Larissa's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:29:42 -0700 60 Larissa's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Four: A Divergent Story Collection (Divergent, #0.1-0.4)]]> 18126198 Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Divergent with a special edition of Four, a collection in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that captured the hearts of millions of readers and inspired a series of major motion pictures starring Shailene Woodley. This edition features exclusive content from Veronica Roth and beautiful reimagined cover art from award-winning illustrator Victo Ngai.

Readers first encountered Tobias as "Four" in Divergent and will find more of this charismatic character's backstory told from his own perspective in Four: A Divergent Collection. When read together, these long narrative pieces illuminate the defining moments in Tobias's life, from his transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his initiation, and the decisions of loyalty—and love—that Tobias makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior.

“The same mix of tension, uncertainty, and hope that made the original stories irresistible. A welcome trip down memory lane.� �Publishers Weekly

“Fans of Divergent who can’t get enough—and maybe even the rare reader who missed the first rush—will snap up this story collection told. It will fly off the shelves and for good reason.� —ALA Booklist]]> 285 Veronica Roth 0062285688 Larissa 0 to-read 3.95 2014 Four: A Divergent Story Collection (Divergent, #0.1-0.4)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/08
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]]> Allegiant (Divergent, #3) 18710190
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, ALLEGIANT, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the DIVERGENT series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in DIVERGENT and INSURGENT.]]> 531 Veronica Roth 0007524277 Larissa 0 to-read 3.59 2013 Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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]]> Insurgent (Divergent, #2) 11735983
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian DIVERGENT series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.]]> 525 Veronica Roth 0007442912 Larissa 0 to-read 3.97 2012 Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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]]> Divergent (Divergent, #1) 13335037
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.]]> 487 Veronica Roth 0062024035 Larissa 0 to-read 4.13 2011 Divergent (Divergent, #1)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/08
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]]> <![CDATA[When the Light Finds Us: From a Life Sentence to a Life Transformed]]> 204593571 256 Judy A. Henderson 1546006788 Larissa 0 to-read 5.00 When the Light Finds Us: From a Life Sentence to a Life Transformed
author: Judy A. Henderson
name: Larissa
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> The Frontiersman's Daughter 6052079
This epic novel gives readers a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman. Laura Frantz's debut novel offers a feast for readers of historical fiction and romance lovers alike.]]> 416 Laura Frantz 0800733398 Larissa 5 4.06 2009 The Frontiersman's Daughter
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: absolute-favorites, read-christian-historical-fic-rom
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Elegant Espionage: Women Spies Who Graced the Shadows of WW2- and Conquered Them]]> 201571064 The world had gone insane.


The Gestapo lurked in hidden corners. Concentration camps were prepared for those considered superfluous or threatening. None felt safe under the heavy air of foreboding which hung over the land.

Soldiers left their homes to risk their lives in the air and on the front lines, combatting the treachery that seemed to grow with each passing day. And yet, it wasn’t enough. The Allies needed spies with stealth and an unassuming air. They needed women.

As the crush of Hitler’s boot trampled any visible signs of victory, female spies stepped up, taking on roles that would require every ounce of the strength and skill they possessed. Choosing to join the fight, these brave girls faced the same insurmountable odds as their brave male comrades in uniform.


Elegant Espionage offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of seven interesting and diverse women who stepped up and gave everything they had, some even down to their very lives. Buy now before the price changes!]]> 384 A. M. Kingston Larissa 0 to-read 4.39 Elegant Espionage: Women Spies Who Graced the Shadows of WW2- and Conquered Them
author: A. M. Kingston
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.39
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]]> <![CDATA[The Covenant Woman: Grow Your Faith in God’s Promises and Take What Belongs to You]]> 61424128
In a refreshingly honest voice, Shayla Gordon‘s prayer guide, The Covenant Woman, walks you through praying the promises of God. The five key steps help you

Step fully into the Christian covenant rights God has promised you.Grow your faith and improve your relationship with God.Identify and change self-sabotaging behaviors that block you from getting what you deserve.Understand the difference in following God’s will and asking for His direction.Forge a new path, so you can start living the life you’ve always dreamed of.By the end of The Covenant Woman, you will understand your authority and rights as given to you by God, learn how to ask for what you need and get your prayers answered, and step into the light and love of Christ.

There are no prayers too big for God to answer, you just need to know how to ask!]]> 110 Shayla Gordon Larissa 0 to-read 4.63 The Covenant Woman: Grow Your Faith in God’s Promises and Take What Belongs to You
author: Shayla Gordon
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.63
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]]> <![CDATA[What I Promise You (Echoes of the Past, #2)]]> 200354068 A Family’s History Is Lost to the Ravages of WWII in Southwest France

1942
Noémie Treves, a young, pregnant Jewish woman, had her entire world shattered when she is arrested and taken to the Camp de Rivesaltes transit camp in Southwest France. No sooner does she arrive, though, than she assists in helping two young girls scheduled for transport escape to a nearby maternity hospital. The matron there befriends her and changes her name to help hide her. But nothing goes according to plan, and Hannah finds herself doing the unimaginable to save one precious life.

2022
Caitlyn Laurant is haunted by recent events in her life and hopes becoming a nurse on the mission field will help her forget. While in training, she and her friends travel to France where her grandfather was born. What should have been an easy search for his birthplace turns into anything but and reveals secrets that no one alive has ever heard.

Don't miss the Echoes of the Past Series
Book 1 - What I Would Tell You]]> 354 Liz Tolsma 1636097782 Larissa 0 to-read 4.53 2024 What I Promise You (Echoes of the Past, #2)
author: Liz Tolsma
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Keep House While Drowning]]> 60139504 How to Keep House While Drowning will introduce you to six life-changing principles that will revolutionize the way you approach home care—without endless to-do lists. Presented in 31 daily thoughts, this compassionate guide will help you begin to get free of the shame and anxiety you feel over home care.

Inside you will learn:
· How to shift your perspective of care tasks from moral to functional;
· How to stop negative self-talk and shame around care tasks;
· How to give yourself permission to rest, even when things aren’t finished;
· How to motivate yourself to care for your space.]]> 151 K.C. Davis 166800285X Larissa 0 to-read 4.22 2022 How to Keep House While Drowning
author: K.C. Davis
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life]]> 53071025 Declutter your desk and brighten up your business with this transformative guide from an organizational psychologist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being.

There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters.

Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.]]> 244 Marie Kondō 0316423327 Larissa 0 to-read 3.47 2020 Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life
author: Marie Kondō
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones]]> 40121378 Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
-Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
-Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
- Design your environment to make success easier;
- Get back on track when you fall off course;
...and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.]]> 319 James Clear Larissa 0 to-read 4.34 2018 Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
author: James Clear
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It]]> 10865206 The first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.

After years of watching her students struggling with their choices, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., realized that much of what people believe about willpower is actually sabotaging their success. Committed to sharing what the scientific community already knew about self-control, McGonigal created a course called "The Science of Willpower" for Stanford University's Continuing Studies Program. The course was an instant hit and spawned the hugely successful Psychology Today blog with the same name.

Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonigal's book explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. Readers will learn:

Willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. People who have better control of their attention, emotions, and actions are healthier, happier, have more satisfying relationships, and make more money. Willpower is not an unlimited resource. Too much self-control can actually be bad for your health. Temptation and stress hijack the brain's systems of self-control, and that the brain can be trained for greater willpower.

In the groundbreaking tradition of Getting Things Done, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from a healthier life to more patient parenting, from greater productivity at work to finally finishing the basement.]]> 275 Kelly McGonigal 1583334386 Larissa 0 to-read 4.11 2011 The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It
author: Kelly McGonigal
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience]]> 58330567 Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.

Over the past two decades, Brown's extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown's singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice.

Brown shares, "I want this book to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves."]]> 301 Brené Brown 0399592555 Larissa 0 to-read 4.33 2021 Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
author: Brené Brown
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]]> 12609433
Marketers at Procter & Gamble study videos of people making their beds. They are desperately trying to figure out how to sell a new product called Febreze, on track to be one of the biggest flops in company history. Suddenly, one of them detects a nearly imperceptible pattern—and with a slight shift in advertising, Febreze goes on to earn a billion dollars a year.

An untested CEO takes over one of the largest companies in America. His first order of business is attacking a single pattern among his employees—how they approach worker safety—and soon the firm, Alcoa, becomes the top performer in the Dow Jones.

What do all these people have in common? They achieved success by focusing on the patterns that shape every aspect of our lives.

They succeeded by transforming habits.

In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Along the way we learn why some people and companies struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight. We visit laboratories where neuroscientists explore how habits work and where, exactly, they reside in our brains. We discover how the right habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and civil-rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr. We go inside Procter & Gamble, Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, and the nation’s largest hospitals and see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, life and death.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.

Habits aren’t destiny. As Charles Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.]]> 375 Charles Duhigg 1400069289 Larissa 0 to-read 4.13 2012 The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
author: Charles Duhigg
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle]]> 42397849
Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s world are two very different things—and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you “love your body� when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming “your best self�? How do you “lean in� at work when you’re already operating at 110 percent and aren’t recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you’re too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish?

Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we’re up against—and show us how to fight back. In these pages you’ll learn

� what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle—and return your body to a state of relaxation
� how to manage the “monitor� in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration
� how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies—and how to defend yourself against it
� why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering and preventing burnout

With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in these pages—and will be empowered to create positive change. Emily and Amelia aren’t here to preach the broad platitudes of expensive self-care or insist that we strive for the impossible goal of “having it all.� Instead, they tell us that we are enough, just as we are—and that wellness, true wellness, is within our reach.]]> 277 Emily Nagoski 198481706X Larissa 0 to-read 3.93 2019 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
author: Emily Nagoski
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing]]> 22318578 Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

]]> 213 Marie Kondō 1607747308 Larissa 0 to-read 3.88 2010 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
author: Marie Kondō
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy]]> 42771901 232 Jenny Odell 1612197493 Larissa 0 to-read 3.68 2019 How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
author: Jenny Odell
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> A Dance in Donegal 53911759
After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

Jennifer Deibel's debut novel delights the senses, bringing to life the sights, sounds, smells, and language of a lush country and a colorful people. Historical romance fans will embrace her with open arms.]]> 352 Jennifer Deibel 0800738411 Larissa 0 to-read 3.76 2021 A Dance in Donegal
author: Jennifer Deibel
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention� and How to Think Deeply Again]]> 57933306 Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening--and how to get our attention back.

In the United States, teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time, and office workers average only three minutes. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions--even abandoning his phone for three months--but nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention--and he discovered that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong.

We think our inability to focus is a personal failure to exert enough willpower over our devices. The truth is even more disturbing: our focus has been stolen by powerful external forces that have left us uniquely vulnerable to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. Hari found that there are twelve deep causes of this crisis, from the decline of mind-wandering to rising pollution, all of which have robbed some of our attention. In Stolen Focus, he introduces readers to Silicon Valley dissidents who learned to hack human attention, and veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD. He explores a favela in Rio de Janeiro where everyone lost their attention in a particularly surreal way, and an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore workers' productivity.

Crucially, Hari learned how we can reclaim our focus--as individuals, and as a society--if we are determined to fight for it. Stolen Focus will transform the debate about attention and finally show us how to get it back.]]> 357 Johann Hari 0593138511 Larissa 0 to-read 4.22 2022 Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again
author: Johann Hari
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
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]]> A Grief Observed 49221
Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."]]> 76 C.S. Lewis 0060652381 Larissa 0 to-read 4.18 1961 A Grief Observed
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1961
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Listen to the Wind (The Orphans of Tolosa #1)]]> 44791947 388 Susanne Dunlap 1942209584 Larissa 0 to-read 4.17 Listen to the Wind (The Orphans of Tolosa #1)
author: Susanne Dunlap
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.17
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]]> The Alice Network 32051912
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the "queen of spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.]]> 503 Kate Quinn 0062654195 Larissa 0 to-read 4.30 2017 The Alice Network
author: Kate Quinn
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> The Rose Code 53914938 The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter—the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger—and their true enemy...]]> 624 Kate Quinn 0062943472 Larissa 0 to-read 4.42 2021 The Rose Code
author: Kate Quinn
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2021
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]]> The Huntress 40245700 In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted�

Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.

Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.

Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.

In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.]]> 560 Kate Quinn Larissa 0 to-read 4.32 2019 The Huntress
author: Kate Quinn
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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]]> The Diamond Eye 58490567 The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kyiv, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC--until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.]]> 435 Kate Quinn 0062943510 Larissa 0 to-read 4.26 2022 The Diamond Eye
author: Kate Quinn
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> The Briar Club 181110045 A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?]]> 432 Kate Quinn 0063244748 Larissa 0 to-read 4.26 2024 The Briar Club
author: Kate Quinn
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)]]> 3236307
She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.]]> 471 Kristin Cashore 015206396X Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 4.07 2008 Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)
author: Kristin Cashore
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Noble Servant (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #3)]]> 30649389 She lost everything to the scheme of an evil servant. But she might just gain what she’s always wanted…if she makes it in time.

