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Books Set In Texas

March 27, 2019 by Lynn Leave a Comment

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Are you interested in learning more about the state of Texas? This list of books set in Texas will help you learn more about the state and the people that live there.

We are continuing our journey through the U.S by reading through the states. So far we have covered books set in Oklahoma and books set in California. Today’s list is all about the great state of Texas.

Texas is a big state with a lot of books based in it or about it. It is the second largest state in the U.S. The only state larger land mass wise is Alaska. There are so many books about Texas that it was hard to narrow it down. Our list contains some of our recent reads about the people, the places, the history, and the weather of Texas.

If we missed a book that you think should be added to the list please, leave a comment letting us know. We love finding new books.

The Magnolia Story

A list of books about Texas and the people who live there doesn’t seem complete without a book about Chip and Joanna Gaines. They have created a hugely popular business based in Waco, Texas. In many ways they have changed Waco and people’s perception of the that part of Texas. The Magnolia Story book is a book all about Chip and Joanna Gaines, but it also incorporates a lot of the life and culture of Waco, Texas and the surrounding area.

When the Men Were Gone

When the Men Were Gone is a novel, but is based on a true story of a Texas football team during WWII. If you know anything about Texas than you know that they love their football. This book shares an inspirational story about a small town in Texas during the war and how they kept their love of football alive. I loved this book and have recommended it many times since I read it.

The Storm of the Century

The Storm of the Century is a great read for anyone interested in science and weather. I think it would be a great non-fiction book for teens. The book is all about the Gulf Coast Hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900.

Six Years with the Texas Rangers

Six Years with the Texas Rangers is a great book about Texas and the Texas Rangers after they were reorganized years after the Civil War. If you are a Texan or love Texan history, check this book out because it is well worth reading.

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is an interesting book with a lot of insight into the culture of Texas and football. If you enjoy football and football life this is a book you will probably enjoy.

A Texas Ranger

A Texas Ranger is a fun memoir about being a Texas Ranger. I think teens would also really enjoy this great book.

Trouble In Texas

Need a fun mindless clean romance read? Mary Conneally has a series based in Texas that both Grace and I have read. Book one is Swept Away. Book two is Fired Up. And book three is Stuck Together. These books are predictable and some what cheesy, but are good clean romance type of books.

Catch ‘Em Alive Jack

John Abernathy had a very interesting life that is definitely worth learning about. John was a true western man who was born and raised in Teas. He loved the land and loved to hunt. He even hunted with Theodore Roosevelt on several occasions. Catch ‘Em Alive Jack is Abernathy’s vivid account of his life.

Ticker: The Quest to Create an Artificial Heart

Did you know that the history of the artificial heart and other medical advancements regarding the heart happened in Texas? Grace and I haven’t read the book Ticker, but my husband has and he loved it. I don’t think very many people know how influential Texas and Texans were when it comes to the heart and heart surgeries. If you love science and medicine type books, or know someone that does, this is a great book.

The Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

No Texas book list would be complete with The Hank the Cowdog series. These books are for kids, but my teens still read and love them. Hank the Cowdog has a busy life from fending off coyotes from his ranch, disturbing the cat, and keeping his owners pleased. The first Hank the Cowdog book introduces the reader to Hank and his eventful life on a ranch in Texas. The book creates a goofy picture of ranch life that kids love.

Shadow Riders

Grace loves Louis L’amour, and Shadow Riders is one of her favorites. Louis L’amour is able to pack so much into his books. This story is set in Texas and the characters in it are great. It is nothing like the movie that has Tom Selleck in it. The book is better.

The Lone Star Ranger

The Lone Star Ranger is another western book set in the state of Texas. Grace loved this book. The story line is fascinating. She doesn’t love all Zane Grey books, but this one she really enjoyed.

Have a book about Texas that you love? Leave a comment letting us know what it is. We would love to hear your favorites.

14 New Book Reviews

March 19, 2019 by Lynn Leave a Comment

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Did you know that we have over 400 book reviews on our site now? We have been working hard to get more reviews up because we want to help you find more great books.

Today, we have fourteen new fiction and nonfiction book reviews to share with you. The list includes some of the books that I have read and some that Grace has read. It includes some nonfiction and some fiction. It also includes some books that we loved and some books that weren’t really for us.

