Five Fall Favourites // Day Six

Well, today is the end of Five Fall Favourites :’( But only for this year, right? Let's try to do this again in 2017, shall we? If you think we should do this again, please let us know! And there’s the survey you can take too ;)  

Now let's get onto the two very last genres of this party.

Christmas 

The Nutcracker is a Christmas story about a little girl named Maria and her wooden doll, the Nutcracker, who becomes alive to fight the evil seven-headed Mouse King.

I loved reading the Nutcracker. I think I saw the play for it years and years ago, maybe when I was four? so I didn’t remember it all too well ;) But the story is SO fun! :) 

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Aurelia Wilde is cruelly selfish and downright miserable—a victim of her mother's desperate attempts to place her delicate “prized possession” on an unreachable pedestal. But her glory is only surface deep. Aurelia's complaining spirit is a stark contrast to that of her servant-girl, Doris, who knows that in spite of life's troubles, she will one day “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Her many talents and cheerful disposition cause her to be loved and appreciated, even by the notable residents of Waverly Manor. How jealousy swells within Aurelia's vengeful mother! She'll get even yet…

So, this is technically not a Christmas book. But the theme of forgiveness and love always made me connect it with Christmas. This is an absolute favourite of mine, and would be one of the first books I’d recommend to you if you ever asked me what book you should read ;) 

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Annette and Lucien are enemies. After Annette gets Lucien into trouble at school, he decides to get back at her by threatening the most precious thing in the world to her: her little brother Dani. But tragedy strikes. Annette is so filled with rage that she sets out to alienate and humiliate Lucien at every turn. As Lucien seeks to repent and restore, light floods both of their dark hearts and Christ proves that He makes all things new.

This book is simply amazing. The characters are very relatable and even if the book looks like it’s more for a younger age, it’s not. The message inside this book is something everyone should know! 

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This is the delightfully warm and enjoyable story of an old Parisian named Armand, who relished his solitary life. Children, he said, were like starlings, and one was better off without them.

But the children who lived under the bridge recognized a true friend when they met one, even if the friend seemed a trifle unwilling at the start. And it did not take Armand very long to realize that he had gotten himself ready-made family; one that he loved with all his heart, and one for whom he would have to find a better home than the bridge.

Armand and the children's adventures around Paris -- complete with gypsies and a Santa Claus -- make a story which children will treasure. 

Mom read this book to me and my siblings a long time ago for school, and we all fell in love with it. The relationship between Armand and the children is so precious, and their ‘journey’ together is quite memorable. Slightly random, but the one scene that I always remember when I first think of this book is the one where a man is making crepes. I seriously can imagine myself standing in front of a vendor on the sidewalk, watching a man pour batter onto a hot griddle and flip golden cakes and smelling that absolutely delicious smell and ohhhh, I’m hungry now ;P

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In one of the most exciting Advent stories you will ever read, follow ten-year-ld Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Rejoice in his encounters with wise men, shepherds, and inkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem.

My family read this a few years ago on the days leading up to Christmas. It was so much fun, and yes, it is indeed on of the most exciting Advent stories! 

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(classics)

"She'll have to go back." Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert had decided to adopt an orphan. They wanted a nice sturdy boy to help Matthew with the farm chores. The orphanage sent a girl instead - a mischievous, talkative redhead who the Cuthberts thought would be no use at all. But as soon as Anne arrived at the snug, white farmhouse called Green Gables, she knew she wanted to stay forever. And the longer Anne stayed, the harder it was for anyone to imagine Green Gables without her

Anne Shirley - one of my favouritest characters ever!!! And Gilbert. And Diana. And Marilla. And Matthew. Ahhh…love every single one of them! I think I watched the movie first, when I was like 4 or 5. Then once I could read fairly well, it was straight to the books! ‘Course, I didn’t read the sequels until I was in my teens ;) But I enjoy each and every one of them SO much! 

