Racing for Time // Book Review

Hmmm…where should I start? Let me think - oh I know! 

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!! 

(I admit, I may or may not be just a teensy weeny bit biased…since I may or may not have helped edit the book and the author may or may not be one of my best friends… ;)) 

Some scenes were kinda unrealistic at times, but it’s definitely a start for a budding new author! There’s always room for improvement, right? :) But not all the scenes were unrealistic. Some scenes were so well described that I felt like I was actually there. Especially the ones in the kitchen for some reason. It’s SO fun to read about cooking/baking food - or anyway, I think so ;) 

I really liked Janefer and Mel’s characters … super hard to choose a favourite. The two girls balance each other out well and their love for each other is evident. Definitely a friendship worth envying! :) Mrs. Davis is a very sweet lady and very much reminds me of a close family friend in my own life ;) Detective Jack Whitby is - well, a very interesting character *spoiler* My sister especially was very “sad” that Jack was actually a bad character ‘cause she loves the name Jack (because she may or may not have a teeny crush on Constable Jack Thornton from WCTH. Who doesn’t? ;)) And Melba! Love her! She’s such a sweet bubbly person, would love to meet her in person!

Janefer’s questions and thoughts, especially while she was in the hospital. I found quite relatable. There are times when Satan throws so many things your way you end up giving in and letting doubt and depression just darken your mind. Then it feels like you’re just falling and you’ll never be able to get back up. But then God shines His light through the darkness and makes you see through the clouds - realize that no matter what might happen, God is always in control and He’s got a plan. 

And Janefer’s dad. *spoiler* ‘Kay…so I don’t know about you; but I literally had tears streaming down my face when I first read the scene of Janefer and her dad’s last time being together. Then when I edited it with Livs…I started crying again because it was just so sweet and so sad and well…yeah. Ask Liv. When I edited the story, I ended up leaving her a rather lengthy comment with detailed descriptions on exactly how I was reacting to the whole thing ;) Poor Liv was probably going “Uhhh….I’ve got the weirdest friend…” xD 

The mystery woven throughout the story was well-written and the clues were nicely spread out throughout the plot. It was kinda easy to figure out who the bad guy was, but I still enjoyed it. It was fun to see the plot develop and oh yeah, just saying, Miss Nickerson is really good at leaving her readers on cliffhangers… ;) And the plot twists…loved ‘em!  

So yeah! All in all, I really enjoyed this novella by Olivia and I look forward to reading the *squeals* sequel! God bless you in your writing career, Livs! :) 

About the Author

Olivia Nickerson is a young and aspiring author who lives with her a family in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she enjoyed writing little stories to print out on the computer and giving out to her family. Shen she is not writing, she enjoys playing sports at her youth group, hanging out with her family and friends, and reading. She can be reached through several social media sites:

Facebook

Pinterest

Blog

Google+

Instagram

Author’s Note: 

In 2015, I posted the first chapter of Racing for Time on my blog. I know that my previous “stories” were cheesy and not very well written. I wanted to write a good story, with non-cheesy people in it. I got great feedback from my posts of Racing for Time, and eventually the idea came that I should publish. It was a long process with writing, editing, and finally--publishing. I hope you will enjoy this book and to quote Ms. Earhart: “Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”

Follow the Tour - February 7 to February 11 

~ Tuesday ~ 

Go to Jesseca’s blog for a Book Review

Go to Blessing Counter’s blog for a Book Spotlight

~ Wednesday ~

Go to Faith’s blog for a Book Spotlight

Go to Blessing Counter’s blog for an Author Interview

~ Thursday ~ 

Go to Emily’s blog for a Book Review

~ Friday ~ 

Go to Marrok’s blog for an Author Interview 

Go to Faith’s blog for a Book Review

~ Saturday ~ 

Go to Blessing Counter’s blog for a Book Review

Go to Marrok’s blog for a Book Spotlight 

Fitting In // Book Summary and Review

Summary

Elizabeth Leffler feels like an alien in the small town that she has recently become an inhabitant of. The neighbours are inhospitable and make her feel like she will never fit in. After vain attempts to make friends, she turns her efforts toward others also shunned from the town. Her helpfulness and kindness are treated with horror and disrespect. But when it goes too far, Elizabeth decides it’s time to act and confront her neighbours. 

