Book picks similar to
Down Right Good by Karen Kelly Boyce


giveaway-books
first-reads
fiction
mental-health

Brahma Rakshas: The Monster Within


Sandiip N. Paatil - 2021
    At 11, he looks big and strong for his age. His kind mother, Geeta is a rural Indian archetype: the overworked, stressed-out, barely-keeping-it- together single mother. His father is in prison for multiple robbery cases. The villagers are cold and overbearing, and his schooldays are made hellish by bullies. If this wasn’t enough, he has nightmares and uncanny callings from the age-old monstrous Peepal tree that lays on his way to school. The legend is a monster called Brahma Rakshas, living under this tree, for years unknown to people, lures kids with the black devil fruits and then makes them wrestle until one dies.And, one stormy night, the legend comes true when Brahma Rakshas meets Sarja. Set in a fictional village of Deogiri; a small haven of human civilization, away from the din of city life, this story is an adventure ride filled with riddles and monster wrestling.

Between Skies (Kate Bennett, #1)


Rick Murgittroyd - 2018
    Kate Bennett knows that. But it was never supposed to hit this close to home. Never. Horribly, she loses her forty-one year-old husband, Pete, a Pastor growing a fine church in Orlando, Florida, to a sudden heart attack. After the funeral, Kate is faced with two realizations. She’ll have to vacate the church’s parsonage, leaving her, her two teen-aged children, and her grandmother without a place to call home. The second dilemma is far more subtle, but growing steadily. Her anger has a strange new life. A knock on her door addresses the first issue. The second isn't so easily solved. Kate’s old boss, Caleb Moore, wants Kate to come back to work for him as an investigator in his bail bonds firm, something she did extremely well, but hoped she’d never have to do again. At first, she refuses, even after he explains they have an opportunity to solve a thirty-five-year-old cold case murder of three teenagers that could pay them a cool million dollars. She eventually accepts the offer, believing that God hasn’t taken care of her and her family, so it’s up to her. She doesn’t want or need His help. Kate and her family arrive in Northern Michigan to begin work. But after only hours in Cedarview, Michigan, she discovers there are those who don’t want the case reopened, let alone solved. Murder is still murder and some will do anything to make sure that fact stays hidden. Kate is determined, but her adversaries are willing to steal everything from her to keep their secret, even her life. The conclusion will set you back, the lesson will change your life.

Amish Days: Replacement Wife: Hollybrook Amish Romance (Greta's Story Book 1)


Brenda Maxfield - 2017
    Is she serious? Is she really trying to force him to make such a promise? How can she possibly expect him to marry Greta Glick after she dies? How can anyone replace Betty as his wife? How can anyone replace her as the mother to their son? Isaac can’t even begin to think such thoughts. All he wants is for his wife to live. But Isaac’s prayers aren’t answered. Betty dies with Isaac and their baby son by her side. After the burial, Greta Glick assures Isaac that she will not hold him to the promise, even though she already loves his son. She suspects she might love Isaac, too, but she shoves her feelings aside. Later, when the local healer’s granddaughter begins to show interest in Isaac, Greta regrets how hastily she brushed the promise aside. Was she wrong to dismiss Betty’s dying wish so quickly? And now, Isaac is threatening to leave the state, and it appears that both Isaac and his baby son will be lost to her forever… Replacement Wife is a sweet, clean, inspirational Amish Romance—part of the much-loved Hollybrook Amish Romance series. Replacement Wife is a touching Christian story of loss, grief, and true love. Enjoy this tender romance today! Grab your copy now!

Step of Faith (Magnolia Gardens Book 1)


Michelle Stimpson - 2018
    She's always lived for her family, but apparently they aren't thinking twice about her. When she makes a sudden decision to make herself happy, for once in her life, she has to deal with the repercussions this new life brings with the children who were hardly even thinking about her. Step of Faith is the first book in the Magnolia Gardens series by bestselling Christian Fiction author duo Michelle Stimpson & CaSandra McLaughlin. You will enjoy this cast of lively cast of senior characters and grow to love them through their trials and triumphs.

