her high school boyfriend—she’s determined to understand how someone she trusted so much could turn on her. So she’s established a revolutionary new medical health center in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska, where she studies the worst of the worst.

But not everyone in Hilltop is excited to have Hanover House and its many serial killers in the area. Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok, is one of them. And yet he can’t help feeling bad about what Evelyn has been through. He’s even attracted to her. Which is partly why he worries.

He knows what could happen if only one little thing goes wrong…

My thoughts:

This prequel isn’t my usual genre of books I review although while I worked as a librarian it was my favorite one. I needed something a little more edgy and this fit the bill. Plus most of it takes place in Alaska – one of my favorite settings. It’s filled with lots of action and suspense. In fact I have found a new author that I’d like to read more books from. I think fans of Val McDermid will enjoy this new series by Brenda Novak. I am highly anticipating the first book of this new series, Her Darkest Night, coming in September 2016.

An electronic copy of this book was given to my through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the Author:

brenda novak

Brenda Novak

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Wikipedia

Top Eleven Books On My Fall TBR

toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This weeks topic is top ten books on my fall TBR. I narrowed it down to fourteen, and then narrowed it down to eleven which is what I’m going to stick with.

the lake house

The Lake House by Kate Morton

the gilded hour
The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati

the lavender garden
The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley

the mind connection
The Mind Connection by Joyce Meyer

the queen's gambit
Queen’s Gambit: A Novel of Katherine Parr by Elizabeth Fremantle

gertrude bell
Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell

girl in the spider's web
The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz

gray mountain
Gray Mountain by John Grisham

the nightingale
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

the outlander
The Outlander by Gil Adamson

one nation
One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future by Ben Carson
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