Do you have a book collection in your home? Some shelf in a quiet corner of the living room or bedroom that is lined with precious tomes you've gathered through the years? If you're anything like me, you could open your own lending library with the amount of books you've received. Recently, I was in the process of making more shelf space (wink, wink) and I gave some books away. I was going through my entire collection when I realized. . . there are stories behind some of those books; not only the stories within them but the stories AROUND them. Think of your top ten favorite books. Who gifted them to you? Where did you purchase them? What time of the year did you read them? Here are some of the stories that stand out most in my mind. 2013-2014 I had received the third book in this series the previous Christmas but didn't get the opportunity to snag the first two at Ollie's Bargain Outlet when I saw them. Then, I decided to gift my friends the whole series. We ordered them from Ebay. The first two were in excellent condition but the third one had a couple pages torn and missing. We got refunded, and the seller said to keep the books. I was ECSTATIC! I finally had the whole series! 2014-2015 Up to this point, I had been reading a whole bunch of Amish fiction (Beverly Lewis, more specifically) so this was one of the first tastes of "Christian fiction" I had. This reminded me of a Cinderella story, but so much better! A family friend thought of my younger sister and I and picked this book up for us at Barnes and Noble. :) If you want to read fiction about royalty, you can't beat any of Rachel Hauck's royal books. 2015 My first signed copy of a book!!!! Eeeee! I was so excited to receive this book from "Grandma" Sharon Frickanish. =) This book will always be a memorable one, and definitely a keeper. ;) 2019 A leap in time and I attended my very first Montrose Christian Writer's Conference a year before the. . . well. . . you know what. Any who, I got to meet Roseanna White there and she signed a copy of this historical fiction novel. Since then, I've been reading a whole lot more historical fiction. I'll always remember this book as the one I bought at my first conference. 2019-2020 There was this Instagram post, you've probably seen them, saying the first to comment gets this prize or that book. I jumped on at the right time and snagged this book and another by the same author, and I'll never be the same. At first, I was hesitant. A new-to-me author. What would her writing style be like? Would I even enjoy it? Then I glimpsed a review on the back of this one, written by none other than Roseanna White. I remember thinking, "If she liked it, why wouldn't I?" I dove in, and her writing! Ahhh! It's one of my favorite writing styles. She weaves in her faith threads so naturally, and her words draw you in. Let me tell you, READ A JOANNA POLITANO BOOK!! 2021 I'd heard of Sarah Sundin's books for a while now that I was in the "Bookstagram" world (Instagram pages for book lovers/enthusiasts). I snagged this one in Ollie's Bargain Outlet and the romantic tension in this was awesome! 2021 LOOK AT THE COVER! I'd seen different books by Amanda Dykes through the years and the covers were what finally drew me to purchase a few of them. Come on, part of the reason we buy books is because of the cover. Admit it. ;) Amanda Dykes' writing style is lyrical, with a little bit of whimsy, and very deep. If you ever pick up one of her books, be sure to stretch out the reading so you can soak it all in. Her books are something to ponder over. 2021-2022
I won this book on Instagram in one of the authors' contests. She had it signed for me, and the story inside is the most wonderful re-telling of Peter Pan that you'll ever find. And, again, isn't that cover gorgeous?? So there you have it! The stories behind the books, you might say. :)
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AuthorHi! I'm Carolyn, a writer seeking to glorify God with my words. Archives
February 2024
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