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Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

One of THE best books EVER. Baroness Ocrzy’s writing really surprised me, as I was NOT expecting it to be like it to be so good. And not only the writing is great, the plot and characters and yeah, pretty much everything is amaaazzzinnngg!!!! And the movie’s pretty awesome too. It’s one of the books that I’ll be able to read over and over and NEVER get tired of ;) 

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With two sons of her own, and twelve rescued orphan boys filling the informal school at Plumfield, Jo March -- now Jo Bhaer -- couldn't be happier. But despite the warm and affectionate help of the whole March family, boys have a habit of getting into scrapes, and there are plenty of troubles and adventures in store.

Sooo…strangely enough, I think I prefer Little Men to Little Women. They are both really good, but the antics of the little boys (and girls) and playfulness of the entire story made it surpass its preceding book. But if I could, I would put pretty much all of Louisa May Alcott’s stories on here, because I LOVE her books! 

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Polly Milton never questions the way she is - until she goes to visit her cousins in the city. Her cousin Fanny looks too glamorous to be Polly's age, and wouldn't be caught dead playing in the snow. Will Polly ever learn to be like the other girls? And does she even want to? Sometimes being old-fashioned is right in style.

Yep, another Louisa May Alcott book. Had to add this, because it’s really one of my favourite books ever (I’ve said that a lot, haven’t I? :P) 

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When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.

I really wanted to add another Louisa May Alcott book here, but decided to give you all a bit more variety. So I added Pride and Prejudice, the one and only Jane Austen book that I really enjoy. Apologies to you Jane Austen fans. I tried my absolute very best to enjoy reading her books, but they just don't click for me as well as others do! :) 

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To find more books in these genres, you can go to these lovely blogs here: 

Some of us will be putting up a Top Five Favourites shelf on Goodreads for you all to look through in case you wanted to look over the books again. Save you from scrolling through a ton of posts ;) 

I just wanted to say thank you all SO much for your participation. It's been simply amazing meeting you all, finding new books, and just having a ton of fun! 

There's a survey you can take here: Five Fall Favourites Feedback (you'll also get a free short story too!) 

And don't forget to go to Rebekah's blog to find out the winners of the door-prizes and the grand prize!!! Which reminds me...

WE HAVE OVER A 100 PEOPLE ENTERED IN THE GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!! 

Thank you all SO SO SO much!!! I'm completely blown away by how many people we were able to reach, and ahhh....this is just so awesome! *squeals* *throws confetti* *sings a happy song* *gives a hug to each and every one of you amazing people* 

And of course, we can't forget the hostesses of this blog party! Rebekah, Kellyn, Kate, Sarah, and Amanda: THANK YOU. It has been so much fun working with you and planning the party and reading your posts, and you all are just amazing!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

Your work behind this party is greatly appreciated, thank you so very much! :D 

How many books did you add to your TBR list this week? 

Did you enjoy the party? 

What was your favourite part of Five Fall Favourites? 

Five Fall Favourites // Day Five

*gasp* Last day of the party!!! Nooo....how did time go by so fast?! It seems like the beginning of the party was just yesterday!! Where did the week go?! 

Oh wait! There's still Saturday. Whew. But today will be the last official day of the party. Tomorrow there'll still be two more genres and the winners will be announced to at Rebekah's blog. So I hope you'll be able to stick around for one more day ;) 

There will also be a survey that you can take to tell us what you thought of the survey! I'll attach a link at the bottom of the post :) 

Now let's get onto the books, shall we? 

Middle Grade 

Ohhhh….I read SO many wonderful books in my younger years, it was excruciatingly hard narrowing down this list. I will let you know now, there are waaaay more books that I would have loved to add here. You’ll have to be satisfied with just these five! :) 

The Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather.

One of my absolute favourite childhood books ever! You won't believe how many of these books I read in this series. It was only after years of reading Boxcar Children that I realized that Ms. Warner had actually only written the first 19 or so books :P But I still enjoyed the others as well :) 

Times are tough around the little brown house! The widowed Mrs. Pepper has to sew all day long just to earn enough to pay the rent and to feed the five growing Peppers. But she faces poverty and trouble with a stout heart, a smiling face, and the help of her jolly brood: blue-eyed Ben, the eldest and the man of the house at the age of 11; pretty Polly, so eager to cook for the family and make everyone happy and comfortable; and the three littlest Peppers, Joel, Davie, and baby Phronsie.

