five friday favorites #13: week of march 6, 2015

So, it's been 1-1/2 months since the last Friday Favorites post. I think we can still safely blame speech, but not for much longer, as we're in the home stretch! Beginning with this week, I'll be highlighting four random favorites and a book ... because you know I'm all about the book recommendations!

Today I'm linking up with Erika, Karli, and April.

1. TOMORROW IS OUR LAST SATURDAY SPEECH MEET OF THE YEAR
Can you sense my excitement? 'Cause I am very excited. After tomorrow, my Saturdays become mine again! We've had a good year, and I have high hopes for several of our kids heading into districts in a couple weeks and then state (God willing!) at the end of the month.

The team. Small but mighty!

2. Tea Samples from a cousin
As you may know, I love tea. I'm not really a tea snob at all, choosing to go for the cheap over the more expensive, high quality teas most of the time. I mean, one of my absolute favorite teas is Bigelow's Orange & Spice herbal tea. $3.00-ish for 20 bags at Walmart. But I may soon be purchasing more expensive teas. My cousin (once removed? I can never quite remember how that works...) recently sent me a package of tea samples she's received with her Harney & Sons orders.

I. Am. In. Love.

The Hot Cinnamon Spice black tea is my favorite so far. I've been disappointed by cinnamon teas in the past, but this tea I could drink every day. The only thing that has kept me from ordering already is that I'd like to try the rest of the samples first to see what else I should order! (One that I won't be ordering? Tilleul, which is apparently linden leaves. Blech!)

3. These Two

Last weekend, my parents celebrated 39 years of marriage! They were just kids when they got married, obviously, as they're not old now! I'm so grateful to have grown up with parents who have modeled a godly marriage for me and my siblings. They're still so obviously in love!

4. Fifteen Pounds
That's the amount of weight I lost in the three months between endocrinologist visits. My endo was floored. She told me that they always tell their overweight patients to loose 10 pounds before the next visit, and they never do ... but I did it! I'm still doing Trim Healthy Mama, though I am modifying it a bit to fit me. And I'm thisclose to convincing my mom to try it with me. Here's to the next fifteen!

5. An Uncertain Choice
On Tuesday, Jody Hedlund's An Uncertain Choice released. This is Hedlund's first novel for the YA market (she's most known for her inspirational historical romances, like the fabulous A Noble Groom). I reviewed the prequel novella The Vow a few weeks ago, I'll have a review of this novel up on my book review blog soon, and I'm also participating in a fun blog tour promoting the book. My post for the tour will be up on March 17.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

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best books of 2013: top 10

It's that time again: time to pick my favorite books of the year. (And this year, I'm actually posting before the new year—if only by two hours. That's quite the improvement over my 2011 and 2012 lists!) If my Pinterest board is to be believed, then I read 87 books in 2013 (and I'm not sure that I remembered to pin each book I read). Out of those 87, I enjoyed the vast majority, so narrowing my list of favorites down to 10 was quite difficult—so difficult that I'll be publishing a list of honorable mention books later this week. Below are the books that I settled on as my favorite 10 reads of 2013.

10. Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter (my review)

Barefoot Summer is a fantastic opening to Hunter's Chapel Springs series. Madison and Beckett's chemistry practically leaps off the page, and the conclusion is heartwarming and satisfying. I can't wait for book two's release this spring!

9. Anomaly by Krista McGee (my review)

Anomaly stunned me. I expected to enjoy it (it's YA/sci-fi, so how could I not?), but I didn't anticipate the way McGee would so completely suck me into her world. The book ends with a delightful twist, and I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy!

8. Duchess by Susan May Warren (my review)

The final book in Warren's Daughters of Fortune trilogy, Duchess is also the best. For whatever reason, it really resonated with me—and I especially connected with main character Rosie. Here's a snippet of my review: "Really, Rosie could be any of us. No, we don't all have bombshell looks or the attitude to go with it, but we do all have regrets and hurts that motivate our actions, and without surrendering to Christ and trusting that He loves us, we could gain the whole world and still be searching for meaning and wholeness. The spiritual lessons found in this book (and the rest of the series) are profound, yet not at all 'preachy.'"

7. Shattered by Dani Pettrey (my review)

Shattered is the second book in Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series. It focuses on Piper and Landon, two of my favorite characters from the first book in the series. Packed with mystery and romance, Shattered was easily my favorite romantic suspense novel of the year.

6. Moon Over Edisto by Beth Webb Hart (my review)

Of all the books on this list, Moon Over Edisto is the least overtly "Christian" and the most literary. (It is put out by a Christian publisher, but the faith aspect takes a backseat. And I think that's totally fine.) It's the only novel that I read this year that I thought my sister, who tends toward literary snobbery, would enjoy—and so I promptly bought her a copy as soon as I finished reading mine. Moon Over Edisto is a beautifully-written novel about family, and it ended far too soon for my liking.

5. The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen (my review)

If you love Jane Austen, you'll love Julie Klassen. I've read several of her books so far, and each one is better than the last. The Tutor's Daughter is pure delight. Here's a bit of what I had to say in my review: "As I read, I couldn't help but feel that I was reading a Jane Austen novel. Or, more accurately, that I was watching a film adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, as Klassen has a way with words that put a very clear picture into my head as I read. The plot evokes memories of Northanger Abbey, Emma,Pride & Prejudice, and even Jane Eyre while still remaining unique." Klassen's next book, The Dancing Master, is currently sitting on my to be read shelf—I can't wait to pick it up!

4. A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund (my review)

I loved everything about A Noble Groom...especially the hero, Carl. In my review, I said that "Carl gives Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy a run for his money. While Carl is by no means perfect, he is wonderful (and a lot less uppity than that Darcy fellow)." And that cover? It may be my favorite book cover of the year!

3. On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin (my review)

Fun fact: Sarah Sundin is the only author to have a book appear on my "best of" list each year that I've made one: With Every Letter was number four on my 2012 list, and Blue Skies Tomorrow was my pick for my favorite book of 2011.

On Distant Shores continues Sundin's streak of excellent World War II fiction. I love that while her books are full of romance, they contain so much more. On Distant Shores highlights the struggles pharmacists faced in the Army, and Sundin wrote about it so realistically that I wanted to call my senator to demand fair treatment for them! I'm eagerly awaiting Sundin's next novel.

2. Invisible by Ginny Yttrup (my review)

Ginny Yttrup was a new-to-me author, and she totally blew me away with this novel. Invisible focuses on three women, each of whom is hiding in some way. As they connect with each other, they work through emotional and physical trauma and learn about the God who loves them infinitely. Invisible is completely captivating, and when I finished reading it, I just had to sit there and let it sink in. I loved it.

1. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (my review)

Dear Mr. Knightley, Katherine Reay's debut novel, is so unique and fun! I don't think I can say it better than I did in my review: "Honestly, I picked up Dear Mr. Knightley expecting a simple romance, but this book turned out to be so much more—throughout the course of the novel, Sam found her voice, her place in the world. And, yes, she found love—in many forms. One of the most touching aspects of the novel was not the romance (though it was sweet) but the love Sam found in family.

Dear Mr. Knightley is a novel that will grab you at the first page and not let go until you've finished the last. Run to your nearest bookstore (or, more realistically, click on over to the website of your favorite bookseller) and get your hands on a copy of this book. You won't regret it!"

I almost wish I hadn't read Dear Mr. Knightley yet—because that would mean I could experience it again for the first time! For a limited time, it's only $2.99 for Kindle (check the price before you buy)—you really need to read this book!

There you have it: my top 10 reads of 2013. Check back at the end of the week for my honorable mention books. Happy New Year!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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