*Review written in 2014*
Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild romance, mild peril, and reading level
Best for Ages: 13 and up
Description: In the hubbub of wedding preparations, Christmas celebrations, and a house full of lively children, Aggie is feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated. Add to that two puppies who are growing faster than she can replace chewed shoes and fix dug fences, it seems like things just can’t get any worse. Then, as she should be enjoying the most exciting time of her life, she’s faced with her worst nightmare.

I have now completed the Aggie’s inheritance trilogy, and it has been one of the most satisfying series I have ever read. Havig’s books always feature down-to-earth characters who deal with everyday issues, yet she manages to keep things interesting.

My only complaint in this entire series is that Aggie was getting a bit irritating. I think the author wanted to show that motherhood was a real, full time job. She did this by showing how hard it can be. While I do not dispute the fact motherhood is a full time job, I think the author was a little over dramatic at times with how hard she made it.

I loved this book as Aggie and Luke get ready for their wedding. They were such a sweet couple, and I hope we get to read more of their story in a future book. They have fights, petty arguments, and lots of fun together. They truly care for each other and look out for the other one.

As with the other two books, I was impressed with how well the children were done. It is hard when writing about eight kids to give them different personalities, but Havig did.

I highly recommend this whole series to anyone who loves books about everyday people, stories with high moral standards, or anyone looking for a relaxing read.

It is sad to see you go and the party to end, but I know that we will see each other again. You can always keep up-to-date through my newsletter. Also if you take this survey about the blog party, you will get a free short story of your choosing. Before you leave, I would love to share both my favorite classic books and some books to help you celebrate the upcoming Christmas season.

Little Woman: This is an all-time favorite. Having a lot of sisters of my own, this book felt sometimes like it was about us. I loved how they grew, changed, and still remained a close family.
Little Pilgrim's Progress: While I disagree with some of the thology of this book, it did impact me. It was a powerful reminder of all the things that can distract a Christian.
Emma: This story is very dear to me. I want to marry someone like Mr. Knightly someday and I am too much like Emma sometimes. This book is fun, witty, but also has a great message.
Swiss Family Robinson: Dad read this aloud to us and I have such fond memories. It is better than the movie by far. Rose and I did a whole homeschool project based on the things we learned from the book.

The Swaddling Clothes: This is one of my favorite Christmas stories ever. It is a story that ties many biblical stories together in a neat what-if story.
The Christmas Bride: Grace Livingstone Hill being a favorite, I had to include one of her very sweet Christmas stories as part of this book. I have reread this a couple of times around Christmas.
The Father Christmas Confession: I read this last year and loved it! It felt like a Hallmark movie with a Christian twist. It was awesome!
A Victorian Christmas: I loved this collection. These stories were sweet, historical, and just fun.
Some Christmas Camouflage: This is a beautiful and powerful short story that touched my heart.),
Thanks for coming! Remember to check out and see who won the big prize.

Dear me, did I forget to mention that there is a big prize you can win on Read Another Page? As in you could win a few paperback books? Check it you here.

As you can see I have a lot of books in my room



As a writer, books have become even dearer to me. Today, I would like to share some old favorites and then allow you a chance to win a digital copy of one of my books, you get to chose which one.

In Grandmother’s Attic: I read and reread this series over and over as a kid. I still think it is about the best thing out there.
Home on Stony Creek: Between the time I was 11 and sixteen, I reread this series about five times. It combined my love of history, faith, and stories into one.
Looking for a Home: This series is not your typical orphan story about they trying to do everything on their own. Based on a true story, this story is a wonderful story of children finding a family and adventure.
The Boxcar Children: This series was so much fun as a kid. I loved the how the siblings looked out for each other and survived. The writing was solid and engaging. It was one of the few secular series that I liked as a kid.
Patty Fairfield: I am going to let you in on a little secret; I still love reading Middle Grade books. This is a recent discovery of mine that I love.

All the Places to Love: This book is beautifully illustrated and made for parents to read to kids. Mom read it to me all the time. I loved it and read it to my younger siblings when I was old enough.
Tell Me the Secrets: Dad read this book to us when we were younger. Wow, these stories are powerful and hard, but the lessons stuck with me. The final story had us all crying, but left us with joy and hope.
I’ll Love You Forever: This is a sweet story of the love between a mother and child. This was my youngest sisters favorite so I have many fond memories.
The Story Bought Doll: As a girl who loved dolls, this book was one I loved to look at long before I could read. The pictures always drew me in and I liked the story too'
Amelia Bedilia: As someone who loved words from an early age, this story was a hit. I still love the play on words.

There should be bushels of produce coming out of our garden at this point. But as you see, it is very neglected.
However the garden has been neglected because God had other things he wanted us to tend to. He wanted us to sow into the lives of some of the people around us, which meant neglecting our patch of garden.