We hope that you find something to add to your TBR list. If you have read any of them, we would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment letting us know if you agree or disagree with us.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Death in the City of Light

We Were the Lucky Ones

American Fire

Where the Red Fern Grows

Dreamland Burning

Have you read any good books lately? Leave a comment letting us know what you have been reading!

Books For Guys (What My Husband Is Reading)

March 11, 2019 by Lynn Leave a Comment

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So many of the book reviews in the book blogging world, and the world of books on social media, are from women. That is not a bad thing, but it means that much of what is shared is modern day fiction.

Modern day fiction is not what Grace and I read a lot of. It is not what my husband reads either. I am guessing that not a lot of guys are reading most of the popular modern day fiction because it is geared towards women. So what are men reading?

I am sure men are reading a wide range of books just like women are, but there are not a lot of books lists geared towards men. We want to help change that.

Have you ever wanted book suggestions to encourage your husband or son to read more? Or have you ever wanted to get a book for a guy that enjoys reading, but did not know what book to get? Maybe you are a guy reading this and are looking for book recommendations.

We want to help!

Since the book blogging and social media world are full of view points from women, I thought it would be fun to occasionally share what my husband is reading. We want to help you find great books for the guys in your life and thought this would be a fun way to do it.

These won’t be monthly reading lists, but I do plan to share them occasionally. Because of my husband’s schedule and the fact that his job requires a lot of reading, he doesn’t read as much as Grace and I do, but he does read and I am looking forward to sharing some of what is on his reading list.

He reads a wide range of books, including history, science, Christian topics, theology, and biographies. Some of the books he reads are ones that Grace and I recommend, but others are on subjects he just enjoys learning about.

My husband also listens to a lot of audio books, so not all of these are books he read. Some of them he listened to while driving to work etc.

I hope it helps you add a few things to your TBR list. Or that it helps you add a few books to the man in your life’s TBR list.

Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Bad Blood Secrets and Lies In a Silicon Valley Start Up by John Carreyon

Ticker by Mimi Swartz

Killing England by Bill O’Reilly

Being There by Dave Furman

Being a Dad Who Leads by John MacArthur ( Listened to audio book)

ESV Readers Bible – This is what he uses for his Bible reading. I bought him this for Christmas two years ago and he loves the format of it. It is set up more like a book than the Bible without the markings of chapters and verses. It is set up more like the Bible originally would have been. Since the format is so different it is a nice way to change up daily Bible reading. I need to do a whole review on this Bible set. Or actually maybe I should have my husband write a review of this Bible and why he likes it.

What I’m Reading

March 9, 2019 by Lynn 2 Comments

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It is time for another What I’m Reading list! It has been awhile since I shared what I have been reading. Grace and I used to do these posts all the time, but haven’t done a lot of them recently. We are hoping to change and want to start sharing a list of what we have recently read.

Grace and I both read a wide variety of books, so these lists are always fun to share. This month I am sharing my list of what I’ve been reading, and Grace will share her list soon.

As you can see from the picture above, I read a wide range of topics in the last month. I normally have several books going at once. It usually includes a fiction and several nonfiction books. When it comes to nonfiction, I read all kinds of topics. I enjoy memoirs, history, Christian books, biographies, and lots of other topics.

I like to vary what I read, so that I don’t get bored with what I am reading. I don’t always agree with everything I am reading, but reading varying topics pushes me outside of my comfort zone and keeps me from getting into a reading slump.

Here is a list of what I have been reading. It includes a short review of each book.

We Were the Lucky Ones

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter is now on my list of favorite fiction books. I am picky when it comes to novels and fiction, but I loved this book. It is fiction, but it is based on the author’s real life family. Click here for my full review of We Were the Lucky Ones.

American Fire

I read American Fire by Monica Hesse as part of my non-fiction books for every state challenge. It is another one of those books that I doubt I would have read if it hadn’t been for my challenge. It was also another one of those books that I am so glad that the challenge encouraged me to read it.

I can’t say that I loved this book because it was a hard book to read. It is a book about fire and crime in rural Virginia. The book is in a way a journalistic type of book, but at the same time it is a page turner that at times I could not put down. Click here for my full review of American Fire.

