Novella Review: The Pastor's Daughter by T.K. Ware (Christian Adult Fiction)

Title: The Pastor's Daughter

Author: T.K. Ware

Publish Date: September 17, 2015

Genre: Christian Adult Fiction

Why I Read this Book: I received this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novella.

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Ebony had a secret ...

An ill-advised relationship with a married man in the church sent Ebony down a path of regret, which led to an unplanned pregnancy. When the pressure of being the pastor's daughter and carrying a married man's child weighs upon her, emotions flare. Shortly afterwards, she threatens to publicize the entire affair, deciding to bear the consequences of the matter. Once her emotions settled, she saw from a different light.

But the unexpected happens ...

Because of shame and unprecedented conviction, Ebony is forced to confess as she battles with thoughts of betrayal to God, the church, and herself.

Review

The Pastor's Daughter is a novella (about 50 pages) about a pastor's daughter who had a relationship with a married man and became pregnant. I like this book because it tackles an issue that is not dealt with much in the church: fornification. Although many churches rightly advise against sex outside of marriage, they do not talk much about what should happen if someone is found guilty of such a sin.

The writing style of the novella did not grasp me as much as I wanted it to, but that can be a difficult task in such a small novella. Ware shows incredible promise of becoming a wonderful inspirational writer.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 16+ for sexual references

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Hour 6 Mini-Challenge: Top Ten List

Button made by: http://www.truebookaddict.com/

It's hour six. You are already 1/4 of the way finished with the read-a-thon! Way to go! Keep it up! If you are just now starting, that's great too! 

It's time to take a break with a little mini-challenge, David Letterman style. It's time to make your top 10 list of something that has to do with the read-a-thon. Awesome idea right? Well, it's not totally mine. I have to give credit to a 2008 mini-challenge host, jillora (@JilleeBeene). I asked around the Twitter-sphere about your favorite mini-challenges from previous years and this one came up. I loved the idea and decided to bring back this amazing mini-challenge. The original challenge can be found here.

As a thanks for being awesome (you know you are), I am also having a giveaway where you will have a chance to win your choice of either a 15 USD Amazon gift card OR a book from Book Depository for 15 USD or less. To enter the giveaway, post your Top Ten list in the comments and leave a way for me to contact you if you win (email, Twitter, Goodreads, ect.). I will then use a random number generator to determine the winner.

So without further ado, here is my Top 10 list.

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Dewey's Readathon

10. Talk on Twitter. I'm sure you will find a new friend or two and maybe even get a book recommendation. Don't we all need more books on our TBR piles?

9. Eat lots of snacks. This can be a cheat day. Calories don't count on read-a-thon days, right?

8. Do mini-challenges :)

7.  Stay hydrated. Sleepiness will come if you don't get plenty of fluids.

6. Take naps. You will remember more of what you have read and enjoy yourself more if you aren't totally sleep deprived.

5. Cheer for others. Even if you aren't registered as a cheerleader, we usually have a few rogue ones around #TeamRogue

4. Take a break to play with your kitty [may not apply to everyone, but definitely applies to me :) ]

3. Read with your kids. Involve them in the read-a-thon as well.

2. Read, read, read

1. Don't stress about how much you haven't read. Just have fun!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon: Update Post (October 2015)

Hello everyone! It's that time of year again; Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is starting now. If you follow me on twitter (@blog_gal) you know that I'm super excited about this read-a-thon, as always. This go around, I am going catch up on some of the books that I have received for review. I have a variety of genres, mostly within Christian fiction, to read. I have both hard copies and a few ebooks.

Before the readathon, I have read 153 pages of Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore. I received this book from the publisher (Tyndale Fiction) for review and I am loving it! It is a Christian crime novel with the main character being a female Cold Case cop. I am going to start with reading this one.

Mostly, I will be putting my updates on Twitter, but occasionally, I will come back here for a Mini Challenge and also update my reading status.

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What does your TBR look like?


Opening Meme
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Georgia, USA

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
My husband is making a Riesling Gelee with Raspberry Conserve :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I love to read (obviously). I am currently a forensic DNA analyst, but I am looking to change to a genetic counselor. I currently have an internship doing research in forensic DNA at an army base.


