Cup of Thoughts

"Crumbling walls were rare, beautiful things." Summary (from Goodreads) :  A thirteenth-century castle, Chateau de Doux Reves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France's picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s. As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother's bedside, she hears stories of a castle . . . of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer's, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family's history. Sparked by the discovery of a long-forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The...

"My daughter, that which you wait for the longest you treasure the most, and through much struggle the prize is won." Summary (from Goodreads):  A young lady who is pure will shine with a radiant brightness in this world of darkness. How can a young lady stay physically and emotionally pure as she waits for God's best in marriage? This guide to radiant purity combines the thoughts and events in the life of a young princess with solid, clear teaching of Biblical convictions that young ladies today need to grasp. Through a captivating fairy tale, modern day examples, practical instruction and abundant humor, Sarah Mally challenges young ladies to turn to the Lord for fulfillment, to guard their hearts and minds, to identify and avoid the world's thinking and to shine brightly in this generation. This book offers Biblical answers to everyday questions and deep life struggles. It deals with many practical topics such as being wise in internet usage, dealing with a...

“God doesn’t expect us to be perfect women or perfect missionaries. Rather, He wants us to learn to lean upon Him more, to let Him be our help during those stormy blasts.”  Summary (inserted from Goodreads) :  Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field. Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts. Thoughts: This book captivate...

Summary (inserted from Goodreads) :  In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him? Thoughts: I LOVED this book! Every time I read Laura Frantz' books I think to myself, "how can she top the last one?" Not that this one is any better than the others I've read from her, but this one has also placed itself on the favorites shelf of my book-heart. The characters were very engaging and authentic. I felt so bad for Roxanna every since she started travelling through the forest trails to reach the fort of her father. Not knowing what to do, she b...

"Endeavour to serve with such good will and attention to the interest of your employers, that they know they are blessed in having gotten such a good servant, one who serves, not with eye-service as a man-pleaser, but in simplicity of heart as a Christian." -Samuel and Sarah Adams, The Complete Servant Summary:  Margaret Macy, born the daughter of a respectful and honorable man, raised by a harrowing stepfather who only entered the family for his own personal gain. Margaret's deceasing aunt has a large fortune, which will be inherited when she turns of age on her next birthday. After overhearing her stepfather's plan to trap her into matrimony with his nephew in hopes of obtaining the money, she runs away. Fleeing alongside her maid, looking for a job elsewhere, she must resolve to do the same. Margaret disguises herself as Nora Garret, a maid at Fairbourne Hall. Eventually, life as a housemaid opens Miss Macy's way of the previous manner towards her own...

"A heart, once stolen, can never be taken back.” Summary: Heartless begins with hopes and dreams of young Catherine Pinkerton, a citizen of the land of Hearts. Her passion for baking sweet delicacies opposes her parents' dream of her becoming Queen. Lady Catherine distastes the idea of accepting the King's proposal. Mainly because of her bakery ambition that was conjured up ever since she realized the generational family trait of storytelling was not passed down to her. One other thing that throws Catherine's decision through a loop is the new Royal Court Joker. Something beguiling about him and his hidden identity entices Catherine to want to find out. And finding out the mystery may cost her very own heart in the end. In the land of Wonderland, everything is magical and surreal. Mysterious and confusing, but amazingly adventurous.  Thoughts: Marissa Meyer is an outstanding author. Every single book I have ever read from her amazes me. This was no exce...

"This moment was like no other. For now, the sun was setting on his father's reign as King, and tomorrow, it would rise as his." Summary: Prince Addison has grown up to be all his father and many siblings knew he could become, a just and honorable future king. His coronation is coming up rapidly,  along with the many decisions and life-long  relationships that form within this momentous advent. The pressure of ruling keeps Addison up at night. The weight of this h eavy-some burden of an entire country in Europe will test the Prince to the max.  Being the second eldest to the throne, Bridget is the social and fashion model in society,  she  also has a tremendous influence on her younger siblings. After trusting her heart in the wrong hands, she secludes the remaining, broken pieces so that she will never have to relive the potential of heartbreak again. Her friends overhear rumors about the rebellion growing and threatening the monarch, whic...

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine-" ( Exodus 19:5 ) Summary: Katie Weldon, the fiery, and spunky redheaded best friend of Christy Miller, is abruptly facing many major decisions in her senior year of college. Some that will presumably change her life forever. Working at a pizza parlor and juggling with choosing a college major, yet again, Katie's life has become abundant with stress. When a job opposition opens up for her to be a Resident Assistant inside one of the college dorms for girls, she decides to take the open door and see where it leads her. She meets several new young women who are in the same spot she has found herself in, and the relationships that develop help her answer many of her personal struggles. Desiring for a change, Katie and Rick Doyle, Christy's previous high school infatuation, are going down the slow ...

