Ahh, books. An escape, enlightenment, encouragement, or just plain entertainment, you can find it all in the pages of a good book! I know we live in a digital era and you can easily read a book on a device, but I still hold an affinity for a physical book!

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More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson

Unscripted by Davis Bunn
Stephanie's Rating: 3 out of 5 bookmarks

Unscripted by Davis Bunn is a difficult book to review. I wanted to like this book: I enjoyed the writing, and the parts of the story that I could understand. However, I am not a behind-the-scenes movie buff, so for the vast majority of the plot of this novel - I was lost! On the other hand, if you are a movie buff, or would like to get an understanding of how movies are produced, you would probably really, really enjoy this book.

I was definitely drawn into this book from the first chapter and felt like I had been caught up in some fast action. Danny Byrd is in jail, but he's not guilty. Then all the sudden, he's out. But why and how? I was hooked! I wanted to know the story behind the story. Mr. Bunn has woven an intricate plot and involved some very strong personalities. He dives into issues of grief, betrayal, forgiveness, and man's inability to ever really live life "alone" in a personal bubble; we need one another.

In between all the interpersonal relationships, there is this story of playing for deep stakes in the corporate and movie world top echelon, and that is where I got lost. The second main character, Megan, is a lawyer, and she is digging to find the truth of what is really going on behind the scenes. But while she is obviously having flashes of inspiration and understanding, I was still sitting in the dark wondering what just happened.

The outcome of the story is a good "happily-ever-after" kind of ending, but I wasn't able to fully enjoy it, because I wasn't quite certain how we had arrived at that moment. Again, it's fully possible the fault is mine, and not that of the book.

So, I would not recommend this book to the casual reader. Conversely, if you are a movie lover, or understand corporate sharks, this book is for you! For the limited audience, I give this book 3 out of 5 bookmarks.





Stephanie Garrett is a busy homeschooling mom of three who somehow always finds time to read. She has been a voracious reader since childhood and even won a bicycle in elementary school for having read the most books! She enjoys learning and growing and never turns down an opportunity to try something new. Her first love is the Lord and service to Him, second is family, and third...is reading. She believes that anyone who learns to read with comprehension can go anywhere and do anything! She also enjoys music, theatre, sewing, and mathematics.



Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

Star of Persia by Jill Eileen Smith
Stephanie's rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

Jill Eileen Smith does a wonderful job fictionalizing the life of Esther of the Bible. As she said herself, Esther's story has been told and retold many times. Still, she did a great job in her chosen realm of Biblical fiction when she chose to tackle the much-loved story of Queen Esther.

The Bible really doesn't give us more than the bare bones about Esther's remarkable rise from a young orphan girl living with her much older cousin, to the position of Queen of much of the then-known world. God was obviously at work behind the scenes, setting the stage for the rescue of His Chosen People even in the land of their previous captivity.

Ms. Smith carefully brings us into the life and times of the Israelites of those days. The food, the clothing, the customs - all work together to set the mood for the life of the young Esther. Then, when she is whisked away to a new and unknown world, we are introduced with her to the new life of opulence and the grandeur of the palace.

By carefully crafting personalities and peoples, Ms. Smith is able to fill in the gaps of the Biblical account, while still staying true to the parts that we do know. It is obvious that much thought and research went into each piece of this masterfully woven novel.

I really enjoyed reading this account of Esther's life. However, my one disappointment was that the book ended much weaker than it started, or even than the main body of the story continued. I felt a little let down at the end, like the story petered out, and didn't really reach a climax.

Also, because of the intimate nature of the story of Esther, I couldn't recommend this book to anyone unmarried, and certainly not to a male reader. Though Ms. Smith did her best to be discreet and not add explicit or inappropriate exchanges, there is no way to tell the story of Esther without at least some telling of relationship between a man and a woman. Kudos to her for doing a great job at keeping it as clean as possible; her scenes are not at all smutty.

In all, I enjoyed reading this book, but because of the weak ending, I can't give it a full 5 bookmarks. This book earns a solid 4 out of 5 bookmarks.





Stephanie Garrett is a busy homeschooling mom of three who somehow always finds time to read. She has been a voracious reader since childhood and even won a bicycle in elementary school for having read the most books! She enjoys learning and growing and never turns down an opportunity to try something new. Her first love is the Lord and service to Him, second is family, and third...is reading. She believes that anyone who learns to read with comprehension can go anywhere and do anything! She also enjoys music, theatre, sewing, and mathematics.



Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson
Stephanie's Rating: 5 out of 5 bookmarks

Do you like to go camping? Are you into the micro-house movement? Do you enjoy an off-the-beaten-path romance? This will be a fun book for you!

Melody Carlson must have really enjoyed writing The Happy Camper. Not only did we get a fun story, we also got a mini interior design session on someone else's money. What could be more fun!

Dillon Michaels (a female) has decided to go home. "Home" for her is her grandparents' house where she spent most of her growing up years. After working hard straight out of college, and a dead-end boyfriend, she just needs to go to a place where planting a garden is the need of the day, and where just sitting on a porch is an acceptable activity. One problem—her mother, with whom she has a tense relationship, has already beat her to the grandparents' house, and has moved in to Dillon's old room. All that is left is the lumpy couch. Enter... the old trailer.

This novel walks with Dillon as she learns how to let go and live again, as she builds a relationship with her mom like never before, finds comfort in her faith in God, remodels an old trailer, and even steps out to explore a new relationship with a man from town. I personally had a good laugh when the old boyfriend comes around again. He was a great counterfoil for the new guy. This book has a good flow and will keeping you reading even as you are confident there will be a happily-ever-after. Definitely a light and relaxing read.

I would recommend this book to a more mature audience, mainly because of the age of the characters involved. I'm not sure young readers would appreciate the caution that comes from experience, nor understand the way time can change a person. I think anyone age 25 and above would connect to this story.

For ease of reading, and a continually moving plot, I give this book 5 out of 5 bookmarks.





Stephanie Garrett is a busy homeschooling mom of three who somehow always finds time to read. She has been a voracious reader since childhood and even won a bicycle in elementary school for having read the most books! She enjoys learning and growing and never turns down an opportunity to try something new. Her first love is the Lord and service to Him, second is family, and third...is reading. She believes that anyone who learns to read with comprehension can go anywhere and do anything! She also enjoys music, theatre, sewing, and mathematics.



Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

Justice Delivered (Memphis Cold Case, Book #4) by Patricia Bradley
Lilian's Rating: 5 out of 5 bookmarks

Having never read any of Patricia Bradley's works, I was a little uncertain as to how I'd like them; however, she's very well known in the suspense world of fiction so I was definitely anticipating a well-rounded and fast-paced book and I wasn't disappointed!

Book Synopsis:

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. She's been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can't even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn't bring herself to report to the police is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.
When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has. But if that proves to be too little, too late--she'll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

Starting off with the characters... I have to give Bradley kudos for creating extremely endearing and lovable characters that really stick with you. I personally find it a little difficult to relate to characters sometimes and I didn't have a problem with Justice Delivered's characters whatsoever. I related to Carly Smith, the protagonist, a lot in the way she reacted to things emotionally and physically. I love how she wasn't afraid to fight back physically and that she had a quick head.

This story does deal heavily with the issue of sex trafficking and drugs, and although Bradley does a superb job of portraying it as something that readers shouldn't beat around the bush with and be aware of, it can trigger some people. Therefore, I'd definitely caution readers to be careful with such thematic elements, especially if they're younger or have had previous experiences dealing with said themes.

Patricia Bradley

That being said, the broaching of these subjects made it easier to relate to Carly and understand how she processes things and why she has trouble trusting anyone. Her views on law enforcement, although odd and seemingly paranoid, were well deserved, and because Logan (the male main character) was so empathetic to her it endeared him even more to me. He seemed really capable and protective as a police officer but still soft and understanding, and I thought it was interesting that at first she butted heads with him but with time grew to love him.

I also really appreciated the side storyline with the Raines family and Maggie. I also really like how this series is focused on cases that have gone cold, and how one piece of information can completely relight people's views on cases and turn the investigation around. Bradley certainly kept the stakes high with her experienced writing hand and page-turning plot, too!

Overall, Justice Delivered is definitely one of my favorite suspense stories I've read with its incredibly complex characters, rich themes, and racing plot. Recommended to mature readers for its more violent and difficult subjects.



NOTE: See our review of Book #3 of the Memphis Cold Case series.