Carnegie’s Maid

If you enjoy historical fiction, I think you will love this book. I can see why it has gotten so much attention on social media. The reviews of it have been great. The writing is well done and creative.I have mixed thoughts on it though, but I usually do when it comes to fiction. You can read my full review and thoughts here.

Miss Kopp Won’t Quit

Miss Kopp Won’t Quit by Amy Stewart is the fourth book in the Kopp Sister’s series. I have read all of the books in this series and really enjoyed them. You can read my full review here.

A Picture of Murder

A Picture of Murder by T E Kinsey is the fourth book in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series. I have read all the books in this series and love them! They are a cozy mystery type of book. Click here for my full review.

In the Heart of the Sea

Grace has been trying to get me to read this book for a long time. It is one of her favorite books. I finally moved it to the top of my TBR list. I started it on audio and finished it in book form. The audio version of this was great, but I switched to the book form when I was sick and had time for some reading. Click here for a full review.

Grand Forks

Grand Forks by Marilyn Hagerty is a fun book for those that love food or that live in or have traveled to North Dakota. I bought this ebook when it was on sale for only a dollar or two. I knew that it would work perfectly for my nonfiction books for every state challenge because it is all about Grand Forks, North Dakota. Click here for a full review and more information.

Peace with God

Billy Graham authored many books over the course of his ministry. Peace with God is a book he wrote in his early years. I have read many Christian books over the years, but this is the first book by Billy Graham that I have read. Last year, I had someone tell me that if I was going to read a book by Billy Graham this was the one to read. For more of my thoughts about this book click here.

White Darkness

The White Darkness by David Grann is an interesting read about exploration to the south pole. It is a man’s journey through incredible circumstances. For a full review click here.

The Expository Genius of John Calvin

One of my reading goals for this year is to read more Christian biographies. I love biographies and used to read Christian biographies all the time. Over the last few years I have not read very many of them and I want to work on changing that. I want to read a wide variety of biographies, so that I can learn more about people that I have never heard of or that I know very little about. So I am looking for unusual or lesser known Christian biographies.

The Expository Genius of John Calvin was one I picked up recently to read and I enjoyed it. It was not the best written biography that I have read, but it had a lot of information in it that I did not know. It was fairly short and easy to get through. I am glad that I read it and will probably pass it on to someone else that enjoys Christian biographies.

I would love to hear what you have been reading? Please leave a comment sharing your recent reads?

Book vs Movie “True Grit” Movie

March 7, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

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We love classic T.V. shows and movies. They are some of our favorites. Those old black and white shows and the old movies that many of our parents and grandparents grew up watching are classics.

Grace is the classic T.V. and movie expert at our house. She loves them. As a kid and teenager, she had several surgeries. During her recoveries, she discovered both her love for old T.V. shows and her love of western books.

Many of the old shows and movies are actually based on books, so Grace decided a few of them would be perfect for our book vs movie series. Today she is sharing her love of True Grit.

I have always enjoyed both reading and watching westerns. I watched the movie True Grit a few years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I did not realize at first that there was a True Grit book.

I found the book at a used bookstore, and since I loved the movie, I had to buy the book.

As usual the book and movie are slightly different. Some of the events are not quite the same in the book vs movie, but overall they did a great job adapting this book to a movie.

One thing that drove me nuts is that in the book snow and winter is mention, but in the movie there is warmer weather for the most part.

Another thing that was different is that in the movie is that mountains and other such views can be seen, but in the book mountains are not really mentioned like in the movies.

Also the movie over dramatizes many scenes to keep the viewer watching. I understand why they did this, but sometimes I feel like the book is slightly more realistic than the movie.

A few of the characters are different too, but that didn’t annoy me to much because most of them were almost the exact same or at least very similar.

Since I had watched the movie, I could kind of see what the people looked like and not the other way around. When I was reading the book, the versions of the characters from the movie came to my mind.

Overall, if you like western, you will enjoy both versions. It is a good book to movie adaption.

If you have read the book, but not seen the movie, I highly recommend you watch it. And if you have seen the movie, but had no idea that there was a book, I think you will enjoy the book as well.

They both keep the same plot line and are very similar compared to many book to movie adaptations. Both are worth the time to watch and read.

Have you read the book or watched the movie? I would love to hear what you thought of them.

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I would love to hear what you have been reading? Please leave a comment sharing your recent reads?