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6/11/2021 0 Comments My Top 5 nancy drew book picks Partly because I’m crazy, and partly because it sounded like fun, I decided to read through the entire 56-book Nancy Drew series a few months ago. At this point, I’ve read all but four of the books, and have decided to share my top-five Nancy Drew book picks with you. Are you ready? These books are all complex, have great side plots, have more creative problems than a typical Nancy Drew and set the tone masterfully (are dark + suspenseful, or lighthearted + engaging). You can't go wrong picking up any of these five titles!  Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com The Clue of the Tapping Heels  Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com The Ghost of Blackwood Hall  Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com The Whispering Statue  Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com The Haunted Bridge  Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com The Secret of the Wooden Lady What are your favorite Nancy Drew Books? Love, Abbie
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4/23/2021 0 Comments Three TImes Lucky Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com Join 11-year-old detective Mo as she and her sidekick Dale solve mysteries in Tupelo Landing, population 148. This 4-book series has got it all - flawlessly fun characters, can’t-put-down writing and intricate mysteries, all told with loads of humor and personality. It reminds me a lot of The Secret Series and Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave!
Mo was adopted by the Colonel and Miss Lana after narrowly surviving a hurricane that separated her and her mother when she was two. Now, she helps at the cafe her adopted parents own, and she’s also got a knack for solving mysteries (and being where she is not wanted). Throughout the series, Mo & Dale solve mysteries ranging from murder to ghosts, but all of the mysteries are a bit more lighthearted than other books, which I appreciate. Two additional things that I love about this series are 1: the characters and 2: the writing. The characters are fantastic - they all have super creative and fun personalities that you won’t want to miss! Plus, the writing is spot on. The author has a suspenseful yet really lighthearted writing voice that draws the reader in. Check this series out if you love mysteries or just plain good books! I’ll meet you at the Tupelo Landing cafe! - Abbie 4/12/2021 0 Comments The Clue of the tapping heels Image courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com Today’s book is short, suspenseful and sometimes just a little bit scary (in a good way). The Clue of the Tapping Heels is one of the best Nancy Drew mysteries I’ve read so far, because the plot is intricate (read: interesting but very tricky to solve!) and Nancy is almost constantly in danger, which keeps you on edge.
A nurse friend of Hannah Gruen, who is the Drew’s housekeeper, keeps hearing tapping noises at night while caring for and living with a patient. Nancy, her friends Bess and George, and Hannah head to the house to investigate. They discover that not only are there strange tapping sounds in the house, but several of the homeowner’s prized Persian cats have been stolen from the garage! As Nancy investigates further, the mystery begins creeping into her personal life - first she’s followed home and to social commitments, then several attempts are made on her life. Meanwhile, secret rooms and very recently-used hidden passageways are discovered in the house, and the neighbors are acting suspicious. Will Nancy, Bess and George catch the mysterious tapper - and the cat thief - before they are placed in greater danger? Find out all the answers in The Clue of the Tapping Heels! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. - Abbie  Image courtesy of barnesandnoble.com I think you’ve probably figured out that A and I LOVE historical fiction. We kinda tend to review those more than any other genre. So, I was a little skeptical when I picked up Tournament At Gorlan. The only reason I picked it up is because I was participating in a reading program and I needed to read a somewhat new teen book to complete a requirement. This book had been recommended for me so I gave it a try.
I really enjoyed it!!!!! As I testimony to how much, I recently picked up the next 2 books in the series! It’s the perfect fantasy novel for a historical fiction geek. It has a great balance of humor and action. Still not convinced? Try reading this overview of the plot. Meet Crowley and Halt. Crowley is one of the King’s Rangers, or should a say was? Halt is his best friend and shoots a bow just as good as any Ranger in the country. Together they are trying to gather together the Ranger group and stop Moragath, the king’s evil assistant who is out to take over the kingdom. -B 2/5/2021 0 Comments Book COmparisonsIt always happens to me. You know, where you read an absolutely phenomenal book, fall head-over-heels in love with the writing style, genre, time period...and can’t find another book like it. Know the feeling? Well, I came up with a solution (kinda, it won’t work for every book. I’m not that good!). Today, I’ll be giving you some of my favorite “book comparison sets.” Essentially, look through these sets of books/series. If you’ve really enjoyed one of the books in that set, make sure to check out the other book(s) in that set too! My system was rather arbitrary, but the books in each set are ones that I’ve enjoyed and that I thought had comparable plots, characters, writing styles, genres, etc. ;)        Which of these books will you be reading first?
Love, A 1/22/2021 0 Comments listening for Lions Image courtesy of harpercollins.com I mean, isn’t the title alone enough to make you read this book?!