5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Something I'm doing different is that I had little to no planning for this readathon. My TBR is the books that I have received for review. I just wrote this post this morning. I haven't updated the Excel file for this readathon that I usually use to track my reading progress. I'm a slacker, but that's okay :)

Mini Challenges
Hour 2
For hour two, we had to post a picture of a book cover we would want to escape to. Here is mine:

#readathon #minichallenge: My cat and I would like to escape to Diagonal Alley with Harry and Hagrid.

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Oct 17, 2015 at 6:13am PDT

Hour 6

I hosted a challenge this hour. You can find it here. 

I also participated in the Power of Love minichallege. Here is my entry:

#readathon Power of Love #minichallenge: This book made me fall in love with it because it is filled with action and I love the main character (a female homicide detective)

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Oct 17, 2015 at 10:20am PDT

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?
Life is Beautiful by Sarah M. Johnson

2. How many books have you read so far?
I have finished a book I started before the readathon (Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore), read 73 pages of Life is Beautiful, and I read a children's picture book (The Ride by Kayla Davidson).

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
All of them :)

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes, but mainly it's because I needed to take a break.

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Nothing :)

Reading Progress

• 239 pages of Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore- Finished
• 112 pages of Life is Beautiful by Sarah M. Johnson
• The Ride by Kayla Davidson (A Children's Picture Book) - Finished
• 52 pages of The Pastor's Daughter by T.K. Ware- Finished

Novella Review: An October Bride

Title: An October Bride

Author: Katie Ganshert

Publish Date: September 23, 2013

Genre: Christian Fiction Novella

Why I Read this Book: I love this novella series. I picked up the Audibook version of this novella from my local library.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.
She wants to make her father's dream come true. She doesn't realize her own dream has been in front of her the whole time.
Emma Tate isn't a risk taker, so everyone in her small Midwest town is surprised when she suddenly becomes engaged to lifelong friend Jake Sawyer. No one but Jake and Emma know the true reason they're getting married---so Emma's dying father can walk her down the aisle.
While Jake and Emma plan an autumn wedding together, it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications---the biggest being their true feelings for each other.
In this novella by award-winning author Katie Ganshert, a young woman must reconcile her dying father's dreams with her own dreams for love and for her future.

Review

I absolutely love this novella series. Emma and Jake enter into an engagement for all the wrong reasons. Emma hopes to please her Dad by letting him walk her down the aisle before he passes away. Emma and Jake plan a fake wedding, never intending to sign the marriage license, but then God has other plans.

This story is cute, romantic, and full of humor. I loved every moment of this novella. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves Christian fiction and isn't afraid of a really cheesy love story.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Review: The Shack [MILD SPOILERS!!]

Title: The Shack

Author: Wm. Paul Young

Publish Date: July 1, 2001

Genre: Christian Fiction

Why I Read this Book: I have wanted to read this book for a while now. Many people had told me that I should read it. I listened to the audiobook version that I bought at my local Goodwill.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

Review

Looking at other reviews of The Shack on book retail sites and Goodreads, I clearly see the impact that this book has had on many people. The Shack has changed peoples lives, but it did not do this for me.

It took me a while to gather my thoughts about this book. The beginning was incredibly engaging and interesting; I did not want to stop listening to it. The engaging plot had me wanting more of this narrative, but this is not what I found. As the book progressed, I felt like it was more of a preaching than a narrative.

Much of the novel is spent with Mac talking to God. Each of the trinity is physically present and attempting to change the way that Mac thinks about the world. Mac is depressed. He has lost his daughter to a murderer. His family seems to be falling apart. As the Trinity speak to Mac, They comfort him and he begins to draw closer to Them. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. God loves us as we are. We do not have to change before we come to God; He changes us when we are willing to accept His love and all that He has sacrificed for us. I love this aspect of the novel, but there are certain things that the Trinity speaks about in The Shack that do not necessarily line up with the Bible.

One of the main things that I do not believe lines up with the Bible is when the author talks about how there should not be a hierarchy in family, in politics, or between us and God. The Bible says that God establishes kings (Daniel 2:21) and states that the husband is the head of the household just as Jesus is the head of the church body (Ephesians 5:23).

