Tag Archives: Amanda Wen

If You Liked . . . Roots of Wood And Stone

30 Sep

My book club absolutely loved Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen. A book that they unanimously dubbed the best book they had read in a long time is a hard act to follow. I had to really put on my thinking cap (am I really that old? LOL) to come up with some more reading recs. I hope you find one to love too.

A Journal Connects Characters

The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers

Two women, centuries apart, are joined through a tattered journal as they contend with God, husbands, and even themselves…until they fall into the arms of the One who loves them unconditionally. 

Sierra Madrid’s life has just been turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh conditions on the Oregon Trail. Though the women are separated by time and circumstance, Sierra discovers that many of the issues they face are remarkably similar. By following Mary Kathryn’s example, Sierra learns to surrender to God?s sovereignty and unconditional love.

If you have an Audible subscription, this book is included!

An Abandoned Newborn

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames–she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved.

In this dual-time story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth–both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others–takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.

Connections Across Time And Place And Generations

Out of The Water by Ann Marie Stewart

Irish immigrant Siobhan Kildea’s impetuous flight from a Boston lover in 1919 leads her to a new family in an unfamiliar Montana prison town. After a horrific tragedy impacts her children, her land, and her livelihood, Siobhan makes a heart wrenching decision – with consequences that ripple for decades to come.

Mysteriously linked to Siobhan is Genevieve Marchard, a battlefront nurse in France who returns stateside to find the absence of a certain soldier is her greatest loss; Anna Hanson, a music teacher who tucks herself away in a small Washington town, assuming her secrets are safe; and Erin Ellis, who thinks she and her husband won the lottery when they adopted their daughter, Claire. 

These interconnected stories, spanning three continents and five generations, begin to unravel in 1981 when Claire Ellis sets out to find her biological mother.

With puzzling suspense, unforgettable characters and uncanny insight, Out of the Water is an intoxicating novel of motherhood, secrets, and the profound ramifications our decisions have. Readers will be left wondering: ultimately, is it always better to know the truth?

Book Review — Roots of Wood And Stone

27 Sep

Roots of Wood And Stone was Amanda Wen‘s debut novel, but you sure couldn’t tell. At least that is what members of my book club thought. They were blown away by this dual timeline novel that focuses on identity and the power of family connectedness. They said it was the best book they have read in a long, long time. I highly recommend it!

This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts.

Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact . . . until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she’s on the hunt to find out more.

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love — and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God’s plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team, and accompanying high school and middle school choirs. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

My Impressions:

Roots of Wood And Stone, the debut novel by Amanda Wen, was on my TBR shelf way too long. I finally read this excellent novel with my book club — we were blown away by just how good it is! It’s dual timeline tells the story of Annabelle (beginning in the mid-1860s) and modern-day Sloane. Both struggle with identity and abandonment. They become connected when Sloane discovers diaries written from Annabelle’s childhood through her adulthood. What is revealed is a faith that survives and thrives through the hard things of life. Wen does a wonderful job of making weaving both stories together.

There’s a lot to like about Roots of Wood And Stone. The characters are complex and true-to-life and offer the reader insights into their own stories. The history of the settling of Wichita and its environs was fascinating, and Wen adds wonderful details to bring it to life. Spiritual truths are woven naturally through the narrative, and I loved that Annabelle’s diaries continued to speak across the generations. And did I mention not one, but two great romances? I loved that the love stories developed naturally, with obstacles to be overcome for sure, but in very realistic ways.

This novel provided a wealth of topics to discuss — my book club talked and talked. There was so much to unpack. There’s a handy discussion guide in the back of the book to get the conversation going. We all loved this book — it was declared one of the best books we have read in a long time. Plus there’s a sequel! Everyone is excited about that! So grab some book buddies and get to reading!

Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the Kindle version of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

September Book Club Pick — Roots of Wood And Stone

1 Sep

This month’s book club pick is one I have had on my TBR shelf way too long! Amanda Wen‘s novel, The Roots of Wood And Stone garnered lots of praise, and I cannot wait to discuss it with my group. Have you read it? We would love to know your thoughts.

