The Moonlight School By Suzanne Woods Fisher

 

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading. 

Pick up your copy here...

Moonlight School: Fisher: 9780800735012: Amazon.com: Books

Suzanne Woods Fisher loves stories worth telling about people worth remembering. With over a million copies of her book sold worldwide, this bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 books is always on the lookout for the unsung hero with an untold story.

Readers are invited to stop by Suzanne's website at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

My Thoughts...

I can't imagine not being able to read. I read every single day. This was something else to read about. Fisher has really out done herself with this one.

The Kentucky setting was spot on I know I lived there for a short time. There was a lot of uneducated people there. Many can not read they had to work for the families to survive.

I don't know how Fisher came up with the story but it is one that you won't soon forget.

I gave this book 4 stars I hope that will grab a copy.  

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Under the Magnolias By T. I Lowe GIVEAWAY!

 

This night not only marked the end to the drought, but also the end to the long-held secret we’d kept hidden under the magnolias.

Magnolia, South Carolina, 1980
Austin Foster is barely a teenager when her mama dies giving birth to twins, leaving her to pick up the pieces while holding her six siblings together and doing her best to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.

Scratching out a living on the family’s tobacco farm is as tough as it gets. When a few random acts of kindness help to ease the Fosters’ hardships, Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia’s most colorful citizens for friendship and more. But it’s next to impossible to hide the truth about the goings-on at Nolia Farms, and Austin’s desperate attempts to save face all but break her.

Just when it seems she might have something more waiting for her―with the son of a wealthy local family who she’s crushed on for years―her father makes a choice that will crack wide-open the family’s secrets and lead to a public reckoning. There are consequences for loving a boy like Vance Cumberland, but there is also freedom in the truth.

T. I. Lowe’s gritty yet tender and uplifting tale reminds us that a great story can break your heart . . . then heal it in the best possible way. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Under the Magnolias (9781496453617): Lowe, T.I.: Books

T.I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories and is the author of nearly twenty published novels including her debut, LULU’S CAFÉ, a #1 bestseller. She lives with her husband and family in coastal South Carolina. Find her at Tilowe.com or on Facebook (T.I.Lowe), Instagram (Tilowe), and Twitter (@Tilowe).

My thoughts...

Southern fiction at it's finest.  Coming of age like none other. This was my first book by Lowe. I was blown away. Why are more people not reading this authors books? You are going to love these kids you are going to root for them every step of the way. The ending was such a treat, I love a happy ending. Lowe has moved to the top of my must read author list. Oh did I say I now want a tattoo...

I rarely give 5 stars this is a 5 star read and I HIGHLY recommend this book!

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

God Made Us Just Right By Allia Nolan

 No need to compare--God has a reason for creating everyone just the way they are!

How come puppies get to bark, but kittens can't? Why do elephants have such long trunks when other animals don't risk tripping over their noses? What's the point of all these differences?

Through playful illustrations of animals and warmhearted words in rhyme, young children will see God as their loving creator. God Made Us Just Right helps them realize that God has a reason for creating us just the way we are.

Kids who are always asking, "Why, Mom?" and "How come, Dad?" will easily relate to the back-and-forth question-and-answer format. It's a book the whole family will enjoy. 

Pick up your copy here...

God Made Us Just Right: Zobel Nolan, Allia, Hudson, Katy: 9780825446634: Amazon.com: Books

My Thoughts...

This is so cute and just perfect for 3-5 year old's. Its easy to understand and the illustrations are done very well. 

It is a sturdy  board book so it will last forever no matter what this littles throw at it.

Tis would make a wonderful gift, it has a wonderful message.

I gave this children's book 4 stars.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Her Every Move By Kelly Irvin

 

He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name. 

When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event. 

Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces. 

As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again. 

Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher. 

Bestseller Kelly Irvin is back with a nail-biting romantic suspense where nothing is certain until the very last page. 

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                      Her Every Move: Irvin, Kelly: 9780785231905: Amazon.com: Books

  

Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin's latest series, The Amish of Sky Country, features an Amish community in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff's deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.

Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Tell Her No Lies and Over the Line, both set in San Antonio and South Texas. Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, "Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense."

Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: "A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments."

Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper's Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop's Son and The Saddle Maker's Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.

A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly's novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.

She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.

The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love's Journey Home.

In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.

Kelly is also the author of two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, set in San Antonio, Texas. Two more romantic suspense novels are on the horizon, with the first, Tell Her No Lies, slated for publication by Thomas Nelson Publishing in January 2019.


The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Sisters in Crime.

A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.

Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.

Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for more than 30 years, and they have two young adult children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.

For more information, visit http://www.kellyirvin.com

My Thoughts...

    Did the librarian plant the bomb? You have to read the Irvin's latest suspense novel to find out if Jackie was the one   to place this bomb at her own event. You can never go wrong with Irvin's books she is a master story teller. This was a 4 star book you can not miss. I recommend it.  The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.                                                                                                                        

The Adventures of BB, Shlumbernerd and William By N.D. Picton GIVEAWAY!

