The Divine Proverb of Streusel

Nikki should be celebrating the last day of school. She has the summer off and doesn't have to deal with students for a few months. She can just focus on her and her boyfriend. However, that all goes out the window when her sister texts her a picture of their father's wedding that was on social media. Their father has the gall to get married just a few months after divorcing their mother?! How could he?! Shattered and heartbroken she drives all night and ends up at her grandparent's farm. They are both long gone but her Uncle Wes still lives on the property in a newer smaller house. She hardly knows her uncle and she only remembers her grandmother from the yearly Christmases they came to - but she felt compelled to come here. Told in alternating storylines between Wes and Nikki; the two learn to grow together, show their emotions, and try to forgive her father for abandoning his family. Heartfelt and redeeming; perfect for Christians who love the prodigal son story. 

Iron Flame

Ahhhhhh! Freaking cliffhanger! The book started a little slow, but honestly I was still so into it the whole time. I know everyone loves the Violet and Xaden romance, but I just like the dragons and the world building. The romance is fine; but I am loving the fantasy aspect of this. It's no small feat to write a 600+ page romantasy that readers don't want to put down. You could murder someone with this book! Now I freaking have to wait forever for the next book!

The Missing Piece

More than just a self-help book, "The Missing Piece" by Bud Boughton contains a beautiful allegory and a tool-kit to help readers discover what their missing pieces are and how to achieve security and peace in a hectic and insecure world. Beautifully written, this book examines different facets of our lives that make us feel less than and incomplete. Drawing not just from personal experience, Bud makes the case that we are all striving so hard to find security; whether it be in our relationships, careers, financial stability, education, or activities; yet we often fall short of achieving what we need to feel truly secure. He breaks down the ways in which we try to achieve stability and the hang-ups we often face, while never being negative or pessimistic. Rather than focusing on certain missing pieces, we need to look for missing peace, and see how that reframes our lives and the way in which we look for security. A meaningful self-help book that is heavy on hope and light on pages. A great book for those wanting to look inward. Harold "Bud" Boughton is former athlete, coach, and senior executive and is a current professional speaker living in Greenwood, Indiana. 

The Honeymoon Crashers

A fun little novella that fans of The Unhoneymooners will definitely enjoy. It's not a necessary read, but it's nice to revisit those characters. In this little follow up (that only exists as an audiobook), Ami is floored when she discovers that her twin sister is eloping on the beach. Yes, there is the Torres family curse to think of, but how could Olivia get married without her family?! Olivia and her family decide that they will crash the honeymoon and make her have a wedding. Luckily, that is secretly what Olivia wanted all along, she just felt bad asking her family to pay to travel for a destination wedding. Ami has vowed to plan the whole wedding in less than a week for her sister and she is thriving on it. she loves her to do lists. But when Olivia and her fiancé foist the best man on her things take a turn. A romantic turn. A fun audiobook with a full cast of characters and sound effects. 

Fourth Wing

Ok. I finally get what the hype is about and FOR ONCE I was not disappointed! WAs some of it predictable.. yes. Did that make me enjoy it any less? No way. Reading this brought me back to reading The Hunger Games or Divergent for the first time. It was so well done and had a unique concept. I also like that this was written more for a new adult audience, rather than a young adult audience. You got the violent dystopian WITH smoking hot sex. Talk about a win! I really enjoyed the character development, the love dragon, and most importantly the dragons. The world building was done so well. I can't wait for the next one!!

Down the Hill

The double murders in Delphi are horrific and Susan Hendricks did a great job of breaking down the tragedy and humanizing it; choosing to focus on the bereaved families rather than all the gory details. Not that those details aren't included, but they are dealt with very gingerly. I'm not sure I've read a true crime book like this before. My only regret is that this book was published so early, there are already so many new details, court hearings, and other information that could have been added to this story had Susan just waited for the trial to be over. Regardless, it was still an eye opening and chilling look into one of the most heinous Hoosier crimes in my lifetime. 

The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are

Grammy- award winning, co-founder of The Roots and MC, better known as Black Thought, pens an insightful, fiery, and soulful memoir. Opening up with setting fire to his childhood home, Trotter recounts the struggles and the victories that came with growing up in Philadelphia in the 70s and 80s. From selling crack to becoming a graffiti artist to embracing rap and hip hop; art became the savior and the lifeline that he embraced. The Upcycled Self is broken into four relationships that made him the man he is today; community, friends, art, and family. Each relationship is expanded with vignettes from his childhood some humorous, many heartbreaking and emotional. Poetic and masterfully written, this memoir is narrated by Black Thought himself, which makes the audiobook even more powerful and passionate. This will resonate with hip hop lovers, Roots fans, and those who love a good memoir. The only negative is the short length, readers will want more!

An Amish Christmas at North Star

An interesting collection of Amish novellas that all have one common thread. Four babies were born on a stormy winter night by one midwife. It was the talk of the town and of the nation. Decades later one reporter wants to do a follow up piece and see where the Amish babies are now. Each novella in this collection focuses on a different baby. One is a murder mystery with a fudge shop, another is about an adopted English girl that discovers her birth family was Amish. In another, a woman breaks off her engagement with her beloved over mysterious circumstances. And in the last a twelve year old boy will stop at nothing to get his older brother home for Christmas. All have ties to the North Star Amish community, and all the stories take place at Christmas. I actually did enjoy all four. I wouldn't mind reading another collection like this!

After the Bite

Sweet baby Jesus.... I am almost speechless. I am not the target audience for this book or for this series. This is the THIRTY FIFTH installment of this vampire series. I have read none of the books prior to this and was given this book to read as part of a blind date with a book book club. I.... did not like this. Not one bit. It was cheesy, oddly written and had so many weird plot holes! 

Natalie inherited her parents golf course after they were killed in a car accident with her husband and three year old son. She is a workaholic and runs herself ragged keeping the place open and watching after her toddler daughter. One of her elusive golfers Valerien (who she has never met) likes to golf at dusk. Little does she know that he is a vampire and an enforcer, his job is to hunt down vampires that have gone rogue and prey on humans. One such vampire, the Angelmaker, seems to have his sights set on Natalie. When Valerien discovers that, he will do anything to keep her safe because he has discovered that she is his life mate. BARF. I can't even go on. I did finish reading it (begrudgingly). The ending was double barf. How is this series so long?!?

The Celebrants

Sentimental, sweet, but also sassy and over the top; this story of college friends will win over most readers. At the end of their college career in the 90's their friend group loses Alec to an overdose. Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle are distraught. They had so many things they wish they could have said to him. While drinking and mourning Alec they decide to create a pact, a pact that will allow each of them to have a funeral while living so they can all say what is on their hearts. Well life happened and they grew up and grew apart (except for the Jordans, they got married), the pact was nearly forgotten until they all get a call from Marielle whose divorce has sent her spiraling. The Celebrants covers all the friends and their funerals and is extremely witty and wild - bordering at times obnoxious but still good fun.