Ten Things I'm Loving This Fall

FOOD

This is in no way your average fall comfort food, but it is something I tried to test out and James and I both loved it! You're probably thinking something with pumpkin or a warm soup, but you'd be wrong. SHRIMP PESTO PIZZA. Yep, I decided to give this a try because one of my favorite restaurants years ago use to make them and I loved them. I'm not sure what reminded me of them, but I am so glad I decided to make one at home. You only need 6 ingredients; premade thin pizza crust, pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and shrimp. Honestly, this picture makes my mouth water. Just layer, bake until it looks done, and enjoy a really nice meal that's a little out of the box. Also, if you aren't a shrimp fan you should try it with chicken!

STORES

I have two favorite stores for the fall, and I visited both of them recently with my mom. Both are located in Sparta, Tennessee and are little hidden gems you might not know about.

First, you know how I love me some book stores, and I especially love THE MAD RAVEN. The owner has done a wonderful job getting everything up and going. She is doing exactly what I hope to be able to do when I retire. It's a small book store where she can hand choose which books come in and go out. She offers coffee, sandwiches, and even though it's a smaller building there are a few places to sit and read. It's is still being organized by genre and authors, but I can see the full potential of this place, and I hope that everyone supports this local store!

My second favorite store for the fall is the BERRY BASKET. This store has everything you see on pinterest. It has wooden signs, swan creek candles, and decorations that change with the time of year. They even have adorable magnets for your fridge. I felt very welcomed by the owner and will definitely return. They had some pieces I had never seen before or thought of for home décor and everything was very reasonably priced. It's got that farm feel with great quality and is right in town. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

DRINKS

I'm all about some festive drinks and caffeine! I venture out of the box occasionally with my coffee creamer, but I like to stick to the things that I love and that warm up my soul. These are my top three favorite fall drinks and my favorite brands or places to get them.

1. Pumpkin Spiced Latte (Krispy Kreme Donuts)

2. White Chocolate Mocha Latte (Poet's in Cookeville)

3. Hot Green Tea (Lipton decaf lemon and honey)

BOOKS

My favorite series so far this fall is the Three Sisters trilogy by Nora Roberts. I just finished book two and will start three soon. I'm a chicken so this is about as creepy as I can get with my reading.

Also, a few miscellaneous items or activities below that help make fall my favorite time of year. Information for the items/ places shown will be below the pictures.

Bath & Body Works

Khols

Amazin' Acres

located in our own hometown!

-Kayla

2016 Reading Challenge Update 14-36

I'm making progress on my 'Read 52 Books in 2016' resolution.
 A lot of people have been asking me for book recommendations, and I wanted to do another book review to catch you up and let you know which books I recommend and give a brief review. I am currently working on finishing the next 3 books. I've learned to read several books at a time. I get one audio book, read one only during the daytime, and have another I read only at night. This helps me keep them separated, but I really enjoy books that are so good that I have to finish them in the next day or so. I would love to have recommendations from you guys too so please comment those below! Also, reviews of books 1-13 I read this year are on a previous post!


14.  Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
February 28th, 2016

This is a sweet read for anyone in the mood for a love story full of complications, emotions, and tears. I recommend having a tissue handy. I found the writing very interesting and original as it is mostly told from diary format.

15.  Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson 

March 3rd, 2016

This is definitely a young adult fiction book. It's based on a girl who has to figure out the mystery of her best friend's disappearance. It's a coming of age story with some interesting twists. It's not a very intellectual read, but it would be great for a day at the pool or beach just to relax!

16.  Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 
March 11th, 2016

I think I forgot to breath while reading this book. Karin Slaughter is an amazing writer and fully held my attention through the entire book. This is another story of a disappearance, but this one is not for the faint of heart. The book goes into details of brutal crimes and almost makes you lose a little sleep. It's haunting.

17.  Where all Light Tends to go David Joy 
March 15th, 2016

This book is one of the harsh reality of life. If you are looking for something very true to life that will help open your mind to other types of families in the world, this is the book for you! It deals with families that are involved in drugs and crime from the point of view of the son and how he handles it. It's heartbreaking.

