My Top 20 Reads of 2019

After MUCH deliberation, I have somewhat painfully managed to create a list of my top 20 2019 reads. There are several more I DEARLY loved!! Here is my list, check out these fantastic titles as well as the titles in my other top 2019 reads blog posts for books you are sure to love!

1) Things Left Unsaid by Courtney Walsh
2) The Secrets Of Paper And Ink by Lindsay Harrel
3) Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano
4) At Home In Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne
5) Then There Was You by Kara Isaac
6) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
7) My Heart Belongs In The Blue Ridge Mountains by Pepper Basham
8) Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon
9) In The Shadow Of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson
10) Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
11) Sweet On You by Becky Wade
12) Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn
13) Now And Then And Always by Melissa Tagg
14) More Than Words by Karen Witemeyer
15) A Lake House Holiday by Megan Squires
16) Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy
17) Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher
18) I'll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones
19) A Pursuit of Home by Kristi Ann Hunter
20)Memory House by Rachel Hauck

My Favorite 2019 Reads: Cozy Mysteries and Love Inspired Suspense

Trying to pic my favorite reads of 2019 was NOT an easy process!! I will finish the year at reading just shy of 350 books and of those 350, 136 received a 5 star rating from me. I read a few different types of books regularly: Christian Fiction, Cozy Mysteries. Children's and Non Fiction are the bulk of what I read. With those genres in mind, I have compiled an overall favorite list(narrowed down to 20!), a top 5 cozy list, a top 5 Love Inspired Suspense List, a top 5 Non-Fiction and a top 6 Christmas list. Books will be in no particular order within their lists. This post shares my favorite Cozy Mysteries and Love Inspired Suspense reads.



Top 5 Cozies

Top 5 Love Inspired Suspense

My Favorite 2019 Reads Christmas & Non Fiction

Trying to pic my favorite reads of 2019 was NOT an easy process!! I will finish the year at reading just shy of 350 books and of those 350, 136 received a 5 star rating from me. I read a few different types of books regularly: Christian Fiction, Cozy Mysteries. Children's and Non Fiction are the bulk of what I read. With those genres in mind, I have compiled an overall favorite list(narrowed down to 20!), a top 5 cozy list, a top 5 Love Inspired Suspense List, a top 5 Non-Fiction and a top 6 Christmas list. Books will be in no particular order within their lists. I will be sharing my non fiction and Christmas favorites in this post.


My Top 5 Non Fiction Reads

My Top 6 Christmas Reads

Braver Stronger Smarter

As a parent, you can use certain strategies to help your elementary-aged daughter when she struggles with worry and anxiety. But it is also important that she learn how to work through her emotions on her own.

This illustrated guide--created for girls ages 6 to 11, the stage when anxiety issues often surface--will help your daughter see how brave, strong, and smart God made her. Through easy-to-read stories and writing and drawing prompts, she will learn practical ways to fight back when worries come up. She will feel empowered, knowing she is deeply loved by a God who is bigger than her fears. This level of trust is the spiritual antidote to anxiety and the path to feeling capable and confident in any situation.

My Rating: 5 Stars
This is an excellent book for young girls that have anxiety and worry issues. I liked how this book is laid out in a kind of a workbook style so that those reading it can write stuff down and really get even more out of the book. Sissy writes in an easy to understand style which makes a perfect compliment to the topic. My 6 year old daughter is already starting down the road of anxiety(due in part to some special needs)and you can bet, I will try this book with her when she is a bit older.

I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Christmas Stitches: A Historical Romance Collection: 3 Stories of Women Sewing Hope and Love Through the Holidays

3 Talented Seamstresses, 3 Christmas Romances
Return to Christmases of yesteryear with three seamstresses who use their talents to succeed in the late 1800s. But can love also be stitched into their lives?
 
A SEAMLESS LOVE by Judith Miller
1894 – Pullman, Illinois
Hannah Cushman possesses a special talent for embroidered fancywork and design which secures her a position in the Dressmaking and Millinery Shop in the Pullman Arcade near Chicago where she encounters childhood friend Daniel Price. Daniel is disappointed to learn Hannah is being courted by a detective with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. With two men vying for her attention, will Hannah seek God’s direction or ignore the warning signs He sets before her?
 
