A Holiday by Gaslight - Review

A Holiday by Gaslight

By: Mimi Matthews

Expected Publication: November 13th 2018 by Perfectly Proper Press

175 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Holiday, Christmas, Victorian

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

This is my second Mimi Matthews book, and I feel like I can now say that she is an author that can easily pull me in and make me quickly care about her characters. A Holiday by Gaslight starts in the middle of scene between Ned Sharpe and Sophie Appersett. They've been courting, and Sophie has decided to break things off despite the financially stable position that marrying Ned would put her in. I mean if that doesn't make you interested and immediately asking questions about these characters and what will happen between them I don't quite know what will.

I pretty much liked everything about this novella. I could easily appreciate Sophie's stance of breaking off an engagement to a man that won't interact with her. She knows that her family needs her marriage to a man with stable finances, but she won't lower herself to marrying for convenience without even a hint of the possibility of being happy or content in the marriage. Ned isn't from the same class as Sophie so he isn't sure how he should behave exactly and the bad advice he's received has kept him closed off. This was a great concept to me because a lack of communication between couples due to cultural hindrances is so much of the conflict in books from this time period. I also loved the inclusion of so many timely advances in technology and society.

I thought I was going to find Sophie's sister extremely annoying but in the end I really just wanted more of her story. Her thought process. Etc.

I find that I don't have anything at all negative to say about A Holiday by Gaslight other than wanting more of it. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. I loved the historically accurate tidbits included. A Holiday by Gaslight gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read A Holiday by Gaslight? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 11/11/18

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This week has focused around the fact that I've come down with an Upper Respiratory Infection. BOO! I don't feel awful (most of the time), but sheesh. I started feeling bad on Tuesday and by Thursday I went to the doctor. The doctor said this could last for about 2 weeks. Now that it's Sunday I can say that I don't feel much better (or worse) than I did on Thursday. I'm hoping this passes quickly from here though. Friday my mother-in-law kept the kids while I went to the dentist. Side note, I highly discourage dental work while suffering from an upper respiratory infection. The ONLY reason why I went ahead to the appointment and didn't reschedule was that I had already rescheduled once and my appointment got pushed back 3 months! My mom came on Saturday to pick up my daughter to help out. Husband had some work to do outside. Little Boy is still nursing (3 times a day--we're in the process of weaning) or she would have taken him with her as well. Being sick has zapped me from any extra energy so I haven't read much this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1) by Mary E Pearson (4.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Backlist Books
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Sound of Love by Geneviève Reese
Thursday: Review of Bible Journaling Made Simple by Sandy Allnock

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2018 to sing up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Bible Journaling Made Simple - Review

Bible Journaling Made Simple

By: Sandy Allnock

Publication: October 23rd 2018 by North Light Books

144 pages

Genre: Christian, Non-fiction, Art, Crafts

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Draw closer to God and creatively unlock more of the Good Book!

Your relationship with God is unique. Shouldn't your Bible reflect and celebrate that bond? In this introduction to Bible journaling, you'll discover meaningful ways to combine art, heart and scripture--from backgrounds to hand-lettered verses to beautiful full-page drawings. No expensive supplies or artistic skills are required...only a desire to honor and enhance your spiritual life.

To guide your creative worship experience, this book provides:
Prompts to engage you with the text, then visually interpret Scripture in words and pictures
Basic techniques for working with colored pencils, watercolor pencils and watercolor paints
21 step-by-step tutorials for drawing trees, flowers, skies, mountains, maps, water, light and other popular themes
Tons of inspirational page samples and suggested verses to illustrate
Downloadable icons and technique videos available on the author's website

Whether you're new to Bible journaling or looking for fresh ideas, this book will lead you on a rewarding spiritual journey. Success is not measured in the complexity or polish of the art, but in a deeper, more personal connection with God.

"Our lives are busy, and we leave a trail of things-we-should-remember on the ground behind us. Instead, scoop them up and journal them. Preserve the lessons vital to our growth as Christians." page 12

I've been following Sandy Allnock on YouTube for a while now. I didn't think much about it when she talked about creating a book, but then when I saw it available for review on NetGalley, I knew I'd want to get it and review it. And I'm so glad that I did.

I'm fairly new to these kinds of books. I read and reviewed my first arts/craft book last year and recently I've been on a kick with them as my creative juices have been overflowing. I purchased Complete Guide to Bible Journaling last year and it was so full of great content that I wasn't sure Bible Journaling Made Simple would really have anything to add, but I was so wrong. This book ended up being so much more than I expected it to be.

First off, I love that Sandy Allnock set up this book as a guide for teaching/participating in a Bible journaling group. But if you choose to follow alone that's perfectly fine. The group suggestion is mentioned in the beginning with a guide on how you could go about working the book around a group, but this isn't mentioned over and over throughout the book which I appreciated.

I loved that there are art tutorials, but symbolism is talked about a lot so that why you are creating a particular design for a particular Scripture makes sense. Yet Sandy Allnock really stresses how much the focus is on spending time with God and not simply creating perfect art. As a matter of fact, at times she purposefully encourages you to be imperfect with your art to keep yourself focused on what really matters most.

