Miranda Atchley's Blog, page 22

Review: Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert

Miranda Warningby Heather Day Gilbert
Tess Spencer has had a special place in her heart for Miranda Michaels for some time. The sixty-something woman, whom Tess calls the Grande Dame, was there for her when it seemed as though no one else was. So when Miranda receives an anonymous letter at her apartment in an assisted living facility written in her late friend’s hand, Tess is worried. She begins to investigate Rose’s death, which took place forty years ago. At the time, most thought it to be a suicide, though Tess soon comes to believe that this is false. All signs point toward Rose’s husband Paul, whom has his sight set on Miranda, causing Tess further worry. Despite her family’s warnings, Tess becomes involved in the case to protect her friend. Mystery and intrigue abound as Tess works to uncover the truth about a death decades past.
You can tell that a true southerner wrote this novel. It represents modern day life in a small southern town rather than the idyllic version often portrayed in literature and movies. The mystery in the story truly kept me guessing. I was continually wondering what would happen next and was surprised by the outcome of many events. The ending really threw me for a loop, but it made sense after I gave it some thought. There’s a touch of paranormal as well as psychological thriller and a look into the past. It sounds like a lot, but it ties together pretty well.
There were a few things here and there that I didn’t particularly care for, but since they weren’t major parts of the story, I was able to overlook them and still like the story.
All in all, I found Miranda Warning to be a good mystery. I would recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries and those that enjoy small town settings.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Fanny Price is the quintessential “poor cousin.” Her family consists of many siblings, and when her mother and father find themselves unable to care for all of them, they send Fanny to live with her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Mrs. Norris at Mansfield Park. Living in the grand home is an adjustment for Fanny and her cousins and aunt are not very fond of her, though she adapts to life at Mansfield Park. Over the years, Fanny and Edmund become very close, yet her aunt has other plans for both of them.
Mansfield Parkis among my favorite Austen novels. I just found myself enjoying the book. I liked Fanny; she was one of Jane Austen’s more realistic characters and I felt pretty sorry for her most of the time. Edmund was all right; I feel like I didn’t really get to know him, like he wasn’t as big a part of the story as some of Jane Austen’s other heroes. But he seemed pretty nice and I like that he stood up for Fanny. There were of course a ton of villains trying to thwart love’s plans. Mrs. Norris was a very annoying character and fit her role of the evil relation perfectly. But alas, there was the happy ending and all was well at Mansfield Park (for the most part, anyway).
I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I Love Beauty and The Beast

It isn't often that pictures are better than words (in my opinion) but this instance is one special case. Enjoy some pictures from the beautiful Beauty and The Beast.

Review: Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman
Lilly Margolis is like many young women in 1925; she longs for fun and excitement. One of the first girls in her small hometown in Pennsylvania to cut her hair in the iconic shingled bob and wear bright red lipstick and kohl around her eyes, she and her ultra conservative mother do not get along. So she left home and traveled from “friend” to “friend” across the country until she ran out of road. Now in Pensacola, Florida, she works as a salesgirl for Dalliance Cosmetics. She peddles expensive lotions, perfumes, and make-up items to women of all social classes. But her fast life is beginning to catch up with her.
Cullen Burnside has been in a funk ever since he came home from WWI. Before the war, he had great dreams of being a baseball star. Yet now he can hardly bear for people to see the scars on his face and arms. He mainly stays at home with his senile mother and runs his late father’s business. When a flapper winds up in his mother’s flower bed in the backyard after a big party at his neighbor Bill Owens’, his mother insists the girl with them. She brings a breath of fresh air to the stately home and quickly endears herself to all, save for their strict housemaid. Yet Cullen isn’t sure at all that having this young woman living with them is a good thing.
This book was somuch fun. I loved it from beginning to end. I love the 1920s, and it’s so good to see it covered in Christian fiction. I loved reading about the fashions and dances and music, but the characters are what made the story. I really liked all of the main characters- Lilly was a blast, Cullen was a serious, but good hero, and his mother Betty Ruth was just a delight to read about. I liked the fast and fun pace of the writing. Both Lilly and Cullen had gone through sad trials in their life, but the story was balanced between their grief and the hopeful future ahead. From Lilly’s arrival at the mansion to her getting to know Cullen and Betty Ruth and them traveling across the country together; the whole story was good. The book was just a blast to read.
For those looking for a fun Christian historical novel, I would definitely recommend this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Lilies in Moonlight

Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman
Lilly Margolis is like many young women in 1925; she longs for fun and excitement. One of the first girls in her small hometown in Pennsylvania to cut her hair in the iconic shingled bob and wear bright red lipstick and kohl around her eyes, she and her ultra conservative mother do not get along. So she left home and traveled from “friend” to “friend” across the country until she ran out of road. Now in Pensacola, Florida, she works as a salesgirl for Dalliance Cosmetics. She peddles expensive lotions, perfumes, and make-up items to women of all social classes. But her fast life is beginning to catch up with her.
Cullen Burnside has been in a funk ever since he came home from WWI. Before the war, he had great dreams of being a baseball star. Yet now he can hardly bear for people to see the scars on his face and arms. He mainly stays at home with his senile mother and runs his late father’s business. When a flapper winds up in his mother’s flower bed in the backyard after a big party at his neighbor Bill Owens’, his mother insists the girl with them. She brings a breath of fresh air to the stately home and quickly endears herself to all, save for their strict housemaid. Yet Cullen isn’t sure at all that having this young woman living with them is a good thing.
This book was somuch fun. I loved it from beginning to end. I love the 1920s, and it’s so good to see it covered in Christian fiction. I loved reading about the fashions and dances and music, but the characters are what made the story. I really liked all of the main characters- Lilly was a blast, Cullen was a serious, but good hero, and his mother Betty Ruth was just a delight to read about. I liked the fast and fun pace of the writing. Both Lilly and Cullen had gone through sad trials in their life, but the story was balanced between their grief and the hopeful future ahead. From Lilly’s arrival at the mansion to her getting to know Cullen and Betty Ruth and them traveling across the country together; the whole story was good. The book was just a blast to read.
For those looking for a fun Christian historical novel, I would definitely recommend this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Lately 6.14.2017

Hello readers and friends! I hope you’re all doing well this month. It’s starting to feel like summer here, but it hasn’t been terribly bad yet. I just can’t believe this year is halfway over! Time flies by so fast. Today I wanted to pop in with a lately post. Here’s how I’ve been spending the month thus far.
Writing
This month I’ve been taking a little break from writing. The first draft of my current novel is basically finished, and so I’m resting up for the next draft. I’m looking forward to seeing how this novel turns out, as well as you all being able to read it!
Reading
While I’ve been on my break, I’ve been reading a ton. I’ve read some books that I’ve loved, like Liliesin Moonlight and Waves of Mercy , as well as some others that I’ve enjoyed. I’m currently reading Mansfield Park , which has been good.
Other
I finally watched Beauty and The Beast and I loved it! It was such a pretty movie and they did a really good job with it. I loved the costumes and the furniture. And they stuck very close to the original movie. It was just a good movie.
So that’s how my month has been going. Hope your summer is off to a good start! Thank you for stopping by today!

-Miranda Atchley

Review: Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin
In the 1840s, tensions are running high in the Dutch Netherlands when groups of separatists leave the church in order to worship God in their own way. When teenaged Geesje’s home is vandalized, soldiers come to live with her and her family. The soldiers do not believe the same way that Geesje and her family believe, yet soon she finds herself falling in love with Hendrick, who is becoming interested in her family’s beliefs. The two make plans for the future, yet when Geesje’s family hear about the religious freedom, as well as inexpensive unsettled land in America they decide to move there. Geesje is heartbroken by her separation from Hendrick, though he plans to move to America as soon as possible. When tragedy strikes, Geesje must make some difficult decisions about her future.
Fifty years later, Anna Nicholson is facing similar choices. Raised in Chicago’s high society, Anna knows that she is expected to marry well. Yet her fiancé does not share her new found beliefs and grows tired of her questions about God and the bible. After breaking her engagement, Anna and her mother go to Michigan in order for Anna to sort through her feelings. While there, she meets Derk, a seminary student who works at the hotel Anna and her mother are staying at. As Anna begins speaking with Derk, she tells him about her nightmares and the fears she has for the future. Soon she finds that he may hold answers to her questions not only about the future, yet also about her past.
I really liked this book. There are a lot of layers to each woman’s story, but everything ties together really well. It was interesting to see the ways that their stories intertwine. The book has many twists and turns. I continually guessed at what was going to happen next as I read and was very surprised by many of the outcomes. The book is well written and poignant, with many layers of trials and sadness, yet also wrapped in hope and rooted in faith.
All in all, Waves of Mercy is a book that I really enjoyed. I would recommend this book to any fan of Christian historical fiction.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

My Dream Reading Corner

Hello readers and friends! I hope you’re all doing well today. I have a fun post to share with you this morning.
I was recently invited by Molly Kay Arhaus to write a post describing my dream reading space. It sounded right up my alley, and so I compiled a list of things I would want to include in my dream reading corner.
My dream reading space is something that I think about a lot. I already have my dream home pictured in my mind with a Pinterest board to prove it. I would love to have a Victorian style cottage. I love Victorian architecture; it’s different, a little bit quirky, and makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time.


