Five Fall Favourites // Day Two!

Day two of the book party!! Hurray! :D Let's look at some more books, shall we? 

Romance 

Okay, so I actually don't read THAT much romance, so narrowing down my favourites in this category wasn't as hard ;) But I will say, the covers of Christian romance books are soooo beautiful. Don't you think?

A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.

Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered? 

Loved this book! Odette's personality is adorable and her skill at archery is A-mazing! And Jorgen's thoughtfulness makes him a very admirable character ;)  And the plot twists - oh don't get me started! I probably through "WHAT?!" a hundred times while reading! 

I've got to say, Melanie Dickerson books are so good! I love how her books are twists on fairy tales. It's so cool! :)  

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Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?

Combining a flair for romance with excellent research and attention to detail, Sarah Sundin vividly brings to life the perilous challenges of WWII aviation, nursing--and true love.

I really, really enjoyed this book! There was one point at the end where they were - uh - *blushes* kissing - and a rather long time at that too, it was like "Okay, you can stop kissin' now" :P But Sarah Sundin's characters are so real and ahhhhh, Tom and Mellie are so cute together ;) The main thing I enjoyed was how she added a unique twist to 'true love'. Instead of "love of first glance", it was actually the exact opposite. Tom and Mellie get to know each other, like actually know each other's character and beliefs, before they ever meet. This kind of true love was a lot more realistic and believable ;) 

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Merrill Krause longs for a family of her own, but she's bound by a promise to her dying mother to care for her father and older brothers until they no longer need her. She enjoys being part of the family business, harvesting ice during the brutal Minnesota winters. Merrill actively takes part, possessing a keen ability to work with the horses--despite the advice of her good friend, who disapproves of her unladylike behavior. 

When Rurik Jorgenson arrives in their small town to join his uncle doing carpentry, he soon crosses paths with Merrill. But unlike other men, who are often frightened away by her older brothers, Rurik isn't intimidated by them or by Merrill's strength and lack of femininity. As he thrives under the mentorship of his uncle, Rurik dreams of inheriting the business and claiming Merrill as his wife. But while he is determined to start a new life, the past is determined to follow him when his former fiancee and her brother show up in town. Soon Rurik is put in the center of a major scandal that may damage his relationship with Merrill. Can they learn to trust God--and each other--and embrace the promise of love? 

Ohh...this book was so funny! I mean, it wasn't ALL humour, but the humour in it was hilarious! The relationships she shared with all her brothers were well, you know, the teasing and arguing and more teasing. . . I died when her brother teased her about wearing a way-too-fancy hat by accident while helping a horse give birth ;P 

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Anne's children were almost grown up, except for pretty, high-spirited Rilla. No one could resist her bright hazel eyes and dazzling smile. Rilla, almost fifteen, can't think any further ahead than going to her very first dance at the Four Winds lighthouse and getting her first kiss from handsome Kenneth Ford. But undreamed-of challenges await the irrepressible Rilla when the world of Ingleside becomes endangered by a far-off war. Her brothers go off to fight, and Rilla brings home an orphaned newborn in a soup tureen. She is swept into a drama that tests her courage and leaves her changed forever.

Okay, I could never, can never, and will never, understand Rilla's dislike for babies. How is that even possible?! Aside from that, I found this book really interesting and enjoyed it very much. It made me laugh. It even made me cry. (Walter... *sniff*) 

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First-time schoolteacher Ariana is abducted and taken to an outlaw camp far from her home. As her confinement stretches into weeks, Ariana learns little of her captors. But the one man assigned to her care doesn’t seem to share the temperament of his violent cohorts. He may be Ariana’s only chance for escape.

Haven't read this book in awhile, but I still think this as one of my favourite books ever! It's probably my favourite Janette Oke book :) And ohh.... one of the last plot twists left me so stunned I was literally saying out loud "No, no, no that can not happen!!!!" 'Course, I can't tell you what it is, cause that'd be a big, huge, gargantuan spoiler! I'd suggest you go read it for yourself ;) 

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Historical Fiction 

Soooo....unlike Romance, I had an extremely hard time trying to choose only FIVE historical fiction books. I think I can safely say Historical Fiction is my most read genre. I LOVE history and yeah, fiction and history combined just make awesomeness! Did my very best in trying to cut down the  very long list of books, but I went one book over. It hurt too much to cut it down any more ;) So please forgive the one extra book in this category! 

Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit's friendship with the "witch" is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!

Elizabeth George Speare is probably one of my absolute favourite historical fiction authors EVER. My mom actually read this to Tiger Lily and me for school about 6 years ago. She always managed to find all the cliffhangers in the book, and of course, would leave us begging for her to continue ;) It's a great story, for young and old alike! 

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Eira has no greater desire than to see her life returned to what it once was—before her older brother Kevin's sudden disappearance four years earlier. But the simple life she hoped for seems unattainable; on the contrary, her life is about to get all the more complicated.