Even though I do not agree with all of the theology that the book presents, I do believe in the heart of the book: God loves us and wants us to know him intimately.

I want to end this review with an excerpt from 1 John 3:1:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ due to difficult themes (such as a missing child and murder)

Overall Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Courageous by Randy Alcorn (Based on the Screenplay by the Kendrick Brothers)

Title: Courageous

Author: Randy Alcorn, based off the screenplay of Alex Kendrick and Stephan Kendrick

Publish Date: August 1, 2011

Genre: Christian Fiction

Why I Read this Book: I have wanted to read this book since I saw the movie a few years ago. I read the audiobook version of this book that I found at my local library.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

From the creators of "Fireproof" comes an inspiring new story about everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners willingly stand up to the worst the world can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark. They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift farther and farther away from them. Will they be able to find a way to serve and protect those who are most dear to them? When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God . . . and to their children?

Review

Adam Mitchell and his law enforcement partners constantly face the challenge of being Godly fathers. They seek to find a way to protect those that are closest to themselves. Courageous is all about striving to be all that God wants us to be.

I watched the movie Courageous a few years ago and fell in love with the way the screenplay writers mixed comedy with a very serious topic: fatherhood and being what God wants you to be. At the end of the Audiobook version, there is an interview with the author of the book, Randy Alcorn. In the interview he discussed how he struggled to create a full length novel out of only a few hours of screenplay. I believe one of the most amazing aspects of this book is the additional content that Alcorn provides. There are many additional or lengthened scenes that stay true to the original feel of the movie. He adds much more laughter, many more heartfelt moments and keeps the overall message just as hard hitting.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs encouragement, laughter, or a good crying session.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 5/5

Update Post: Internship and Moving

 Hello everybody! I apologize for not posting in a while. Hopefully I will get back to a regular reviewing schedule soon!

At the beginning of July, I started a paid internship doing research for my Master's degree. I had to move to an adjoining state for this internship and had to live with my parents for about a month before I could find my own place. During that time, I was working 8 hours a day and commuting anywhere between 3 and 5 hours a day, depending on traffic. Luckily, I have now moved into a lovely 2 bedroom apartment with my husband and things are settling down a bit.

I hope to post reviews again soon. I have read/listened to several audiobooks during my commute times and I cannot wait to share my ideas on those wonderful books with you! Here are some of the reviews that you can look forward to:

• Courageous by Randy Alcorn
• A March Bride (A Year of Weddings, Novella 4) by Rachel Hauck
• A June Bride (A Year of Weddings, Novella 7) by Marybeth Whalen 
• A July Bride by Beth Wiseman
• The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin
• Finally (Willow Falls, Book 2) by Wendy Mass

Release Day Book Review: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Fixer

Series: The Fixer (Book 1)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publish Date: July 7, 2015

Genre: Young Adult Thriller

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for more in this exciting new series.

Review

Full of action and suspense, Jennifer Lynn Barnes latest thriller, The Fixer, does not cease to amaze. I had previously read another novel by Barnes (The Naturals) and I loved it! (You can find my review here. So naturally (pun intended), as soon as I saw Barnes' latest novel on Netgalley I decided to pick it up.

In The Fixer, Tess Kendrick moves in with her sister and some big changes happen in her life. She goes from a teen in a small town skipping classes to take care of her grandfather with Alzheimer's disease to being invited to dinner by the first lady.

This action packed thriller had many twists and turns. The dynamics between the characters was what really got me hooked. I enjoyed the character development and the high-action plot. I loved every minute of The Fixer and would recommend this book to anyone looking for action and suspense.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Book Review: Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni

Title: Escape from Sudan

Author: Amanda DiCianni

Publish Date: April 24, 2014

Genre: Christian Middle-Grade

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

Action. Adventure. Suspense. Escape from Sudan introduces school-aged readers to Elijah Bwoko, a teenage boy trying to re-unite with his family in the war torn land of South Sudan. Follow Elijah through eleven action-packed chapters along his journey to rescue his sisters from slavery, navigate a refugee camp in Uganda, and eventually make it to safety in America. Escape from Sudan gives children insight into another culture and will broaden their horizons about life in the Dark Continent. Content is suitable for ages 8 and up.

