My Reads of 2015

This has been another great year of reading. Here is a list of the titles I have read during 2015.

1. The Good Son by Christopher Andersen
2. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny (Great Lives Series Book 1) by Charles Swindoll
3. Without a Trace: (Rock Harbor Series #1) by Colleen Coble
4. The Autobiography of Medgar Evers by Myrlie Evers-Williams and Manning Marable
5. 21 Days of Fasting & Prayer by Charles Magaiza
6. Greentown by Timothy Dumas
7. The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield
8. Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate
9. The Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison
10. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Warrior for Peace by Tanya Savory
11. A Season in Purgatory by Dominick Dunne
12. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
13. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
14. Taken by Lisa Harris
15. Plain Peril by Alison Stone
16. Murdered Innocents by Corey Mitchell
17. Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity (Great Lives Series Book 2) by Charles Swindoll
18. Truth-Stained Lies, (Moonlighter Series #1) by Terri Blackstock
19. Distortion, (Moonlighter Series #2) by Terri Blackstock
20. Stolen Legacy by Diane and David Munson
21. Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler
22. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
23. The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson
24. Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11 by Dan Collins and Wayne Barrett
25. Twisted Innocence (Moonlighters Series Book 3) by Terri Blackstock
26. Broken Silence by Annslee Urban
27. Protest at Selma by David J. Garrow
28. Suspicion Nation by Lisa Bloom
29. Dead Wake by Erik Larson
30. All God's Children (Peacemakers Book 1) by Anna Schmidt
31. Wallenberg by Kati Marton
32. His Love Endures Forever (Land of Canaan #3) by Beth Wiseman
33. Seek Me with All Your Heart (Land of Canaan #1) by Beth Wiseman
34. Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness (Great Lives Series Book 3) by Charles Swindoll
35. Visiting Hours by Amy Butcher
36. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord and Nathaniel Philbrick
37. The Night Lives On: The Untold Stories and Secrets Behind the Sinking of the "Unsinkable" Ship-Titanic by Walter Lord
38. Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
39. The Letter by Kathryn Hughes
40. Impossible Odds by Anthony Flacco, Jessica Buchanan and Erik Landemalm
41. Not by Sight (Ozark Mountain Series #1) by Kathy Herman
42. The Last Jews in Berlin by Leonard Gross
43. The Wonder of Your Love (Land of Canaan #2) by Beth Wiseman
44. A Distant Melody (Wings of Glory Book #1) by Sarah Sundin
45. Five Days That Shocked the World: Eyewitness Accounts from Europe at the End of World War II by Nicholas Best
46. The Last Promise by Richard Paul Evans
47. Michelle Obama by Peter Slevin
48. A Lucky Life Interrupted: A Memoir of Hope by Tom Brokaw
49. After Midnight (Denver Heroes, #1) by Kathy Clark
50. The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower
51. An Untamed Heart by Lauraine Snelling
52. One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
53. Buried Secrets (Men of Valor Book #1) by Irene Hannon
54. Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944 by Joseph Balkoski
55. Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas
56. The Wright Brothers by David Mccullough
57. Miracle at Midway by Gordon W. Prange, Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillo
58. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer
59. The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber
60. Hutterites: Our Story to Freedom by The Nine
61. Hurricane of Independence: The Untold Story of the Deadly Storm at the Deciding Moment of the American Revolution by Tony Williams
62. All the Way Home by Wendy Corsi Staub
63. Someday Home by Lauraine Snelling
64. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
65. Harper Lee by Kerry Madden
66. Eyes on You by Kate White
67. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story by Michael Collins
68. An Irish Christmas by Melody Carlson
69. That Kennedy Girl by Robert DeMaria
70. Hissing Cousins:The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth by Marc Peyser
71. A Question of Honor by Mary Anne Wilson
72. An Amish Harvest by Patricia Davids
73. We Are Not Afraid: The Story of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney, and the Civil Rights Campaign for Mississippi by Philip Dray & Seth Cagin
74. Vanished: (Private Justice Series, Book 1) by Irene Hannon
75. Trapped: (Private Justice Series, Book 2) by Irene Hannon
76. Broken Promise: (Promise Falls #1) by Linwood Barclay
77. Deceived: (Private Justice Series, Book 3) by Irene Hannon
78. Taken by Dee Henderson
79. Edward M. Kennedy by Adam Clymer
80. Stolen Words: The Nazi Plunder of Jewish Books by Mark Glickman (ARC)
81. Down In the Valley (Green Valley #1) by Jane Shoup
82. Hanover House (Hanover House Chronicles 0.5) by Brenda Novak (ARC)
83. Through Waters Deep (Waves of Freedom #1) by Sarah Sundin
84. One Second After by William R. Forstchen
85. The Postcard (Amish Country Crossroads #1) by Beverly Lewis
86. Spirit of the Valley (Green Valley Series #2) by Jane Shoup
87. From Stray Dog to World War I Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division by Grant Hayter-Menzies
88. Deliver Us From Evil: A Novel by Robin Caroll
89. The Right Thing to Do (Short Story) by Jonathan Kellerman
90. Sunset At Keyhole Canyon: A Mustang Ridge Novella by Jesse Hayworth
91. Hidden Like Anne Frank by Laura Watkinson, Marcel Prins, and Peter Henk Steenhuis
92. The Cottage Next Door by Georgia Bockoven
93. The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America by Sarah Deer
94. Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson
95. Whistling Women A Novel by Kelly Romo
96. Show Time by Phil Harvey
97. The Locket by B.G. Cousins
98. What the Heart Remembers (Memory House Collection #3) by Bette Lee Crosby
99. Midnight Voices by John Saul
100. One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis
101. The Yosemite Murders by Dennis Mcdougal
102. My Father's Daughter: A Memoir by Tina Sinatra
103. Operation White Christmas by Nicki Edwards
104. Day After Disaster (Changing Earth) by Sara F. Hathaway
105. Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde
106. Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney
107. Naomi's Christmas (Pleasant Valley #7) by Marta Perry
108. The Midnight Before Christmas by William Bernhardt
109. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Cecil Murphey and Don Piper
110. Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King