The art itself and the tutorials on how to create the same or similar pieces feels both challenging and achievable which is a huge line to balance without going over too far to either side. There were certainly examples of her art that is currently beyond my skill level. Yet there were so many things I felt I could replicate in my own style.

Each chapter has a subfocus of a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5) so it was almost like a devotional at the same time. I appreciated that I could nod my head to the Spiritual things she discussed while she maintained distance from doctrinal issues that might be controversial making this book a good fit for any who claims the name Christian.

Also included in each chapter was a list of verses and topics applicable to the tutorials and subjects of each chapter. I really love that this was included because it makes the book practical for the very beginner level of Bible Journaling or a very new Christian.

Bible Journaling Made Simple was so exciting for me because it exceeded my expectations in every way. There's art that challenging yet achievable. There's Scripture and subject focused chapters. And there's focus on symbolism. Bible Journaling Made Simple gets 5 Stars. Have you read Bible Journaling Made Simple? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Sound of Love

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Sound of Love

By: Geneviève Reese

Expected Publication: November 11th 2018 by UNCANNY PUBLISHING INC

320 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Born and raised on her family farm in rural East Tennessee, Danielle Adams always dreamed of moving to Nashville—known in her family as the “big city”. She had the voice of an angel and her skills on the piano put her on par with some of the best pianists in the world. On her twenty-first birthday, Danielle’s parents bought her a one-way ticket to “the big city” and gave her enough money to live for a year. Her parents—along with everyone at their church and all through the town—knew of her talents and felt it was time she shared her GOD-given gifts with the world.

Danielle’s life in Nashville starts off rocky, but eventually she finds her way. Before long, a music producer notices her talents and signs her to a record deal. After performing in a few shows, she instantly becomes the new darling of Nashville. One day while performing, Danielle notices that her hearing seems to be going in and out. After this happens a couple more times, Danielle decides it’s time for her to go see a doctor. To her shock, she learns that she has a rare genetic disorder that will cause her to eventually become deaf. Her doctor gives her a referral to someone who can teach her sign language and other useful devices that will make life easier once her hearing is fully gone. Danielle—devastated to say the least—falls into a deep depression and begins questioning GOD’s plan for her life.

Eventually, Danielle goes to meet with the doctor’s referral, Walker Davenport; who turns out to be an exceptionally handsome and kind man—who also happens to be a musician himself. He helps her prepare for life as a deaf person—starting with making her a hearing “bucket list”. Walker even shows her ways she can still have music in her life even if she is unable to hear. Over time, Daniele and Walker become close and eventually fall in love. Their young love blossoms, and marriage seems to be right on the horizon. That is, until the day that they had been planning for finally arrives—when Danielle’s hearing is completely gone.

Unable to handle her new reality, Danielle rebuffs Walker, and shuts out the rest of the world—even her close nit family. Walker then finds himself trying to prove to her that the sound of love can still be heard even when your world is silent.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Backlist Books

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Backlist Books.

1. Significance (Significance, # 1) by Shelly Crane - To be honest, I started this one and I'm not dying to get back to it. I've had it in my possession for years though.
2. Brightest Kind of Darkness (Brightest Kind of Darkness, # 1) by PT Michelle - This one I've had for years too and even though it has good ratings on Goodreads, I don't know anyone who has read it.
3. Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, # 2) by Richelle Mead - I've got no excuse.
4. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo - I loved the first book, the second book was only okay for me, and I'm not sure I'm excited for the direction things were heading. I started this book and read like 10% but it was such a slow start that I haven't come back to it.
5. Sempre: Redemption (Sempre, # 2) by JM Darhower - I devoured the first book. I have had this one for years. The only real thing stopping me for picking this one up is that so long has gone by since I read the first book that my interest has waned.
6. End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days, # 3) by Susan Ee - I started this one too. Actually made it about 30%. Put it down for various reasons and that 30% that I've read hasn't been enough to pull me back in. I'm feeling apathetic.
7. The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court, # 1) by Richelle Mead - I didn't like the direction this one was heading so I put it down. Even though I've had friends tell me that book 2 is so much better and even book 3, I'm just finding it hard to even think about coming back to this book.
8. The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions, # 1) by Michelle Hodkin - I quite liked Michelle Hodkin's writing style, but the way the Mara Dyer series ended just left me feeling a bit blah. I loved Noah, but something was just missing from that last book that's left me dreading starting this series.
9. Iron Gold (Red Rising, # 4) by Pierce Brown - Why haven't I read this yet? I'll tell you...these books are big investments. Not just length, but emotionally. I'll get to it, I promise. And when I do, I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for waiting so long.
10. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, # 6) by Sarah J Maas - I just need to break down and do it already. Part of the problem is that I have this on Holly's kindle that I've borrowed, but her Generation 1 kindle does not have a backlight which makes reading at night (the only real time I have to read) nearly impossible. Or at the very least, highly inconvenient.

Which books are on your backlist? Let me know!