Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky

Across the Blue is well represented by its cover: beautiful, intriguing, and exciting. It is quite impossible to look at the cover of this book and not want to take a peek. As a reader, I really appreciate a well designed cover as it sets the tone for the book. The story inside definitely does not disappoint. This is a nineteenth century adventure in aviation which highlights up-and-coming aviator, James Drake, and aspiring journalist, Isabella Grayson. When James makes an unexpected crash landing near Bella's home, he unknowingly crashes right into her life: for good. Bella's father is the owner of the Daily Mail newspaper and he is offering a cash prize to the first pilot who can fly across the English Channel. James is on a mission to be that pioneer pilot and Isabella is overjoyed to watch him on his journey to success. But success doesn't come without bumps in the road and James and Isabella have to find a way to overcome these obstacles as they both strive to follow their dreams and find love in the process.

Across the Blue is a quoteworthy book that is full of inspiration. One of my favorite quotes from the book says, "A hope can become a reality if we work hard to do our part, and then trust the Lord to do the rest."
Think of what we could accomplish if we applied this to our every day lives! I am thankful to WaterBrook for providing me with a copy of the book to review. It is a lovely book full of adventure, romance, and encouragement. I look forward to reading more books by Carrie Turansky.

Why Did You Choose Me? by Katie Cruice Smith

Why Did You Choose Me? is a sweet children's book to help adoptive and foster children adjust to being in a new family. Its catchy rhymes and colorful illustrations are comforting for young children who may be confused and struggling to find answers to questions about their new lives. Adoption is such a precious gift and this book makes it possible for children to gain a better understanding of a sometimes difficult situation.

The author was inspired to write this book as she searched for stories to read to her own adopted children. Books like these are definitely needed in today's world. A book has the ability to comfort, to transform, and to transport the reader to endless places with just the turn of a page. This book is a special book for special children and it is definitely a blessing. Throughout the book, there are splashes of color in honor of all the children who are still waiting for their forever home. This is such a wonderful way to remember these precious children. Adoptive and foster parents are heroes and they are changing the world for the better each day. This book will help them make that change. I received this book from Ambassador International and the opinions in this review are my honest interpretation.

The Essential Guide to Prayer by Dutch Sheets

What a powerful book on prayer! This book is one you will want to file away on your bookshelf in the "read often" section. It is a wonderful tool to help one's prayer life grow immensely. Dutch Sheets uses humorous glimpses of his life and incredible stories of prayer to guide readers to a better connection with our Savior. He uses 13 chapters to describe the process of intercession and how we can step in to ask God for help and stand back and watch Him work. We need to intercede in so many instances and pray that God's will be done. It was very interesting to read real life examples of miraculous occurrences that might not have happened without a prayer warrior's determination and trust in God. This is a quick, informative read that is very uplifting and inspiring. Each chapter also has discussion questions that would be very helpful in one's quiet time or in a small group. I gained much information from this book and look forward to applying it to my prayer life. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn

This book did not stand a chance of getting put in my to be read pile. I was hooked from the very first chapter, read through it quickly, and was sad when it was over! This is the first book in the Dive Team Investigations series and it focuses on investigator, Ryan Parker, and nurse practitioner, Leigh Weston. Ryan and Leigh have known each other for ages as Leigh's brother, Kirk, and Ryan are best friends. But their lives intersect in a way they never have before as Ryan becomes the lead investigator in the case in which Leigh is the victim. Leigh is scared for her life as she finds out someone is trying to kill her. But who? She is well liked and without enemies. Who could possibly want to harm her? And just what does her case have in common with Ryan's possible serial killer case? Ryan is prepared to try his best to solve this mystery and protect Leigh in the process.