Review: The Midnight Before Christmas by William Bernhardt

Title: The Midnight Before Christmas
Author: William Bernhardt
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

The Midnight Before Christmas: A Holiday Thriller by William Bernhardt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Megan McGee, priest turned attorney, is wondering how she will spend her Christmas Even when a young mother asks her to help protect her little boy from an abusive ex-husband. But the case turns out to be less straight forward than it appears. As legal thrillers go, this story is not at the top of my list because of its improbabilities.



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Review: Naomi's Christmas (Pleasant Valley #7) by Marta Perry

Title: Naomi's Christmas (Pleasant Valley #7)
Author: Marta Perry
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Publication Date: October 2, 2012


Naomi's Christmas by Marta Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Naomi Esch, a young Amish woman, has a life filled with her work at a bakery, keeping bees and helping to raise other people's children. She thinks marriage has passed her by. When circumstances lead her to care for her deceased best friend's children, Naomi suddenly longs for more. She is faced with choices that she has not had to confront, previously, and her decisions are not easy when they do not fall into line with her father's wishes for her.

I enjoyed Naomi's Christmas by Marta Perry. The characters wrestled with real life problems while still staying true to the values of Amish life. It was a good story.



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Some Christmas titles for your reading pleasure! Wishing you each a blessed and merry Christmas.

