Rinda's Reads: August and September catch-up

The past two months have been somewhat stressful for me, which means I've done a lot of reading. In addition to reading a majority of the Anne of Green Gables series, I've also found a couple of new authors and series that I highly recommend. Instead of going into details, I'll give a list with grades and ratings here and if you want to know more, leave a comment or send me an email!

Also, a great big thanks to my dear companion Sister Melodee Sharp for all the fantastic recommendations!

Promise Me This by by Cathy Gohlke, A-, PG, Historical Fiction (A fantastic "Titanic" read)

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilsen A-, PG, Fantasy (I thought it was predictable but the end surprised me! I can't wait to read the other two books in the series)

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen, A, PG, Regency Romance (as far as I remember. This was my favorite of the three books I read by this author)

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen, B, PG-13, Historical Fiction

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen, A-, PG, Historical Fiction (I can't wait to read her other books, but unfortunately the library only has e-copies and I have no e-reader! If you like a good Regency romance, you will love her writing!)

Birth Marked: Prized: Promised (The Birthmarked Trilogy) by Caragh O'Brien A-, PG-13, Fantasy (these books had me hooked! If you liked "The Hunger Games," "The Giver," or "Matched" you will like this trilogy)

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson, A, PG, Historical Fiction (Anybody who has read her first book, Edenbrooke, and loved it truly won't be disappointed by this second novel from an up-and-coming author! I couldn't put this one down!)

Safe in His Arms by Collen Coble, C, PG-13, Historical Fiction (I was kind of disappointed by this one: I've read other books by her and loved them).

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer, A-, PG, Young Adult Fiction (I love a good Joan Bauer book! This one is on the younger end of young adult fiction, but it was a "sweet" read)

Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman, B+, PG-13, Adult Fiction (I liked Hoffman's first book, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt,  but I thought her character development was better in this one.)

My Not So Fairy-Tale Life by Julie Wright, B, PG-13 for thematic elements, Young Adult Fiction (this was a somewhat run of the mill Mormon novel, but I enjoyed her take on adoption, and that made it worth reading).


Okay, I know what you are thinking now, "How does she have so much time for reading?" This, my friends, is exactly why my house is nearly always messy and un-vacuumed. It's a small sacrifice for my sanity. Feel free to talk books with me anytime!

And before I forget, here are Kevin's Picks of the Month!

BabyLit Board Books!



These books are adorable! They take some of literature's most-loved classics and turn them into primers, like counting or colors or weather. Kevin has actually only read about four of them (love the library) but there are twelve that I know of. Thanks to a fun groupon, she is getting a set of eight for Christmas! (I am probably more excited about them than she is, so maybe half of them will end up in my present pile). I wish we had some extra cash so I could stock up on these to use for baby shower gifts in the future. They are that adorable!