The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.

On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.

When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?]]> 336 Melanie Dickerson 0718026608 Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 3.98 2017 The Noble Servant (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #3)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #2)]]> 25891581 What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?]]> 320 Melanie Dickerson 0718026284 Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 4.18 2016 The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #2)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #1)]]> 22574726 A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.

A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.

Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around--and Odette Menkels spends her nights poaching his deer to feed the hungry orphans of Thornbeck. By day, Odette is a simple maiden who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?]]> 306 Melanie Dickerson 0718026241 Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 3.87 2015 The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (A Medieval Fairy Tale, #1)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Dangerous Engagement (The Regency Spies of London, #3)]]> 34902516
Government agent Philip McDowell is infiltrating a group of cutthroat revolutionaries led by none other than Lady Blackstone and Ratley. Their devious plot is to overthrow the monarchy, and their unwitting pawn is Felicity. Now Philip needs Felicity’s help in discovering the rebels� secrets—by asking her to maintain cover as Ratley’s innocent bride-to-be.

Philip is duty bound. Felicity is game. Together they’re risking their lives—and gambling their hearts—to undo a traitorous conspiracy before their dangerous masquerade is exposed.]]> 306 Melanie Dickerson 1503993639 Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 4.15 2017 A Dangerous Engagement (The Regency Spies of London, #3)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Viscount's Proposal (The Regency Spies of London, #2)]]> 31946174
Withinghall has his reasons for clinging to propriety; his father perished in a duel with his mistress's husband, and Edward must avoid scandal himself if he wants to become prime minister. He certainly has no time for a reckless hoyden like Miss Langdon. But soon the two discover that Withinghall's coach "accident" was no such the vehicle was sabotaged.

Can the culprit be brought to justice? Strong-willed Leorah and duty-driven Withinghall will have to work together if they have any hope of saving her reputation, his political career—and his life.]]> 290 Melanie Dickerson 1503993620 Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 4.17 2017 A Viscount's Proposal (The Regency Spies of London, #2)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Spy's Devotion (The Regency Spies of London, #1)]]> 26215628
At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?]]> 322 Melanie Dickerson 150395496X Larissa 0 to-read, charis-s-suggustions 3.99 2016 A Spy's Devotion (The Regency Spies of London, #1)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Doors of Stone (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #3)]]> 10394348 Patrick Rothfuss 1423389441 Larissa 0 to-read 3.76 Doors of Stone (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #3)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The Narrow Road Between Desires (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #0.6)]]> 157265081
From dawn to midnight over the course of a single day, follow the Kingkiller Chronicle's most charming fae as he schemes and sneaks, dancing into trouble and back out again with uncanny grace.

The Narrow Road Between Desires is Bast's story. In it he traces the old ways of making and breaking, following his heart even when doing so goes against his better judgement.

After all, what good is caution if it keeps him from danger and delight?]]> 240 Patrick Rothfuss 0756419182 Larissa 0 to-read 4.01 2023 The Narrow Road Between Desires (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #0.6)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)]]> 21535271
Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse of Auri’s life, a small adventure all her own. At once joyous and haunting, this story offers a chance to see the world through Auri’s eyes. And it gives the reader a chance to learn things that only Auri knows...

In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world.


AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

You might not want to buy this book.

I know, that’s not the sort of thing an author is supposed to say. The marketing people aren’t going to like this. My editor is going to have a fit. But I’d rather be honest with you right out of the gate.

First, if you haven’t read my other books, you don’t want to start here.

My first two books are The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear. If you’re curious to try my writing, start there. They’re the best introduction to my world. This book deals with Auri, one of the characters from that series. Without the context of those books, you’re probably going to feel pretty lost.

Second, even if you have read my other books, I think it’s only fair to warn you that this is a bit of a strange story. I don’t go in for spoilers, but suffice to say that this one is ... different. It doesn’t do a lot of the things a classic story is supposed to do. And if you’re looking for a continuation of Kvothe’s storyline, you’re not going to find it here.

On the other hand, if you’d like to learn more about Auri, this story has a lot to offer. If you love words and mysteries and secrets. If you’re curious about the Underthing and alchemy. If you want to know more about the hidden turnings of my world...

Well, then this book might be for you.

]]> 159 Patrick Rothfuss 0756410436 Larissa 0 to-read 3.88 2014 The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2.5)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)]]> 1215032 There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.�

My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of a hero told from his own point of view � a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man's Fear, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's Road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived ... until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

]]> 994 Patrick Rothfuss 0756404738 Larissa 0 to-read 4.55 2011 The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)]]> 186074
The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.]]> 662 Patrick Rothfuss 075640407X Larissa 0 to-read 4.52 2007 The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #3)]]> 15768409 There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.]]> 470 Michelle Hodkin 1442484233 Larissa 0 to-read 4.07 2014 The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #3)
author: Michelle Hodkin
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/05
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]]> <![CDATA[The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)]]> 13643567 “Can we become other than what we are?�

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly.

What will become of Mara Dyer next?]]> 545 Michelle Hodkin 1442421819 Larissa 0 to-read 4.20 2012 The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)
author: Michelle Hodkin
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)]]> 11408650
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been
through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.]]> 456 Michelle Hodkin 1442421789 Larissa 0 to-read 4.01 2011 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
author: Michelle Hodkin
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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]]> A Shadow in Moscow 63340978 A betrayal at the highest level risks the lives of two courageous female spies: MI6's best Soviet spy and the CIA's newest Moscow recruit. As the KGB closes in, a compromise must be struck if either woman hopes to survive.

Vienna, 1954

After losing everyone she loves in the final days of World War II, Ingrid Bauer agrees to a hasty marriage with a gentle Soviet embassy worker and follows him home to Moscow. But nothing deep within the Soviet Union's totalitarian regime is what it seems, including her new husband, whom Ingrid suspects works for the KGB. Upon her daughter's birth, Ingrid risks everything and reaches out in hope to the one country she understands and trusts--Britain, the country of her mother's birth--and starts passing along intelligence to MI6, navigating a world of secrets and lies, light and shadow.

