22 September 2020

“Jonas & Olivia” by Victoria Minks

Jonas & Olivia
by Victoria Minks


Synopsis: 
Fourteen year old Olivia Wilkerson is left desolate and grieving when her patriot father passes away. Willed by him to be placed in the care of an old friend, Olivia is forced to venture away from all she’s ever known to make her new life among people who are strangers to her. 
Unaware of the new responsibility about to be thrust on him, Jonas Carmichael lives the life of a reclusive in an attempt to ignore the painful memories of the past. His heart has grown hard and bitter over the past thirty years of solitude, and his hatred towards people has only multiplied. 
Suddenly burdened with Olivia, Jonas’s only burning desire is to shove the girl off on somebody else. But Olivia, still suffering from her loss, is only looking for someone to love her as her father did-- and soon realizes that there is more to Jonas than meets the eye.
With the Revolutionary War pressing closer around Jonas’s secluded bubble of safety and threatening to burst it at any moment, Jonas discovers that there are choices to be made--choices that will not only affect himself but those around him as well.

(from Amazon)

My Review:
⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎
5+ stars & 8/10 hearts. This is one of my top ten favorite Indie Author books. I love the description and totally recommend checking out the Pinterest mood board for it because it will totally help create images in your mind. Ishmael. . . <3 I love Ishmael. So, so sweet and caring. <3 What more can I say?? I also loved the random boy Jonas talks to in the village ^_^ and also Anthony, Francis’ son. Jonas. . . I like Jonas too. He makes me laugh sarcastically. I did get quite furious with him for trying to scare Olivia though. *glares* And Nanny and the Culpeppers! Guys, totally check out the link at the end of the book. xD I don't really know how to describe this book. It is so cozy and real to me. I see the images of the drifting leaves and Ishmael's frogs. I love the plot. I just loved this book. <3 My only remark is that I personally do not agree with Olivia's view on the Revolutionary War. The era feeling is all right. Not super amazing but not lacking. The language is pretty much fitting to the era.
This is one of my favorite books. ^_^ I love it so much I can't express myself. And again, I definitely recommend checking out the Pinterest mood board. It really helps you see the images the book presents. <3 Oh, and you should watch the trailer too! ;)

A Favourite Quote: “‘I know why Father would never let fear or hurt get the better of me. Many times when I wanted to cry and huddle up somewhere and not ever come out again, he would pull me away and tell me I was stronger than that. Beyond fear and hurt, because I had Jesus in my heart.[’”]
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “She turned to the next page, the paper thin and soft beneath her fingers. Frogs, in motion, covered the pages in shades of greens. [...] Olivia turned again to the next page. The gentle face of a cow filled the whole paper, its eyes large and luminous. Each page had new treasures. One was sketched over with the wispy softness of feathers. Another held the lacy patterns of leaves. Still others displayed the glossy wings of birds, the velvet nose of a horse, the twisted forms of trees, and the shimmer of frogs and snakes.”
A Favourite Humourous Quote: “He was about to walk out of his room when he caught sight of himself in his mirror.
“He scowled. ‘Ugly beast of a man,’ he grunted, rubbing his prominent square jaw. His small light brown eyes narrowed as he viewed himself. He kicked at the mirror.
“A split second later, he regretted it, hopping on one foot and snarling for the mirror to get out of his way before he ‘really got angry and broke it.’”


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19 September 2020

“The First Four Years” by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The First Four Years
(Little House Series, #9)
by Laura Ingalls Wilder


Synopsis: 
Immerse yourself in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House series, now featuring Garth Williams’ classic art in vibrant full-color!
Laura Ingalls Wilder is beginning life with her new husband, Almanzo, in their own little house. Laura is a young pioneer wife now, and must work hard with Almanzo, farming the land around their home on the South Dakota prairie. Soon their baby daughter, Rose, is born, and the young family must face the hardships and triumphs encountered by so many American pioneers. 
And so Laura Ingalls Wilder's adventure as a little pioneer girl ends, and her new life as a pioneer wife and mother begins. 

My Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This is a short book, but very interesting and enjoyable. I appreciated Almanzo and Laura’s hard work and dedication—especially Laura, so young and with so many difficulties. I wish the book were longer, but I enjoyed the glimpse it gave at their married life.

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3 September 2020

“The Incredible Journey” by Sheila Burnford

The Incredible Journey
by Sheila Burnford


Synopsis: 
A classic Canadian story of the bravery and ingenuity of three animals who find their way home.
First published in 1961, The Incredible Journey tells the story of three pets: a young Labrador retriever, an old bull terrier, and a Siamese cat. While their owners are away in England, they are being cared for by a family friend at his home in the country. But a miscommunication occurs between the friend and his housekeeper when he goes on a hunting trip, and the animals are left alone for a several hours, with a gnawing instinct that something has gone wrong. They soon set off on a journey to find home, which instinct tells them is to the west.
They travel 400 kilometres across the Northern Ontario wilderness, facing many obstacles along the way: swift-flowing rivers and the rugged landscape; wild animals and unsympathetic humans; starvation, injuries and sheer exhaustion. Separately they would not have survived, but together this disparate group prevails, and they find their way home to the family they love.

My Review:
⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎
3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. This a wholly Canadian book. It’s a tale of survival and companionship, and a good family read-aloud. There is a mention of an Indian legend, and one mention of Bodger being “as irresistible as the devil.” Also, a note to non-Canadian readers: Ontario has changed quite a bit since this book has been written. ;)

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “To many who live there, fall is the burnished crown of the year, with the crisp, sunny days and exhilarating air of the Northland; with clear blue skies, and drifting leaves, and, as far as the eye can see, the endless panorama of glorious, rich, flaming colour in the turning trees.”
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