A favorite of children, parents, and teachers for generations, this heartwarming classic first appeared in 1880. Since then, it has inspired countless young imaginations with its tender tales of the ways in which courage and good cheer can overcome adversity.

Polly used to be my role model for the longest time!! She still kind of is ;) Her cheerfulness and willingness to help everybody and anybody was infectious. And the family love between the Peppers was so amazing and all the characters were so loveable and ahhh....I just love the Peppers so much!! And Jasper. And Mr. King! A classic in my mind. The books (yes...it's a series!!! ^_^) are really clean too, not like most of the books of nowadays :/ 

Pieces of Magic 

Remember when you were a child—when all the world was new, and the smallest object a thing of wonder? Arleta Richardson remembers: the funny wearable wire contraption hidden in the dusty attic, the century-old schoolchild's slate that belonged to Grandma, an ancient trunk filled with quilt pieces—each with its own special story—and the button basket, a miracle of mysteries. And best of all was the remarkable grandmother who made magic of all she touched, bringing the past alive as only a born storyteller could.

Here are those marvelous tales—faithfully recalled for the delight of young and old alike, a touchstone to another day when life was simpler, perhaps richer; when the treasures of family life and love were passed from generation to generation by a child's questions...and the legends that followed enlarged our faith.

If she told her new family what she saw, would anyone believe her?

Her Irish father having died in a construction accident, Kate OConnell and her mother are left to struggle alone in the Minneapolis of 1906. Deciding her mother needs help, twelve-year-old Kate goes to pray with their pastor about getting her mother a new husband.

But when God answers their prayers, even Kate is not prepared for the changes. Her mothers remarriage involves becoming part of a Swedish family with two brothers and one sister on a farm in northwest Wisconsin. Such a big change is made harder when Anders, who is also twelve, gets mad at Kate and seems determined to make her life miserable.

As conflicts erupt with Anders, strange occurrences begin to happen around the farm. Kate is convinced she sees someone lurking about, but why? Are their lives in danger?

It was hard enough for Mr. Popper to support himself, Mrs. Popper, Bill and Janie Popper. The addition of twelve penguins to the family made it impossible to make both ends meet. Then Mr. Popper had a splendid idea-the talented penguins would be a sensation on the stage. And so they were....

A classic of American humor, this story of a gentle house-painter and his high-stepping penguins has delighted children for generations. 

Picture/Children

 

If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim....

The consequences of giving a cookie to this energetic mouse run the young host ragged, but young readers will come away smiling at the antics that tumble like dominoes through the pages of this delightful picture book.

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room -- to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one -- the little bunny says goodnight. 

 

James Herriot's Treasury for Children collects all of the beloved veterinarian's delightful tales for young readers. From the springtime frolic of Oscar, Cat-About-Town to the yuletide warmth of The Christmas Day Kitten, these stories—radiantly illustrated by Peter Barrett and Ruth Brown—are perennial favorites, and this new complete edition will make a wonderful gift for all readers, great and small.

Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come

One of the best books ever. So far I haven't met a single person who hasn't liked it. (and now I'm gonna meet such a person today, aren't I? ;)) Love the movie for it as well! 

 

"Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him. 

My dad used to read this to me over and over and over and over again when I was little. He would pretend to be Big Nutbrown Hare and I was Little Nutbrown Hare. I loved it and he loved it, and we just loved sharing this special book together. So of course I was going to list it among my Top 5 ;) 

Brrr.....it's cold today! How's the weather at your place? It's about 10 degrees Celsius here (about 50 degrees for you Fahrenheit users ;)) Could definitely use a nice, cozy blanket right now! Flannel sounds good. I would go into my bed and cuddle under my thick comforter, but then I'd be tempted to go to sleep and I absolutely can not do that! Got school to do ;)                            What about you? 