Washington, DC, 1980

Part of the Foreign Studies Initiative, Anya Kadinova finishes her degree at Georgetown University and boards her flight home to Moscow, leaving behind the man she loves and a country she's grown to respect. Though raised by dedicated and loyal Soviet parents, Anya soon questions an increasingly oppressive and paranoid Soviet regime at the height of the Cold War. When the KGB murders her bestfriend, Anya picks sides and contacts the CIA. Working in a military research lab, Anya passes along Soviet military plans and schematics in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

Alternating points of view keep readers on their toes as the past catches up to the present when an unprecedented act of treachery in 1985 threatens all undercover agents operating within the Soviet Union, and both Ingrid and Anya find themselves in a race for their lives against time and the KGB.

The exciting story of two brave female spies in Cold War Moscow]]> 384 Katherine Reay 1400243033 Larissa 0 to-read 4.29 2023 A Shadow in Moscow
author: Katherine Reay
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Peasant's Dream (Hagenheim, #11)]]> 48841218 In this reverse reimagining of the Cinderella story, secrets and dangerous enemies threaten a fairy-tale romance.

Adela, daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, is rarely allowed outside the castle walls. But one day, longing for freedom, she sneaks away to the market disguised as a peasant. There, she meets a handsome young woodcarver named Frederick.

Frederick, a poor farmer, is the sole provider for his family, and he often has to defend his mother from his father’s drunken rages. He dreams of making a living carving beautiful images into wood, and he is thrilled when the Bishop of Hagenheim commissions him to carve new doors for the cathedral. As Frederick works on the project, he and Adela meet almost daily, and it doesn't take long for them to fall in love. Yet her true identity remains hidden from him.

When disaster separates them, Adela and Frederick find themselves caught in the midst of deceptions far more dangerous than innocent disguises. As the powerful lords set against them proceed with their villainous plans, secrets emerge that put Frederick and Adela's future at risk.]]> 311 Melanie Dickerson 0785228330 Larissa 4 3.98 2020 The Peasant's Dream (Hagenheim, #11)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom
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]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Braid (Hagenheim, #6)]]> 25290956 The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel's hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?]]> 308 Melanie Dickerson 0718026268 Larissa 0 to-read 4.07 2015 The Golden Braid (Hagenheim, #6)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/04
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]]> <![CDATA[The Princess Spy (Hagenheim, #5)]]> 21746534 A new suitor. A shocking discovery.

Margaretha has always been a romantic and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to the castle, claiming to be an English lord who was left for dead by Claybrook's men. She convinces herself "Lord Colin" is just an addled stranger, until Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy—not only does she tend to talk too much, she's sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. But she soon discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. She soon finds herself running for her life—and it may be up to her to save her father and her family from one man's wicked plot.]]> 293 Melanie Dickerson 0310730988 Larissa 0 to-read 4.01 2014 The Princess Spy (Hagenheim, #5)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Captive Maiden (Hagenheim, #4)]]> 17679368 Happily Ever After...Or Happily Nevermore?

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke's son, Valten—the boy she has daydreamed about for years—and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.]]> 302 Melanie Dickerson 0310724414 Larissa 0 to-read 4.04 2013 The Captive Maiden (Hagenheim, #4)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fairest Beauty (Hagenheim, #3)]]> 15700446 A daring rescue.
A difficult choice.

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.]]> 323 Melanie Dickerson 0310724392 Larissa 0 to-read 3.96 2013 The Fairest Beauty (Hagenheim, #3)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Warrior Maiden (Hagenheim, #9)]]> 40590283 She knows women are expected to marry, cook, and have children, not go to war. Can she manage to stay alive, save her mother, and keep the handsome son of a duke from discovering her secret?

When Mulan takes her father's place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother's, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan has little power in the world. If she can't prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.

Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke's son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways. From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets.

But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was created to be?

This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of heroes.]]> 314 Melanie Dickerson 0718074777 Larissa 4 3.95 2019 The Warrior Maiden (Hagenheim, #9)
author: Melanie Dickerson
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Veiled in Smoke (The Windy City Saga, #1)]]> 46125026
The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire--he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.

Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father's innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.]]> 416 Jocelyn Green 0764233300 Larissa 0 historical-romance, to-read 4.05 2020 Veiled in Smoke (The Windy City Saga, #1)
author: Jocelyn Green
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: historical-romance, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lady in Residence (Doors to the Past)]]> 56319562
Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

Young widow Hedda Krause checks into the Menger Hotel in 1915 with a trunk full of dresses, a case full of jewels, and enough cash to pay for a two-month stay, which she hopes will be long enough to meet, charm, and attach herself to a new, rich husband. Her plans are derailed when a ghostly apparition lures her into a long, dark hallway, and Hedda returns to her room to find her precious jewelry has been stolen. She falls immediately under a cloud of suspicion with her haunting tale, but true ghost enthusiasts bring her expensive pieces of jewelry in an attempt to lure the ghost to appear again.

In 2017, Dini Blackstone is a fifth-generation magician, who performs at private parties, but she also gives ghost walk tours, narrating the more tragic historical events of San Antonio with familial affection. Above all, her favorite is the tale of Hedda Krause who, in Dini’s estimation, succeeded in perpetrating the world’s longest con, dying old and wealthy from her ghost story. But then Dini meets Quinn Carmichael, great-great-grandson of the detective who originally investigated Hedda’s case, who’s come to the Alamo City with a box full of clues that might lead to Hedda’s exoneration. Can Dini see another side of the story that is worthy of God’s grace?]]> 239 Allison Pittman 1643527495 Larissa 0 to-read 3.98 2021 The Lady in Residence (Doors to the Past)
author: Allison Pittman
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Your Story Has a Villain: Identify Spiritual Warfare and Learn How to Defeat the Enemy]]> 210137100
There is an Enemy among us. You may know who he is, but you may not know what he is about. Do you know how he wages war? Do you know how he targets you specifically? He's the Villain who wants to change your story in the hopes you live isolated, powerless, discouraged, and defeated.

Satan has waged a war with the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and his sole desire is to keep you from God's goodness. He knows that he has been defeated by Jesus' death and resurrection, but until the final battle when he is cast into hell for eternity, he and his demons roam the earth like a roaring lion looking for anyone to devour. He is far more disruptive to our lives than we realize, and it's time to take action. In Your Story Has a Villain, bestselling author Jonathan "JP" Pokluda will help you:

Stand against the thief of life, who wants to take you out.
Understand the tactics the Enemy utilizes in your life.
Align yourself with God through prayer as you battle each day.
Rely on the truth and power of Scripture to counter the Enemy's lies and accusations.
Know that Jesus has already defeated Satan, so you can live victoriously.

