Still Life by Christa Parrish

Still Life by Christa Parrish
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A tragic plane crash. One woman who lost her husband. Another who gave up her seat for him.

Ada spent her first 25 years in a religious sect. Her father proclaiming to be a prophet. She only had outside world contact, through the farm store. That's where she met Julian Goetz. A famous photojournalist. He had come to document her family's way of life. Just a few days later, she and Julian had eloped.
She was thrust into an unknown world. However, having Julian there was helping her cope. On the day of her 26th birthday, Julian trades seats with Katherine Cramer, to get home to his wife.
Julian's life was taken on that flight, as the plance crashed. Five short months of marriage, now Ada is a widow.Now Ada is left to figure out this unknown world on her own.

Katherine Cramer, gave up her seat to Julian Goetz, to spend one more night with her lover. She wakes up the next morning to her family panicking, they knew that was her flight.
She must deal with the fact that she gave up that seat, to get one more night in her affair, and they person she gave it to died. It could have been her.

As Ada and Katherine's lives and paths intersect, they must both deal with loss and shame. They also discover that there is plenty of life ahead of them.

I loved this book. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! It was amazing. The characters were so intricate. The plot was just an unbelieveably sad, yet intriguing story...
I recommended it to all my friends. I believe this is a must read!



Christa Parrish is the award-winning author of four novels and founder of Breaking the Sea Ministries. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, pastor and writer Chris Coppernoll, and they have four children in their blended family. When not writing, she is creative director of Concentric, a contemporary "arts-based" worship service, co-leads her church's youth ministry, and produces a weekly radio show. She's at work on her fifth novel, and is now also slightly obsessed with baking wild yeast bread.


*I recieved a complimentary copy of this book, from BookLook Bloggers, in exchange for my honest review and opinons.*

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The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel

The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Odd-job queen Starshine Hart is about to go on somebody else’s perfect date. At 29, the usually carefree Starshine has realized that it is easier to start sleeping with a man than to stop. Her lovers include one of the last underground members of the Weathermen and the dilettante heir to a lawn chair magnate. Both men have staked their romantic future on her. Her only respite is her impending dinner with the nonthreatening but unattractive tour guide Larry Bloom. But Larry, too, has a stake in her future. He has written a book about their impending dinner in which he fantasizes about Starshine’s life on the day he wins her heart.

The book switches back and forth between Larry's view of the day and Chapters from his book..


I really liked this book. I found myself not being able to put it down, once I got started. I even found myself thinking, that this would be an excellent movie.. I could see it in my head. I loved the characters. There were many "small part" characters, but yet they were just as complex as the main characters. I loved how all the characters eventually linked together somehow...

The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I'm glad Jacob left it open for other boks, but I really hate not knowing! I hope he puts a sequel out soon...

With that being said, I felt Jacob did an amazing job putting this story together! I would recommend it to all my friends!

Jacob M. Appel's first novel, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up, won the Dundee International Book Award in 2012. His short story collection, Scouting for the Reaper, won the 2012 Hudson Prize. He has published short fiction in more than two hundred literary journals including Agni, Conjunctions, Gettysburg Review, Southwest Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, and West Branch. His work has been short listed for the O. Henry Award (2001), Best American Short Stories (2007, 2008), Best American Essays (2011, 2012), and received "special mention" for the Pushcart Prize in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013.

Jacob holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Brown University, an M.A. and an M.Phil. from Columbia University, an M.S. in bioethics from the Alden March Bioethics Institute of Albany Medical College, an M.D. from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, an M.F.A. in creative writing from New York University, an M.F.A. in playwriting from Queens College, an M.P.H. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He currently practices psychiatry in New York City.

*I recieved a complimentary copy of this book, from the author, in exchange for my honest review and opinons.*

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Paper Hearts by Courtney Walsh

Paper Hearts by Courtney Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abigail Pressman is not a fan of love. Even being the Great Great Granddaughter of Loves Parks' founders.
Being 29 and single isn't easy when your whole town and family is infatuated with love. Sometimes, it's sickening.

That is until she drafted by The Volunteers, a group of ladies who sort through the mountain of mail that gets sent to Loves Park, for it's famous postmark stamp. When Abigail obtains Paper Hearts, with romantic messages written on them from an anonymous couple, she begins to doubt her opinon on romance. She didn't think that was possible.

On top of that, Abigail has a new landlord. A hard to read doctor, who she's attracted to. She's in fear that he's going to through her out. She's lose her business. Her lively hood.
Trying to fight her attraction to him, and keep her store, Abigail hangs the hearts, tapping into the town's love infatuation.

When a new batch of hearts arrive, it seems something terrible has happened to the couple.

Will uncovering the mystery confirm her doubts on love, or will it completely change her mind and her heart?


I adored this book. It was beautifully written. I connected with the character of Abigail. I have my doubts in love, but stories like the couples' changes my mind. It took me no time at all to read this book. I just couldn't put it down! I've recommended it to some of my friends, even guys. I think it's that good!


Courtney Walsh is an author, artist, and playwright. Her debut novel. A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children.

Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com

You can also check her out on Facebook.

Here's a link to the trailer for the book:

http://goo.gl/DsXlMq


*I recieved a complimentary copy of this book, from Tyndale Publishers, in exchange for my honest review and opinons.*

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