• Christmas Countdown by Vicki Hinze
• Christmas Peril by Margaret Daley
• Christmas Stalking by Margaret Daley
• A Daughter for Christmas by Margaret Daley
• The Best Christmas Ever by Stella Bagwell
• Christmas Nights by Sally Wentworth
• Candlelight Christmas by Susan Wiggs
• Risky Christmas by Jill Sorenson and Jennifer Morey
• A Seaside Christmas by Sherryl Woods
• Christmas Witness by Aimee Thurlo
• Yuletide Jeopardy by Sandra Robbins
• Christmas Cover-Up by Lynette Eason
• Once Upon a Christmas by Lauraine Snelling and Lenora Worth
• Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by Raeanne Thayne
• Snow Angel Cove by Raeanne Thayne
• Where Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman and Sarah Sundin
• A Country Christmas by Debbie Macomber
• The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth
• Moonlight and Mistletoe by Maggie Davis
• The Midnight Before Christmas by William Bernhardt
• The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado
• Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
• A Colleen Coble Christmas Collection by Colleen Coble
• Coming Home for Christmas by Marie Ferrarella
• A Quaker Christmas: Four-in-One Collection by Lauralee Bliss, Rachael Phillips, Ramona K. Cecil, Joann Robisheaux, and Claire Sanders
• Naomi's Christmas by Marta Perry
• Yuletide Treasure by Jillian Hart and Lauraine Snelling
• The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
• The Christmas Train by Rexanne Becnel
• His Christmas Bride-to-Be by Abigail Gordon
• A Big Sky Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone
• Amish Christmas at North Star by Mindy Starns Clark, Cindy Woodsmall, Katie Ganshert, Amanda Flower, and Emily Clark
• Christmas With You: A New Zealand Christmas Holiday Romance (Due South Series Book 4) by Tracey Alvarez
• Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney
• Christmas Slay Ride: Most Mysterious and Horrific Christmas Day Murders by Jack Smith
• A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher
• A Simple Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson
• Mistletoe Magic (A Copper Mountain Christmas Book 3) by Melissa McClone
• Off-Duty Christmas by Tammy Tate
• Mistletoe Kisses: inspirational romance boxed set (Inspy Kisses Book 3) by Janet Tronstad, Lisa Mondello, Lenora Worth ...
• The Army Doctor's Christmas Collection by Helen Scott Taylor
• Operation White Christmas by Nicki Edwards

Review: Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney

Title: Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas
Author: Bryan Mooney
Edition: Kindle
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: May 19, 2014


Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney is a delightful story about how one life altering event can have profound consequences in one's life thereafter. Set in picturesque Vermont, it brings to life a white Christmas with community and family traditions.

Jack Reynolds returns to his home town of Woodstock, Vermont to celebrate Christmas with his family. He is about to begin a new job and to become engaged. Yet, he is not happy. And he can't stop thinking of the woman he met years ago when they were both trapped under a collapsed building in Iraq.

Hope Caldwell is also spending Christmas in Woodstock. She has accepted a temporary position as a substitute teacher there. She has been searching for the man who saved her life. She doesn't know his name, but she knows he is from Woodstock, Vermont, and she fell in love with the town from his description of it. Neither knows the other is close by. Will they meet one another again? Will they find a way to move forward with their lives? This story is about their journey, and the lives of other Woodstock residents as well.