MENDING HEARTS by Stephanie Grace Whitson
1899 – Nebraska
Rachel Ellsworth expects her stay with two maiden aunts in a conservative Mennonite village to be temporary—until a letter breaks her heart. Raised Methodist and encouraged to pursue fashion, design, and watercolor painting, Rachel finds temporary solace in quilting and in helping care for two motherless children. But when she and the children’s widowed father begin to notice one another, Rachel must face the idea that giving her heart to Levi Herr will mean giving up the arty things that have always defined her.
 
PIN’S PROMISE by Nancy Moser
1900/1906 – Summerfield, England
Penelope (Pin) Billings and Jonathan Evers have loved each other since they were children, promising to one day get officially engaged. Both have distinct talents: Pin for sewing dresses and teaching others to sew and Jonathan—a doctor right out of school—in helping the people of the village. As adulthood nears and the time to fulfill their promise seems right, a tragic event pulls them apart, making both question their future. Will they discover they are stronger together than apart?

My Rating: 3 Stars

Cute collection of Christmas romances. I liked the sewing angle in each of the stories. A clean easy read perfect for a winter's night with a good cup of tea.

I received this book from NetGalley and wasn't required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Silent Days, Holy Night

The sounds of Christmases past echo through a silent house . . .  

Everyone in town knows Emerald Crest, the green granite mansion atop the highest hill: the legendary, lavish Christmas festivities that used to light up the nights— and the silence that followed when the parties abruptly stopped many years ago. And everyone has heard whispers about the reclusive, mysterious master of the manor, Henry Lafferty the Second . . . 

When eleven-year-old Julia Russell steps into the great house for the first time and meets Mr. Lafferty, the entire course of her life is altered. She meets a man who is nothing at all like the rumors she’s heard from neighbors and classmates. He’s kind and extraordinarily talented—he also happens to be deaf and uses a wheelchair. And when she overhears a secret about him, Julia decides it’s time for the town to bring Christmas back to Emerald Crest—an act that will change them all forever. 

My Rating: 5 Stars
This is a sweet adorable Christmas story! I loved the premise and the characters, especially H. The story simply made my heart smile.  A story that shows what is most important at Christmas. I would love to see another story featuring these characters. A pretty perfect Christmas read, and a gorgeous cover!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Above The Fold

After losing the love of her life to a big city journalism job, Elissa Tillman pours herself into the suffragette movement and her secretarial work helping keep her father’s Pittsburgh newspaper afloat.

Cole Parker returns to the steel city with the phantom failures of his past nipping his heels. All he asks of the future is a second chance with the woman he once spurned.

The murder of a millionaire offers the perfect chance for Elissa to prove to her father and the world that she’s a serious journalist. But there’s a catch—she has to compete for the story. Against none other than Cole Parker, the very man who shattered her heart.

My Rating: 5 Stars
This is a stunning debut! Rachel has penned a solid story with great characters. Cole and Elissa were fantastic characters and the secondary characters add much to the story as well. The newspaper business and the mystery kept me entertained and invested to see how it would all play out in the end. I had a suspicion that proved to be correct but other elements that surprised me as all the pieces came together and everything was revealed. This story was fantastic and I can not wait for more from Rachel. I would love to see a story featuring Sterling, just saying...

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Echoes Among The Stones

After Aggie Dunkirk's career is unceremoniously ended by her own mistakes, she finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone in her vintage, though very outdated, home. Aggie didn't plan for how eccentric Mumsie has become, obsessing over an old, unsolved crime scene--even going so far as to re-create it in a dollhouse.

Mystery seems to follow Aggie when she finds work as a secretary helping to restore the flooded historical part of the town's cemetery. Forced to work with a puzzling yet attractive archaeologist, she exhumes the past's secrets and unwittingly uncovers a crime that some will go to any length to keep hidden--even if that means silencing Aggie.

In 1946, Imogene Grayson works in a beauty salon but has her sights set on Hollywood. But coming home to discover her younger sister's body in the attic changes everything. Unfamiliar with the burgeoning world of forensic science and, as a woman, not particularly welcomed into the investigation, Imogene is nonetheless determined to stay involved. As her sister's case grows cold, Imogene vows to find justice . . . no matter the cost.


