17 Books

I'm finally getting around to posting about the rest of the books I read in 2013!

In August I wrote about the books I read in the first half of the year - thirty-two books.  Unfortunately, my reading groove got thrown off, and I only read 17 books in the second half of the year, for a total of 49 books in 2013.  I'm pretty happy with that number though!  It's the highest number of books I've read in one year since I started keeping track several years ago.  I wish I could have made it an even 50, but oh well!

Anyway on to a quick review of each of the books.  I tried to keep this short, but if you have any specific questions about any of these, let me know!

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Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh - Christian Chic-lit.  Read full review here.

Stranded by Dani Pettrey - Good suspense, read full review here.

Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl - I liked the mystery, read full review here.

Return To Me by Lynn Austin - Loved it, read full review here.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - Liked it, but I wouldn't recommend it for just anyone.  Read full review here.

Stars Collide, Hello Hollywood, and Director's Cut by Janice Thompson - These three books are part of a series, and each one is just a fun Christian romance.  Nothing too deep, but fun.

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark - Need I say more?  I love Mary Higgins Clark's books.  They're always good.

Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I watched Catching Fire in the theaters, and I got sucked into reading the last two books.  I still have mixed feelings.  Post with my final thoughts on the Hunger Games saga coming soon.

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Marlo Schalesky - Very good book.  In this book the main character is struggling with infertility, and I felt like the author hit that desperation to have a baby that can grow from infertility right on the head.  Probably because the author herself has struggled with infertility too.  This is a married love story with a twist, and I think it would make a great movie.

Echos Of The Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark - I actually started this book right when I found out I was pregnant with Gwen, but I never finished it because I started to associate it with morning sickness and I felt nauseous whenever I picked it up.I'm glad I got over it, because I really enjoyed this book.  It got a little slow in parts, but the story line picked up again quickly and I liked the mystery.

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp - This book is meant to be read through advent before Christmas, and I really liked it!  Lots of good thoughts from Voskamp, just like in One Thousand Gifts.  I feel like sometimes she gets a little overly poetic though, and makes the gospel message harder to understand than it has to be.  But for those who already know Jesus, I think it's a great book.

Catch A Rising Star by Tracey Bateman - Just another chic-lit Christian romance book.  It was a fun read.

The Secret's In The Sauce by Linda Evans Shepherd (not pictured) - It wasn't my favorite.  Just a little slow for me, and it felt like a lot of the story lines weren't going anywhere.

A Billion Reason's Why by Kristin Billerbeck - Christian romance.  It was full of mysterious drama that you didn't quite understand until near the end, so it kept me interested.  I enjoyed it.