Let There Be Light // Movie Review

About the Movie:
For all his far-reaching fame, Sol Harkens, the world's most famous atheist, is a lonely soul and a lousy part-time dad. After a near death experience challenges his simplest assumptions about this world, Sol finds his purpose and re-imagines his life, in a film that will make you laugh and cry and want to stand up and cheer.

You can see a trailer of this movie here.

Let There Be Light is a movie that just came out this last weekend (the 27th) in theaters. It is directed by Kevin Sorbo and written by his wife, Sam Sorbo. They both star in the movie. Their kids are in it as well. Let There Be Light is a great movie. I wasn’t really too sure what to expect with this movie, but I enjoyed it and it is a movie that I’d watch again. 

It is only in select theaters, but if it’s in a theatre near you, then I’d definitely recommend going to see it. 

I give this movie 8 out of 10 R's 

Book Recommendations // More Fall Books

A couple weeks ago I did a book recommendation post of some of my favorite fall books. Today I decided to share a couple more fun fall reads!

Red Like Crimson by Janice Thompson
Sin has caused a rift in their relationship. When Adrianne, a Bible college student, realizes she’s expecting a baby, she faces a monumental decision. Filled with guilt and shame, she makes the impulsive and regrettable choice to run—to leave college, to leave the relationship, and to return home to her parents in Pennsylvania. The fog of shame has altered her thinking. Staying in the relationship will prevent the man she loves from fulfilling his God-appointed call to become a missionary. But, as the days, months and years tick by, Adrianne regrets her decision. After coming to grips with God’s grace, she attempts to find Chris—her daughter’s father, so that she can share the truth of what she’s done. Unfortunately, he is impossible to locate, now that he’s ministering in the jungles of Nicaragua. With all hopes of locating him gone, a reconciliation feels hopeless. Chris-rejected, confused, and heartbroken at the loss of the woman he loves-has finished school and finds himself in Nicaragua, loving life as a missionary. But the void left by Adrianne's unexplained departure remains. When Chris returns to the States for a friend's wedding, is his unexpected meeting with Adrianne a coincidence or a "God incidence?" Can they put aside the past and embrace a future together as a family?

This book has such a fun fall cover! I read this book for the first time a couple weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. You can read my review of it here.

The River by Beverly Lewis
Tilly and Ruth, two formerly Amish sisters, are plagued by unresolved relationships when they reluctantly return to Lancaster County for their parents' landmark wedding anniversary. Since departing their Plain upbringing, Tilly has married an Englisher, but Ruth remains single and hasn't entirely forgotten her failed courtship with her Amish beau.
Past meets present as Tilly and Ruth yearn for acceptance and redemption. Can they face the future in the light of a past they can't undo?

The River isn't my most favorite book by Beverly Lewis, but I did still enjoy it.

The Sunroom by Beverly Lewis 
When I was twelve, I made a naïve, yet desperate pact with God to keep my ailing mother alive. It was the first time I'd ventured something so brazen--making a contract with the Almighty...
So begins the story of Becky Owens, a talented and passionate young pianist on the verge of adolescence when she learns the devastating news of her mother's critical illness. As the daughter of a country preacher in Lancaster County, Becky knows well the significance of sacrifice, and in her bargain with God, she vows to exchange her most cherished possession for her mother's life. Hospital rules only add to Becky's sorrow--twelve-year-olds aren't allowed to visit, so Becky and her mother must share tearful smiles through Lancaster General's sunroom window. But a realization of the power of music and a lesson in unconditional love compel Becky to rethink her "deal" with God, and the sunroom becomes a place where miracles happen...

This a short, sweet book. It's a bit sad though. I'm not positive that this book takes place in the fall, but it kind of feels like a fall book to me. You can read my review of it here.

The Imposter by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge, then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else. Katrina is devastated. How could she have felt so loved, yet been so deceived?
As she struggles to face a future without him, a widow asks for her help to start a new business and Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose. What she doesn't need is attention from Andy Miller, a farm hand who arrives at the widow's farm just when help is most needed--and who always seems to say the right thing, and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy
for real, or too good to be true? Deceived once before, Katrina is determined to keep her feelings in check. 
When a cascade of events is set in motion by some surprising information, the little Amish church is turned upside down. Soon, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the community struggles to find the best response to an imposter in their midst. Can they forgive even the most deceitful deeds?

The Imposter is the first book in the series The Bishop's Family. It took me a little while to get into the story, but after some time I did start enjoying the book. I did like book two better, but this one was good.

Dana's Valley by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan 
Erin Walsh thinks her family is as close to perfect as a family can be. But when one grim diagnosis is all it takes to shake them to the core, she wonders if things can ever go back to the way they were. Erin’s attempts to go about life as usual feel empty, and as each member of her family seems to struggle alone, she is about ready to give up on God. However, Erin has yet to learn that God will never give up on her.

This is a sad book, but it was also good. Dana's Valley covers a few years, so this book doesn't all take place in the fall, but to me it feels like a fall/winter book.