Yes, your story has a villain, an unseen enemy disrupting your life more than you realize. But remember the hero, Jesus Christ, who came so that we may "have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). We know the grim, eternal outcome for Satan and his demons, but the battle still rages. Are you ready to fight back, find freedom from sin and toxic thinking, and walk in the abundant life available to you?]]> 224 Jonathan (JP) Pokluda 1400341175 Larissa 0 to-read 4.68 Your Story Has a Villain: Identify Spiritual Warfare and Learn How to Defeat the Enemy
author: Jonathan (JP) Pokluda
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.68
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Pharaoh's Daughter (Treasures of the Nile, #1)]]> 22570814 “Fear is the most fertile ground for faith.�


“You will be called Anippe, daughter of the Nile. Do you like it?� Without waiting for a reply, she pulls me into her squishy, round tummy for a hug.
I’m trying not to cry. Pharaoh’s daughters don’t cry.
When we make our way down the tiled hall, I try to stop at ummi Kiya’s chamber. I know her spirit has flown yet I long for one more moment. Amenia pushes me past so I keep walking and don’t look back.
Like the waters of the Nile, I will flow.

Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile.
When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.
As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?]]> 367 Mesu Andrews 1601425996 Larissa 0 to-read 4.28 2015 The Pharaoh's Daughter (Treasures of the Nile, #1)
author: Mesu Andrews
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Uglies (Uglies, #1) 24770
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever....]]> 425 Scott Westerfeld 0689865384 Larissa 0 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.85 2005 Uglies (Uglies, #1)
author: Scott Westerfeld
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)]]> 256683
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...]]> 485 Cassandra Clare 1416914285 Larissa 0 read-childhood-teenage-reads 4.08 2007 City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Calling on the Matchmaker (A Shanahan Match #1)]]> 89011586
A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning--and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.

Escape to 1849 St. Louis for a daring and romantic tale from the talented pen of bestselling author Jody Hedlund.]]> 352 Jody Hedlund 0764241966 Larissa 0 to-read 3.71 2023 Calling on the Matchmaker (A Shanahan Match #1)
author: Jody Hedlund
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Tidewater Bride 53911583
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.

Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they've been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?]]> 416 Laura Frantz 0800734963 Larissa 0 to-read 4.18 2021 Tidewater Bride
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Up from Dust: Martha's Story (Women of the Way, #1)]]> 184493681
Twelve years later, when her friend's husband contracts a severe disease, they send for the new rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. Martha recognizes the miraculous Healer from a story she heard many years ago, and the life-changing encounter reawakens Martha's hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

With impeccable research and a keen eye for detail, Heather Kaufman delivers a moving narrative of Martha's life in this hopeful story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.]]> 352 Heather Kaufman 1540903567 Larissa 0 to-read 4.44 2024 Up from Dust: Martha's Story (Women of the Way, #1)
author: Heather Kaufman
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Stranger from Across the Sea 205519671 A decade later, Violet meets an Irishman, Emmett Fitzroy, at a party in New York City and is swept into an intense romance that brings her back to Ireland. While there, she unearths the stunning answers to mysteries left unresolved when Indira vanished from her life.

Set in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, Stranger from Across the Sea explores place, displacement, and exile and the ways in which the personal and the political are inseparable. At its heart, this is a story about a passionate friendship between two singular young women, one that transcends the limits of time and distance.]]> 310 Regina McBride 1963101014 Larissa 0 to-read 4.14 Stranger from Across the Sea
author: Regina McBride
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Bound Heart 38899161
Laura Frantz's prose sparkles with authenticity as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in colonial America.]]> 406 Laura Frantz 0800726642 Larissa 5 4.09 2019 A Bound Heart
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:

]]> The Mark of the King 30259051
New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes, and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit?

With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace—and love—can overcome the stigma of the king's mark upon her shoulder.]]> 408 Jocelyn Green 0764219065 Larissa 5 4.17 2017 The Mark of the King
author: Jocelyn Green
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:

]]> The Rose and the Thistle 61137156
No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with the clothes on her back and her mistress in tow. He has his own problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction in the wake of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies--and those who pretend friendship may be enemies.]]> 416 Laura Frantz 080074067X Larissa 5
The Rose and the Thistle was so beautifully written with such a mesmerizing story! I became undone when I finished the last page of it. I loved every part of it so much, but I didn’t want to let it go! I messaged my sister immediately complaining in complete frustration that I now have to “get over� this book and the people in it. I was so sad that it was over, though I spent the whole time reading it not being able to wait to see how it all came together at the end! At least now I can fetch another one of Laura’s incredible works of art and get to know more beautiful characters and discover another captivating story. She is an author that can be trusted and expected to create excellence with every new release and I am excited to read each and every new release of hers as I was with The Rose and the Thistle.

Thank you Laura for your amazing attention to detail and your obvious love and devotion to your true passion of writing!]]> 4.13 2023 The Rose and the Thistle
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/05
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:
Laura Frantz! She has done it again! I cannot even explain the incredible genius Laura is with the way she creates fascinatingly real characters with such beautiful and outstanding, intricate and alluring stories. With every book of hers I read I become even more in love with reading and with the historical novel genre.

The Rose and the Thistle was so beautifully written with such a mesmerizing story! I became undone when I finished the last page of it. I loved every part of it so much, but I didn’t want to let it go! I messaged my sister immediately complaining in complete frustration that I now have to “get over� this book and the people in it. I was so sad that it was over, though I spent the whole time reading it not being able to wait to see how it all came together at the end! At least now I can fetch another one of Laura’s incredible works of art and get to know more beautiful characters and discover another captivating story. She is an author that can be trusted and expected to create excellence with every new release and I am excited to read each and every new release of hers as I was with The Rose and the Thistle.

Thank you Laura for your amazing attention to detail and your obvious love and devotion to your true passion of writing!
]]> Pearl in the Sand 8089607 Can a Canaanite harlot who made her living enticing men be a fitting wife for a leader of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes.

This 10th anniversary edition of Pearl in the Sand includes new features that will invite you into the untold story of Rahab’s journey from lowly outcast to redeemed child of God. Rahab’s home is built into a wall, a wall that fortifies and protects the City of Jericho. However, other walls surround her too, walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness� Years of pain and betrayal have wounded Rahab’s heart—she doubts whether her dreams of experiencing true love will ever come true�

A woman with a wrecked past—a man of success, of faith... of pride. A marriage only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another’s worth and find healing in God.]]> 320 Tessa Afshar 0802458815 Larissa 5 4.28 2010 Pearl in the Sand
author: Tessa Afshar
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/16
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:
This book was so well written and is stunningly beautiful! It had me on the verge of tears multiple times and I cannot believe the outstanding attention to detail. What a beautiful idea for a book and how incredibly well executed it was. So many times I found myself shouting in agreement or excitement! I would recommend this book and re-read it over and over.
]]> <![CDATA[Daisies Are Forever (Women of Courage #2)]]> 18764196
Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."

Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.]]> 352 Liz Tolsma 1401689124 Larissa 5 3.79 2014 Daisies Are Forever (Women of Courage #2)
author: Liz Tolsma
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:

]]> <![CDATA[[(In the Shadow of the Lamp )] [Author: Susanne Dunlap] [Jul-2012]]]> 168504365 0 Susanne Dunlap Larissa 5 5.00 2011 [(In the Shadow of the Lamp )] [Author: Susanne Dunlap] [Jul-2012]
author: Susanne Dunlap
name: Larissa
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2017/10/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-historical-romance-fiction, couldn-t-put-down
review:

]]> Survive 12926806 Hatchet meets Lost in this modern-day adventure tale of one girl's reawakening

Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.]]> 259 Alex Morel 1595145109 Larissa 5 3.69 2012 Survive
author: Alex Morel
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2012/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction, couldn-t-put-down
review:

]]> Dear Henry, Love Edith 61357120
Henry Hobbes isn't exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he'd do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes--short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.

By the time Henry realizes his mistake--that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town--their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure date rapidly approaching, and Henry's roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.]]> 373 Becca Kinzer 149646608X Larissa 5
(Very slight potential spoiling ahead) Henry and Edith’s love story was so well written and so believable that I couldn’t help but dream alongside them. It was almost like I was sitting with a friend in person hearing them recount the exciting tails of every encounter and crazy mishap day by day! From the crazy and quirky yet family like towns folk to the cozy couch conversations about dreams and future; I believed it all and could feel it all. And it was so funny! The humor and the references in this story are so well done! I loved the touch of Paul Newman and Goldie Hawn and so many other humorous scenes cleverly added in. For example, the $0.12 scene. I laughed so much through all of it.

I could go on and on with this review because I loved the book so much and everything ties in so well, but I’ll just end it by saying, you’ll have to read this masterpiece for yourself to truly get it. Enjoy the read!]]> 3.60 2023 Dear Henry, Love Edith
author: Becca Kinzer
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/12
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-christian-fic, absolute-favorites, couldn-t-put-down
review:
I loved this book so much!!! It was so hard to put down and I cannot wait to read Becca’s other books! “Dear Henry, Love Edith� will definitely be one of my re-reads. Like the favorite family go to movie that is always watched, this book will never stay on my bookshelf too long before I pick it up again for another read! I love the story line, and I LOVE that it all starts with a simple note turned into so many beautiful letters!

(Very slight potential spoiling ahead) Henry and Edith’s love story was so well written and so believable that I couldn’t help but dream alongside them. It was almost like I was sitting with a friend in person hearing them recount the exciting tails of every encounter and crazy mishap day by day! From the crazy and quirky yet family like towns folk to the cozy couch conversations about dreams and future; I believed it all and could feel it all. And it was so funny! The humor and the references in this story are so well done! I loved the touch of Paul Newman and Goldie Hawn and so many other humorous scenes cleverly added in. For example, the $0.12 scene. I laughed so much through all of it.

I could go on and on with this review because I loved the book so much and everything ties in so well, but I’ll just end it by saying, you’ll have to read this masterpiece for yourself to truly get it. Enjoy the read!
]]> An Uncommon Woman 46125021
Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.

Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand--and heart--are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.

Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.]]> 384 Laura Frantz 0800734955 Larissa 5 3.87 2020 An Uncommon Woman
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom, absolute-favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Accidental Guardian (High Sierra Sweethearts, #1)]]> 35086271 She's the only witness to a wagon train attack. Keeping her safe, though, means his world is about to be turned upside down.

When Trace Riley finds the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train, he recognizes an attack by the same group who left him as sole survivor years ago. Living off the wilderness since then, he's finally carved out a home and started a herd--while serving as a self-appointed guardian of the trail. He'd hoped the days of driving off dangerous men were over, but the latest attack shows otherwise.

Deborah Harkness saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack, and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace becomes an accidental guardian when he offers the only shelter for miles around and agrees to take them in until they can safely continue their journey. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women in the picture and their arrival is unsettling--yet enticing.

Trace and Deborah find themselves drawing ever closer as they work together to bring justice to the trail and help the group survive the winter--but every day closer to spring means a day closer to leaving the mountains forever.]]> 293 Mary Connealy 0764219294 Larissa 1 dnf-dct, dnf, worst-book-ever 3.73 2018 The Accidental Guardian (High Sierra Sweethearts, #1)
author: Mary Connealy
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf-dct, dnf, worst-book-ever
review:

]]> <![CDATA[New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2)]]> 49041 There is an alternate cover edition for ISBN13 9780316160193 here.

I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect - not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.

I FELT LIKE I WAS TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE TERRIFYING NIGHTMARES, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough.... But this was no dream, and, unlike the nightmare, I wasn't running for my life; I was racing to save something infinitely more precious. My own life meant little to me today.

FOR BELLA SWAN THERE IS ONE THING more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella could ever have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning....

LEGIONS OF READERS ENTRANCED BY THE New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bell and Edward. In New Moon, Stephanie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.]]> 563 Stephenie Meyer 0316160199 Larissa 0 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.61 2006 New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at: 2008/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3)]]> 428263 "BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us.

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

READERS CAPTIVATED BY Twilight AND New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga.]]> 629 Stephenie Meyer 0316160202 Larissa 0 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.73 2007 Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at: 2008/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Larissa 0 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.66 2005 Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at: 2008/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)]]> 8705784 Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen�

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.� Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin� hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…]]> 398 C.C. Hunter 0312624670 Larissa 0 read-contemporary-ish-fiction 4.11 2011 Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)
author: C.C. Hunter
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction
review:

]]> The Case for Christ 73186 367 Lee Strobel 0310226058 Larissa 5 dnf-but-want-to-my-fault 4.22 1998 The Case for Christ
author: Lee Strobel
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf-but-want-to-my-fault
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking]]> 8520610 The book that started the Quiet Revolution

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content.]]> 333 Susan Cain 0307352145 Larissa 0 dnf-dct 4.07 2012 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
author: Susan Cain
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf-dct
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Double Take (Lake City Heroes, #1)]]> 182093503
Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.

Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who, exactly, is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.

USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason will leave you breathless with this fast-paced first book in a brand-new series.]]> 320 Lynette Eason 0800741196 Larissa 2 dnf-dct 4.07 2024 Double Take (Lake City Heroes, #1)
author: Lynette Eason
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: dnf-dct
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cowboy's Twins (Cowboy Country, #4)]]> 27311379 A Surprise Dad

Rancher Jax McKenna's gotten used to being on his own. Then surprise twin babies--daughters he never knew existed--arrive on his doorstep, and his world goes topsy-turvy. Strong, silent Jax has a way with horses. Not little girls! So when Texas newcomer Faith Duggan steps up to help, he's overwhelmed with gratitude. Faith's following her dream of buying a mustang rescue sanctuary. And she needs Jax, too. But after a tragic accident changed his life forever, Jax isn't used to letting anyone in. Could Faith be the exception...and the partner he's always searched for?]]> 219 Deb Kastner 1488007217 Larissa 4 4.12 2016 The Cowboy's Twins (Cowboy Country, #4)
author: Deb Kastner
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-romance-fic
review:

]]> The Empty Mirror 402626
Nick first realizes something is wrong when he notices he no longer has a reflection. Then a neighbor he has known all his life accuses him of ignoring her. Soon Nick is blamed for all kinds of trouble around town. Is some other boy who looks like Nick creating all the problems?

Nick suspects that something even stranger is going on. Ultimately he proves that someone else is trying to get him in trouble. Refusing to let this shadow of a boy take over his life, Nick develops a plan with his friend Gypsy to get rid of his mirror image for good.

Award-winning author James Lincoln Collier has written a haunting story of two boys-one alive, one a ghost-who confront each other and their small town in a battle to determine who is the more deserving of the one life they seem to share.]]> 192 James Lincoln Collier 1582349045 Larissa 4 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.56 2004 The Empty Mirror
author: James Lincoln Collier
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2011/10/23
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> Double Identity 155370
As Bethany approaches her thirteenth birthday, her parents act more oddly than usual. Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines -- and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's worried her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out because they won't tell her where they are going.

Bethany's only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her "She doesn't know anything about Elizabeth." But Aunt Myrlie won't tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won't explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they've seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four different states, with four different last names -- and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes the's not the only one who's desperate to unravel the secrets of her past.]]> 218 Margaret Peterson Haddix 0689873794 Larissa 4 read-childhood-teenage-reads 4.02 2005 Double Identity
author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> Pod 7670154 192 Stephen Wallenfels 1608980103 Larissa 3 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.56 2009 Pod
author: Stephen Wallenfels
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> Glow (Sky Chasers, #1) 10174795 One of School Library Journal’s Best Fiction Books of 2011

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers ofNew Earth.Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable � a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

Pulse-pounding and addictive,Glow begins Amy Kathleen Ryan's Sky Chasers--the most riveting series since The Hunger Games.]]> 307 Amy Kathleen Ryan 0312590563 Larissa 5 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.53 2011 Glow (Sky Chasers, #1)
author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> Spark (Sky Chasers, #2) 12882328
In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts� every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...]]> 309 Amy Kathleen Ryan 0312621353 Larissa 5 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.91 2012 Spark (Sky Chasers, #2)
author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Girl Named Digit (Digit, #1)]]> 12561863 enjoy her senior year.But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor,unknowingly cracks a terroristgroup's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . . .]]> 187 Annabel Monaghan 054766852X Larissa 5 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.84 2012 A Girl Named Digit (Digit, #1)
author: Annabel Monaghan
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> Double Digit (Digit, #2) 15742484
To say eighteen-year-old Farrah Higgins—or Digit—is good at math is a laughable understatement. She’s been cracking codes since childhood, and is finally at home with “her people� at MIT in Cambridge. Her talents are so off the charts that her laptop is under surveillance by both the CIA and an ecoterrorist named Jonas Furnis. So when she thoughtlessly hacks into the Department of Defense’s database, she lands in serious hot water inside and outside the law. Readers will be sad to turn the last page of this suspenseful, sassy, super smart thriller, the sequel to A Girl Named Digit.]]> Annabel Monaghan Larissa 5 read-childhood-teenage-reads 3.84 2014 Double Digit (Digit, #2)
author: Annabel Monaghan
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-childhood-teenage-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Katie (Clover Springs Mail Order Brides, #1)]]> 29279371
Daniel Sullivan is in need of a wife if he wants the bank to lend him money for his new business. Too bad the only girl he's interested in - one he met during a train robbery - is already taken.
Katie is determined to honour her promise to marry her fiancé despite losing her heart to Daniel.]]> 183 Rachel Wesson Larissa 0 4.25 2016 Katie (Clover Springs Mail Order Brides, #1)
author: Rachel Wesson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom
review:

]]> The Giver (The Giver, #1) 3636 208 Lois Lowry 0385732554 Larissa 5 read-semi-futuristic-fiction 4.12 1993 The Giver (The Giver, #1)
author: Lois Lowry
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2010/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-semi-futuristic-fiction
review:

]]> The Magnolia Story 35493272 This eBook includes the full text of the book plus an exclusive additional chapter from Chip and Joanna that is not found in the hardcover!

Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people?What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.

In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover:

-The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby
-Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children
-When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck
-Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home
-Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple
-Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding
-The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do
-The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? “Oh yeah,� says Joanna. “He was, and still is, my first fixer upper.”]]> 191 Chip Gaines Larissa 5 read-non-fiction 4.40 2016 The Magnolia Story
author: Chip Gaines
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Time to Remember (Blessings in Disguise Series #3) (Love Inspired #256)]]> 2040059
An accident took away

Grayson McGonigle's wife and son, or so everyone in Blessing believed -- except Gray, who prayed daily for a miracle. Then, five months after their car plunged into the Colorado River,

Marissa and young Cody reappear in town, traumatized and unable to speak about their harrowing ordeal.

Though Marissa's amnesia blocks out everything, including the rancher who claims to be her husband, emotions stir when they are together. And as mysterious incidents threaten them,

Marissa, Gray and Cody reconnect as a family. Can Gray help to regain her memories of their happy married life...and build upon a love she could never truly forget?]]> 256 Lois Richer 0373872666 Larissa 5 read-contemporary-ish-fiction 3.89 2004 A Time to Remember (Blessings in Disguise Series #3) (Love Inspired #256)
author: Lois Richer
name: Larissa
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love Comes Softly (Love Comes Softly, #1)]]> 65497
But just after they'd arrived and Clem had chosen the perfect setting for their new home, an accident took his life...leaving Marty alone and pregnant. Then, on the day of his funeral, Clark Davis came along...and asked Marty to marry him!

