Book Review: How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind

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Have you ever felt like you just cannot keep up in the house? Dana K. White, author of How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, is a real woman who “gets it”.

Between the never ending stack of dishes to the overflowing bottomless clothes hampers. The mountains of stuff and clutter that just suddenly showed up.

Will I ever get things under control? Is this how my life is going to be forever?

I work part time as a nurse. I have a spit fire of an adorable two year old, who has the energy of three toddlers. You think I’m exaggerating, but anyone who has spent time with us realizes I speak the truth of my adorable child.

My husband has his own business and with that comes certain sacrifices. Understandable, but challenging all the same.

I also have struggled with unreasonable attachments to things in the sense that it’s hard to throw or give stuff away.

Am I resonating with some part of you yet?

The title of this book spoke to my chaotic brain and my weary mom soul. I came upon this title in one of my daily BookBub emails. If you haven’t signed up for them yet, you really should.

I’m not as big of a fan of my kindle. Don’t get me wrong, I love books. There’s just something sweetly satisfying when holding a physical book in my hands and the soft feel of the pages between my fingers.

How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White (purchased from BookBub).

But I downloaded it and started reading it immediately. I believe I read this one in just a few days easily.

Dana K. White spoke to me through her words. I literally felt like this book was just for me. I remember the excitement I felt when I realized there is someone out there who “gets” me. A kindred spirit. A fellow self proclaimed slob.

If you are looking for practical, realistic and do-able ways to get things under control in your home, then this is the book for you. Dana’s methods work. They are so simple and straightforward. What do you have to lose by trying?

Quote from How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White

First Impression: I was initially worried this might be another self help book with unrealistic suggestions towards a goal of near perfection. I was wrong! These are real, titratable methods to help real people with real problems in managing their homes and the the things in them.

The Laundry Day method saved me and I still use it.

I also will testify to anyone who will listen about the dishes as well. It just works.

Genre: advise, self help good for any age adults.

I read this book last year and I still talk about her advise to my mom friends. I consider this book a very high rating due to the relatability, practicalness and the ease of reading. I challenge you to read it as I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the end results!

Thank you, Dana K. White for your transparency and advise! I hope you continue to write more. You can find her at A Slob Comes Clean.

A Five Star Family Betrayal Review

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Disclaimer: *This book was read and reviewed as a personal library loan. The links provided are simply to assist my readers and I do not receive monetary compensation for any purchases made through links.*

Piper Boone meets a mysterious knight in shining armor, Tucker Landry, when he risks his life to save hers in a tragic shoot out.

This seemingly random catastrophe isn’t really random at all. Piper was the target because of her family business, Boone Industries.

Piper is still reeling from the loss of her daughter over a decade ago and remaining in her massive family beach house, unable to find her footing in life. Tucker Landry has managed to break past that wall in Piper and call forth a new, brave Piper. But Tucker has past demons of his own.

As Piper pushes for answers for her family’s odd past and current bad luck of murder after murder, can she figure out who is behind the cause of the “family curse” before she becomes a victim herself?

Time is running out as a hurricane presses upon the Boone family private island, Curlew.

Wow. Just wow! The twists and turns in this plot kept me guessing what could possibly be next! And the twistedness of the members of this “perfect family” is downright disturbing.

Carrie Stuart Parks once again writes a fantastic five star page turning mystery thriller for adult readers only.

When Death Draws Near: A Five Star Review

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Disclaimer: *This book was read and reviewed as a personal library loan. The links provided are simply to assist my readers and I do not receive monetary compensation for any purchases made through links.*

After being hard pressed to find some work, Gwen Marcy finds herself in the small town of Pineville to help catch a serial rapist.

But from the very beginning something about this town, about the people, is so very off.

Before Gwen knows it, she is steered away from her original purpose for being in Pineville and drawn into the politicals of this small town. Her next assignment: to infiltrate a snake handling religious group to expose illegal activity.

Gwen is advised that she can trust no one. She knows the recent uptick in body count and this religious group are connected; however, her theories and concerns fall on deaf ears of local law enforcement.