Don't forget to these gals' blogs for more books!! AND the Book Room is lurking around on one of these blogs. Have you found it yet?

And the grand prize!! It ends today at midnight, so if you haven't entered yet, GO DO IT!!! :) 

As you can see on the progress bar at Rebekah's blog, we are currently at 84 people entered!!! You know what that means, right?? Yep, we're going to have a 2nd place winner!!!! Yippee! Do you think we can get another 16 people entered before midnight? Then we can get a 3rd place winner too. And I'm sure you all want that, right? *winks*  

There is a survey that we're having to get some feedback from you all. Thoughts on the party? What did you like? What did you not like? Anything you think we should add? Questions like that. And as a thank you for participating in the party as well as for taking the survey, you will get a free short story. So go take that survey. You know you want to ;) And we would absolutely love to hear from you!!! ^_^ 

You can find the survey at Rebekah's blog or you can just go here: Five Fall Favourites Feedback

It's all a matter of which link you prefer to click. Very hard decision, you all ;) 

How many books have you added to your TBR list? 

Have you taken the survey? 

You're coming back tomorrow, right? ;) 

Five Fall Favourites // Day Four

Howdy-do? *tips imaginary Stetson* We've got some great genres for today! (try and guess one. Which technically shouldn't be too hard cause there's a huge honking hint right underneath this text ;)) 

Let's get started! 

  
Western

Soooo....some of these might be series. Just sayin'. I think for the most part I just put the first book of the series, although there might be a couple where I put my absolute favourite of the series instead ;) 

Norman Mavrich has no need for another hired hand, but when a young boy shows up asking for work, he can't turn him away. But where did the boy come from and what really brought him to the Triple Creek Ranch? The search for answers sends Bruce on an investigation and brings and unexpected conflict to the ranch family. Join the Mavriches, Mrs. O'Connor and the ranch hands for an eventful summer of hard work, fun and excitement. 


Stephen is a very interesting character and I found myself wondering about his background throughout the whole story. It was hard remembering that he was only 9, most of the time, he acted so much older! I wasn't able to put the book down and it was way past midnight by the time I finished. I'll admit, I was in tears near the end. It wasn't a bad ending, no, not at all! It was happy, but so emotional too! :)

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Emma, a good-hearted midwife, rushes to warn a neighbor about the hired gunman headed to his ranch but can't prevent the catastrophe in store for his daughter.

‘The Man on the Buckskin Horse’ has all the elements of a true Western - guns, leather boots, ranches, cowboys, you name it, it has it all! :D 

In this Western adaption of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ a bubbly country midwife replaces the Good Fairy; a nasty demanding lady neighbour the evil fairy,and a dashing cowboy the handsome prince. Though there is not an ounce of magic in this retelling, Ms. Kovaciny succeeds in portraying the features from the original tale. One thing that I found really interesting was that the story was told from the point of view of the fairy/midwife, Emma. 

The characters were very likeable, (except Mrs. Mortimer, but you’re not supposed to like her anyway :P) and the writing quite remarkable!  

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Horses, adventure, and the old West--mixed with a solid message for today's tweens--make this a must-read for tweens. Twelve-year-old Andrea "Andi" Carter attracts trouble the way her palomino horse, Taffy, attracts flies on a hot summer day. Andi's entire family and the staff at the Circle C Ranch treat her like such a pesky kid that she sometimes wonders if they would all be better off without her. After a particularly scary incident where Andi gets in trouble once again, she saddles up Taffy and runs away from home. But her escape quickly leads to frightening encounters with a horse thief and a vicious young lady. All of which makes Andi realize that there really is no place like home.