18.  The Dirt on 9^th Grave by Darynda Jones 
March 29th, 2016

If you haven't read books 1-8 don't even bother picking this one up. You will be so lost and confused. In a nut shell, an angel falls in love with the son of Satan. These books are filled with sarcastic humor, side stories, suspense, and humor. I'm hooked at this point.

19.  Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
April 4, 2016

I have never laughed out loud through an entire book before until this one. Sure, other books have been funny, but this one takes the cake. Holy cow, Jenny Lawson is hilarious. Mostly true stories that will leave you laughing until you cry and thinking how does that even happen in real life??? From Chapter one I could not get enough. I can't wait to read her next book!

I have never laughed so hard at a book! EVER!

20.  The Old Man & the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 
April 7th, 2016

Sometimes you just need a classic. This is my favorite book of all time. I could read this one over and over and over again without getting tired of it. A book about a guy fishing doesn't sound to thrilling, but when you talk about an old man fighting and suffering for the biggest prize of his life it get's more interesting. I love this book for the simple fact that it's no more than an inner struggle based in mother nature with beautiful writing and detail.

21.  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 
April 21st, 2016

22.  Miss Peregrine’s Hollow City 
May 7th, 2016

23.  Miss Peregrine’s Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs 
May 19th, 2016

This is the first set of truly strange books I've ever read. My friend Jessica recommended it, and I kept putting it off. When I finally picked up the first one I couldn't quit. I read the entire trilogy within a month and became more engrossed in this story than any I had with any book in a very long time. It blows my mind that someone could think to write about these peculiar children with such talent and incredible lives that it's astounding. This series is a must read. It will definitely broaden your imagination.


24.  Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes 

May 24th, 2016

You need to read the first book by Kepnes in order to truly appreciate this story. Let me remind you Stephen King even said that Kepnes's writing was hypnotic. These are stories for adults with adult content and language. It follows the life of a deranged murderer who is afraid his past will come back to find him so he must cover all tracts. It's creepy and might make you a little paranoid for a while, but it's so suspenseful that it's impossible to put down once you've started. You've been warned.

25.  When First they Met by Debbie Macomber 
May 26th, 2016

This entire Rose Harbor series is relaxing, sweet, and an all around good read. I enjoyed reading these about half way through the year to give myself a nice, calm little break. They are fast reads and are based around a woman who's husband was killed in war. She goes out on her own to find peace and ends up opening a bed & breakfast. Each book goes through her friendships and stories of her guests. The guests have some interesting reasons for being in town, but overall it's just a nice easy read. I love Macomber's writing style as well. This book is the short story that starts off the series. It's technically classified as book 0.5.

26.  Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber 
June 3rd, 2016

See number 25

Book 1 in the Rose Harbor Series

27.  Rose Harbor in Bloom by Debbie Macomber 
June 15th, 2016

See number 25

Book 2 of the Rose Harbor Series

28.  Rooms by James Rubart 
June 17th, 2016

A friend from work recommended this book, and it is one I highly recommend. It is a Christian based story with so many ups, downs, twists, and turns that it took me the entire book to figure out what was actually happening. A young successful man inherits a house that keeps adding rooms filled with things he needs to see. Every time he goes back to his life in the big city he loses a piece of his life at the house. By the end of the book I was binge reading until my eyes would burn just to know what happened. It's a truly interesting book that you need to add to your reading list.

29.  Last One Home by Debbie Macomber 
June 26th, 2016

A woman finds herself down and out of luck when she gets the opportunity to build a home for herself and her daughter with Habitat for Humanity. Her story is a hard one, but a sweet story and I felt better after reading. Debbie Macomber has that easy way to make you love her characters and she doesn't disappoint with this one.