This thriller keeps you guessing until the very end. I found myself theorizing who I thought the killer was and I was way off. I never would have guessed what the ending would reveal. Blackburn does an excellent job of building up the suspense and mystery for the reader. Also, the characters in this book are exceptional. I love the camaraderie and dialogue between the characters. I want to know more about all of the characters and I could see myself reading a series about any of them. I look forward to reading the second book in this series. I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Permanent Marker by Aimee Ross

Permanent Marker is the memoir of Aimee Ross. Who is Aimee Ross? She is a wife. She is a mother. She is an English teacher. Most importantly, she is a survivor. Aimee's life looked great from the outside until it wasn't great anymore. She found herself struggling through her marriage and she found herself a victim of a heart attack at the young age of 41. But her life's defining moment happened on July 27, 2010. Aimee and 3 of her dance team students were traveling home from a dance camp when they were hit by an intoxicated driver. The driver didn't make it, but Aimee and the girls survived. Aimee's survival did not come easy as she began the fight to gain her life back. But life would never be the same. Too many injuries. Too many changes. Too much guilt. These are just a few of the things that Aimee had to deal with on her journey.

Reading this book is like reading Aimee's diary. Her story is very candid and real. She doesn't hold back and she doesn't sugar coat the struggles she went through. To be honest, this book was not at all what I expected. I was expecting this to be a Christian book, but it is not. There is a lot of foul language that I didn't care for. Also, Aimee gives credit to the Universe instead of God, so it's obvious that she and I have different belief systems. I was also expecting a feel good, inspirational book, but Aimee's story is quite sad to me. I am sad for the pain and struggles she went through. Her story taught me how to be more empathetic and aware of the trials people are facing. Nevertheless, Aimee did find her new version of happily ever after, even though it's not quite what she expected her life to be like. I am happy that Aimee survived and wish her the best as she deals with the remnants of this tragedy. Thank you to KiCam Projects for the chance to review this book!

Breaking Matthew by Jennifer H. Westall

WARNING: Do not start reading the Healing Ruby series until you have enough free time to read all four books in a row. Once you start, you will not be able to accomplish much of anything else until you finish. Rarely will you find a series as entrancing as this one. I know it's cliché to say "I couldn't put this book down", but in this instance it is nothing but the truth. Prepare to be transported into the world of Ruby and Matthew.

Breaking Matthew is the second book in the Healing Ruby series. Years have passed since Ruby and Matthew have seen each other, but as we know, nothing and no one can keep true love apart. However, in this book, Ruby and Matthew will have to go through some serious trials(literally and figuratively) to try to stay together.

This book is exciting, inspiring, dramatic, heartwrenching, surprising, and just overall amazing. I could think of a hundred adjectives to describe it and Jennifer's talent. I consider it an absolute honor to have stumbled upon a series as unforgettable as this one. This book and the complete series is every reader's dream. Stay tuned for my review of the third book in the series, Saving Grace. Spoiler alert: it is the best book in the series so far. ;)

On Pills and Needles by Rick Van Warner

On Pills and Needles is one family's heartbreaking story of addiction. Addiction is a serious problem in our world today. The author of this book wanted to share his story in order to help other people who are dealing with these same issues. Rick Van Warner spent 8 years trying to helping his son, Tommy, when he became addicted to drugs. He shares in detail the struggles his family went through during this dark time. Tommy's drug addiction almost destroyed the family as they tried to help him over and over again and failed. Rick finally realized that he couldn't do anything to help Tommy until Tommy decided to help himself. He goes on to say that the only person we can control is our self and we can't focus on trying to control other people. Honestly, when I started this book it made me anxious as I am a parent myself and I started wondering what I would do if I were in Rick's situation. I quickly determined that I would do the same thing that he did which is to not give up on my child no matter what. Rick is a true example of a father. Even though he felt like washing his hands of Tommy many times throughout this ordeal because he couldn't find another way to help him, he didn't. He kept on trying and kept on doing what he could for his child. This is what God does for us. He doesn't give up on us. Ever. No matter what. Families that are going through this experience can benefit from reading this book. Although it is a sad story, it is eye-opening to the path of destruction that is formed by drug addiction. I received this book from BakerBooks in exchange for my honest review.