My Review 

 Really enjoyed this sweet little story! The plot was well laid out and moved at a quick pace, not too fast to make it feel rushed, but not too slow to make you bored. It kept ya on your toes, always wondering what Elizabeth was going to do next ;) The relationship between Paul and Elizabeth was very sweet. Even though there wasn’t much emphasis on it, you could really tell they loved each other very much :) Elizabeth’s problems of not fitting in I found very similar to problems of my own :-) But it was inspiring to see how she focused on thinking about others instead of going into a dump and sulking about herself. Her actions were very Christ-like and quite beneficial to herself. I mean, think about it, by helping others she unconsciously made her own life happier too! :) Rebekah has a way of incorporating Christian values and lessons into her books and stories without you really even knowing it :) It actually has something to do with what's going on in the story, unlike some other books I've read where the author suddenly, and sometimes randomly, drops in a long spiel and shows that it's obviously a lesson of some sorts. 

A great afternoon read, would definitely recommend this book to anyone of every age! 

Add to Goodreads and pre-order here

RJF // Eight Cousins + The King's Daughter + The Witch of Blackbird Pond + . . . .

Ahhh....3 more days until June ends! And there are still SO many books that I want to share with y'all! :D So...instead of doing rather lengthy reviews on one single book, I'm going to use summaries from Amazon, and post way more than just one book at a time. 

The books I'm posting today are absolute favourites of mine. I can read them over and over and over again and never get tired of 'em! :D 

Eight Cousins - Louisa May Alcott

When Rose Campbell, a shy orphan, arrives at "The Aunt Hill" to live with her six aunts and seven boisterous male cousins, she is quite overwhelmed. How could such a delicate young lady, used to the quiet hallways of a girls' boarding school, exist in such a spirited home? It is the arrival of Uncle Alec that changes everything. Much to the horror of her aunts, Rose's forward-thinking uncle insists that the child get out of the parlor and into the sunshine. And with a little courage and lots of adventures with her mischievous but loving cousins, Rose begins to bloom.
Written by the beloved author of Little Women, Eight Cousins is a masterpiece of children's literature. This endearing novel offers readers of all ages an inspiring story about growing up, making friends, and facing life with strength and kindness.

And I'm adding this other cover because I found it on Google and it's sooo adorable! :)

The King's Daughter - Suzanne Martel

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.

An Old-Fashioned Girl - Louisa May Alcott

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. A timeless story by the author of Little Women.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile - Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom. In order to gain it, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies - each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt.

I did a review for this in January. You can read it HERE. 

The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Elizabeth George Speare

Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit's friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty. Elizabeth George Speare won the 1959 Newbery Medal for this portrayal of a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.

RJF // The Gammage Cup

From the back of the Book:

The Minnipins have lost their past.

Long ago, the hero Gammage led them in war against the horrible Hairless Ones. But now -
Bravery? Forgotten. Courage? No more. Heroes? The stuff of storybooks. Yet sometimes heroes turn up when they are least expected. . .

Muggles, Gummy the poet, and Walter the Earl are not like the other Minnipins. They dress differently, speak their minds, and - when Walter the Earl finds a package of old scrolls and swords - dare to disagree with the Minnipin leaders. For their troubles, they are banished from their village. But Walter the Earl found the weapons for a reason: The Hairless Ones have returned. And this time there is no Gammage to protect the Minnipins. This time there are only Muggles and her friends, outlaws who must rescue the very people who have cast them out.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The birds are twittering,

And squirrels chittering, 

As we go flittering

Down the brook. 

The dew is glittering, 

Grasshoppers spittering, 

And trout are frittering

In search of a hook. 

