Fallen Leaves by Tessa Emily Hall

~Saturday Stories~

 Selena couldn't be happier about staying longer at Lake Lure and attending the Art Academy. Yet problems keep following her. The competition at her school seems unbearable, especially from Renee, who seems bent on not only winning her competition but doing it with Austin. Selena can't in the least figure out what her relationship with Austin is, anyway. Are they dating? Friends? Casual acquaintances? And then her mom is planning on graduating the rehab program earlier than planned and moving right back to New York, to the exact place and job where a lot of her problems were caused. With all this happening, the almost-peaceful feelings Selena has now seem unstable. Selena can see only one way to fix things: Reunite herself and her mom with her long-lost father and brother.

 In Fallen Leaves, Tessa Emily Hall writes a complex, intriguing story of a girl longing for acceptance. Although at times I felt annoyed by Selena's slow, peaceful, unhurried moments I felt extremely interested every time her long-lost family was brought up. Hall did an excellent job at that narrative, making the story both suspenseful and something everyone can empathize with. Slowly, Selena learns to trust God with whatever plan He has, even if it means having to be patient or even getting a "no."

This is the second book, following Purple Moon. For more on Tessa Emily Hall, visit her website, Facebook page, and blog.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Christian Music Playlist Project

~Monday Movies & Music~

Hey, guys! I am working on an on-going project on YouTube, making playlists that are full of Christian music. There is everything from Britt Nicole to Matthew West, from Manafest to Adelaide. 

Not only is there a more general "Christian Music" playlist that songs get added to, but the songs are also sorted by message - "Christian Songs on Trials," "Songs of God's Forgiveness," "Christian Songs on Relationships" and much, much more. The ultimate goal is to have all Christian songs that are on YouTube on these playlists. 

I have done my absolute best to see that only the artists' or the labels' videos are on the playlists, not somebody else's videos with the artists' songs. This way you can more easily find more of their work and the artists and labels can get the "views" and "likes" for their amazing songs! 

Please head on over and immerse yourselves in truth-filled worshipful music as well as rap that glorifies our Savior. Because no matter the style, we can always praise our Almighty God with music

It's My Life by Melody Carlson

~Saturday Stories~ 

 

I have had the great privilege of having this book review posted on Rayleigh Gray's Literature Approved blog. Please head over to her amazing website to read my review of Melody Carlson's It's My Life.

Majoring in faith

~Saturday Stories~

“I think I can trust God’ll take me where I need to go ... I guess I better major in faith first, huh?” -Kirsten, The Merciful Scar

"Dear God, please help me to know how to handle this. I think you're telling me to break up with Josh. But a big part of me is struggling with it. Please, show me somehow what I need to do. Thank You." - Caitlin, Becoming Me

"My life was a mess. It still is - I mean my family is all messed up. But I don't feel all that agony inside anymore. I feel like I'm part of God's family. He really, truly is like a father to me. For me, it was like my heart melted when I asked Christ to come inside and pick up the pieces. I don't think I'd want my life to continue if God wasn't in it." -Katie, A Whisper and a Wish

How about you? Have you ever asked God what His plans are? Have you received an answer? Can you trust God to lead you to right where He wants you? Has God relieved some of your agony? Do you feel like a part of God's family? 

Party like a princess

~Monday Movies & Music~

Jamie Grace has a new song, "Party Like a Princess."

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." John 1:9-13 (NIV)

We are children of God. Whether or not we are loved by others, we will always be loved by our King and Father. And that is such an amazing truth!

The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

~Saturday Stories~

I have had the great privilege of having this book review posted on Rayleigh Gray's Literature Approved blog.

Please head over to her amazing website to read my review of Stephanie Morrill's The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet.

Intermarriage?

~Tuesday Thoughts~

 
 In the Old Testament God told the Israelites not to marry those of other nationalities (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).  However, this was because the Israelites could be led astray by the others’ false gods.
 
In the New Testament it is declared that “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile” (Romans 10:12, NIV) and, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, NIV).

What we should consider when we are thinking of marriage is the other’s faith, not race. 2 Corinthians 6 tells us not to “be yoked” with unbelievers “for what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” (v.14-15).