 

They were three-quarters of the way in when it happened. Shlumbernerd overbalanced due to the strong current and the weight of the water pushing against the bike. In he went, and the bike toppled over with him.BB started to scream in a panicked voice, ‘William! He’s going to drown. You’ve got to do something.’There was a look of blind fear on Shlumbernerd’s face as he gasped for air. He was half-sitting on the road, with the water surging around his neck, trying to find some traction with his hands, something to hold onto before it was too late …Some days, being a kid ain’t pretty. You want to be the hero of the story but end up being your own worst enemy. And then life throws up never-ending problems for you to solve.Three kids. Endless adventures. Some side-splittingly hilarious, some just plain terrifying. This comical treasure trove of stories doubles as a ‘how-to’ manual for kids. For example, it shows how to: deal with schoolyard bullies, silence monster brats, organise a protest march at school, get rid of incriminating evidence and dodge a herd of angry cattle. And that’s just for starters. Life was never going to be boring living out west on a farm. This is an action-packed adventure story that is entertaining for readers aged 9-13, middle school students, and adults (of all ages). It explores themes of family, friendship and the importance of facing challenges with a pinch of laughter and a lot of persistence. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Adventures of BB, Shlumbernerd and William (9780648829423): Picton, N.D.: Books

N. D. Picton is a children's author who once accidentally left a winning lottery ticket in a pocket and let it go through the wash.

Having had the childhood fantasy of living out in the bush, this was ruthlessly dashed when it became apparent that having no survival skills, a total inability to assemble anything and a fear of sharp knives, might prove slightly disadvantageous. The obvious next course of action was to take up a teaching career.

N.D. Picton's hobbies include walking alpacas, blending spinach, broccoli and kale drinks for breakfast, appearing in the background of TV news reports and playing the duduk.

Living in Queensland, Australia with one daughter and a spoilt dog called Daisy, 'The Adventures of BB, Shlumbernerd and William' is the first children's book published by this author. 

This is a children's book. I can't tell you an age as it is not listed on Amazon like most children's books.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

A Million Reasons Why By Jessica Strawser

 

A SheReads Most Anticipated Novel of 2021

Jessica Strawser's A Million Reasons Why is "a fascinating foray into the questions we are most afraid to ask" (Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author)--the story of two women who discover a bond between them that will change both their lives forever.

When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it’s an answered prayer―that is, for one half sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true.

But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen.

Caroline lives a full, happy life―thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn’t have scripted it better. Except for one thing:

She’s about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong.

Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother, always her closest friend, unexpectedly passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn’t find a donor match in time.

She’s the only one who knows Caroline is her half sister and may also be her best hope for a future. But Sela’s world isn’t as clear-cut as it appears―and one misstep could destroy it all. 

Pick up your copy here...

A Million Reasons Why: A Novel: Strawser, Jessica: 9781250241627: Amazon.com: Books

My Thoughts...

This was such a good book. I guess the fact that I am going through some of the same things DNA test found  half siblings and also have kidney disease no living parents, the story really hit home  I to lost my only child be it that she was much older. This story just really touched me to the core.

It is a must read and 5 stars is just not enough. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

First Quiver By Beth Greenberg

 

Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially for the 3,375-year-old virgin of Mount Olympus.

Day after eternal day, Cupid launches his love-tipped arrows, then watches from the sidelines while everyone else has all the fun. His dull, sheltered existence takes an abrupt turn for the worse when he sends an arrow into the wrong rump.

Banished by the gods, Cupid plunges to Earth and lands in present-day Tarra, Indiana, where mortals go on about their daily routines, oblivious to the capricious gods stirring the pot from above. Discovering that his wings and pubescent pudge have been replaced with an impressive human form, Cupid swiftly leaves his virginity behind, but his carnal spree comes to a screeching halt when he falls passionately in love for the first time in his immortal life. Soon, Cupid understands the full measure of his punishment: he must find the true Right Love match for the mortal he desperately loves, and then he must let her go.

Caught between two worlds on a quest to fix Love, Cupid will have to master his own tortured heart and battle the powerful gods conspiring against him. Failure will not be tolerated; success will cost him everything. 

Pick up your copy here...

First Quiver (Cupid's Fall): Greenberg, Beth C, Atlas, Susan, Gefecht, Betti: 9781735944722: Amazon.com: Books

Beth is a former CPA who took a sharp turn into creative writing during a midlife awakening. First experimenting with fanfiction, Beth discovered two things she loves about writing: twisting a tried-and-true story and interacting with her readers. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, she and her husband live in a quiet suburb outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they are occasionally visited by their daughter and grand-dog, Slim. FIRST QUIVER is her debut novel and book one of the Cupid's Fall series.

Is your book group reading FIRST QUIVER? Contact Beth to arrange an appearance! www.bethcgreenberg.com

NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of mythology needed, but if you'd like a free, full-color downloadable guide to the gods of Cupid's Fall, follow this link: https://bethcgreenberg.com/mythology-guide/ 

My Thoughts...

A love story where the two main characters  don't get together... or do they?

This one had me laughing and it is fitting for this February  because cupid makes an appearance. This was a fun read and I can't wait to read book 2.

I gave this book 4 stars and You are in for a surprise.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.