Cup of Thoughts

Here is a list of books I believe every girl should read or have on her bookshelf at some point in her life.  A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett Brief Summary: Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. →  My Review “Whatever comes," she said, "cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.” The Giver, Lois Lowry Brief Summary:   Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dar...

"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...

"Love beareth all things." Summary : Tortured by the memories of her past childhood, Morrow chooses a path that she would not have ever dreamt of going down before reuniting with someone possibly more dangerous than the Bluecoat Captains that have invaded her homeland. In the midst of war, loyalties go deeper than skin.  After losing her mother, little sister, and older brother, who was taken captive, Morrow's father sends her somewhere he believes is safer; Philadelphia. Maturing in the confines of the city, Morrow grieves her family and longs for home. Reluctantly, Morrow's aunt who has been keeping watch care over her while she stays and works for her in the sewing shop, allows her to return to the mountainous lands of Kentucke. Once she returns, she is affronted with the dark mysteries and haunting memories from her past. Will she ever let go of that tragic day when her family was torn apart? Can she ever be willing to forget?  Before she left for the...

Summary: Gwenyeth Shepherd, has an uncanny ability that allows her to see things other people normally don't see. People can communicate with her into the future, which she talks to in the present, but little does she know that she is able to visit the past.  Her family all shares a mansion in the country of the United Kingdom. Gwen has a typically normal life. Her best friend, Cynthia is bubbly and clever. Her school is an average high school. Gwen's cousin, Charlotte, has been raised her whole life to be prepared for the moment time takes her away. But when Gwen goes missing, the family realizes their mistake, or rather a mystery. The bloodline that they share is a very unique one. Another family, by marriage, also shares this special ability of time traveling. The rule to it though; not every descendant is able to teleport back in time.  There's a secret that involves the whole family, this secret is known by only one, and it is the first in the bloodline to disco...

“Heroism wasn't about what you could do, it was about what you did. It was about who you saved when they needed saving.”  Summary (from Goodreads): The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew. Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both. My Thoughts: I love the way Marissa Meyer writes. My sister actually requested this book for a Christmas gift and I read it first(!!!) The story was very captivating, just like all her other books. I did, however, have a hard time connecting with the characters. Partly,...

I partnered up with Livy, from Crown of Beauty magazine to write a post focusing on Finding Worth. To all the girls out there who are searching to find themselves. To all the ones who are wanting to feel loved or worth something in this world. To all the daughters of the Heavenly King, this is for you.  'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' ( Titus 3:5-7 ) If you are a born-again believer in Christ, then you are one of His children. Which makes you a daughter of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. You are His heir. 'Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised .' ( Proverbs 31:30 ) ...

“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...

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Summary (from Goodreads) :  For years Sengali has lived alone on his lush jungle mountain—fearless, powerful, and independent—until a hunting party of lionesses invade his territory. Wanting to irritate them, Sengali saves the life of their prey only to find the grateful creature now expects him to protect it! But what seemed to be a routine rescue mission quickly becomes much more when a strange, terrifying Dream begins to haunt both animals. Together, predator and prey set out on a quest to discover what the Dream could mean—for them and for their world—and to unravel its mystery before time runs out. An unforgettable adventure of unlikely friendships, savage conflict, and tenacious faith, Sengali: A Cat’s Tale is a thrilling race for survival that grabs you by the throat and never ...

Summary: Young, spirited Cassidy lives in Token Creek in the mountains of Montana. Living with a different identity, she is known all over the small town as the little blonde seamstress who loves the Lord. Cassidy works with a lady named, Jeanette, who lost her husband several years before. Jeanette has taken the role of motherhood, even though she has never been able to bear children, she takes in her nephews as her own. Her sister, who previously moved to Montana with her husband owned a ranch. Jeanette's sister, Theta, suffered a severe abuse by her husband which caused her physical disabilities. Brad married a young girl named, Meg, who came to Token Creek to stay with some family members. The two are now expecting to become parents together. Trace Holden, the younger of the two cowboys has feelings for young Cassidy but is afraid someone else has her eye. He patiently waits to pursue her, as she tries to keep her past hidden. Unfortunately, someone shows up into town t...

Summary:  It's been a long time since Sabrina has ever been taken care for or truly loved by someone. Sabrina, stuck in a life that was practically forced on her, because of desolation and the dire need for income in the highly populated city of Denver, Colorado. A Christian couple come across Sabrina through a tragic accident, but involuntarily saving her life. Sabrina realizes that there is a way out of the night district, it takes her a while to see that Danny and Callie truly mean there's hope and redemption through Jesus Christ, God's only Son.  However, her previous life causes difficulty being a new creature. Running across men that knew her before, asking to see her and meet with her again. Danny and Callie send her off somewhere that she can have a new life where nobody needs to know her past.  Sabrina arrives in T-Creek surprising everyone with her bravery and independence. After Cassidy sells her shop to Jeanette, she stays close to her home on ...