Marty was infuriated -- but with no money, no shelter, and a baby on the way, what choice did she have? Besides, Clark said he only wanted her to be a mama to his baby girl, Missie. If Marty was still unhappy come spring, he would pay for her ticket back East.

Determined not to be a burden to Clark, and intending only to earn her keep. Marty threw herself into her new role of "Mama." But she had never been anyone's mama before, and she didn't even know how to keep a house! If only she could do right by this lonely man and his daughter just long enough to earn her train fare back home...

Now, Marty must learn wholeness and love through patience and faith]]> 188 Janette Oke Larissa 5 4.24 1979 Love Comes Softly (Love Comes Softly, #1)
author: Janette Oke
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1979
rating: 5
read at: 2018/01/01
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-historical-romance-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Larissa 0 read-contemporary-ish-fiction 4.57 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Larissa 0 read-contemporary-ish-fiction 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 42844155 An alternative cover for this ASIN can be found here

"Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'."

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!]]> 333 J.K. Rowling Larissa 0 read-contemporary-ish-fiction 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-ish-fiction
review:

]]> If I Live (If I Run, #3) 35481814 The hunt has turned deadly.

In the thrilling conclusion to the If I Run Series, Casey and Dylan must expose the real killer before they both end up dead.

Casey is still on the run for a murder she didn't commit, and she's running out of places to hide, and her face is all over the news. It's only a matter of time.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once sought her arrest, is now her only hope. As they work together will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

Join Terri Blackstock on one more heart-stopping chase in the sensational conclusion to the If I Run series. Plus, look for additional inspirational fiction series from New York Times bestselling author Terri


Cape Refuge
Newpointe 911
The Sun Coast Chronicles
The Restoration Series]]> 352 Terri Blackstock 0310332575 Larissa 4 4.37 2016 If I Live (If I Run, #3)
author: Terri Blackstock
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/28
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-christian-fic
review:

]]> If I'm Found (If I Run, #2) 30649227 Is Dylan hunting Casey to prosecute her or protect her?


Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts—her most relentless pursuer—is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist that he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily.


As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormenters. But doing so is risky and just may result in her capture—and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail.


In this riveting sequel to the USA Today bestseller If I Run, evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows . . . but there is light shining in the darkness. Is Dylan a provision from the God who loves her, or another heartache yet to happen?]]> 384 Terri Blackstock 0310332486 Larissa 4 4.27 2016 If I'm Found (If I Run, #2)
author: Terri Blackstock
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-christian-fic
review:

]]> If I Run (If I Run, #1) 26263487 Casey knows the truth.

But it won’t set her free.

Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.

But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?

Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet.]]> 305 Terri Blackstock 0310332435 Larissa 4 4.07 2016 If I Run (If I Run, #1)
author: Terri Blackstock
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-contemporary-christian-fic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Esther: Royal Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #1)]]> 22504506 A Bible story brought to life! After she is forcibly taken to the palace of the king, a beautiful young Jewish woman, known to the Persians as Esther, wins a queen's crown and then must risk everything in order to save her people . . . and bind her husband's heart...

An ambitious tyrant threatens genocide against the Jews in ancient Persia, so an inexperienced beautiful young queen must take a stand for her people.

When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler. After months of preparation, the girl known to the Persians as Esther wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all Jews--young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violating an ancient Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her husband's heart.

Esther marks bestselling author Angela Hunt's return to biblical fiction. In each novel she explores an example of a Hebrew Old Testament tob woman: a woman whose physical beauty influences those around her--and can change the course of history.]]> 352 Angela Elwell Hunt 0764216953 Larissa 4 4.09 2014 Esther: Royal Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #1)
author: Angela Elwell Hunt
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: read-christian-historical-fic-rom
review:

]]> Kinfolk: A Novel 126550084 Sometimes it’s the most unlikely meetings that give us life’s greatest gifts.

1970s, Southern Alabama. Sixty-two-year-old Jeremiah Lewis Taylor, or “Nub,� has spent his whole life listening to those he loves tell him he’s no good—first his ex-wife, now his always-disapproving daughter. Sure, his escapades have made him, along with his cousin and perennial sidekick, Benny, just a smidge too familiar with small-town law enforcement, but he’s never harmed anyone—except perhaps himself.

Nub never meant to change his ways, but when he and fifteen-year-old Waffle House waitress Minnie form an unlikely friendship, he realizes for the first time that there may be some good in him after all. Six-foot-five Minnie has been dealt a full deck of bad luck—her father is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence, her mother is dead and buried, and she has a Grand Ole Opry–worthy singing voice with no place to perform. Oh, and there’s the small fact that she’s unexpectedly pregnant, courtesy of a no-good high-school boy.

Gradually, Nub realizes the gift he’s been a second chance to make a difference.

Beloved Southern writer Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South, once again brings people and places to life in this lyrical song-turned-story about found family, second chances, country music, and the poignant power of love and forgiveness.

Heartwarming Southern fiction from Sean of the SouthStand-alone novelIncludes discussion questions for book clubsAlso by Sean The Incredible Winston Browne,Stars of Alabama, andYou Are My Sunshine]]> 398 Sean Dietrich 1400235642 Larissa 0 to-read 4.63 Kinfolk: A Novel
author: Sean Dietrich
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.63
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> A Matter of Honor 214385172 206 Laura Frantz 1962845109 Larissa 0 to-read 4.51 A Matter of Honor
author: Laura Frantz
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.51
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]]> <![CDATA[The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society]]> 39832183 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE ON NETFLIX - A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb...

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.]]> 291 Mary Ann Shaffer 1984801813 Larissa 0 to-read 4.27 2008 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
author: Mary Ann Shaffer
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2008
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]]> <![CDATA[Christmas in Clover Springs (Clover Springs Mail Order Brides, #8)]]> 34001368
Aaron Higgins thought he was happy until all his friends, his brother and now Little Beaver, too, were married and having children. He wrote to Mrs. Gantley, asking for a bride.

Miss Carstairs ends up in Clover Springs, offending everyone—most of all, Aaron. He wants to put her on the next train out of town. Or does he?
]]> 188 Rachel Wesson Larissa 0 to-read 4.56 2017 Christmas in Clover Springs (Clover Springs Mail Order Brides, #8)
author: Rachel Wesson
name: Larissa
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2017
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date added: 2025/02/22
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