Review

Escape from Sudan was a great book to read right before the United States' Independence Day (July 4th). Escape from Sudan reminded me of one of the amazing aspects of the United States: Freedom. During a war in Uganda, Elijah seeks to find refuge in the United States with a host family. He seeks the freedom that many Americans, including myself, often take advantage of.

Escape from Sudan was full of action! I believe that it would be a great topic starter for many middle school children about real world issues including slavery and war. I felt that the book was written very appropriately for the target age group.

I would recommend this book to readers of all ages that are looking for a fiction book with real world issues.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Half-Hearts by Kealohilani Wallace

Title: Half-Hearts

Series: Half-Hearts (Book 1)

Author: Kealohilani Wallace

Publish Date: January 15, 2014

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Why I Read this Book: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of this novel.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book (from Goodreads):  

With billions of people on the planet, how can anyone ever find their other half? And what if everything depended on it?

The magical world of Alamea is in imminent danger of falling under the control of Vranah, “The Great Evil,” as he sweeps swiftly and mercilessly across their entire planet. And, with every death on Alamea, the equivalent of that person dies on Earth, Alamea’s parallel planet. The only hope lies in an ancient Alamean prophecy— the prophecy of the Half-Hearts. According to this prophecy, if any two of the twenty-four Alamean Half-Hearts can find each other, fall in love, and marry in a place that is magically prepared for such a union, that union would tip the balance of power so that Vranah may be able to be defeated. Then and only then will Alamea be saved and Earth be free of its terrible twin destiny.

Unfortunately, only Vranah knows the identities of the Half-Hearts. On the rare occasions that two Half-Hearts manage to even find each other, Vranah casts spells of distrust, jealousy, deceit, infidelity, abuse, and any other selfish traits he can throw at them, in order to break them apart and neutralize the threat. When love proves too strong to be distracted by such tactics, he simply kills them.

Lani Johnson is a twenty-one-year-old college senior from California. Yanked out of her world and its relative safety, she is swept into Vranah’s final war for Alamea. As she discovers that everyone has extraordinary gifts, and as she works to develop her own, she has no idea what is at stake or what could be the key to saving both Alamea and Earth— or whether it is all simply an elaborate dream world that her broken heart constructed, in order to distract her from her own reality.

Half-Hearts is a journey of thrilling twists and surprising turns, with many perils along the way. And from within what should be the safety of close friendship and true love, arises a shocking ending that no one will see coming.

Review

Half-Heart is a book that leaves you wanting more. At first, it was hard to get into the book as the character development and the world building were a bit lacking. As the story progressed, the writing was dramatically better and the book was difficult to put down.

One example of how the writing was a bit lacking in the beginning was the fact that the author seemed to tell things instead of showing them. For instance, one character broke her leg. Instead of saying something to the effect of "there was a crack as she tripped and she feared the worst", the author stated "she broke her leg as she fell" (not verbatim). If the author had hinted at the emotions of the characters instead of bluntly stating them, I feel the novel would be a 5/5 star novel.

The plot of this novel was very unique and well executed (see the description above for more information about the plot). Even though the heart of this novel was an epic type journey (which I usually do not enjoy, i.e. The Lord of the Rings), I felt like this novel was more than an epic journey; it is full of romantic plots, adventure, fighting, and character growth.

I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a great fantasy and is willing to read a huge book (at almost 600 pages).

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Read-O-Rama Readathon TBR

The Read-O-Rama is from Sunday, June 28th to Saturday, July 4 (woohoo Independence Day in the USA). 