30.  Murder House by James Patterson 
July 12th, 2016

This was an entertaining read, but it was classic James Patterson. If you haven't read many or any of his books, I absolutely recommend you go do that right now. You can come back and read my reviews later. He's a classic. If you have read him, you understand that his style of writing and story lines can start to sound similar. I love to read one of his books occasionally, but this one isn't the best.

31.  Love Letters by Debbie Macomber 
July 18th, 2016

See number 25

Book 3 in the Rose Harbor Series

32.  Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber
July 25th, 2016

See number 25

Book 4 in the Rose Harbor Series

33.  The Paris Wife by Paula McLain 
August 8th, 2016

If you like Ernest Hemingway you will find this book interesting. If you don't like him, go ahead and move to the next book on the list. Ernest is one of my favorite authors so I thought this story was incredibly interesting. It's told from the point of view of his first wife, Hadley. Although it's not completely factual and there have been things added for entertainment sake, it seems to give an honest description of the time periods, incidents, and travels of the couple. It also gives some insight from her point of view what happened with Ernest up until he committed suicide.

34.  The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones
August 13th, 2016

See number 18

35.  Broken Harbor by Tana French 
August 16th, 2016

This was a fairly good story. The writing was good, but the actual story lost my attention for a while. While reading parts of it, I just kept thinking that a few of the issues they discussed, researched, and investigated were kind of silly. It's set around a murder of a family in modern day America. They were one of the first families living in a neighborhood by the ocean that was promised to be worth three times the value after the company finished construction on everything. When the contractors move out leaving things in shambles and then an entire family is found dead or injured, things get interesting. Again, I like the main story, but some details should have been changed.  

36.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 
August 19th, 2016

I was not impressed. Truly, this book was quite a let down for me. Yes, there is a girl that goes missing, but nothing ever really gets solved and after the initial disappearance I thought the rest of the story was just kind of 'fluff' so to speak. I was really excited about this one too because all my friends told me it was 'spooky' or 'haunting'. I kept waiting for it to get better, but sadly it never did. If you liked it let me know what you enjoyed about it in the comments below!

-Kayla

Announcement... We're Both Engaged!

Who would have ever thought that the two girls that started the blog promoting independence, loving yourself, and ideas and projects to keep you too busy to wonder where Mr. Right is are both engaged? Yep, it happened, Caroline and I are both engaged. We have both found incredible men, and we are both in the process of planning weddings and rearranging our lives to accommodate the men we love. We want to share these moments with you and bring you into our lives. If you want to know about our relationships... Keep reading.


Kayla's Engagement Story
Let me start by saying that I expected this day to happen about as much as the rest of the world did, which was very little. I had learned to accept and appreciate being single, and then God put this man right in front of me. I couldn't walk away. He was everything I had every prayed for and more. It's like God finally said, "He's now ready for you, and you are now ready for him. You're welcome." I could not begin to tell you how thankful I am for the fact that God is trusting me to be this man's wife. James has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever met. He makes me laugh like a kid, he loves me unconditionally, and his family has accepted me with open arms. Our relationship is full of practical jokes, encouraging and supporting each other, and enjoying life together. We are keeping God at the center of our relationship. We have began a 52 week devotional and we are going to finish it before we get married next March. It is really bringing us closer to our Lord and each other. Ok, now what you've been waiting for... the engagement story...


James had told me we were having dinner with his parents so I began to get ready. I was upstairs drying my hair when he came over. He asked me to come downstairs for a minute where he gave me a card. (This is not unusual for him so I wasn't expecting anything.) Little did I know inside of the card was a key. A key 'to his heart' so to speak. In my kitchen was the lock that had the most beautiful diamond on it. He opened the lock, got down on one knee, and asked me to be his wife. I can't tell you his exact words because I was so shocked that I really don't remember. It was perfect for us. It was just he and I in the kitchen of my house, which will be our house come next March. It was creative, personal, and the most wonderful day. I couldn't be more excited to spend the rest of my life standing beside this man. James was  shocked that I didn't cry, and quite frankly so was I. I always cry and all my friends know that. When he proposed I ended up laughing for about 3 hours instead. My face literally hurt from smiling and laughing uncontrollably. Hey, my reaction was strange, but I couldn't control it. Did I mention the diamond in my ring came from his mother's engagement ring??? She gave me her diamond and we had it set in a new band. Needless to say I squalled like a baby. I have never felt more loved, accepted, or appreciated for who I am. This is only the beginning, and trust me when I say I can't wait to see what's to come.