— Gummy 

Believe it or not, chittering, flittering, and frittering are actually real words. Spittering….well, that’s made up. But it’s by Gummy, what’d ya expect? :P 

The Gammage Cup has been a favourite of mine ever since I first picked it up. Carol Kendall definitely knows how to keep her readers hooked throughout the entire novel! 

The story follows five brave Minnipins in their adventure against the Hairless Ones and their quest for freedom. Here is a character summary: 

Walter the Earl: For years, all Walter the Earl ever did was dig, dig, dig in his search for hidden treasure. Despite the villagers’ scoffs, Walter the Earl is determined in finding his ancestors’ treasure. And when one day he finally does find it, it comes in handy much more than anyone, even he, expected. 

Gummy the Poet: For the most part, Gummy is very lazy. He loves rhyming and makes up funny little scribbles (aka rhymes) on the spur of the moment. You could probably say Gummy’s one of the more sillier characters in The Gammage Cup. There’s always that someone who adds the humour that makes a good book more enjoyable! ;)  

Mingy the Money Collector: Now why would anyone name their character 'Mingy'? Well…I’m guessing Ms. Kendall wanted it to rhyme with stingy. ‘Cause that’s definitely what Mingy was. Note how I said was though! After he chooses to be banished with Curly, Gummy, Walter, and Muggles, his stinginess surprisingly goes away - just like that. Despite the hard countenance that he most always wears, he can be a quite likeable character, as Muggles finds out. 

Curly Green the Painter: Curly Green expresses herself best in her blobs. What are blobs, you might ask? Well, they’re simply little paintings that you blob of random things at random times. At the beginning of the novel, she is most known for her front door, which she paints a brilliant scarlet instead of the standard green that all Minnipins used.

Muggles: Just plain Muggles. Everyone thinks she is simple-minded; no one asks for her opinion. That is, until she is outlawed with her four new friends. Life changes after that, and she, along with everybody else, realizes that she isn’t as simpleminded as was believed. Muggles has a good, sensible head on her shoulders, compared to some of the other outlaws. As a result, she naturally rises to the position of leader after the banishment from Slipper-on-the-Water. She is the one who gets everyone organized in working together and building shelters in preparation for winter. She is the one who notices what needs to be done, and does them. She sees things as they literally are, and writes maxims that go something like this: “ When something happens, something else always happens” and “The only good mushroom is a cooked mushroom” and “A turtle should take fright at a boiling pot.” 

The Periods: The Periods are the descendants of Fooley the Magnificent. When Fooley returned to Slipper-on-the-Water all those years ago, he had brought with him a list of words that no one could make sense of. His wife finally decided that they were the names of friends that Fooley had made on his expedition, and instantly began naming her children after them. And ever after, all the descendants of Fooley carried with great, and rather overbearing, pride these very distinguished and special-looking names, all with periods after them. Here is a list of these oh-so-special names, along with Fooley’s wife’s pronunciation of them: 

                                     Ltd.        ~    Litted (to rhyme with fitted

Co.        ~    Coe

    Bros.    ~    Bross

   Wm.    ~    Wim

      Geo.      ~    Gee-oh

 Eng.      ~    Eng

   Scot.     ~    Scot

     Etc.        ~    Etcuh 

 Rd.         ~    Rid

 St.           ~   Stuh

                                 Ave.          ~    Ave (to rhyme with save)

&.           ~    ??? 

The Hairless Ones: That’s a very peculiar name, isn’t it? It’s accurate though. Here’s a description from the book:

"They were taller than Minnipins by at least a head, and they wore tight brownish-white clothes that fitted like skin, so that their round bellies bulged fat as puff toads. Their heads were almost hairless, and mushroom-coloured like their suits, as though they lived their days in dank caves, and they had ears twice the size of Mingy's own." 

The Hairless Ones are the fierce enemies of the Minnipins. There had been peace after Gammage drove the Mushrooms (as they’re also known) from the valley. But then one day, they return. . .