Come in, come in! Welcome to the Literary Lodge and to our Five Fall Favorites party! We have so much fun in store for you this week!
Set back from all main roads, this charming Literary Lodge is nestled near a lake in the heart of the woods. There are many vast acres to explore, including open fields and valleys, but please, don’t get lost. It’s a delightful place to spend a week, and we’re so glad you came to spend it with us. You’ll find many places to enjoy the new books you find this week. If you want, wander out the path to the lake and read in one of the boats. Or fill a backpack for a hike up in the hills. The trees are gorgeous this time of year! There are benches along the way if you feel the need to sit and read, or just talk. When you grow tired of just sitting or walking, there are bikes around that can be used to ride up to the barn or out to the orchard. I think there are probably some apples that haven’t been picked yet. If you pick a bushel and bring the apples to the kitchen, you can use the basket to fill with your books once it’s empty. And you might need it with all the books we’re going to share this week!
Now, before you run off to some party room, let me give you a quick tour. Each of the participating blogs/party rooms have their own Top 5 books to share from today’s genre. (Sometimes one of the blogs will have switched out a genre but that doesn’t happen often.) The buttons to read these rooms are down below. One of them is going to give a FREE short story to anyone who wants it! It’s the Books room, and somewhere on their post they’ll share the link to it. (Remember, the rooms change every day.)
The giveaway is down below also, so don’t forget to visit all the other rooms and comment, follow, sign up, etc. because that’s going to earn you more entries into the amazing giveaway we are offering! It’s so good that we all wish we could enter it ourselves. Now have fun exploring and finding new books to read!
Pro-Life
Kate suggested this genre, and I immediately began to mentally plan my books. There were many more that I could have chosen, but I tried to get every book that fit: Adoption, special needs, fostering, caring for elderly, and choosing life over abortion. Have you read any of these books?
A Brother the Size of Me by Ruth Beechick
This is a children’s book about one of my favorite stories The Family Nobody Wanted. It’s written with Donny, the oldest child, as the main character. It’s a great story about a family with a big heart for children no one wanted to adopt because of their mixed race or their heritage. And the illustrations are so cute!
The Fortunate Calamity by Isabella Alden (Pansy)
When I was thinking about a book that included taking care of someone elderly, this one came to mind right away. It’s written by my favorite author and tells the story of a family who grudgingly takes in an elderly aunt. I loved this story and I need to go read it again. Please excuse me for a while . . .
Ready-Made Family by Frances Salomon Murphy
I would classify this story as a middle-grade story. It’s not long, but it’s really sweet. A couple opens their house to three children in need of a foster family. Each child is different and handles things in a different way. There are hardships, but there is much love too.
Seven from Heaven by Kenny & Bobbi McCaughey
I remember when these seven babies were born! The story of the first surviving septuplets is remarkable. From the months before they were born, their birth, and even afterwards, this family has been in inspiration to many. I remember watching one interview with Mr. and Mrs. McCaughey and the reporter asked Bobbi if they had ever considered selective reduction (abortion). Bobbi, with tears, said no and added, “If we had, we wouldn’t have Kenny or any of the girls!” The family’s absolute trust in God and His plan for them is wonderful!
A Smile as Big as the Moon by Mike Kersjes
I read this book before I watched the movie and was so inspired by this true story of a special education teacher who decided that his kids should be able to attend Space Camp. The journey for them to get there was incredible! There are funny and touching things that happen. It’s a story I wouldn’t mind reading again. (Note: There is some language to watch out for.)
Are you ready to visit all the other Party Rooms–er, blogs? Have fun and don’t forget to leave comments, add books to your TBR list and enter the giveaway! Oh, and these will open in a new tab, so don’t worry, you won’t get lost in the acres of land around the Literary Lodge. 🙂
Grand Prize Giveaway!
- Gift from the Storm by Rebekah Morris
- Kiera by Kate Willis
- There Was Always Laughter in Our House by Sarah Holman
- Love Needs No Words by Faith Potts
- Bound by Victoria Lynn
- A Five Fall Favorites mug
And there might be an Amazon Gift Card in there too. 😉
This giveaway is open to everyone. International as well as US. However, if we have an International winner, they will get kindle copies of all these books, and an amazon gift card. (Sorry, we just can’t mail this internationally.)
If we get more than 75 different people entered into the giveaway, we will add a 2nd place winner, so be sure to tell you family and friends!
Please be honest in your entries because they will be checked.
This has to be updated manually, and I can only do that every 3 hours, so if you enter and don’t see any progress, don’t despair, I will update it. 🙂
So much fun!!! I’m so excited about this week!!! 😀
Me too! 😀 See you at the other rooms! 😉
Aw, I love all the books about foster and adoption! About two years ago we took in a sibling group of three to foster, it’s been quite an adventure!
Oh, how special! I know several families who have fostered, adopted, or both, and they say it’s wonderful and challenging all mixed together.
Thanks for joining the party!
Yay! I love when it’s time for the Five Fall Favorites party again! I always find stacks of new books to add to my shelves from it! 🙂
Yes, I do too! Have fun this week!