Also, we are remodeling my house. Stay tuned for before and after pictures. Also, check back soon for Caroline's engagement story!
Love,
Kayla

Caroline's Engagement Story

Just like my dear friend said above, I think people expected me to get engaged and find love about as much as I expected it for myself... never ever. About a month or so before my soon to be husband, Todd, and I met I had told God I was perfectly fine with being single for the rest of my life. The difference between saying it that time verses four years ago, is that I actually meant it this time... But God had better plans. That's when the one and only Todd Holman asked me on a date. 

Todd and I went to the same high school but he was a few years ahead of me, so I never got the chance to get to know him... but boy do I remember thinking he was the cutest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. Fast forward 10 or so years later to the day he asked me on a date, because mutual friends said we might be a good match. My initial thought was, "Absolutely not. I remember this guy! Football player, Shady McShady, womanizer, out of my league.... etc, etc." Little did I know, he actually is the complete opposite of womanizer and shady and happens to be the most gentle and respectful man I know. I decided to go on a date and give Holman a chance, and the rest is history, except for the funny part where a cow C-section ruined the engagement. (This is not a joke).

The weekend that Todd asked me to spend forever with him I got stuck being "on call" for my job working with a Veterinarian. When I'm on call, there is about a 10% chance I will actually have to assist with an emergency animal situation that takes longer than an hour or so. Taking his chances, Todd had planned to propose to me this particular evening. To make a long story short, I'm elbow deep in a cow's stomach assisting with a C-section when I feel my phone buzz. Once I got cleaned up, I checked my phone to find a message from Todd explaining how upset he was that I couldn't make it to dinner. I had NO idea that he had set up the most perfect evening for me so that he could propose.... How's that for bad luck?

The very next week Todd told me to meet him at his grandparent's house for dinner. I showed up to the most beautiful candle light dinner which he set up on the mountain over looking our hometown. We watched the sunset, laughed about finally having a date night to ourselves, and he asked me to walk to the edge of the overlook with him to finish watching the sunset. (I may or may not have joked about pushing him off the bluff, totally oblivious to the fact he was about to ask for my hand in marriage. Sorry babe). He got on one knee and I immediately started crying, which instantly turned into an excited scream of something along the lines of, "ARE YOU FOR REAL? WE'RE DOING THIS?! YES! YES!" We spent the next few hours celebrating with family.

Being in love and finding "the one" has been one heck of a ride for me. Most of our date nights have been entertaining my precious daughter Adalee (who happens to think Todd hung the moon), a couple of hours here and there binge watching Netflix, and lots of late night dinners after a 12 hour shift, but Todd never complained. Never compared our relationship to any body else, never asked me to bend over backwards to make our relationship meet the world's standards of a perfect relationship. We've kept God in the center and continue to do so because after all, He's the one who put this hunk of a man in my life for forever. 

One of my closest friends and I went out for dinner tonight and she said, "I hope I find a Todd Holman. Every girl deserves a Todd Holman." I couldn't agree with her more. Every woman deserves a man who honors her, encourages her, builds her up when she makes mistakes, laughs with her, respects her, offers countless messages after a long day, supports her dreams and accepts her flaws (because I have enough to go around), and as much as I hate to admit it, puts her in her place when she needs it (ya'll know we need it more often then not so better to accept it now). 

Kayla and I are so excited to start the next stages in our life of wedding planning, remodeling, building, managing time and money, and just down right livin'. We can't wait to share our dos and don'ts in this thing called life. 