When she suddenly finds herself and Willem, her twin brother, taken captive by someone who claims to be Kevin’s enemy, things go from bad to worse. It soon becomes clear that she and Willem are to become bait in a trap set for Kevin, and Eira knows she must try to warn him. But how, when she herself is a captive?

As mysteries of the past are unveiled, and loyalties are revealed, Eira realizes how precious her friends truly are. And when mortal danger threatens those nearest to her, will she be able to trust God with the lives of her friends and family?

The Silent Blade was amazing, and it’s definitely on my re-read list! Most of the characters were well-developed and easy to relate to, and I caught myself having a mini movie in my head of what I was reading. (After I read the book, I went to Jesseca’s blog and looked up pretty much every post she had ever done on The Silent Blade, specifically the character spotlights, just to solidify the pictures in my mind ;)) 

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Jeanne Chatel has always dreamed of adventure. So when the eighteen-year-old orphan is summoned to sail from France to the wilds of North America to become a king's daughter and marry a French settler, she doesn't hesitate. 

Her new husband is not the dashing military man she has dreamed of, but a trapper with two small children who lives in a small cabin in the woods. With her husband away trapping much of the time, Jeanne faces danger daily, but the bravery and spirit that brought her to this wild place never fail her, and she soon learns to be truly at home in her new land.

This was definitely one of the first books I thought of when I made my list for this category. It is, and will always be, a favourite of mine! 

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Imagine that there are two sides to a war. You are caught right in the very middle of it; and you end up being on both sides all at once. If you help one side, you will die. If you help the other side, your best friend (maybe even more than just a best friend) dies. What do you do?

Copied and pasted that blurb from the review I did during the Cinderella Week. "Imagine that there are two sides to a war" Of COURSE there are two sides to a war. It'd be hard for a war to happen if there's only one side, don't you think? *slams head on desk* :P But yeah, to read my full review, you can click on the link above :) 

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Finding the wounded rebel in the barn was just the beginning of Deborah's troubles. If she is caught hiding Dan, her family will be branded as traitors and their barn burned. If she turns him over to the sheriff, he will be hanged! Deborah is torn between a father she has always trusted to be right, and the wounded boy who begs for her help. A gripping story of divided loyalty.

I first encountered Barbara Greenwood with her "A Pioneer Story". Really enjoyed her writing, so when I found A Question of Loyalty at a book fair, there was no doubt at all that I was going to get it ;) And I didn't regret it one bit! :) 

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In the year 1754, the stillness of Charlestown, New Hampshire, is shattered by the terrifying cries of an Indian raid. Young Miriam Willard, on a day that had promised new happiness, finds herself instead a captive on a forest trail, caught up in the ebb and flow of the French and Indian War.

It is a harrowing march north. Miriam can only force herself to the next stopping place, the next small portion of food, the next icy stream to be crossed. At the end of the trail waits a life of hard work and, perhaps, even a life of slavery. Mingled with her thoughts of Phineas Whitney, her sweetheart on his way to Harvard, is the crying of her sister’s baby, Captive, born on the trail.

Miriam and her companions finally reach Montreal, a city of shifting loyalties filled with the intrigue of war, and here, by a sudden twist of fortune, Miriam meets the prominent Du Quesne family, who introduce her to a life she has never imagined. Based on an actual narrative diary published in 1807, Calico Captive skillfully reenacts an absorbing facet of history.

Yep, another Elizabeth George Speare book. Seriously, her books are amazing! I love each and every one of her books (do you know how hard it was to not include her other books in here?! xD) I first read Calico Captive when I was 10. I remember it was the first night I got to stay up later then the rest of my siblings. Of course, bookworm that I was, the only thing I wanted to do with this newly given free time was read a book ;) Calico Captive happened to be that book, and I loved it right away. My sister and I have read it countless times over the years, and so far we've never gotten tired of it! If you haven't read it yet - GO READ IT. PLEASE!! :D 

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And that ends the list of books for today! Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know!! :D


                                                                          
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           As you can tell from the graphic above, I'm the Bonfire Room today! Do you all do bonfires often? Aren't they so much fun? I think one of my favourite parts of bonfires is burning the top of a stick and then, once it's all red and glowing, making shapes in the sky =D   

Don't forget to check out Kate, Sarah, Kellyn, and Amanda's blogs. They've got some great book recommendations, and one of them's the Book room too!! And you all know what's at the book room, don't you? ;) 

And of course, the Grand Prize! Is anyone as excited about this as I am?! It's books, guys, BOOKS!! ;D 

Go to Rebekah's blog to enter and get a chance to win this AWESOME prize!! 

What's one of your favourite bonfire memories? 

Do you enjoy reading books from today's two genres? 

Have you found the book room for today? ;)