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Lynn's List (December 18, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Yuletide Treasure by Jillian Hart and Lauraine Snelling
• Liberated by Steve Anderson
• The Unraveling by Emma Sky
• First Ladies by Susan Swain and C-Span
• They Are All My Family by Monique Brinson Demery and John P. Riordan
• The Class of '65 by Jim Auchmutey
• John F. Kerry by Nina J. Easton Michael Kranish, and Brian Mooney
• A Mayor's Life by David N. Dinkins
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Conrad Black
• Haiti After the Earthquake by Paul Farmer
• Living with Guns by Craig Whitney
• The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai
• The Unquiet American by Samantha Power and Derek Chollet
• The Triumph & Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson by Joseph A. Califano Jr.
• The Other Barack by Sally Jacobs
• Auschwitz by Laurence Rees
• Bringing Mulligan Home by Dale Maharidge
• Kate by Katie Nicholl
• The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl
• Grace of Monaco by Jeffrey Robinson
• Fighting for Common Ground by Olympia Snowe
• My Remarkable Journey by Larry King
• We Bought A Zoo by Benjamin Mee
• Into Hot Air: Mounting Mount Everest by Chris Elliott
• Saving Each Other by Victoria Jackson and Ali Guthy
• The Courage of Strangers by Jeri Laber
• The Supreme Court by Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, C-Spanand Mark Farkas
• The Hidden History of America at War by Kenneth C. Davis
• Return to Earth by Buzz Aldrin and Wayne Warga
• Thirty-Eight Witnesses by A. M. Rosenthal
• The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony
• Too Close to Home by Susan Lewis
• A Colleen Coble Suspense Collection by Colleen Coble
• Woodrow Wilson by Louis Auchincloss
• World Order by Henry Kissinger
• Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton
• Black River by S. M. Hulse
• The Big Crowd by Kevin Baker
• The McKettricks: Luck, Pride and Heart by Linda Lael Miller
• Beast in View by Margaret Millar
• Suddenly Gone: The Terrifying True Story of a Serial Killer's Grisly Kidnapping-Murders of Three Young Women by Dan Mitrione
• Sleeper by Gene Riehl
• B.F.'s Daughter by John P. Marquand
• The Blue Skies of Autumn: A Journey from Loss to Life and Finding a Way Out of Grief by Elizabeth Turner
• The Boy in the Suitcase (Nina Borg #1) by Lene Kaaberbol
• The Truth by Jeffry W. Johnston
• One More Day by Kelly Simmons
• Informed Consent by Raphael Hirsch
• She's Not You (The Elvis Series Book 1) by Mimi Barbour
• Christmas in Vermont: A Very White Christmas by Bryan Mooney
• Sundown Town Duty Station by J. J. Zerr
• Christmas Slay Ride: Most Mysterious and Horrific Christmas Day Murders by Jack Smith
• The Power of Responsibility: Six Decisions That Will Help You Take Back Happiness and Create Unlimited Success by Joelle Casteix
• Eleven (Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 1) by Carolyn Arnold
• The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins
• Ride Trilogy Book 1_ MMA Fighter New Adult Romance by Jayne Blue
• Indisputable by A.M. Wilson
• Stephen Bly's Horse Dreams Trilogy (Memories of a Dirt Road, The Mustang Breaker, and Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago) by Stephen Bly
• The First Leathernecks: A Combat History of the U.S. Marines from Inception to the Halls of Montezuma by Don Burzynski
• Anatomy of a Jury by Seymour Wishman
• Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• Confessions of a First Lady by Denora Boone
• The Lake House Secret (A Jenessa Jones Mystery Book 1) by Debra Burroughs
• The Stone House Secret (A Jenessa Jones Mystery Book 2) by Debra Burroughs
• The Good Daughter: A Mafia Story (Vista Security Book 1) by Diana Layne
• Trust No One (Vista Security Book 2) by Diana Layne
• The Keening (Remnants Book 1) by Margaret Pinard
• The River Queen: A Water Wheel Novel by Gilbert Morris
• An Intrinsic Dereliction; The Ruin of Detroit by Danny Bee
• Callie_ inspirational women's fiction (The Women of Valley View Book 1) by Sharon Srock
• Grid Down: A Strike against America - An EMP Survival Story- Book One by Roger Hayden

Lynn's List (December 11, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman
• South by Ernest Shackleton
• One of Us by Tawni O'Dell
• Everyday Blessings by Max Lucado
• Blood Roses by Jeanette Baker
• Judgment Days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Laws that Changed America hby Nick Kotz
• The Storm of the Century by Al Roker
• An Unexpected Grace by Kristen Von Kreisler
• The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
• The Christmas Train by Rexanne Becnel
• The Girl On The Beach by Velda Johnston
• Wheelmen by Vanessa O'Connell and Reed Albergotti
• Jackdaws by Ken Follett
• The Devil's Advocate by Andrew Neiderman
• The Unknown Shore by Patrick O'Brian
• The Justice Series 3-Book Bundle by T. E. Woods

Review: Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title: Ask Him Why
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: December 8, 2015


Ask Him Why by Catherine Ryan Hyde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Joseph is a soldier in the U.S. Army. He returns home three months after going to Iraq, much to the surprise of his younger sister and brother, Ruth and Aubrey. Something is wrong, and before the details are explained, Joseph is gone from the family home, and stories about what he had supposedly done begin to appear in the newspapers and on television. It is a confusing time for Ruth and Aubrey which ultimately changes the entire family's dynamics and their very lives.