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When it comes to my dream house, the room I think about the most is the library. I would love to have a room that is dedicated to books. My favorite part of Beauty and The Beast is the library scene, after all. In my mind, the walls would have built in shelves, offering floor to ceiling space for books. Can you imagine having a room where you’re surrounded by books!? The floors would be a dark hardwood with a pretty rug in the center to warm the place up. There would be one lone window on the wall opposite the entryway, and it would overlook a beautiful view. I think the best thing would be to have either a sycamore or an oak tree within view; one that has leaves that would turn gorgeous colors in the fall.

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Surrounding this window would be the perfect space for reading. A nice window seat made from a sturdy wood with lots of neat details to make it stand out, topped with a good cushion and nice fluffy pillows is essential. I would love to have some pillows from Evie Seo’s Society6 store- they’re so pretty! Under the seat, I would really like to have storage- a place to put throw blankets in the summer and then bring them back out in the winter. The walls surrounding the window seat would have built in shelves not only for more books, but also for things like a pretty lamp to read by when it gets dark. And of course surrounding the window I would want to hang some nice curtains to frame it and really make it pop. Just think about how nice it would be to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea in this space. It would be a place where you’re tucked away, ready to get lost in a whole other world.
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Thank you all for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed reading about my dream reading corner.
Have you ever thought about your dream reading corner? Tell me about it in the comments; I would love to hear about it!
-Miranda Atchley

May in Review

Another month is gone, readers and friends. Although it feels like this year is flying by, May seemed to sort of creep along to me. I’m just going to blame this on the longer days and warmer temperatures. Anyway, here are a few things I did this month.
Books Read in May Once Upon A Summertime Swept Away A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four C.S. Lewis: A Life Inspired Lady Susan The Girl of the Woods A Daring Sacrifice Miranda Warning Cold Comfort Farm
My favorite book from this month was Swept Away. It was such a fun story. You can read my review of it here. I enjoyed most of the books I read except for Cold Comfort Farm, which simply wasn’t my cup of tea.

Favorite Posts From MayLately 5.9.2017Top Ten Tuesday:Summer Readin’
Not a lot of blogging happened around here this month, but I was still able to get a few posts up. Thank you to everyone who stopped by this month. I appreciate it.
I hope you all had a wonderful month!

-Miranda Atchley

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Readin'

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish .
Can you believe that summer is on its way? I can’t. I’m not a huge fan of summer- I don’t do well with the high temperatures. But the best way to beat the heat is to hang out by an air conditioner with a good book. And that’s what I plan to do in the following months. Here are a few of the books I’m hoping to get lost in while escaping the soaring temperatures.




10: The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
Been meaning to read this one forever. Perhaps that will finally happen this summer.



9: Becoming Jane Eyre by Shelia KohlerI got this book at our library’s annual book sale a few years ago, but it has sat on my shelf unread. One of my goals this year is to read more books that I’ve had copies of for a while yet haven’t read and this is one that I am looking forward to.


8: Servant’s Hall by Margaret PowellI also got this book at our library’s book sale last year. I’d like to get to it this summer.


7: Grace Livingston Hill Collection No. 4 by Grace Livingston HillAnother book that I got at the same sale. It’s hard to pass up paperbacks for $1 (toward the end of the sale they ask you to put as many books as you can into grocery store bags and charge you $1 per bag)! I recently read one of Grace Livingston Hill’s novels for the first time and I liked it. This book includes four novels, one of which was written by Grace’s aunt Isabella Alden.

6: Winter  by Marissa Meyer
Last year I read the first three books in The Lunar Chronicles right in a row. Then I lost my momentum and never finished Winter. Maybe I can get to it this summer.



5: Lilies in Moonlight by Allison PitmanThis book looks like fun!


4: Waves of Mercy by Lynn AustinThe other day I noticed that our library got this one in. I also noticed it has quite the waiting list. I’d like to read it when it’s available.


3: The White Feather Murders by Rachel McMillanIt’s hard to believe that this is the last book in the Herringford and Watts Mysteries. Looking forward to seeing what chaos Merinda and Jem find themselves in this time!


2: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan DoyleI recently downloaded the entire Sherlock Holmes collection and so far I’ve read A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four and have liked them. Next up is the first collection of short stories about the infamous detective, and I’m looking forward to reading them soon.


1: Mansfield Park by Jane AustenThis will be my last Austen novel! It’s kind of sad to think about that. But I am looking forward to reading another fabulous classic.
What books are piling up on your TBR this summer?

-Miranda Atchley