Idea from https://gotquestions.org/interracial-marriage.html.

What are your thoughts about this?

Stuck in the Sky by Lissa Halls Johnson

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Jacie: "I couldn't do it. I had the perfect chance, and I couldn't think of the words. All the things I know suddenly sounded stupid and awkward and what is real to me suddenly disappeared from my head."

Art? Stale with no opportunity to grow. Faith? Real, but very very hard to share. Everybody expects Jacie to be perfect in both these areas. She can't! She just can't! The only person that seems to see that is the "bad" boy in town, who, really, isn't all that bad. Of course, he might not be a Christian, which would complicate matters. But not if she keeps it a secret. The secret weighs on her heart, and she tries to mask it. Is there even a way out of this mess?

Stuck in the Sky deals with issues many teenagers face: family relationships, guy/girl relationships, and sharing your faith. The way Jacie's emotions and feelings about the boy were described depicted mine so well! The books also declared that sharing your faith can be done in more ways than one!

Stuck in the Sky is the first in the Brio Girls series. The other eleven are Fast Forward to Normal, Opportunity Knocks Twice, Double Exposure, Good-Bye to All That, Grasping at Moonbeams, Croutons for Breakfast, No Lifeguard on Duty, Dragonfly on My Shoulder, Going Crazy Till Wednesday, When Stars Fall, and Bad Girl Days. There are other authors also involved in the making of these books.

For more on  Lissa Halls Johnson, visit her website and her Facebook page.

Who are we looking for?

~Monday Movies & Music~

OBB has a pretty great song, "Looking for a Girl." Here are the lyrics.

Whether you are a male looking for a girl or a female searching for a boy, this song applies. Really, it's not about make-up. It's not about muscles. It's not about good looks, good grades, good pretending to be perfect. It's about Who ignites us, Who we are made through and for.

Pick a date and then a husband/wife not just by how you are attracted to him/her, but also by how much they love God.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV)

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)

Find some more information on dating at Bibleinfo.com.

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Brielle: "Ali was eighteen, Dad. My age. A little bit younger, really." My body-my skin, even-feels so heavy with the icy weight of it all. "I could have stopped the whole thing."

Brielle is coming back from the city, the city that offered so much for her talent. Everyone keeps telling her that it wasn't her fault, but she knows... She knows she could have saved her friend. Now back in Stratus, Oregon, Brielle can't seem to find peace anywhere. The the new boy in town starts hanging around with her. Jake isn't a normal guy. With healing hands and an intense heat radiating from his body, he intrigues Brielle. But will she accept the gift Jake reveals but only God can give? Is she ready to see the world for what it really is?

Angel Eyes is a beautiful and captivating story. The plot keeps one intensely invested, and Shannon Dittemore makes her prose come alive in every sentence. Brielle's struggles are real and easy to relate to.

The story idea itself - a girl who can see the Celestial, the angels and demons - could easily have become just another story to add to this world's ever-growing collection of horrors and thrillers. Yet the author keeps her story as Biblically grounded as can be. Although obviously some license is taken, little or nothing contradicts Scripture. Shannon Dittemore depicts the battle going on between angels and demons, making the concept outlined in Scripture come alive in the imagination.

One thing that could be improved, though, is mentioning Jesus Christ. The book contains at most one allusion to God's incredible gift of Jesus' death and resurrection. While Brielle learns to accept God's existence and sovereignty, her attitude toward Christ is not described. However, Angel Eyes did an amazing job of reminding of the truth that is easy to forget, that the real battle is the one we do not see.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

Angel Eyes is the first of the Angel Eyes trilogy. The second and third books are Broken Wings and Dark Halo.

For more on Shannon Dittemore, visit her website and Facebook page. She is also a regular contributor to the Go Teen Writers blog.

Help me be okay with that

~Saturday Stories~

I realize that this is a song from a girl's perspective. I hope you don't mind.