This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts.

Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact . . . until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she’s on the hunt to find out more.

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love — and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God’s plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team, and accompanying high school and middle school choirs. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

Top 10 Tuesday — Bookish Goals

17 Jan

Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the blog where all good intentions are soon thrown out the window! LOL! Last year I had great goals to improve my reading experience. I can’t quite remember what they all were, but I am pretty sure I didn’t stick to very many. 😉 It’s January, so resolutions are all the rage — if they haven’t been abandoned yet. When thinking about this topic I resolved (see what I did there) to make goals that I know I can keep. The trick is if I actually will. Time will tell.

For more bloggers’ bookish goals, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Bookish Goals

Resolved — read books.

Okay, this one is very easy to achieve because I don’t intend to give up reading. I have one win.

Resolved — read outside my comfort zone.

I am a member of a book club that has been challenging me to read books that I would not naturally pick up on my own. Have I liked them all? No. But I’ve liked more than I haven’t. This year I hope to stretch my reading horizons even more.

Resolved — read more books that I already own.

This goal is a bit trickier. I have tons of books that I bought with the express purpose of reading, not to take up space or look pretty on the shelf. But still they sit neglected, some after years and years. I am going to write some in on my reading calendar (yes, I actually have one of those) and try to really read them.

Resolved — read more books from my NetGalley shelf.

Like my physical books, I have lots of unread NetGalley books. This is really embarrassing since publishers have approved me to read these books, and I feel like I have let them and the authors down. I certainly have let myself down. Again I will be deliberately adding them to my reading calendar.

Resolved — read what I want to read.

This one goes hand in hand with reading more from my actual shelves. I plan to read more on a whim than on a have-to basis. Yes, I will still be reviewing and accumulating more books — its a fatal flaw — but I want to have a little more flexibility and fun in my reading.

So there you go. I think 5 goals is plenty!

Here are a few of the books that will help me achieve my goals this year:

Blind Trust by Natalie Walters

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

Secrets in Old Savannah by Mary Ellis

Sunburst by Susan May Warren

To Love A Viking by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore

Until I Found You by Victoria Bylin

Top 10 Tuesday — 2023 Book Club Picks

6 Dec

Happy Tuesday! This week’s TTT is a Freebie, so I decided to highlight the novels my book club chose to read in 2023. Every year we vote at our November meeting on the books we will be reading in the following year. We choose 9 and leave 2 spots open for me to surprise them (usually new releases by favorite authors) and a Christmas-themed novel to vote on later for our December selection. I compile a list of books and those with majority votes are chosen. It’s a practice that has worked for us for 20+ years! I hope you find a book to love.

For more bookish goodness, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

My Book Club’s 2023 Selections

The Brilliance of Stars by J’Nell Ciesielski

Broker of Lies by Steven James

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Daughter of Eden by Jill Eileen Smith

Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd

Honor Bound by Hallee Bridgeman

The One You’re With by Lauren K. Denton

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Top 10 Tuesday — Ruining Book Titles With A Word

9 Aug

Happy Tuesday. Authors, agents, editors, and marketing departments all search for that perfect book title. The one that will call to readers. And here I am ruining perfectly good titles with a change of a letter or a word. Sorry, not sorry. 😉 Today, TTT bloggers were called on to present hilarious titles. I have a more perverse take on the topic. I’d love to know of other titles that can be ruined!

For more book hilarity, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Book Titles Ruined with A Well-Replaced Letter or Word

Boots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

Uncomfortable shoes in the past and present.

Deadly Swallows by Dani Pettrey

Terrorist-trained birds!

Fatal Cod by Natalie Walters

The fish was a bit off.

Healing Fly by Janet Ferguson

Can a biologist find love while saving the endangered fly?

Quaker Oats Summer by Lisa Samson

It’s heart healthy!

Refuse at Pine Lake by Rose Chandler Johnson

Finding a place to belong at the dump.

Sea Glass Cottage Cheese by Irene Hannon

Can they rekindle love over a diet meal?