Can Gwen uncover the truth, convince the right people to believe her before she turns into a victim herself?

Carrie Stuart Parks once again takes us on a thrilling race against time. This entire series is an addictive page turner that I highly recommend! I’ve given When Death Draws Near, book number three in the Gwen Marcey series, a 5/5 star rating.

Carrie Stuart Parks is a very gifted novelist, who has such a remarkable ability to suck a reader into the thrilling storylines. I devour page after page seeking the resolutions for the victims as well as Gwen Marcey.

Not many people can appreciate dark humor with a hint of snark, but Carrie does this well!

As a reader, I also find myself wanting to be a forensic artist! Thank you, Carrie, for such a well developed character and such thrilling and suspenseful storylines.

4.5 Star Christian Thriller Review

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Disclaimer: *This book was read and reviewed as a personal library loan only. The links provided are simply to assist my readers and I do not receive monetary compensation for any purchases made through links.*

Gwen Marcy is still on the rebound from her cancer fight and almost losing her life to a psycho killer several months prior. As she struggles to try to get back on her feet with her career as a forensic artist and continues to raise her teenage daughter, she is suddenly thrown into a crime scene practically in her backyard when her dog brings her a skull. A human skull.

And there are more victims. And one has lived to tell about it.

The striking resemblance of the victims to Gwen’s daughter is uncanny and a nightmare to come.

Can Gwen keep her daughter safe, but also help solve the mystery of who is terrorizing and murdering these young victims?

It comes as no surprise that I tore through this book just like I did with the first one, A Cry From The Dust.

Carrie Stuart Parks has done such a fantastic job of creating a character in Gwen Marcy, who is so relatable and absolutely hilarious. I don’t smile/laugh in many stories (at least that I notice), but the humor is catchy with an edge of snark and helps balance out the seriousness and emotional aspects of the murders.

Literally, the only thing that stopped me from a 5 star rating was the “gore” details. While I’m sure a real life murder can be absolutely unimaginably gory, I found that even with me being a nurse I cringed at some details in this story.

I give this book a 4.5 star review. I absolutely love Carrie Stuart Parks’ writing style in the first person as well as her humor found in Gwen. She also write from experience of working as a forensic artist, adding to the validity of her storytelling. I’m literally itching to pick up the third book from the library!

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks published by Thomas Nelson on August 11, 2015.

Review: An Accidental Life

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*Disclaimer: This book was read and reviewed as a personal purchase only. The links provided are simply to assist my readers and I do not receive monetary compensation for any purchases made through links.*

An Accidental Life by Pamela Binnings Ewen is a fiction writing of actual events. Trigger warning: this novel contains storytelling and recounts of real life events of premature babies being born alive after labor induced abortions. If you are sensitive to any of these subjects please stop here.

Peter and Rebecca enter into new unknown legal territory in their law careers in the 1980’s. Both aspiring successful lawyers focusing on the success of both their careers.

For Rebecca, she sees her new firm partnership role grind to a screeching halt when she realizes the unthinkable has happened. She’s pregnant.

In an age and time where women’s rights and success in the work place are rising, what will Rebecca choose? Her career or the life growing inside of her? Or can she have both?

Peter is presented with a possible prosecution case that will ultimately reveal the world’s best kept secret.

As a pediatric nurse myself I found this story of real accounts disturbingly enlightening. With nursing being such a large field, it can be easy to be unknowingly blinded to issues right in front of us. I cannot imagine the turmoil of being handed a birthed live micro preemie and being ordered by a physician not to provide medical care and instead take “it” to medical waste.

My heart is heavy for the babies that this happened to as well as the nurses who were shut down, declined to provide life-saving medical care and made to feel they had no choice but to hold these preemies until they died.

Whether you are pro life or pro choice, the issue presented is legally when does life begin? At what point is a baby viewed as a human with the same right to live vs. no rights as tissue within the mother’s body.

While my earlier trigger warning is a courtesy, I truly believe everyone should read this book. Just because a subject is controversial and makes our soul uncomfortable doesn’t mean we should continue life like an ostrich with his head in the ground.