Lord, I can't do this without You, can't do this without you
I really want him to hold me, really want him to hold me
But if he never does, oh, if he never does
Help me be okay with that, Lord,
Help me be okay with that, Lord

It truly hurts every time it gets to me
That he's not looking, he's not looking at me
He's talking with that girl, hugging with that one
I want to be the one in his arms.
No eye contact for more than a second,
No smile or even asking how I'm doing,
No high five, no pat on the back,
Oh, I do want to be the one in his arms,
Does he not see that? Does he not see that?

Lord, I can't do this without You, can't do this without you 

I really want him to hold me, really want him to hold me

But if he never does, oh, if he never does 

Help me be okay with that, Lord, 

Help me be okay with that, Lord

How about you? Have you had a tough time with or without a boyfriend/girlfriend? How has God seen you through? 

Becoming Me by Melody Carlson

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Caitlin: "... in very controlled voice, I told Dad that I knew all about Belinda. And furthermore, I told him that I thought he was a liar and a hypocrite and that I no longer respected anything he had to say about church or Christianity or anything for that matter."

Caitlin's dad, who constantly told her why dating was wrong and how guys only wanted one thing, is seeing another woman. Seriously?! How can she trust anything he says now? And church - what a joke. If she wants to date Josh, it's her choice. And so what if that includes kissing and going a wee bit further? But there's something nagging at Caitlin and calling her for something more than dating the cutest guy in school. Is she going to let Christ be her only love?

Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl) is an incredibly well-crafted story that covers multiple issues girls deal with. Even when Caitlin accepts Christ as her Savior, it's hard to decide all that stuff about dating and sex and forgiveness and pain. But God always sees her through, teaching her to become more like Him.

Becoming Me is the first in the Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin series. The rest are It's My Life, Who I Am, On My Own, and I Do!.

For more information on Melody Carlson, visit her website and Facebook page.

So Over It by Stephanie Morrill

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Skylar: "But when I came back from Hawaii - if I came back - I'd no longer need fixing up. I'd be strong, peaceful, and focused. And over him."

Skylar has had a rough year, and all she wants to do is get away from it. Away from Jodi, who pretended to change only to get Skylar's boyfriend; away from Connor, who chose Jodi over her; away from Eli, who remained an invitation to get back into partying. Okay, so she had accepted that invitation a few times over the spring. No big deal, right? Now, however, she has a chance to leave Kansas for a while and refocus. She'd come back and she wouldn't need any of them. She would be self-sustained and... But it's not as easy as it seems. And maybe, just maybe, she'll have to learn to forgive, not just forget.

So Over It is a great story that teaches that leaving isn't always the answer and that opening up can help us. Skylar has to face what she wants to avoid and recall what she wants to forget in order to heal. She is a very real character, and her hurts almost always echo in the reader's heart.

I wish the story would have more about God and about how only He can heal us. However, it was still an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

This is the third in the Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series. The first and second are Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd. Stephanie Morrill also has a novella, Throwing Stones, free on her website.

For more on Stephanie Morrill visit her website and Facebook page. She also is the founder of Go Teen Writers, a blog with lots of writing advice.

Chokepoint by Jill Williamson

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Spencer: "I’d proven that I could do this spy thing. ... And the baddies? They could just bring it, because I’d be ready."

A couple of months after the Moscow trip, the Mission League people are still keeping an eye on Spencer. Seriously? Nothing's happened, no threats, no kidnappings, nothing. What's the big deal? But starting one-on-one training with Beth- now that's cool. Until it turns out that someone is looking to nap him. And he might have to move.

Chokepoint is an action-packed novella. It also has some truths about God, though not as much as I'd like. Spencer is a great character, who is fun to read about and very relatable. His voice, dripped with boyishness and quick wit and just plain freshness, was one of the best parts of the story.

Chokepoint is the 1.5 book in The Mission League series. The first one is The New Recruit; the others - Project Gemini, Ambushed (novella), Broken Trust, Lockstep (novella), and The Profile Match.

For more on Jill Williamson visit her website and Facebook page. She also blogs regularly at Go Teen Writers.