There are 7 challenges for the readathon:

1. Read 7 Books (not sure if I can do this one)
2. Read a Middle Grade book
3. Read a fantasy novel
4. Read a re-read
5. Read a book with blue on the cover
6. Read an e-book or audiobook
7. Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name (in any order)

Here are some of the books that I might read throughout the week:

• Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle by M.P. Jones (currently on page 60/272)
• Read a Middle Grade Book
• Read a book with blue on the cover
• The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian (currently on page 41/201)
• Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name
• God Everyday: 365 Life Application Devotions by Mike Lutz (currently on page 6/690)
• Read a book with blue on the cover
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• Read an e-book
• Because You Will Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• Read an e-book
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• Read an e-book

Are you participating in this read-a-thon? What is your TBR? What are some of your favorite summer reads? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Summer Challenges and Readathons Participation Announcement and Summer TBR

In this post, I wanted to discuss what I will be reading this summer and challenges and readathons that I will be participating in. I will update this list as I find more challenges and readathons to be a part of and as I read more books. 

Paperback Summer Challenge
Paperback Summer is a challenge that is hosted by Reviewed the Book and Suze & Friends. The goal is simple: read as many paperbacks as you can during the months of June, July, and August. There are giveaways associated with this challenge. During the course of the challenge, participants use #paperbacksummer. To join and find out more information about this challenge, please visit this webpage.

I wanted to discuss some of the paperbacks that I currently own and hope to read this summer. Also, I am including books that I am currently reading or have finished in June.

Read-O-Rama
Read-O-Rama is a readathon from June 28th to July 4th. There are 7 challenges:

1. Read 7 Books
2. Read a Middle Grade Novel
3. Read a fantasy book
4. Read a book with blue on the cover
5. Re-read a book
6. Read a book with R-A-M-A in the title and/or authors name (in any order)
7. Read an e-book

I probably will not finish many of these challenges, but I hope to give it a shot :)

More information can be found at @readorama on Twitter. 

Summer TBR

Finished Books

• Shaken by Kariss Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Shadowed by Kariss Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Half-Hearts by Kealohilani Wallace
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Are You There God? It's Me Margaret? by Judy Blume
• Judy Blume Read Along (see this post for more info)

Currently Reading

• Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• A Place of Voices by Lauren Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle by M.P. Jones
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (Read a MG Novel)
• Nest by Esther Ehrlich
• Black Bottle Man by Craig Russell
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Jesus Is ___ by Judah Smith
• The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name)
• God Everyday: 365 Life Application Devotions by Mike Lutz
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (read a book with blue on the cover)

To Be Read

• Love's Abundant Harvest by Beth Shriver
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• The Matchmaker by Sarah Price
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)
• Because You Will Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)

Summer Biannual Bibliothon and #CrushYourTBR Readathons Challenges and TBR

There are two readathons that I am planning on participating in this week: The Summer Biannual Bibliothon (Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th) and the #crushyourtbr readathon (All day Friday, June 26th).

The Summer Biannual Bibliothon is hosted by Kelly, Brittni, Emma, Selena, Sierra, Kassie, and Red (links are to their YouTube channels). There is also a YouTube account for this readathon (Biannual Bibliothon) and they can be found on twitter (@BBibliothon).


#crushyourtbr is hosted by Jacquelyn and Raeleen (twitter accounts are linked).  This readathon is usually a 3 day readathon, but it is going to be a 24 hour readathon this go around. More information can be found at either of the twitter pages above or at the official twitter account for the readathon (@CrushYourTBR).

The Summer Biannual Bibliothon has seven challenges, which will be my TBR for the week. Here are the challenges and my associated books:

• The Group Book
• Paper Towns by John Green (if I can get it from my library)
• A re-read a book from your childhood
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
• A Companion/Novella/Prequel
• The Falconer by Rachel Cotterhill
• A genre you've read the least this year - Adult Christian Thriller
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• A book that you Did Not Finish (DNF)
• Do What Jesus Did by Robby Dawkins
• A book set in a foreign country (must take place on earth, not in space, or another world, etc.)
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• A book about an issue you're passionate about- Christian Martyrs
• Jesus Freaks by dc Talk (if I can get it from my library)

Obviously, I will probably not be able to read all of these books throughout the week, but I hope to get through at least 2 of them. I have a busy schedule next week in terms of doing research for my thesis and packing for a big move, so we will see what I can do.

Are you participating in these readathons? If so, what are you planning on reading? Have you read any of the books in my TBR? If so, what did you think of them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me (@blog_gal).