-Caroline

Love Is Not Dead, We Are

Let me introduce to you a talented young woman by the name of Deidre Miller. Deidre wrote the following passage as she prepares to write a book which is sure to be incredible. I love that she is letting me share it with you. Her insight and perspective is amazing and her writing is to the point and beautiful. Do yourself a favor and keep reading!

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) As I sit here on this beach watching the sun rise, my breath is suddenly taken away. I cannot place into words the beauty of this scene before my eyes. I arrived at Folley Beach, South Carolina just in time to encounter this beautiful sight. I knew instantly, God had led me here. I have been struggling with a great deal of a pain within me for a long time. I decided I needed to escape for a while, so I jumped in my car and went to the one place I knew I could clear my head, the ocean. Instantly, I knew, I was meant to reach out to the world. I needed to reach out to those who had experienced "heartache", which was one too many. 

There comes a time in life when we fall in love. Just like this sunrise, ocean breeze, and sound of waves before me, you cannot describe the beauty and passion of love with words. Love is much deeper than words. We cannot control love for someone from developing anymore than we can control the sun from rising each day. When your soul tells you, that is the one, you begin to consume yourself with that specific human. You end up falling so deeply in love that you fail to notice how far you are falling. Love occurs this way because it is unspoken. 

I gaze to my right and notice a young couple. They were watching the same gorgeous scene I had been, but something beautiful occurred. The beautiful girl had her eyes feasted in the sky awaiting the sun to rise. The handsome boy wasn't watching the scene directly; he was watching it through her eyes. Tears began to fill my eyes because that love is so rare. It is so rare that we think it doesn't exist anymore. 

My mother once told me, with love, comes great loss. We must love every single person as if it were the last time you would ever see them again. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. 

With every relationship, we reach a dull or hard time. The devil plots that against us the moment he sees God doing good for our lives. Why is it that we let him win? We live in a world where giving up is so easy. Ask yourself this, what if God gave up and quit loving me? The world would cease to exist as we know it. 

Instead of pushing ourselves through the hard time, we walk away, fall short to temptation, fear love, hate the thought of settling down, and crush hearts every day. 

I always thought I knew what heart ache was all about until my last breakup. Believe me when I tell you, our relationship was as close to perfect as you could imagine. He was my best friend, I spent ninety percent of my time with, I was myself with him, and I fell in love. His love for God set me over the edge. I do not think I will ever come out of this the same way I went in. My soul told me, he is the one. Temptation showed itself into our relationship about six months in, and he fell short. He became torn. Instead of fighting, he gave up. Who knows, maybe he couldn't forgive himself. I asked myself why, became consumed in sadness, quit taking care of myself, and begged God to help and take this pain away. I will return to that in a later chapter. 

God spoke to me and said, "enlighten the world on love, and let me speak of love through you since you are one of the few who believe in love left." I then spoke with some friends and they encouraged me to do so as well, so here I am. 

I only have two rules before we carry on.

• The first rule: do not enter this book with hatred in your heart toward love. You cannot be bitter toward love, say you're better off alone, or that you will never settle down. 

If what I have said to you this far has bothered you, and made you roll your eyes, close this book. You can return to this book when you are ready and less bitter about the word love. 

• My second rule is simple. This book is coming from God. He is speaking through me to you. In order to understand, we must be willing to hear his word, and let him speak. I want you to clear your mind for one moment. Pretend that you have never heard the word love before. 

After you have committed to my two rules, let us define the real meaning of love. 

Love,

Deidre

Spring Cleaning

Over the weekend I had some extra time on my hands and a boyfriend that was generous enough to donate his time and effort to helping me make my yard look beautiful for spring. In one afternoon we converted my pretty boring front yard into a place I can't wait to spend more time in.

The flowers hanging on the left and right side of the porch were a gift from my boyfriend's mother. I hung my bird feeder in the middle because it gives a better view of the birds from the inside of my house, and it keeps everything even looking. (All my fellow OCD people will appreciate that). The chandelier above the bed is one of my favorite details as well. It came from an old junk store in town and I painted it and hung some pearls and gems from it. It gives an excellent bohemian touch.