I’ve been so excited for Five Fall Favorites, and now it’s here!! 😀
CutePolarBear
You’re not the only one excited! 😀 Glad you made it! Enjoy the week at the Literary Lodge. 😉
Visiting from #ModestMonday where I am your neighbor. I’m also a fellow bibliophile always looking for new books to read.
Oh, how fun! Welcome! I hope you’ll take a look at all the other posts in the Five Fall Favorites party because there are some great books being shared! And there is usually a free book offered each day but there was a glitch and it didn’t get up today, but hopefully there will be two free books tomorrow.
I’ll have to check those out! I’m so excited for this week!
Yes! It’s finally here!
I love Seven from Heaven! It was one of the books I reread as a…10 or 11 year old! LOL! I need to read it again, I think I’ve read it about 5 times at least!
That one is really good! I know I’ve read it more than once too. 🙂
Um…I just looked at all the blogs (Awesome posts, btw) but I can’t find the book room…Is there not a book room for today?
There was supposed to be, but there was a glitch, so you “should” (hopefully) get two free books tomorrow. (On two different blogs.)
All of these look really good.
Thanks, Sarah. I hope you can get a few to read. 🙂
Love how this blog party is designed so well! Great list!
-Brooklyne
Thanks, Brooklyne! We’ve had a few years to perfect it. 🙂 I hope you find many great books to add to your list!
Those are some cool looking books! 😀
🙂 I think so. Hope you’ll try some.
I’m so excited for the party! It’s always lots of fun!!! 😀
Yay! You made it! I hope you find a lot of books to add to your list/pile/stack/shelf. 😉
Here’s my review for today: “Befriending the Beast” by Amanda Tero.
5 stars. The first time I read this book, it wasn’t what I expected, and I was disappointed, though very excited to read Book 2. The second time I read it, whowever, I enjoyed it a lot! 🙂
My favorite character was Percy. He was awesome. 🙂 I loved him. I found Grede sweet too. 🙂 I wasn’t very fond of Belle at first, but I liked her much better by the second reading, and her struggles and then SPOILER! her illness END OF SPOILER! was very well done. 🙂 Briefly as Lord Kiralyn appeared, I liked him. 🙂
The way the author worked in the traditional Beauty & the Beast elements was excellent!! The few servants, the roses, the silent and deserted rooms, the nature. . . 😀 I enjoyed the names too. 🙂 Queen Ryia, King Jolin, Raoul (Lord Kiralyn—“Kiralyn” itself is a cool name! :D), Lady Elayne, Galathia. . . 😉 And the roses!! The yellow rose element touch was awesome!!! <3 Excuse the rose-lover's fangirling. 😛
The dialogue and the whole medieval atmosphere was very well done. Although the friar preaching was unrealistic, the doctrine was sound and Belle's testimony excellent. 🙂 As in all of this author's books I've read so far, I found no typos. For a while I thought “T'was” was a spelling mistake, and then I figured it just was a different way of spelling it. 🙂
This is a great retelling and awesome medieval story. Definitely read it! And watch the trailer too! 🙂 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HK_COEi2Ntg)
A favorite quote:
“Did these roses bloom as soon as you and your mother planted them? Or were you that impatient little girl, dragging her mama here every morn to search for buds? Did you stop watering and nurturing the rosebushes just because you didn't see flowers? Nay. Just like it takes time with flowers, it takes time for the Spirit's work. And you cannot give up ‘watering and nurturing’ because things aren't happening as quickly as you'd like them to.”
*surrounding descriptions cut out for brevity*
A favorite beautiful sentence:
She knelt and gently fingered a faded rose petal. [O]nly a few faded petals were left to fall to the ground. She plucked one of them off. That was how she felt. Like a petal clinging to its stem, hopeful of staying, fearful of being cast away.
A favorite humorous quote:
The words set Belle's heart racing. “Did you send the letter?” She wished that, this once, her lady-in-waiting would have done something against her orders.
*This review is partly composed of my first review and partly composed of a second review now that I have reread it.*
Great review, Katja! If you don’t mind, I’d like to copy it and send it to the author. 🙂
Thanks! Sure! Can I post it on Amazon now? (I didn’t want to do it before and then give you the link because our internet is super slow and I didn’t know if it would process it in time.)
Absolutely! Post it on Amazon. 🙂
OK, thanks!
I’ve never read any of those books, but they sound super good!
They are. 😉
Thank You for this generous giveaway.
Marilyn
Thanks for coming to our party!
Aww, all of these books sound super sweet! Thanks for hosting the party, Rebekah. 🙂
It’s my pleasure! I hope you can read some of these. 🙂
I’m going to have to read that series, The Family Nobody Wanted! <3 Sounds amazing. 😉
Yep, you should. 🙂
Such good recommendations, Rebekah! I don’t think I’ve heard of any of these books, but they sound wonderful and I love the pro-life theme. I’ll have to check them out. 🙂
Then I’m glad I choose these titles. 🙂 I hope you can get and read them soon.