Lilian S. has been a hardcore bookworm since the tender age of 7 and a book reviewer for a couple of years. She is currently a student and in her spare time enjoys singing, graphic designing, and interacting with other Christ-minded readers. A couple of her favorite genres in both books and movies are: Christian contemporary, fantasy, and dystopian. She occasionally enjoys science and historical fiction and likes a good suspense novel as well. Lilian is also an athlete (Ultimate Frisbee, anyone?), a blogger at Green Tea With Books, and founder at reviewer site Stellae Books.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

Standoff (Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Book #1) by Patricia Bradley
Sarah Grace's Rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

Patricia Bradley is one of those authors that is a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I greatly enjoyed her Memphis Cold Case series, so I decided to give her newest release a shot. And I'm glad I did! Standoff is one wild ride from chapter one.

Summary:

The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It's the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it's also perfect for moving drugs.
Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John's daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father's murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her.
Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who's going to keep him safe when he realizes he's falling--hard--for the daughter of the man he failed to save?

Brooke Danvers is a very convincing lead character, and I enjoyed following her story. I did find it hard to relate to her at times--whether this was because her character wasn't fleshed out well enough or because we're so dissimilar, I'm not sure. I did find myself empathizing with her, especially as she dealt with the grief over losing her dad. Luke Fereday, Brooke's counterpart, was a great character, and for some reason I found myself liking him as a main character more than I did Brooke. The details of his job were fascinating and I could feel his struggle as he tried to balance his job and his personal life and relationships.

As I said, from chapter one, the story doesn't stop! With dramatic suspense and a plethora of action scenes, I couldn't put this one down until I finished it. Bradley is a veteran writer, and that shows in Standoff. I love her laid-back, yet still engaging writing style. I enjoyed Brooke and Luke's romance, although at times I wanted to slap both characters upside their heads. Honestly, the ex-boyfriend-who-never-stopped-loving-her trope can bug me most times, but I didn't mind it too much in this book. It just worked.

Overall, Standoff is in engaging and suspenseful read that you won't be able to put down! If you love romantic suspense, this one definitely needs to be on your to-read list!




Sarah Grace is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called “Life”, she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a woodstove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other. A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things, and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. When not reading, spending time with her ever-growing family, or buried in a textbook, she can be found painting, playing the piano, producing music and audio dramas, web designing, fangirling with her sisters and friends, or discussing technology with her brothers. Sarah Grace inhabits the State of Great Lakes and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon

The Traitor's Pawn by Lisa Harris
Sarah Grace's Rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

The Traitor's Pawn is Lisa Harris's newest release from Revell. Harris has long ago established herself as one of my favorite suspense authors, so I was excited to get my hands on this one and dive deep!

Book Synopsis:

When FBI agent Jack Shannon arrives in Corpus Christi, Texas, he is focused on one thing: find the man who has been selling encrypted government secrets to the Chinese. But when a senator is shot during a hunting trip and the woman he was with is abducted, Jack agrees to join the search--especially when he discovers that the kidnapping victim is Aubrey Grayson, a woman he was once in love with.
As the search continues, it becomes clear the senator may not have been the intended victim--and Aubrey may be connected to the other case Jack is supposed to be working on. Can Jack untangle the knots before it's too late? And when he learns the truth, will it be too painful to get past?

The story starts out very action-packed and from there, you can't put it down. Aubrey Grayson is a very compelling character and easy to relate to. Her motivation is clear and the reader can't help but root for her. I enjoyed the romance between her and Jack, and appreciated that it took more of a backseat to the other events of the story. It made it so much more realistic. The ending wrapped up her character arc perfectly, but in a very authentic way.

Lisa Harris

Speaking of Jack, I really liked his character as well, although I just wish there was more of him. In most books like this one, the role of main character is equally shared between the male and female lead characters. However, Jack's point-of-view scenes were few and far between compared to Aubrey's. And as much as I appreciated the message the author was trying to get across with Aubrey's story, I would have loved to delve into Jack and his story more. As it was, he seemed more of a device to get Aubrey and the story where they needed to go. It left me wanting a sequel just to be able to learn more about Jack and get into his head more.

The story goes deep into the investigative side of things, which I enjoyed, although a little more action may have moved the story along faster. This was almost in the style of a Dee Henderson novel; heavy on the actual investigation and solving of the crime and light on the more action-packed scenes. I also appreciated the themes of forgiveness and redemption Harris included in the story; they were woven in very realistically.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed this release from Lisa Harris! If you are a fan of Dee Henderson and Lynette Eason, you'll definitely want to check out The Traitor's Pawn!