Listening for Lions is perfect for fans of historical fiction. If you enjoy books by Linda Sue Park or Elizabeth George Speare, give it a read! I’d like to introduce you to Rachel Sheridan, a sweet, curious tween gal living in Africa with her missionary parents. Her parents run a medical center in a remote African village, but their lives are at risk when the influenza pandemic reaches their sheltered town. Ok, so let’s skip the sad details, but a few chapters in, Rachel is now an orphan living alone in an influenza-wracked village. Moving on. The richest couple in the town takes her under their wing, but they force Rachel to pretend that she is their daughter, to hide the fact that their daughter just passed away. They force Rachel to travel to England alone and live with the grandfather of their deceased daughter. It’s all a ploy to allow the couple to get back into the man’s good graces (and his large will). Along the way, Rachel tries to run away as well to reveal the truth to the elderly and ill grandfather, but she can’t bring herself to. Does she...love him? The story winds up beautifully, but even as Rachel grows to love England, she longs for Africa. Will she ever return? Have fun reading Listening for Lions! It can be sad at times, but definitely not unbearable, and is a great for the historical fiction lover. It’s full to the brim with beautiful descriptions of African life and nature, as well as great stories of determination, following dreams and adapting. ️ Lots of love from, A 1/15/2021 0 Comments Book goals for 2021 Happy New Year!!!! 2020 is finally over and a new year means a fresh start. Last week, A talked to you about how to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend doing so! A gives some great tips that are very practical.
Speaking of resolutions, I have a couple myself! Both of which involves reading. The first is to read my Bible more, the second is to read a book a month. The second is what I am going to be talking about today. My goal is to read a book a month that has 200 pages or more. If I finish a book in less than 2 weeks I will try to read 2 that month. I am officially starting it next month (February) because this month I am winding down from the holidays. That means that by the end of the year I will have read AT LEAST 2,200 pages! I will be using A’s guide to stick to my goal, but another way that I like to use to stick to my goals is by having an accountability partner. One works fine, but I thought “What if I had a lot of accountability partners?” That’s why I posted my resolution on here. I want you to help me stick to my goal by doing it with me! At the end of each month I will post what book(s) I read and you can put in the comments what you have read. Feel free to email me at ab@faithfunandfridays.com anytime to tell me how your doing or ask for ideas of what to read next. I would love to personally respond to you! -B 1/7/2021 0 Comments 4 Devotionals for a new yearWhat better time to start a new routine with God than at the beginning of January? Today, I’ll be sharing four of my very favorite, easy-to-use devo books for tween and teen girls. I’ve also included a rough age recommendation, though these these books are ideal for a variety of ages!  Image courtesy of Faithgirlz.com Fearless Faith Best for: 9-12 Year Old Girls Perfect for the busy girl, this is a compact, 100-day devotional to increase your faith and courage. Each day includes a Bible verse, a short lesson, a 1-sentence summary and a journaling prompt. Each week also includes a fun craft or activity that relates to what you are learning. It’s a great way to get into a new routine of spending time with God!  Image courtesy of Lynncowell.com Brave Beauty Best for: 9-13 Year Old Girls This encouraging devotional is the perfect resource to help you gain confidence in the way God made you! It contains 100 easy devos in a gorgeous hardcover book. Each day’s lesson includes a short prayer, quiz, journaling prompt or activity. It’s one of my very favorites!  Image courtesy of christianbook.com Be-Tween You & God Best for: 10-14 Year Old Girls I’ve used this 365-day devotional for several years now! It’s unique because each day opens with a question that you might ask God about life, and in the body of the devo, the author helps answer it and offers a relevant Bible verse. It’s very fun and relatable!  Image courtesy of barnesandnoble.com Live in Light Best for: 12-15 Year Old Girls This daily devotional book is perfect for the older tween or young teen girl who wants a quick but slightly deeper read! It contains around 100 devotions that discuss issues you care about, like friend and family trouble, anxiety and school. Plus, it is a super cute little book! With love, A! 12/18/2020 0 Comments A Christmas Carol Image courtesy of Barnesandnoble.com I imagine that you have heard of A Christmas Carol. You have probably seen the many takes on the classic story that are released every Christmas. But have you ever READ the original story? It’s an easy to read tale with a timeless feel.
A Christmas Carol was written 177 years ago and is amazingly popular. The character of Ebenizer Scrooge has been made famous by movies and books for all ages. Since A Christmas Carol is so old, it’s no longer copyrighted, anyone can read it online for free! Be sure to look for the one written by Charles Dickens and not a remake. -B 12/11/2020 0 Comments Number the stars Image courtesy of Scholastic.com Your name is Annemarie and you live in Copenhagen in 1943 (during World World II). Your best friend, neighbor and confident is Ellen Rosen. Even when there are food rations, soldiers living in town and people being relocated against their will, your friendship is still strong. But, as the war and the Nazis come closer to home, Ellen and her Jewish family are threatened. What would you do if you were Annemarie?
Step into Annemarie and Ellen’s world in this realistic, short book. It gives an accurate account of some of the Holocaust, but it’s a bit lighter than other similar books that I’ve read, making it appropriate for most tweens. I found it interesting to read about life for Jewish families trying to stay safe and for those who helped them (plus, they used some cool techniques to escape detection - such as having a fake funeral or posing as sisters)! After so many near-misses and several precarious situations, will Annemarie and Ellen survive? And will Annemarie work up the courage to do what it takes to keep her friend family safe? Find out in the riveting book Number the Stars. Love, A |
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