My Rating: 5 Stars
This book is spellbinding! Jaime Jo weaves stories unlike any I have ever read and they are impossible to put down. Echoes is probably my favorite of hers so far. The mystery in this one pulled me in from the very first page and kept me guessing throughout, just when I thought I had it figured out, the next scene would change everything. If you like dual time stories and a fantastic mystery, give this one a try! You won't be disappointed!!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

The Piper's Pursuit

A plague of rats. Children going missing. A giant beast attacking just outside the walls of Hamlin. And one young woman determined to save her town.

Katerina’s stepfather, Hennek, is neither a good father nor a good husband, but he is the mayor of Hamlin. Could he somehow be causing the misfortunes that have befallen her beloved town? The evidence points to a beast of unusual size—a wolf, perhaps, or a large dog—killing people who venture too far from town. But does that explain the disappearance of so many children, many of whom seem to have gone missing from inside the town walls?

Steffan knows he must reconcile with his father, the Duke of Hagenheim, but he’s not sure he’s ready. In the meantime, he roams from town to town seeking adventure and reward. When he hears of a giant beast terrorizing the town of Hamlin and an equally giant reward that includes gold, money, and the mayor’s daughter in marriage, he heads to Hamlin. Steffan plans to kill the beast, rid the town of its rat infestation, and take the reward—everything except the girl in marriage. However, when he meets Katerina, he’s not so sure. Perhaps his plans need changing.

Katerina is hunting the Beast of Hamlin for herself, determined to win liberation from her conniving and controlling stepfather. When she finds one of the children who has been missing for many months, dirty and wandering around the woods, the mystery only seems to deepen. Katerina will have to team up with Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son who infuriates her—he’s the only one in town who isn’t controlled by the mayor. Danger dogs them from both man and beast. Can Katerina and Steffan stop the “Pied Piper” from stealing every last child from Hamlin? Or will their interference create an even worse fate? 

My Rating: 5 Stars

There is a reason Melanie Dickerson is one of my most favorite authors, it's because she writes stories I can NOT put down. As evidenced by the fact I read this one in less than 12 hours, this story is another winner from Melanie! From romance, humor, mystery and many suspenseful moments, this story has them all in spades. It was a treat to finally get Steffan's story and to see him finally "grow up." Katerina is a perfect match for him in every way. The mystery of the missing children and the "beast" had me devouring this book to find out what was going to happen. The ending was perfect with even a twist or two that surprised me. If you like Fairy Tale stories, or great stories in general, check this one out. I highly recommend it! I read an early ARC copy of this provided by the author. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Silent Night Suspect

Suspected of a crime she knows she didn’t commit…

All she wants for Christmas is to remember.

Blood on her blouse. A gun in her hand. A cartel leader’s dead body in front of her. Widow Asia Stratton can’t remember what happened—just that she’s been framed. The only way to prove her innocence is to work with her ex-sweetheart, Nebraska state trooper Slade Jackson. But can they clear her name before this Christmas turns even deadlier?

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
This an exciting ride (literally!) trying to figure out who is trying to frame Asia and what exactly her deceased husband was up to. The mystery kept me guessing and the bad guys were a bit surprising. I had a bit of trouble with Asia, her anger at Slade seemed a little misplaced given the fact that her husband was not husband of the year material(or even close). I would have also liked a little more of the backstory of how Asia ended up with Zander over Slade. This was an interesting story and I really liked the Christmas setting/timing of the story. All in all, the story held my attention and was an enjoyable read. Looking forward to Sharee's next story, I would love to see Trey get his own book!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Apple Cider Slaying

Apples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year's crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . .

ONE ROTTEN APPLE

Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it's struggling. That's why they're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike--until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder . . .

My Rating: 4 Stars

A good debut to what looks to be a new promising cozy series. I enjoyed the setting of the apple orchard and the cider business Winnie is trying to get off the ground. The mystery was good with a surprising villain. I liked the supporting characters especially the sheriff. Excited for book 2!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own. .