I rated this book a 4/5 stars. I absolutely loved the medical aspects of the book since I’m a nurse. While I was easily distracted by Pamela Binnings Ewen’s style of writing and sentence structure, she did a remarkable job writing from law experience in a way that readers can understand. I did not feel lost in all of the law jargon. And truly, I consider this author very brave to write about a subject that can make many readers uncomfortable. I would like to thank this author for essentially honoring these infants who have passed on in this way as well as speaking up for nurses by shedding light to this well-kept secret of the 1980’s.

Fatal Frost

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*Disclosure: this book was a personal purchase.

Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl was published by Bethany House Publishers.

U.S. Marshall Mercy Brennan gets swept away on a mission by her ex-boyfriend, U.S. Marshall Mark St. Laurent, after an encountered with Mercy’s estranged father.

Mercy later finds out that her protection is the mission put forth by her boss: to be protected by her ex-boyfriend as well as her best friend law enforcement officer, Tally, from deadly gang members and a cartel.

Stranded in a remote location with no contact to anyone and the enemy closing in, it becomes clear…

Quote from Nancy Mehl’s book Fatal Frost.

I rated this book 4/5 stars as I had a hard time getting into this story, but it is very good! I promise if you can hang through some of the lag time, you’ll be glad you read it. I can’t wait to read the next two in the Defenders of Justice series.

Nancy Mehl does a fantastic job of pulling you into the life of another person. This book was done well from a law enforcement’s point of view.

No Place To Hide: Review

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Lynette Eason Hidden Identity Series Book 3
Image: No Place To Hide by Lynette Eason.
This book was reviewed as a personal loan from my local library.

No Place To Hide by Lynette Eason

Publisher: Revell

Series: Hidden Identity

ISBN: 9780800722104

Jackie Sellers is on a mission to help and rescue her childhood crush, Ian Lockwood, who is wanted nationally in connections with a terrorist threat.

Surely they have the wrong guy. Jackie is determined to help Ian clear his name. Come to find out, Jackie isn’t the only looking for him. Jackie and Ian race against time and capture by the FBI and the bad guys.

Together can they clear Ian’s name and prevent a national catastrophe?

Lynette Eason grabs your interest with intense action from page one and has you turning page after page to see what could possibly happen next.

Quote from Lynette Eason’s No Place To Hide.

I gave this one 4/5 stars because I didn’t devour this one as much as I have others. I was disappointed that this is where the series cuts off! I could definitely use more stories of surrounding characters. Operation Refuge needs to continue, please!

Still definitely a must-read as the third book of this series, Hidden Identity.

If you enjoy stories that are fast-paced and on the run, then this is a great series for you! She is by far on my top five suspense author favorites!

Lynette Eason is on Instagram and you can find her website here.

Review of Vanished by Irene Hannon

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A young reporter, Moira, on her way home on a lonely country road at night in a thunderstorm goes careening off the road when a terrified young woman runs in front of her. Hearing a loud thump, Moira is certain she has hit the woman before colliding into a tree.

A seeming Good Samaritan comes to check on Moira and promises to call 911 and check on the victim. Then everything goes black.

When she wakes, there is no woman hit by Moira’s car. There is no Good Samaritan. There is no 911 first responders. Did she hit her head that hard that she imagined it all? But the terrified eyes of the woman in her headlights seemed so real. And that vision won’t leave her alone. The vanishing woman was in trouble.

But who is going to believe Moira’s story of the woman with the terrified eyes?

With the help of a private investigator, Moira is taken on an investigative road with so many twists and turns it will keep you turning the page over and over again.

Quote from Vanished by Irene Hannon.

I try not to add spoilers, but I do find this so very interesting about Irene Hannon’s writing style in this series, the Guardians of Justice series. She introduces the villain/foe very early on in her story line, writing from not only the main character’s point of view, but also the point of view from the villain. As you get to know the main character(s), you get to know the villain as well.

*Spoiler Alert*

Because I personally work in the medical field, I did find it very interesting to read into the mind of an “angel of death”, which is a person of some medical training (usually a nurse or doctor), who kills patients out of a kindness to end their perceived suffering.