Red Like Crimson // Book Review

From the Back Cover:
Sin has caused a rift in their relationship. When Adrianne, a Bible college student, realizes she’s expecting a baby, she faces a monumental decision. Filled with guilt and shame, she makes the impulsive and regrettable choice to run—to leave college, to leave the relationship, and to return home to her parents in Pennsylvania. The fog of shame has altered her thinking. Staying in the relationship will prevent the man she loves from fulfilling his God-appointed call to become a missionary. But, as the days, months and years tick by, Adrianne regrets her decision. After coming to grips with God’s grace, she attempts to find Chris—her daughter’s father, so that she can share the truth of what she’s done. Unfortunately, he is impossible to locate, now that he’s ministering in the jungles of Nicaragua. With all hopes of locating him gone, a reconciliation feels hopeless. Chris-rejected, confused, and heartbroken at the loss of the woman he loves-has finished school and finds himself in Nicaragua, loving life as a missionary. But the void left by Adrianne's unexplained departure remains. When Chris returns to the States for a friend's wedding, is his unexpected meeting with Adrianne a coincidence or a "God incidence?" Can they put aside the past and embrace a future together as a family?


Red Like Crimson is a really good book. This is only the second book I've read by this author, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her books soon.
Even though this book has some harder issues like wedlock, it's a super clean book. There's no descriptive talk about it or any going back to "re-live" the scene which was really nice.
The only thing that I didn't really like, and it didn't draw away from the story or anything, but a couple times it was hard tell which character was talking. I think it might've been the formatting of the book. It only happened like two times, so it wasn't a big deal, just a bit confusing. ;)


I give this book 9 out of 10 R's

Two Years of Blogging

Yesterday marked the day that I have been blogging for 2 years. I still remember when I was planning to start this blog and how excited I was! I started this blog with doing book reviews in mind. I have done several of those throughout the last two years. I personally felt that I’ve gotten better at writing them. I also have done some movie reviews as well. I used to do them just at Christmas time, but now I’m doing them more often. My favorite types of posts to do are anything book related like, book recommendations or book tags. I also love participating in the 12 Days of Christmas blog party hosted by Faith.
My favorite blogging memory from this year was co-hosting the When Calls the Heat blog party with Faith.

These two years of blogging have been fun, although not always as I imagined it would be. ;) Sometimes, I do have a tough time thinking up posts, but it’s been a fun journey. I’ve realized that I don’t need to be a popular blogger or have tons of followers to make me happy. I just need to be honoring and pleasing to God and write what I enjoy.
I’m looking forward to what this coming year of blogging will be like!

I’m going to leave you with a short list of some of my favorite posts from just this past year. 

When Calls the Heart blog party — All 6 of my posts and Faith’s!
Book Recommendations // Summer Books —Doing book recommendations is always a blast and thinking of books that definitely feel like summer was especially fun.
Dandelion Dust Blog Tour —Faith published her first book and I was able to participate in her blog tour!
The Book Lovers Tag —This is a tag that I created.
The Return of the Exotic Bird —My follow-up story to a humorous real-life story.

The Proving // Book Review

From the Back Cover:
Amanda Dienner hasn't seen her Old Order family in five years when she receives word that her mother has passed away and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. Now an Englisher, Mandy is shocked: Her twin sister should have been the obvious choice! What's more, the inheritance comes with a catch: The farmhouse inn will only truly be hers if she is able to successfully run it for twelve consecutive months.
Mandy accepts the challenge even though it means returning to Gordonville and the painful memories she left behind at eighteen. Still, she's determined to prove she is more than capable of running the bed-and-breakfast, no matter that its loyal clientele are expecting an Amish hostess! 
The inn isn't Mandy's sole test, however. Rubbing shoulders with her married twin sister reopens wounds that Mandy isn't ready to forgive. And an Englisher guest with a difficult past of her own just complicates matters. 
Can Mandy fulfill the terms of her inheritance? Or will this year in Amish country prove a dreadful mistake?


The Proving was such a delightful book! I just really enjoyed it. A good part of the story took place in Gordonville, Pennsylvania, at an Amish Bed and Breakfast. I’ve actually been to Gordonville and have stayed in an Amish bed and breakfast, so this book was especially fun. There were even mentions of places that I have been to before, in Lancaster County, so that was fun.
I was expecting this book to be good, since I really like Beverly Lewis’ books, and it did not disappoint! The story was very well done and enjoyable, and I loved all the characters. It’s definitely a great book that I’d recommend and that I’ll be re-reading sometime. :)

I give this book 9.5 out of 10 R's

Growing the Big One // Movie Review

About the Movie:
Radio DJ Emma Silver leads a chic city life in Seattle until she finds out her beloved grandfather has died. Traveling to his farm in quaint Valleyville, Washington to take care of the details, she is stunned to learn her grandfather has left her his farm, along with a sizable amount of debt. To keep the bank from foreclosing, Emma must find a way to raise the money, or face seeing her grandfather’s precious land end up as a parking lot. Following her grandfather’s famed legacy, Emma decides to enter Valleyville’s annual pumpkin growing contest with his prized seeds and grow the world-record biggest gourd. If she can win the grand prize of $50,000, she can save the farm.
With the help of her neighbor, Seth, Emma takes on the challenge, but the two end up cultivating something much more evergreen.