Harvest and fall go hand in hand. Cotton is being harvested on many farms around us. It always puts me in a pensive mood to think about what this year has reaped. This year, I have sown a lot into the people God placed in my life. I am reaping the results of that planting, and for the most part, that has been a good thing.

Now that we have been all pensive and thoughtful, here are some books from a time when more people farmed...

Welcome to my room! This is where I write, read, and sleep. Pardon my unmade bed, I am not very good at making it. As you can see, I have lots of blankets but allow me to show you two of my favorites. This is Big Fluffy:
This is fluffy, big, and warm. On many crisp mornings, I will wrap myself in Big Fluffy and cuddle a sibling while we sit on the couch. Another one I love is this lovely lap quilt that Mom and Dad made me.

On cool days, I will often wrap this around my lap as I read.

Before we go inside, I want us to show you one of my favorite benches.
This bench is tucked into our wooded area, and I love coming here to read. Now that the weather is turning cooler, you will find me here often in the mornings. But come inside, I have another bench I would like to show you.

It is my piano bench. I am starting to practice music for Christmas. I teach piano once a week and am trying to get back into the habit of spending some daily time practicing after a few years of sporadic playing. Of course sometimes I get distracted by reading…

  Noble Pursuits: This is not your typical romance. This is not one of those insta-love books or kiss-till-the-reader-gages books. This is a romance that goes deeper than attraction and deals with the harsh realities of life and our amazing God who works all out for good. If you haven’t read it, do so.  Beauty for Ashes: This is one of my all-time favorite books. The romance is pretty light, as with most Grace Livingstone Hill books, but this one had a message that really touched me. I also loved the main guy as he was a man of great character.
Stealing the Preacher: I really like this authors books, but this is by far my favorite. The guy is one of my favorite heroes ever, as he stands up for what is right and confronts others in a godly way. The romance was sweet.
Into the Whirlwind: This book has two things that I normally hate in a story; a girl trying to make it in a man’s world, and a love triangle. However, it all felt so real, believable, and I could not stop reading. The romance ended just as it should.
A Distant Melody: This book came at a time I needed it. I was having a very hard week, and this book was a wonderful distraction, a reason to cry for both sadness and joy, and a wonderful reminder of Christian principles.

From the Dark to the Dawn: This book…There just aren’t enough words to tell what this one means to me. It touched me so deeply at a time I needed it and has continued to bless me. Read my full review to understand.
The Messenger: What do you get when you mix a Quaker and a spy? Most books I would consider it a disaster, but this one was amazing. There was no throwing out all the beliefs, or overdone romance. This book was just amazing both in history and characters.
A Home for My Heart: There are some books that are just so beautiful, this is one of them. This was so against the norm that the ending was nothing like what I expected at the beginning which was a good thing. It is just beautiful.
The Abolitionist: I think of this book where Jane Austen and Amazing Grace meet. This is a beautiful story that pulls together both history and endearing characters. This is written by my all-time-favorite author.
Just Jane: Speaking of Jane Austen, this fictional book about her life  was very cool. I loved how it really felt so much like the historical character, pulling from her letters and such. I loved Moser’s whole series, but this remains my favorite.

*Review written in 2014*
Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: 13 and up for mild romance, reading level
Best for Ages: 13 and up
Description: Her first six months of "motherhood" included an ant infestation, a major move, house renovation, and lessons in how to be a mom to eight lively children. Now that the house is nearly complete, her children are headed back to school, and she has a few tantrums under her hymn-singing belt, Aggie is certain life will settle down. Poor Aggie... William makes his intentions known, Luke and his mother are always there for her, and between a new kitten, a box full of puppies, and chicken pox, Aggie's home begins to resemble the local zoo! Her children keep testing the waters, the unrealistic budgets she makes refuse to balance, and she learns that life with children means that nothing stays done and perfect for long. Add Geraldine and her histrionics to the mix and it's no wonder she's ready to run away from home. When a surprise letter arrives, everything could turn upside down. Relief is in sight, but can she bring herself to jump to plan B? Has this just been a practice game, or is she playing for keeps? Will her household shrink drastically, or will it expand?

It took me long enough to read the second book in the Aggie’s Inheritance series, but I am so glad I finally made the time for it. It was even better than the  first book.

Watching as Aggie deals with school and chicken pox, as well as her own romantic life, was so enjoyable. Yes, at times the story can seem a bit slow or Aggie’s whining becomes a bit much, but it was still wonderful.

As the romance develops, I especially enjoyed seeing how Aggie explains things to Vannie and how she makes the right decisions. I also love the part in this story where Aggie explains the difference between doing something (such as wearing skirts, or saving your first kiss for your wedding day) can be a wonderful standard to have, or a legalistic tool to make you look more spiritual.

One of the things I loved best about these books is that each of the kids is different, and it really shows in the book. Sometimes, when writing about large families, the kids all come out sounding the same. Havig did a great job of making them each sound different.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoyed the first book, love god-honoring romance, and stories about ordinary people.