Sarah Grace is a voracious reader, and if it weren’t for this crazy thing called “Life”, she’d be tempted to spend all her days in front of a woodstove, book in one hand, coffee mug in the other. A lover of learning, she finds enjoyment in many things, and has more hobbies than she knows what to do with. When not reading, spending time with her ever-growing family, or buried in a textbook, she can be found painting, playing the piano, producing music and audio dramas, web designing, fangirling with her sisters and friends, or discussing technology with her brothers. Sarah Grace inhabits the State of Great Lakes and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

What’s So Wonderful About Webster by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick, Illustrated by Daniel Fernandez
Stephanie's Rating: 5 out of 5 bookmarks

What's So Wonderful About Webster is a kids' book that takes a Scriptural look at the fact that the Lord made us, and we are His handiwork! Through the experiences of Webster and his classmates during Field Day at school, we are reminded that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)

I enjoyed the way that Webster's parents are portrayed. They are supportive of their son without being fussy or allowing him to wallow in self-pity. They encourage him to seek God for help and provide Webster with Scripture that he can remember when he is alone. They are not preachy or gushy, they are simply doing the job of a parent.

The artwork of this book (see some sample pages) does a great job conveying emotion, which is very important for a kids' book. My children were able to correctly identify and relate to the emotional struggle Webster faces, and rejoice with him in the end. The colors are vivid, the scenes are fun, and together with the story, and memorable book was born.

As I parent, I don't mind reading this book over and over with my kids. It was a great conversation starter and causes you and your kids to be uplifted and reminded of God's great love for us!

I think kids aged 8 to 13 would most benefit from the message of this book, but kids as young as 5 will enjoy it and at least catch a glimpse of the message it is seeking to portray.

Great kid's book!





Stephanie Garrett is a busy homeschooling mom of three who somehow always finds time to read. She has been a voracious reader since childhood and even won a bicycle in elementary school for having read the most books! She enjoys learning and growing and never turns down an opportunity to try something new. Her first love is the Lord and service to Him, second is family, and third...is reading. She believes that anyone who learns to read with comprehension can go anywhere and do anything! She also enjoys music, theatre, sewing, and mathematics.



Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr

Two Steps Forward (The Deacon's Family Book #3) by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Lilian's Rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

Two Steps Forward is an incredibly well-written and thought out novel with charming characters and loads of character development! It's full of clever wit and definitely made me smile more than a couple of times.

Book Summary:

Back and broke in Stoney Ridge, Jimmy Fisher has coasted as long as he could through life on charm, good looks, and deep-set dimples. They always worked just fine for him--until they didn't. His smile has no effect on the violet-eyed beauty he met at the Bent N' Dent, the one with that stunning horse. She's offered him a job, but nothing else.
The last thing Sylvie Schrock King needs around Rising Star Farm is a grown boy working for her, especially her neighbor Edith's son. The woman holds a serious grudge against Sylvie and her son, and hiring Jimmy Fisher will only fan the flames of Edith's rancor. But Sylvie is desperate for help on the farm, and Jimmy understands horses like no one else.
While Jimmy's lazy smile and teasing ways steal Sylvie's heart, Edith is working on a way to claim her land. Has Sylvie made another terrible mistake? Or is it too late to outfox the fox? More importantly . . . just who is the fox?
Writing with both wit and warmth, Fisher delivers a supremely satisfying conclusion to the popular Deacon's Family series.

Suzanne Woods Fisher really writes well in the Amish genre and I found myself easily imagining the lifestyle that she writes into the book. I loved how this book wrapped up the series; it definitely offered some closure and tied up a couple of plot points and character flaws that I was waiting for, such as with the character of Izzy. She was the main character of Book #1 and a couple of things never got resolved with her, but Fisher really took her on a character development ride in this book that concluded well.

Fisher writes three-dimensional characters really well and I definitely saw that in Izzy as well as in the main character of Two Steps Forward, Sylvie King. Sylvie is definitely an interesting character; she has odd views of the Bible and often quoted from "the good Book" (which I took to mean the Bible) phrases that I could definitely tell weren't sourced from the Bible whatsoever, but rather quotes that a lot of people say, such as the Golden Rule for example. I personally found this a bit weird but I knew it would be resolved and corrected in the latter half of the book, which it was. That would be my only critique of the book; make sure you have a decently solid foundation and understanding of the Bible if you choose to read this book! Otherwise, I think Sylvie was a lovely character who had some fun quirks thrown in.

Overall, I was satisfied with the last book of The Deacon Family series! If you're looking for a fun and light-hearted series, I would highly recommend this one!