Growing the Big One is a sweet, fun, romantic comedy. I really enjoyed it when I first watched it last fall, and I’ve enjoyed it since then. This is definitely a fun movie to watch during the fall since a lot of it has to do with pumpkins and festivals and all. I will admit though, that the giant pumpkins are pretty fake looking, but it is still a really fun movie! :)


I give this movie 8 out of 10 R's

Book Recommendations ~ Fall Reads

Today I am here with some more book recommendations! I will be recommending some fun fall books.
Also, there is a fun blog party going on hosted by Rebekah Morris over at Read Another Page. There's a bunch of different book recommendations and you can even enter to win a prize. So you should definitely head on over there and check out all the fun!

Okay onto the book recommendations! :)

The Wish by Beverly Lewis

Leona Speicher got the "sister" she'd always dreamed of the day Gloria Gingerich and her family moved to Lancaster County Amish farmland. The Arkansas newcomers seem to be everything a devout Plain family should be, and Leona can't help comparing Gloria's engaging young parents to her own.

Leona's cousin shows a romantic interest in Gloria around the same time as Gloria's older brother expresses his fondness for Leona--it seems likely the two young women will marry into each other's families, remaining close friends for life. Thus, Leona is shocked when the Gingeriches suddenly pack up and disappear after being expelled from the church for reasons no one will discuss. Despite Leona's pleas, Gloria goes with them, leaving more than one broken heart behind.

When Gloria unexpectedly contacts Leona after a silence of several years, Leona makes up her mind to persuade her friend to return to Lancaster County and the Amish ways. Leona's fiancé, the deacon's son, is alarmed when Leona decides to go after Gloria. Will Leona's dearest wish lead to her own undoing?

The Wish is such a good book! It is one of my favorite stand alone books by Beverly Lewis. This book just feels like a great fall book.

Martin Hospitality by Abigayle Claire

Gemma Ebworthy is eighteen, pregnant, and alone. Now that she's been evicted, she finds herself sleeping in a barn, never dreaming that tomorrow could bring kindness of a life-changing magnitude. 

The Martins aren't a typical family—even for rural Kansas. With more kids than can be counted on one hand and a full-time farm, Gemma must make a lot of adjustments to fit in. But despite their many differences, Gemma finds herself drawn to this family and their radical Christian faith. 

When Gemma's past collides with her yet again, she must begin revealing her colorful history. With every detail Gemma concedes, she fears she will lose the Martins' trust and the stable environment she desires for herself and her unborn child. Just how far can the Martins' love and God's forgiveness go?

I read Martin Hospitality a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. The whole book isn't set during the fall, but a good portion of the beginning is! Definitely an autumn read!

Sanctuary by David and Beverly Lewis
Melissa James has a picture-perfect existence — or so it seems. In reality, she has been looking over her shoulder her entire life. Just as her secrets are about to catch up with her, she seeks a haven in Pennsylvania Amish Country. Will her stay bring her peace, or will it bring danger to the Plain community?

I really can't remember if Sanctuary takes place in the fall or not, but I think it might. I did read it in the fall though, so that could be why. ;)

Tea and Touchdowns by Erin Keeley Marshall
Autumn’s colorful splendor reaches its pinnacle in Lancaster, Maine, as the high school football team preps for a game with its biggest rival. To promote Tea for Two, Jan Blake and Elaine Cook take their tea and goodies to the town’s annual Fall Fest. But when Jan joins a horseback trail ride, she finds a woman injured on the ground, with her horse standing nearby. Was it an accident? As the clues add up, the cousins soon realize there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Tea and Touchdowns is definitely a great book to read during the fall! I read it a couple weeks ago and it was so fun. It was very fall-ish. It is book 12 in the Tearoom Mysteries series, but it could be read out of order.

October Song by Beverly Lewis
From Newlyweds Katie and Dan living in the shadow of the shunning, to Rachel and Philip embracing parenthood even as he acclimates to Amish life as an outsider… From courtship of Lydia Cottrell and Levi King, her betrothed, to Sarah Cain, now a wife and mother struggling to bridge her own life with that of the People… October Song is overflowing with simpler things of life that makes a Lewis novel an unforgettable journey into the depths of the human heart.

This just looks like a fall book with the title and the cover! October Song would be best to read if you have read The Heritage of Lancaster County series, The Postcard, The Crossroads, and The Redemption of Sarah Cain all by Beverly Lewis, because October Song is different short stories that follow up with the books I just mentioned. 

What are some of your favorite fall books?