Horses. Tomboyish girls. Cowboys. Life lessons. The book that led me to meet all of you lovely blogger people!! :D It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you at all that this will always be one of my favourite series ever ;) And Milestones; eeks! Get to watch Andi grow up! :D 

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This series follows the life of pioneer girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s so cool to read about her growing up from a young, tomboyish girl to a grown woman who still had a fun-loving spirit no matter what. Mrs. Wilder’s writing is also very fun and not dull one bit! And seriously, her books have impacted me for most of my life! Don’t know how many times my sister and I played we were Laura and Mary Ingalls, and pretended to be pioneers. We even had LHOTP paper dolls ;) Needless to say, LHOTP is one of the bestest series EVER :D 

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The Bains family are amazed at what they find when they take up their homestead in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba: flash fires that appear suddenly and rage across the open plain, tensions between English settlers and their M?tis neighbours that threaten to become just as violent. 

At the same time they're filled with hope. Canada in the 1870s is suffering a terrible Depression, and life at their home in Ottawa had become unbearable. The promise of free land in the West beckoned them like an incredible dream. But the realities of building a farm and a home out of nothing are harsh: they have to learn from scratch how to plough, plant, build a house. And the human hatreds that grow in the prairie soil threaten to overcome them all. 

Set against the grim realities of homesteading in the Canadian West, Prairie Fire is the story of one family who struggle to adapt to harsh new circumstances. 


I started this book rather biased, since the book didn’t look all that interesting. But boy, were my thoughts changed! It’s amazing, and I loved seeing how the struggles the family had only made them grow stronger together. It’s got horses. It’s got guns. It’s got well, as the title says, prairie fires. Family love. There’s even a teensy touch of romance in it too :)

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Inspirational 

These books have had a great impact on my life and they’re definitely books I’d love to share with you all! Let me know if you’ve read any of them before, and whether you enjoyed them or how it affected your life! :) 

Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. How, Ann wondered, do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long and sometimes even dark? How is God even here? 

In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts. It s only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have, we discover the life we've always wanted, a life we can take, give thanks for, and break for others. We come to feel and know the impossible right down in our bones: we are wildly loved by God.

Let Ann's beautiful, heart-aching stories of the everyday give you a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of being present to God that makes you deeply happy, and a way of living that is finally fully alive. Come live the best dare of all!

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Very few books on dating have stood the test of time like Passion and Purity. Its much-needed message remains strong and hopeful in an age when doing whatever "feels right" is common practice. Using her own life as an example, Elisabeth Elliot guides singles of both genders and of any age on how to put their love lives under the authority of Jesus Christ.

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Stepping Heavenward" is the fictional coming of age story of a young Christian girl named Katherine. The story follows her life from when she is sixteen, though courtship, engagement, marriage, having children, and the many challenges that she confronts in her adult life. This classic Christian story is told through a series of journal entries by Katherine and is an inspirational tale for young girls who themselves are facing the very same challenges of growing up.

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"Be holy, for I am holy" commands God to His people. But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian's daily life. According to author Jerry Bridges, that's because we're not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In The Pursuit of Holiness, he helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do--and what we should accept responsibility for ourselves.

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In a timeless way, this classic book offers practical, biblical wisdom on the issues every girl faces, from beauty to attitudes to relationships. This unabridged version can help many girls reach what Beautiful Girlhood describes as the perfection of womanhood.

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Don't forget to check out Kellyn, Kate, Amanda, Rebekah, and Sarah's blogs for more books! 

                                                                         And well, would ya take a look here! You're in the Book Room! Considering the party's been going on for 4 days already (*gasp* how has time gone by so quickly?!) you all probably know what being in the Book Room means. Yep! There's a giveaway here! :D And the book being given away is . . . .                                

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and then say you did in the Rafflecopter widget. I'll email the winner later tonight :)


And of course, the Grand Prize! (You're not getting tired of looking at this yet, are you? ;)) Thank you all so much with all your entries! This giveaway is going SO well and we've had over 50 people entree! Whoop whoop!

And don't forget, if we are able to get 75 people entered in the Grand Prize, we will add a 2nd place winner. And if we reach 100 people, there'll be a 3rd place winner!

2nd place winner will receive a $5.00 Amazon card and 3 kindle books.

3rd place winner will receive 3 kindle books.

Spread the word! :D

Do you enjoy Westerns? 
What are some books that have inspired you or impacted your life? 
Have you entered in the Grand Prize yet?