This is the first book I have read by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and I will be returning to read more of her books. The depth of emotion in the characters is authentic, so much so, I forgot these are fictional people. I wanted to hug them all. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, but the story is knitted together from common experiences Joseph, Ruth and Aubrey share to form an intricate mosaic of family relationship that is complex, yet held together with the strength of an unbreakable bond. It's a story of principle and loyalty, and also one of misunderstanding, disdain and profound regret.

Reading this book caused me to reflect on my own relationships with family members, and made me wonder what my reaction would be to the circumstances experienced by these characters. Not only is Ask Him Why a good story, it is also thought provoking and intense.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.





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Lynn's List (December 4, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• Private Screening by Richard North Patterson
• The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips Oppenheim
• Speer by Martin Kitchen
• 81 Days Below Zero by Brian Murphy
• Welcome to Serenity by Sherryl Woods
• Galileo by David Wootton
• Danger and Delight by Jessica Starre
• If Only In My Dreams by Mariah Stewart
• The Mold In Dr. Florey's Coat: The Story Of The Penicillin Miracle by Eric Lax
• Mackenzie's Heroes by Linda Howard
• His Christmas Bride-to-Be by Abigail Gordon
• Into the Storm by Helen Deprima
• Running Blind by Lee Child
• Die Trying by Lee Child
• Nora Roberts: The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy by Nora Roberts
• The Fight for Interracial Marriage Rights in Antebellum Massachusetts by Amber D. Moulton
• Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane
• Moon Shell Beach by Nancy Thayer
• The Long Road Home by Danielle Steel
• Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough
• The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
• Isaac's Army: A Story of Courage and Survival in Nazi-Occupied Poland by Matthew Brzezinski
• The Rising Sun by John Toland
• Inside Delta Force: The Real Story of America's Elite Military Unit by Eric Haney
• Henry Clay by David S. Heidler
• Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay
• Eleven Days (Carl Houseman #1) by Donald Harstad
• After We Fall by Emma Kavanagh
• An Intrinsic Dereliction; The Ruin of Detroit by Danny Bee
• Callie_ inspirational women's fiction (The Women of Valley View Book 1) by Sharon Srock
• Grid Down: A Strike against America - An EMP Survival Story- Book One by Roger Hayden
• The Child Taker & Slow Burn (Special Edition 'Unputdownable')_ 2 Nail Biting Thrillers by Conrad Jones
• Saving Grace (Katie & Annalise Book 1) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Review: Day After Disaster (Changing Earth) by Sara F. Hathaway

Title: Day After Disaster (Changing Earth)
Author: Sara F. Hathaway
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Publication Date: June 3rd 2014

Day After Disaster by Sara F. Hathaway

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Day After Disaster (Changing Earth) by Sara F. Hathaway is one of those books that requires you to come face-to-face with some very unthinkable 'what ifs'. What if your life and the very earth changed so that it was no longer recognizable as you knew it? How would you react? How would you survive? These are the issues Erika must confront as she finds herself thrust from a normal work-day into having to fight to survive after major earth quakes change the life she knew.

As I read this book, I thought about my life and dependence on technology and grocery store for my food. Nearly everything I consume and use is made for me by someone else, somewhere else. And, all it would take to change that is a major natural or man-made disaster. Am I prepared? Definitely not. In the beginning chapters, my reaction was one of disbelief. Could this really happen? If it did, would it be as catastrophic as the author describes? But the more I read, the more I began to see that it could be possible.




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