Shadows of Swanford Tabby by Julie Klassen

Is that a cat following me?

The Sweat Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher

It’s summer after all.

Until Sleeves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Well-dressed resistance in France.

Top 10 Tuesday — Authors I NEED To Read

12 Apr

I am so behind on my reading! So far behind that today’s TTT topic was easy for me. I have been in a reading slow-down recently and it is taking me ages to get through a book. It’s not that I haven’t been reading great book. I have! But I have been very distracted of late, that it’s even hard to lose myself in a good book. My list today features authors whose books are on my shelves and those I have just heard about.

What about you? Who are some authors you are dying to read?

For more great authors and their books, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Authors I Need to Read!

Kate Angelo — Driving Force

Sara Brunsvold — The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

Sean Dietrich — Stars of Alabama

Amanda Dykes — Whose Waves These Are

Amy Lynn Green — Things We Didn’t Say

Kara Isaac — Then There Was You

Linda MacKillop — The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon

Katie Powner — The Sowing Season

Michelle Shocklee — Under The Tulip Tree

Amanda Wen — Roots of Wood And Stone

Top 10 Tuesday — First Character Lines

9 Nov

The last 2+ weeks have been a whirlwind around here with both expected and unexpected travel. I have been out of town many more days than at home — lots of catching up to do! All that to say I have chosen the easy way out with my TTT list. Memorable character quotes is being twisted to a variation on first lines — the first sentence uttered by a character. All the books featured today are on my near future TBR list. I hope you find a book that piques your interest.

For more memorable character quotes, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Character First Lines

“And King David, a warrior poet, cried out to God, ‘Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.'”

“You’ll never believe it, but I discovered two more diaries!” Miss Cora’s voice wavered, but even at ninety-two it had not lost its cultured tone.

“Thanks for coming with me today. I needed this.”

“What are you doing, Miss Travers?”

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” Lindsey Waters whispered as she stood in the dark hallway next to her sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, and all-the-time troublemaker.

“I’m green with envy! Paris is the most beautiful city in Europe!”

“It will be over soon, little Hebrew,” said the man with painted lips, blood-red and curving with false tenderness.

“Seif, you will send your child to this school?”

The last child, a girl with wide brown eyes and a riot of red curls trailed her hand over the robe. “It’s softer than I thought it’d be.”

“You’ve got manure in your hair, Gerrit,” Luisa whispered, her Italian accent still strong even after thirty years in the States.

2021 Christy Award Finalists

5 Oct

Congratulations to the 2021 Christy Award Finalists! So many books to add to your TBR list! 😉

Contemporary Romance

Just Like Home by Courtney Walsh

Some Bright Someday by Melissa Tagg

Stay with Me by Becky Wade

First Novel

A Noble Calling by Rhona Weaver

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

Rain by Dana McNeely

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

General Fiction

Set The Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin

The Way It Should Be by Christina Suzann Nelson

Historical

Like Flames in The Night by Connilyn Cossette

Under The Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee

The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barratt

Historical Romance

A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Point of Origin by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks

Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn

Short Form

A Match Made at Christmas by Courtney Walsh

Joy to The World: Far As The Curse Is Found by Amanda Barratt

Joy to The World: Wonders of His Love by Erica Vetsch

Speculative

Extinction Island by Janice Boekhoff

Forsaken Island by Sharon Hinck

The Story Hunter by Lindsay A. Franklin

Young Adult

Dust by Kara Swanson

Moral Sight by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads

Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann

Top Ten Tuesday — Colorful Book Covers

20 Apr

Happy Tuesday. I am still getting over the big day — my daughter’s wedding — last Saturday. I’ve been absent around the blog for a few weeks, so I am hoping this Top 10 Tuesday post — Colorful Book Covers — will give me a jumpstart. I have broken the post into 2 parts — bold color covers and muted color covers. I hope you find one to love!

For more Top Ten Tuesday fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Colorful Book Covers

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman

Standoff by Patricia Bradley

Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn

Hope Between The Pages by Pepper Basham

Maggie Bright by Tracy Groot

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

The Secret Place by Camille Eide

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin