"The reading habit is the most valuable in life. I mean by that practice of using a little time, say half an hour a day, in the systematic reading of worthwhile literature. The mind is opened to precious fields of thought; the achievements of the ages become ours; even the future takes form. As the mind and spirit are fed by well chosen reading, comfort, peace and understanding come to the soul. Those who have not tried it, have missed a keen and easily accessible joy." --Elder Widtsoe, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1921 to 1952.
Title: Short-Straw Bride Author: Karen Witemeyer Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Summary: Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk. Years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride? --barnesandnoble.com Number of Pages: 567 Favorite Quote(s): "After all, if a wife was going to tell her husband she loved him, she ought to do it in person. And he aimed to see that she did precisely that. Right after he kissed the living fire out of her and showed her exactly how much he truly needed her." "'Oh, Meri. Sweetheart. I won the straw draw. I didn't lose it."' "She crossed her arms and braced her legs apart like a warrior willing to talk peace while still prepared to battle should talk prove ineffectual." "She sure was a pretty thing. Feisty, too. And even though he hated that she put herself in danger he had to admit that her courage and tender heart were things he admired most about her. Perhaps it was time he got serious about courting his wife." "But from that moment on the rock at the fishing hole had been dubbed the Kissing Rock in his mind. He'd never climbed on it since, promising himself that the next time he'd have a girl of his own to kiss." '"We grieved that Christmas Meri. Not because we missed the joy of gifts, but because we knew something had happened to the giver. I think all along it was the idea that someone remembered us and cared enough about our education and upbringing to give the books rather than the books themselves that made such an impact on us, your father was a kind man, and I am proud to be married to his daughter."' "A straw. A broken, short straw. She'd kept it." "'No way was I going to dump you outside my gate just because propriety said you shouldn't be here. Propriety wasn't kicked by a mule."' "'And I am not a harpy!'" |
Title: Head in the Clouds Author: Karen Witemeyer Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Summary: Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind. When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate. When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line? --barnesandnoble.com Number of Pages: 366 Favorite Quote(s): "To be honest, she didn't mourn losing Henry. She mourned the loss of the dreams he represented. Romance. Family. An arm to lean on and a warm, masculine smile that belonged to her alone." "Why was it that she could make huge decisions like resigning her teaching position in order to chase a man in the blink of an eye, but when it came to select something to wear, she had the hardest time making up her mind?" "The hardworking rancher earned her respect, but the English gentleman made her heart flutter, embodying every storybook hero she'd ever fallen in love with." "He grinned, setting loose those dimples to wreak havoc on her already quivery nerves. Those things were deadly to a woman's concentration." "'You plowed him with a pitchfork?"' "'My daddy didn't raise no hothouse flower, you know."' "'The shameful truth is, I was so desperate to make my dream of family a reality that I chased the first thing in pants that showed some interest in me."' "She could have shared his bed for connivence's sake to make it easier to tend to him during the night. But wearing his shirt? That was personal. Possessive. She wasn't in his bed out of a sense of duty. She was in his bed because she cared. For him." "And if he happened to derivive a great deal of pleasure from that duty...? Well, that was no one's concern but his." "'Love's not only for the young you know."' "God's way might not always be clear, but it could always be trusted." |