New Girl in Town by Nancy Rue

~Saturday Stories~

“I, Laura Duffy, made a decision on October 20th of my junior year. It was a decision that rocked my world. After three days at Panama Beach High, it was obvious that I was essentially the biggest loser in Panama City, if not on the planet, and that nobody was ever going to speak to me. Period. My decision: I couldn’t spend another lunch period pretending I didn’t CARE that I was being ignored. I knew kids believed being a loser was contagious; I believed it too. I wouldn’t be friends with me either.”

New Girl in Town tells a story of a Laura Duffy, a teenager, whose family moves from Missouri, the place she has known as home all her life, to Panama City, Florida. She doesn't know anyone. No one knows her. Her 'home' life isn't too good either: Dad and Mom are always at work plus she has to take care for her six-year-old sister, Bonnie. When Laura somehow gets into trouble at school with two very mean girls, Mrs. Isaacsen takes her under her wing. She gets Laura to meet other girls who feel out of place and tells her about God. Laura's life is about to change.

Genre: realistic. Target audience: girls 15- 18 years old. Issues dealt with: family relationships, friendships, dating relationships, trust in God, self-esteem, and suicide.

This book deals with heavy issues. It talks about the difference between just going to church and really having Jesus in your heart. It shows that you can’t do everything yourself: you need God. God isn’t thrown in briefly; He is a Great Part of the book.  This is the first book in the ‘Nama Beach High series. The second is False Friends and True Strangers; the third and fourth Fault Lines and Totally Unfair.

  "I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1 (NIV)

For more on Nancy Rue visit her website, Facebook page, and blogs for tweens, teens, and new adults.

Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall

~Saturday Stories~

Typical Selena: If people really got to know me—my weaknesses, my pain, my “bad habits”—they’d reject me in a heartbeat. That’s what I fear. But whether or not it’s true, it’s just safer not giving them the chance. Easier for me just to allow people to only know what I reveal to them about myself. Nothing deeper... Once I begin to trust people enough to give them the key to my heart, they have access to knowing all about me—and permission to make fun of my flaws. That’s when I get hurt. Then I’m scarred forever.

Her father rejected her. Her boyfriend hurt her. Now Selena longs for a new start. She and her mom move from New York City to a small town named Lake Lure for the summer - a new beginning for both of them. But can it really work this time? Can Selena find something new and refreshing in this life that has only thrown her problems? Will there ever be a fairy tale just for her?

Purple Moon is a story of healing, a story of learning to trust again. Selena's father is a pastor and after he throws her mom and her out of the house, Selena finds it hard to even come near Christians. They're way too "perfect" for her. Anyway, it's God who caused all the problems, right? With the help of new friends and experiences, Selena comes to learn more of the awesome God who has a very special plan for her future.

Selena's back story affected who she became; believing in Christ wasn't easy for her. I admire that Tessa Emily Hall wrote a story so full of brokenness and yet spilling over with hope also. I felt that the beginning was slow and the ending was stretched. Also, Austin sometimes seemed to perfect of a guy. But, overall, this is a story of someone who was broken healing - with Christ. Because Christ's the only One who can truly heal.

For more on Tessa Emily Hall, visit her website, Facebook page, and blog.

Summer Promise by Robin Jones Gunn

~Saturday Stories~ 

I wrote this review a while back, so its format is different than usual. 

Christy, a farm girl from Wisconsin, is spending the summer with her rich uncle and aunt in California. The first big change comes with her new makeover, haircut, and stylish clothes. Then she falls in love with a surfer on the beach. But does he like her back? Soon things are way out of control and Christy constantly feels depressed.  Her friends tell her she should ask Jesus into her heart, but is she ready for that? And besides, she has gone to church all her life anyway…

The genre of Summer Promise is young adult realistic and mild romance. For girls ages 15 and under. Issues dealt with include going to church each week doesn’t make you a Christian, dating relationships, drugs.

This is the first in the Christy Miller series. Christy accepts Christ only at the end of the book. Before that Summer Promise throws in ideas about Christ only from time to time. However, after she asks Him into her heart, it talks more about God. Probably, the next books will be more on track spiritually than this one.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23 (NIV)

For more on Robin Jones Gunn visit her website and Facebook page. 

Disclaimer: I got this book for my honest review at www.WaterBrookMultnomah.com/BloggingForBooks.