Spoken


Melanie Weiss - 2019
    A relationship with his father. When Roman’s life gets turned upside down, (thanks, Mom!?), he is forced to leave his pampered Hollywood lifestyle and move into his grandparents’ Midwestern home. Sleeping on a lumpy pullout sofa and starting at a new high school is the worst, but Roman’s life starts to look up when his pink-haired friend, Zuzu, and his crush, a classmate named Claire, introduce him to performance poetry through the high school's Spoken Word Club. While his mom is flying back and forth to L.A., trying to return them to the life they had, Roman becomes part of a diverse group of characters who challenge his rather privileged view of the world. Through Spoken Word, Roman recognizes the hole in his own life he needs to fill and discovers his voice. Spoken Word leads Roman on a journey of new friendships, first love, and finding the dad he never knew. “Spoken” is an uplifting, funny, and heartfelt coming-of-age story that captures how the honesty of performance poetry binds together students from all different walks of life and forever changes Roman’s life.

The Jan Karon Story Hour: Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny / The Trellis and the Seed / Miss Fannie's Hat


Jan Karon - 2005
    On this one-of-a-kind CD audio book compilation, the author and her daughter, Candace Freeland, read The Trellis and the Seed, Miss Fannie's Hat, and Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny. Jan Karon's books are always eagerly awaited and lovingly received by her many loyal fans. The most recent addition to the Mitford Years series, Shepherds Abiding, spent several weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Older readers will enjoy this opportunity to share their favorite author's stories with their children and grandchildren. The Trellis and the Seed was #1 on the New York Times Children's Books Bestsellers List.

A Tropical Frontier: The Cow Hunters


Tim Robinson - 2014
    Smith Award, 2015. [Rating: R] The Fourth novel in the "Tropical Frontier" series, The Cow Hunters is the sequel to The Good Dog. The Florida Prairie, 1860, cattle country. War looms, but to the settlers living along a jungled, tropical creek, it all seems very far away. For Becky Hackensaw, there are much more pressing matters, such as providing an education for her six children, but where to find someone willing to brave an uninhabited wilderness overrun with wild animals, alligators, poisonous snakes, and bloodthirsty mosquitoes?

The Byler Brothers: the complete series box set


Abigail Fisher - 2015
     Matthew hires Mandy Bowman, an Englischer in need of a place to live, to take care of the house and his youngest brother, John, who is blind. Mandy is exceptional with John and empowers him to do more for himself and build confidence and acceptance with his disability. Sparks fly between Matthew and Mandy, especially in a crisis, but when Mandy’s step-father arrives, everything changes. Will Matthew accept Mandy’s past and still love her? Will Mandy stay and accept the Amish way of life? Is there hope for two very different people to find love and happiness together? Find out now in THE BYLER BROTHERS Series: Book 1: "MATTHEW" Book Two: MARK: (Mark's Story: The Calling) Mark clings to his Amish faith in the aftermath of his parent’s fatal accident. After experiencing a spiritual calling similar to Paul or Samuel in the Bible, Mark is convinced that God has a special plan for him. Is he God’s choice to be the next bishop in his community? Hannah Hershberger lives next door to the Bylers. She has loved Mark from the time they were children together in school. After seventeen years, he finally notices her and asks her to attend the Fourth of July celebration with her. Is Mark truly interested in her or does he just want time with her grandfather, the bishop? When the bishop falls ill, Mark and Hannah spend time together watching over him, and he asks her to marry him while her grandfather is able to perform the ceremony. Hannah happily agrees. But when something happens that causes Hannah to question Mark’s intentions, she must decide what to do. Will Hannah call off the wedding? Will Mark learn to let go of his own intentions and trust God’s plan? How will God’s plan be revealed? Find out now in THE BYLER BROTHERS Series: Book 2: "MARK" Book Three: LUKE: (Luke's Story: Love on the Road) Two years after the devastating death of his parents, Luke Byler is sixteen years old and ready to get out of his small community and see the world. Amber Westbrook has graduated from high school and is determined to follow her dream to buy a trailer and experience life by travelling the country. Luke and Amber are joined by their sense of adventure and desire for new experiences, but when the world turns out to be more harsh than they expected, they turn to each other for support. How will a sheltered Amish boy and simple farm girl manage in a tough city? Will they stay strong with worldly temptations or learn from their difficult lessons? Where is peace found in the middle of chaos and trouble? Find out now in THE BYLER BROTHERS Series: Book 3: "LUKE" Book Four: JOHN (John's Story: Gift or Curse?) Being blind since birth, John Byler has developed sensitivities that are unique and cause him to see the w

Summer's Reunion


Dora Hiers - 2020
    Beer and bitterness destroyed his marriage to his high school sweetheart, but he’s a changed man now. Solid, stable and sober, he’s finally ready to start a family of his own. But the only woman he can imagine spending his forever with filed divorce papers on him eight years ago.When Rowan Albright faces her groom at the end of the aisle, this time they’re not the ones getting married. She never stopped loving Mannix, but his weekend beer binges to mask the deep-rooted grief tore at the very fabric of her soul, especially since alcoholism decimated her family. But Aunt Ellie says he’s clean now, so when Mannix’s beloved Gramps offers her a job in the family business, she jumps on it. Working together will reveal her ex-husband’s change of heart, right? Or destroy hers…Is faith, hope and love strong enough to rebuild what was lost? Will God give them a second chance at love and a future, or will both their hearts be shattered once again? Will theirs be a summer reunion or a summer to forget?