This bird bath came from Lowe's and was the last one they had. Since it was out on display we were able to talk them down on the price by 20%. Yes, you can negotiate with Lowe's. I don't like paying full price for anything. The white rock was a nice touch around the bird bath, but my landscaper might hate me for putting it there. (Sorry, Adam)

This is the view from my door. I have a small fern sitting on either side of the door in a turquoise pot. It matched the wreath on the door which I didn't even notice until I got it all set up. I love when things just come together!

The front two coral/ green pillows came from a yard sale as well. I love this daybed outside for reading or just enjoying the weather. Fortunately my house is faced at the perfect angle and rain never blows under the porch so the bed stays dry. I would recommend checking on the weather at your home before investing in something like this.

This wreath would be super easy to make, but I'll admit I didn't make mine. I found this wreath at a yard sale. The original cost was $5, but my boyfriend only handed me $3 and told me to do get a deal. Believe it or not, they accepted my $3 offer, and now this wreath matches perfectly on my porch. All the crafty ladies out there could definitely make this, but I doubt you could make it for $3 or less unless you already had the materials. I love it either way.

My favorite weather is bird chirping weather.

-Kayla

Let's Talk Antlers

So recently, after searching Pinterest and seeing some really great and creative ideas, I went and 'borrowed' some antlers from my dad. Fortunately the men in my family hunt so I don't have to buy any fake antlers. I have the real deal. The even cooler part is that my dad can look at every set of antlers and tell you when and where he killed that particular deer. I've shared some pictures below of things that I hope to create in my free time in the upcoming weeks. I'm a big fan of one of a kind pieces, and if these turn out well, I may start taking orders. Check back for updates soon!

The picture below, 'love you deerly' is something I hope to make for my dad for Father's Day. I'm going to attach real antlers where these are painted on and place a picture of our family where the flowers are. I'll post pictures if it comes out ok.

-Kayla

Books I've read so far in 2016: No Spoilers

 Let's get one thing out of the way, I haven't followed the reading list I blogged about a couple months back. I started getting overwhelmed when I actually sat down and started looking at all the books available to be from my local Public Library in e-book format. Yes, they send them right to my kindle. The weather where I'm from has also not been the best. This winter has brought much more snow than anticipated, so I've had much more time to read. My goal for the year is 52 books, but I'm well on my way to surpass that. I might even double it. As of yesterday I've read 13 books this year, and I want to share with you my opinions on them along with the dates that I finished them.

1.     Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

January 1, 2016

My goal for January 1st this year was to read a book cover to cover in one day. I'm glad I chose Eleanor and Park because it's a wonderful book to start the year out with. Most of us never see what actually happens in people's lives at home outside of work or school, and this book gives an inside look at what some people might be going through. This book will humble you and make you appreciate the family you have. Not only did it keep my attention, but it made me more aware of what people around me might be going through. It teaches of being less self-centered and reaching out to others. You truly never know how good people can be if they receive a little help. There's also a love story mixed in, but I won't spoil it for you.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

January 5, 2016

I'm sure everyone knows the story line of To Kill a Mockingbird, but just in case you don't, this book is about two children of an attorney in town that has agreed to represent a black man for a crime against a white woman. Discrimination is a big topic in this book, and it teaches several lessons about life and acceptance of people regardless of age, skin color, education, or occupation. This is a classic, and if you haven't read it you need to do so.... NOW. There is no American classic better than this one. I have the sequel to this book which is called Go Set a Watchman that I plan to start soon.

3. The Liar by Nora Roberts

January 10, 2016

If you know of Nora Roberts than you know this is most definitely a suspenseful book. When a woman's husband goes missing and she finds a safe deposit box full of secrets along with an unbelievable amount of debt she didn't know about she has to start out life again back at her mom's house. She is struggling to fit in back in her home town with her daughter and trying to find answers to all her questions. Clearly, she should have just left her suspicions to herself. I found myself wanting to skip entire pages (I didn't actually do it though) just to see what happened.

4. Maybe this Christmas by Sarah Morgan

January 19, 2016

I'll be honest, if you need a sappy love story that actually has a pretty good story line, this is the book for you. I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. For some reason I imagined this book having must more depth. If you are just looking for something to read on a snowy day like I was though, this is a good pick. I don't know if I could read this book any other time of year just because it is set around the winter time and a cold climate. A ski lodge to be exact. You'll have to let me know what you think.

5. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, & Lauren Myracle

January 20, 2016

There are three stories in this book. Each one is as good as the last. I would also prefer to read this during a cold time of year such as winter, but the stories are wonderful and put together nicely. This one is pretty high on my list for a winter read!

6. A Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne

January 21, 2016

A friend let me borrow this book, and I am so thankful she did. Get ready to laugh and cry. This book is set in a Children's Hospital around Christmas. Two young healthy boys volunteer at the hospital, and it changes their lives forever. This book also lets you see into the side most of us try not to think about and that is a parent with a terminally ill child. Their life and their needs are no longer the same. This book is heartwarming and just what I needed. You'll be humbled.

7. The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark

January 27, 2016

I have a soft spot for Mary Higgins Clark anyway, but this book is amazing. If your looking for suspense this is it! This book has everything from an interior designer, a missing man, embezzlement of billions of dollars, people wanting in on the action at every turn, survivors, love, and a crazy plot twist that I never saw coming.  I seriously never saw the ending coming. I was completely blind sighted, and I loved every minute of it.

8. November 9 by Colleen Hoover

February 5, 2016

No wonder this book has been such a success. It has a great story line. Two young adults meet up on the same day every year. He encourages her to live her life to the fullest after a tragic accident and she encourages him to write a book. This is another book that left me in awe. I never even imagined how these two lives would combine every November 9. I was physically angry at a character in this book if that tells you anything. I recommended it to all of my friends.

9. You by Caroline Kepnes

February 8, 2016

This book is nothing but creepy. Let me advise you not to read this if you live alone or are squeamish in any way. I had trouble getting through this book because of the language used as well so you have been warned. Stephen King actually released a quote saying that this book was thrilling and scary. I don't even have words for this book. It completely freaked me out, but I couldn't put it down.

10. The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

February 13, 2016

This book is definitely out of character from the rest on this list so far. I found this book on the NYT Best Sellers list and had to read it just because of the title. The first 5 chapters left me scratching my head wondering what in the heck was going on. If it does the same to you just take my advise and KEEP READING. This book is insane and good. I read this in just a couple days. It's hilarious and it has a story line that I have never in my life heard of. I'm sure if I read it again I could find holes in the plot, but as far as I'm concerned it was a good book. This book also has one of my Favorite Characters in it, Erwin.

11. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

February 14, 2016

There is no better way to describe this book than by it's actual review from the NYT....

"Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . ."

This book is told my a couple different points of view in order to see the consequences from different perspectives. It took me a few chapters to really grasp each character, but this plot twist is worth the entire story. I would have never thought of that! This book actually gets a little deeper into emotional connections and feelings of guilt and remorse.

12. The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

February 19, 2016

I CAN'T EVEN..... THIS BOOK.....

This book ripped out all of my heart strings. It physically pained me to read this, but it also had a story that I couldn't put down. This book tells a first hand perspective of being raped and surviving a school shooting. It's brutally honest, its scary, and it's painful to read, but it's SOOOO worth it.

13. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

February 23, 2016

I finished this book last night, and all day I have been so grateful for what my life has become. More often than not, we look away from people with disabilities and try not to draw attention to it. This book draws complete attention and goes into depth about the struggles of a spinal cord energy and the relationships of those involved in the healing process. It also raises the question of can you ever really heal? With a Dr. Kevorkian twist and a six month limit this book is one you should read. It's not suspenseful or action packed, but it's honest and heartfelt. The movie will come out this summer!

-Kayla