Quote from Vanished by Irene Hannon.

I rate this book 4.5 stars based on the following:
1. I could NOT put this book down!
2. Irene Hannon’s unique story line and perspective.

Here’s the short of it:
Genre: Christian fiction, romantic suspense, for adults only.
One-line review: This book will have you hooked by page one and keep you turning the pages to see what’s next.

You can visit Irene Hannon’s website here and she is also on Instagram so give her a follow!

“When The Smoke Clears” Review

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*Note that this review was written based on a personal book purchase.

In Lynette Eason’s romantic suspense novel When The Smoke Clears, Alexia heads to her estranged mother’s home to recuperate after a near-death experience on the job. But she can’t seem to escape trouble and danger. Within hours of arriving at her mother’s home, Alexia stumbles upon a murder victim and the mysterious villain. When help arrives, she gets confronted with her past.

Quote from Lynette Eason’s book When The Smoke Clears

Alexia is thrown into helping solve the crimes happening so very close to her to help clear her name of any involvement, while simultaneously confronting the ghosts from her past while trying to stay alive.

“What would these people think of her? Would they just remember the girl accused of setting fire to her family home, or would they be willing to know who she was today?”

Lynette Eason does a good job connecting her readers with the internal struggle of each human: to the core of who we are, we want to be seen. We want to be known. We want to be accepted and loved for our imperfect selves. 

Alexia is accepted by several people from her past high school days despite rumors of her family history. She is baffled by this show of acceptance and love.

Does God really love her then too? Is He there? Is she worthy? Her questions of this God her newfound friends so desperately want her to know are challenged by the ongoing peril caused by this mysterious villain out to destroy Alexia.

Will she clear her name and reputation? Will she mend the broken, estranged relationship with her mom? Will she survive as the attempts on her life increase in intensity?

Trigger warning: Alexia does work through lost memories of physical, nonsexual abuse from her father. Also, if you are sensitive towards house fires or fire trauma I would not recommend this read.

Here’s the short of it:

Genre: inspirational Christian fiction, romantic suspense for adults

One-line review: a beautiful redemption story

Initial gut-reaction: I’m definitely curious to read the next books in this series. The story is not over.

4.5 star book review on Lynette Eason’s Christian suspense novel When The Smoke Clears

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars as I personally didn’t care for the timeline of this story which was one week. I find it hard to believe that all the intense crimes could happen in that short period of time. But I also guess that’s part of the freedom of fiction. 

I kept it at a high rating though for the twists and turns throughout the plot. I was constantly second guessing myself as to who I thought the villain could be. Needless to say I was very surprised when the villain was revealed! I definitely did not see that one coming.

This is definitely a great read for those who love a good mix of mystery and romance!

You can find Lynette Eason and her books here. Or if you’re an Amazon buyer, you can find this book here.

The Book Hobbyist: The Site And The Writer Behind It

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About The Book Hobbyist

Hi! I’m the Book Hobbyist: a voracious reader of all the Christian fiction and love doing it! I often find myself itching to recommend or discuss a recent book with people; however, I find fellow voracious readers and bookworms hard to find. But I know you are out there! That is why I’m here as the Book Hobbyist.

I’m a busy mom and wife, nurse by trade, bookworm by hobby. Everywhere I go I have a book tucked in my purse or under my arm. Mostly because I obviously love to read, but also because I would rather read than talk to people. I have some mild social anxiety thanks to my introverted personality, but I’ve learned social norms and get by.

I love icecream and mexican food; however, I have a strong dislike for coffee. I have a mild obsession with my adorable weenie dog. I also love a good reading challenge on Goodreads.

Fun reading fact: ultimate perfection to me is a warm breezy day in my beach chair on the shores of Fripp Island with a good book to devour. 

What I do here

In the following posts, I happily provide honest feedback on books that I have devoured and itch to share with you. I’ll try not to give out spoilers. While a decent review can seem lengthy, I do provide a one-line review or quick thoughts towards the end of each post for those of you speedy readers and busy people out there. 

Happy reading!