July Highlights

 Well, somehow it's the end of July again! How did that happen? I guess we ask that question at the end of every month, don't we? :D

~ADVENTURES AND HIGHLIGHTS~

// Spending time with family and friends I don't get to see often

// Enjoying new books :)

// Trying some fun new activities that I normally don't have time for! xD

// Attempting to do Julia's no-sugar challenge for a week..... I'm on Day 4, so we'll see how it goes!

// 43 followers!! I appreciate all you readers so much, and I have a surprise coming up shortly for you :)

~BOOKISH THINGS~

I read a total of 9 books this month, so don't worry- I normally don't get anywhere close to 16 in a month. ;) I'm looking forward to reading some more new books in August!

Books read in July: 9

All of these books were good! My favorite was probably either the Janette Oke books or Beauty Begins, although all of them were good! I didn't really have a least-favorite, although Stepping Heavenward was kind of hard to read, although it was a good book.

~BLOGGING~

There were so many amazing posts from my favorite blogs this month, but here are a few that I really enjoyed. Plus, I found an awesome new blog that I'm really enjoying, written by Tane Hannah. You can find it here. I'd encourage you to go check out and follow her blog! :)

// In the World... by Tane Hannah
// The Future Before You by Hannah E.
//Little White Spots by Hosanna Emily
// I Think I'm a Chicken by Kara Lynn
//Foolproof Responses to the Question: "What's Your Book About?" by Katie Grace

And in case you missed any, here are my blog posts from July:

// June Highlights

// The Old River Road Blog Tour

// Time- A Poem 

// "Beauty Begins" Book Review

// The Silent Blade Blog Tour

~THINGS COMING UP~

// A possible guest post 

// A few fun tag posts

// Getting ready for school to start again

// And all the adventures that God has planned for us in August!

How has your July been for you? What are you looking forward to in August? Comment below, and thanks for reading!

//Emily 

The Silent Blade Blog Tour

Hello, readers!
Today, I'm participating in The Silent Blade Blog Tour for Jesseca's new novel, The Silent Blade!

~ Book Synopsis~

Dromiskin, Ireland. 925 A.D.

Eira has no greater desire than to see her life returned to what it once was—before her older brother Kevin's sudden disappearance four years earlier. But the simple life she hoped for seems unattainable; on the contrary, her life is about to get all the more complicated.

When she suddenly finds herself and Willem, her twin brother, taken captive by someone who claims to be Kevin’s enemy, things go from bad to worse. It soon becomes clear that she and Willem are to become bait in a trap set for Kevin, and Eira knows she must try to warn him. But how, when she herself is a captive?

As mysteries of the past are unveiled, and loyalties are revealed, Eira realizes how precious her friends truly are. And when mortal danger threatens those nearest to her, will she be able to trust God with the lives of her friends and family?

You can add the book on Goodreads here, and you can find the author's blog here.

~My Review~

I was very interested in reading The Silent Blade, as I had heard much about it on Jesseca's blog. Although the book wasn't perfect, there was definitely a lot to like about it! I especially liked the sweet brother-sister relationships portrayed throughout, and the characters were  well-developed. It was pretty hard not to like them! xD The main girl character, Eira, was fascinating, as she enjoyed things most girls probably don't (like swordsmanship!), but done in a very good way, not at all "feminist" or anything, like so many other YA novels. The rest of the characters were very interesting too, and the names were so neat! The writing was slightly  hard to follow at times, and sometimes, it seemed like everything wasn't consistent with the era, but that was probably the only main thing to point out. Also, it seemed to me like there was a lack of parental involvement at places.

But overall, it was a sweet story, and a good turn-out for a first time author.  I would rate it 4 1/2 stars out of 5. I'm inspired by another young teen author about to be published! :)

~About the Author~

Jesseca is an 18-year old daughter, sister, and a child of God. Her days are spent reading, cooking, spending time with siblings, or playing piano.  And writing, of course! At an early age words fascinated her, and her love for the printed page has only grown. She lives with her parents and seven siblings in the sunny state of Kansas, and she’s convinced there’s no place like home.

~Blog Tour Schedule~

Wednesday, July 20th

Mikayla H.at The Bubblegum Ballerina --Review

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Author Interview

Ivy Rose at  Lakeside Publications --Review, Spotlight

Mallory Beth at Renewed by Grace --Review

Thursday, July 21st

Lydia Dyslin at Through the Wardrobe --Review

Rebekah Eddy at Rebekah’s Remarks --Review, Interview

Abigayle Allison at The Left-Handed Typist --Review, Spotlight

Friday, July 22nd (Publication Day!!)

Blessings Counter at Counting your Blessings One by One --Review

Rebekah Ashleigh at Rebekah Ashleigh --Spotlight

Amanda Tero at  With a Joyful Noise --Review, Interview, Spotlight

Deborah O’Carroll at The Road of a Writer –Review, Spotlight

Kaitlyn K. at Prairie Gal Cookin’ --Review, Spotlight

Bethany R. at A Great God and Good Cocoa --Review, Spotlight

Deborah C. at Reading in June --Spotlight, Review

Emily at A Purpose and a Promise --Spotlight, Review

Saturday, July 23rd

Kellyn Roth at Reveries--Review, Interview

Jason McIntire at Elisha Press--Interview

Natasha H. at Looking Through my Lens --Review

Faith P. at Stories by Firefly --Review, Interview

Monday, July 25th

Jesseca Wheaton at Whimsical Writings --Blog Tour wrap-up post

~The Giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway






I hope you enjoyed learning some more about Jesseca's new book!
//Emily

Book Review | Beauty Begins

Author: Chris Shook and Megan Shook Alpha

Series: None

Genre: Non-fiction

Published: 2016

Publisher: WaterBrook

Pages: 208

Age Group: 12 +  

Do you feel beautiful? 

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Others may tell you that you’re beautiful, but do you believe them? Why not? Don’t let another day go by without believing and knowing that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

It’s time for you to exchange society’s cookie-cutter suggestions for what is beautiful and instead discover and reclaim what true beauty looks like – and the One who created it.  In Beauty Begins, Chris and Megan Shook share with you their own experiences and struggles with appearance and body image, as well as equip you with the wisdom to distinguish what’s artificial beauty and what’s real. Filled with heartfelt encouragement, insightful challenges, and undeniable truth, after reading Beauty Begins, you’ll never look in the mirror the same way again.

Beauty Begins is an excellent book! At first, I was hesitant because I have already read quite a few books on the topic. But this one is unique. Written by a mother and daughter, Beauty Begins starts with the origins of true beauty and points us forward in the right way to a proper understanding of true beauty. One section talks about the difference between "beautiful" and "pretty". While what the culture says is "pretty" has changed drastically over the years, true beauty has remained the same. Truly "beautiful" comes from the heart, while "pretty: is simply an outward thing. I also appreciated how the book emphasizes how we are beautiful and treasured by God, but also while reminding us that it's not all about us and what we think! So many books leave that out, and while it's definitely important  to remember who we are to God, we also need to remember that we're only where we are by God's grace. Anyway, there's a lot more I could say about this book, but instead, I'll let  you go get Beauty Begins  and read it all for yourself. :)  I would definitely recommend this book to any girl or woman who who wants to learn more about how true beauty begins! 9 out of 10 hearts- ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥


**I received this book from Blogging for  Books in exchange for an honest review**