NOTE: See Lilian's review of Book #2 in this series.


Lilian S. has been a hardcore bookworm since the tender age of 7 and a book reviewer for a couple of years. She is currently a student and in her spare time enjoys singing, graphic designing, and interacting with other Christ-minded readers. A couple of her favorite genres in both books and movies are: Christian contemporary, fantasy, and dystopian. She occasionally enjoys science and historical fiction and likes a good suspense novel as well. Lilian is also an athlete (Ultimate Frisbee, anyone?), a blogger at Green Tea With Books, and founder at reviewer site Stellae Books.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

Nicole and JD are joined by audiobook narrator, BJ Harrison, for the whole episode to talk about reading the classics, his approach to narrating audiobooks, and they also discuss what is the best novel in the world. BJ also shares about his invention, the hybrid audiobook, and more. Nicole's Fact is about famous writings from isolation and JD's Tip is another tool to inspire expanding your reading horizons.


Download Episode 33

The Appetizer

What is the best novel in the world?

(Click to enlarge)

The Interview

B.J. Harrison - audiobook narrator and host of The Classic Tales Podcast

BJ Harrison

The Classic Tales Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
The Best Audiobooks (BJ's audiobook store)
Free Titles During Virus Outbreak
BJ's Voiceover Demos
BJ's Previous Bookwork Banquet Episode (#6)
BJ on Verses In Vox
The Hybrid Audiobook Edition of The Adventures of Huck Finn

Nicole’s Bookworm Fact

...is about well-known writings that were written in isolation.

JD's Bookworm Tip

...is Pop Chart’s Plotting of Fiction Genres Wall Art.


Today's episode is brought to you by Audible - get a FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at www.audibletrial.com/bookworm.

Get in touch with us!
Email: feedback@bookwormbanquet.com
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Audiobook narrator (and featured guest on episode 6 of the Bookworm Banquet podcast), BJ Harrison, is offering eight unabridged audiobooks from his catalog for free during the Coronavirus outbreak. He selected a few titles that should appeal to students ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade, including Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, and The Wizard of Oz.



You can download the eight DRM-free titles for free at the link below. You will be required to register on the website, but if you wish, you can always close out the account after you download the books. While you're there, you can also browse the collection of hundreds of high-quality audiobooks available.

Please share this link with any families you know who are looking for something to occupy the kids who are home from school. This offer will remain valid for the duration of the COVID-19/Coronavirus outbreak.

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin (Sunrise at Normandy Book #3)
Lilian's Rating: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

Editor's Note: See our reviews of Book 1 and Book 2 of the Sunrise at Normandy series.

What an interesting end to this series! I'd only read The Sky Above Us (the second book in the series) prior to this book, and I didn't love it but I was interested to see how things would play out!

Sarah Sundin has a really unique writing style that isn't quite for me but would definitely appeal to most people; it's clear and fluid and fits the suspense genre well in my opinion! I personally thought it made the story drag a little bit sometimes though.

The Land Beneath Us features Clay Paxton, the youngest of the Paxton brothers, and Leah Jones, a librarian who longs to reunite with her birth family after having been bounced from family to family as an orphan child. I really thought Sundin did a phenomenal job with the plot twists and how unique and special the storyline is. Clay repeatedly has dreams about his death and knows that they're from God, and therefore he only lives for one thing—to fulfill his dream of death. I think that really separated Clay from the generic male character and really set him apart. There is also a lot of character development from Leah. Throughout the book, her core character stays pretty consistent but God does gradually change some of her flaws.

I also love how much emphasis is placed on family dynamics and how important growing together as a family is in this book. This is definitely where I saw the most development. Through multiple arguments (to put it extremely lightly), the Paxton brothers broke apart and in this book their family finds a lot of healing through forgiveness and letting go of guilt.

Overall, The Land Beneath Us is a read well worth the time. I found myself growing attached to the characters and loving the plot, and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of historical suspense fiction!




Lilian S. has been a hardcore bookworm since the tender age of 7 and a book reviewer for a couple of years. She is currently a student and in her spare time enjoys singing, graphic designing, and interacting with other Christ-minded readers. A couple of her favorite genres in both books and movies are: Christian contemporary, fantasy, and dystopian. She occasionally enjoys science and historical fiction and likes a good suspense novel as well. Lilian is also an athlete (Ultimate Frisbee, anyone?), a blogger at Green Tea With Books, and founder at reviewer site Stellae Books.


Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. A favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.