The Hawaiian Quilt, SAMPLER


Wanda E. Brunstetter - 2016
    But when Mandy and one of her friends miss the cruise ship after a port of call on Kauai, how will they adjust and get back home? Find out in this brand new romance from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.

Walk Twenty, Run Twenty


Garry Disher - 2013
    He looks at his punctured tyres in dismay. Ten kilometres. If he walks, he’ll be too late to save them. If he runs, he’ll expire in the heat.Somewhere across the flats, in between the red-dirt back roads, there’s real trouble happening. Rick has never felt so alone; the land around him feels as alien as the moon – nothing like the city.But now is no time to hesitate…Ian and Nita are depending on him.Then the voice of his dead father comes back to him: ‘Don’t use up all your energy at once. Walk twenty, run twenty.’

Perilous Judgment: A Real Justice Thriller


Dennis Ricci - 2016
    Nine months into his tenure, he’s received two death threats and is under the protection of US Marshals. But when he receives a plea for help from a woman with whom he had a brief romance twenty-five years earlier, he must face a peril of a different sort, one that involves his long-lost son, Carlos.While working for a bank in his native Mexico, Carlos discovers an international money-laundering scheme. Now he’s on the run from those who want him dead. To get the young man asylum in the United States, Lamport appeals to his highest connections in Washington, only to find puzzling dead ends at every turn. Caught between law and love, he’s forced to take the matter into his own hands. With only his faith in God to guide him, how far is he willing to venture into the dark recesses of political corruption to save his son?

War Ready: In My Father's Shadow


Mary Lou Darst - 2011
    Her father served in the military, and she traveled the world with him and her family. His assignments took them to Alaska, Virginia, Japan, Texas, and Germany, as part of the US Army's responsibilities in policing the world. This candid memoir recounts her family's life in new places and cultures following World War II. What was it like to be a child living in Japan seven years after the war? What was it like to be a thirteen-year-old living in Germany twelve years after the war? What was it like to grow up moving between cultures? This is the story of one family bound to service in the military at a time when the world was being redefined. For a young girl, it was the adventure of a lifetime as she learned the secrets of finding her own way in that new world. The author's story was informed by reading her father's diary, which offers up intimate and candid insight into the life of a typical soldier in a time of war. His entries describe his time serving aboard a battleship built for 800 soldiers--but carrying 6,000 to war. His tales--told from the perspective of a young soldier in southern England, Wales, and Scotland from 1943 to 1945--are glimpses into a life many will never know firsthand.

The Petpost Secret


Radhika R. Dhariwal - 2014
    But not in the way he thinks.Though he is just thirteen, Squirrel is the PetPost slave—the last slave in the animal town of Bimmau. Every morning,he puts on his PetPost uniform and delivers the mail for hislazy mongoose boss. But when Squirrel swigs someforbidden wine at a wedding, his mother's voice speaks tohim. 'Start your journey that leads to long-lost Brittle’s Key,' she urges. 'Go find, my son, your destiny.'Brittle's Key—with the power to set him free and turnanyone in the land into a slave—can be Squirrel's. But, tofind the key, he must find and sip three mysterious liquids.With his friend Des and a crow, Azulfa, he sets off on adangerous quest. He travels from the walled city of beesto the fireless mice tea-estate to the treacherous desert,while fleeing the savage Kowa army and outsmarting thevicious Colonel who wants the key for himself.Will Squirrel succeed? For not only his fate, but alsothe fate of the land hangs in the balance . . .

Out of North Korea


Alana Terry - 2018
     Ian McAllister has searched the world over, hunting for that all-elusive perfect photograph. He finds it on a tourist trip to North Korea when he stumbles upon a young street kid foraging for roots. Unaware that this single act will brand him a spy and cost his freedom, Ian takes the shot. Now he must pay the penalty. A true-to-life novel about an American imprisoned behind North Korea's closed borders. A gripping tale of courage, faith, and hope from award-winning Christian novelist Alana Terry.