Frederica, Georgette Heyer "-He wished to spend his life with her, because she was the perfect woman he had never expected to encounter." Summary:  The beginning of the story picked up rapidly. Your first initial greeting with the honest, and sharp Marque, Lord Alverstroke, was one to capture your utmost attention immediately. His character was witty and frequently rude. He finds joy in breaking hearts. He becomes amused when his sisters are riled up. His only love is himself. To put it out there, Alverstroke has no meaning in life- until he receives an unexpected call from his unknown cousin. Miss Frederica is the only stability the Merrivilles have, ever since their father died. Second eldest, she's determined to raise her siblings in the city life normalities. Her sister, Charis, is of the age to be introduced to society. Harry, the oldest of the Merrivilles has been handicapped since his teenage years. Choosing to enjoy himself as much as possible, his sust...

A Moonbow Night, Laura Frantz "One of life's most painful mysteries was that time moved on, with or without you. Those left behind loved and laughed and resumed living as if you'd never been at all." Summary:  Tragedy and deep mourning chase both, Tempe Tucker, and Sion Morgan. In a search for peace, Tempe helps run an inn with her family, helping the pioneers who pass over the regions of the Cumberland Gap. As Sion and a crew from Virginia get an allowance to survey the terrain of Kentucke, threats from the Indians, who use the land for hunting, endanger their mission. Circumstances drive Sion and his companions to the Moonbow Inn. After suffering from a dreadful event in 1773, Tempe's world changed indefinitely. Her hopes and dreams of a blissful future with James Boone was not to be. The attack at Powell region killed more than the three that were massacred. The first attempt of traveling into the wild acres of Kentucke was a disappointing start. The...

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." //My most talented friend helped create this  image . The prominent Mr. Darcy proclaimed these words to Miss Bennet, admitting his love for her. Taken from Jane Austen's book, Pride & Prejudice .

"Though sympathy tugged at her, Sophie's imagination made fearsome leaps. The grieving widower. The destitute governess. A motherless child. It had all the makings of a scintillating novel.” Summary: After leaving his home and family for the American Revolution, General Seamus Ogilvy returns home to Tall Acre only to find it desolate and empty. His daughter is in the possession of his wife's sister, and the trails to his wife are concluded with a gravestone. Three Chimneys is the neighboring house to Tall Acre, and the only left inhabitant is Sophie Menzies- the daughter of a devout Tory. In the aftermath of the American Revolution, the property she has grown up and loved to cherish is being taken away from her. After her mother's death, she is left to keep up the household in her father and brother's absence. Achieving victory from the war only to come home with a maimed hand and a scared, adolescent daughter, Mr. Ogilvy is in need of many things to br...

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë “If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.” Summary: Y ou start the story in the shoes of Mr. Lockwood, the new vivacious and friendly resident in a quaint manor named Thrushcross Grange. He, shortly after the opening, gains the acquaintance of his dark and brooding landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. A winter storm causes our protagonist to stay overnight in his gentlemanly proprietor's humble abode, which is known as Wuthering Heights. Mr. Lockwood begins to question his motives of befriending the unusual neighbors. Mr. Heathcliff's family, along with the odd, weird noises throughout the house provoke Mr. Lockwood to have a horrible stay. Eventually, through the eyes of Lockwood we see that the house is not really haunted, but rather peculiar. You'll unravel why exactly Mr. Heathcliff is the hollow man he portray...

The Frontiersman's Daughter, Laura Frantz "I asked once before, do you always court trouble, Miss Click, or does it just seem tae follow you where’er you go?" Summary:  A story of a girl, born into the wilderness of the Appalachians, who discovers her real destiny. Lael Click is the daughter of a courageous, and well-known man who isn't afraid of the Shawnee Indian warriors that surround the local fort. As protector and chief of his own home, Mr. Click is known to have very few different trademarks apart from being an Indian. He got captured when Lael was only a little girl. Years later, the awaiting Click family welcomed his return with animosity towards his adopted Indian ways. Beckoned to a life of refinement, Lael is sent to a lady school in Virginia. There she becomes an educated woman, yet all she longs for is her familiar Kentucky home. After some dreadful news, she escapes her school and returns to find her childhood home desolate. Her neighbo rs h...