Book picks similar to
Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas by Paula D'Arcy
contemporary
favorites
religion---spirituality
women-of-faith
An Unlikely Goddess
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar - 2013
Mohana made us want to read more..."Kamy Wicoff, author and founder of She Writes.com Sita is the firstborn, but since she is a female child, her birth makes life difficult for her mother who is expected to produce a son. From the start, Sita finds herself in a culture hostile to her, but her irrepressible personality won’t be subdued. Born in India, she immigrates as a toddler to the U.S. with her parents after the birth of her much anticipated younger brother. Sita shifts between the vastly different worlds of her WASP dominated school and her father’s insular traditional home. Her journey takes us beneath tales of successful middle class Indians who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s. The gap between positive stereotypes of South Asian immigrants and the reality of Sita's family, who are struggling to stay above the poverty line is a relatively new theme for Indian literature in English. Sita's struggles to be American and yet herself, take us deeper into understanding the dilemmas of first generation children, and how religion and culture define women. Cover design by Law AlsobrookCover photography by Guiri R. Reyes
Glass Towers, Home for the Holidays Short Story
Adler - 2013
All your favorite characters are back for a special holiday edition. This is a short story of approx 27,000 words that will surely touch your heart. Now that Harrison and Danielle finally have their happily ever after, join them for their first family Christmas, set in their idyllic newly remodeled country manor. With extended family and friends on their guest list, this holiday has all the makings to be full of love, happiness and new traditions. Despite all of her careful planning, Danielle finds that as the holiday rapidly approaches circumstances beyond their control threaten to keep them apart this holiday. The only way to salvage her plans is the faith that the yuletide spirit bringing them back together for their first Christmas as a family. Look for the next installment in this series coming Spring 2014. Marion Devereaux, Rantings of a Wicked Woman. This book is intended for mature audiences. Suggest 18+ due to some explicit language and sexual situations.
The Christmas Collection
Victoria Connelly - 2016
So, when she finds a handsome stranger already at the cottage, she's baffled. Has her aunt double-booked the cottage by mistake or is she up to her match-making tricks once again?Christmas at the Castle Life at Caldoon Castle in the Highlands of Scotland isn't easy for Catriona Fraser and her two children especially since her husband died. So, when Iain MacNeice and his two daughters book the castle for the Christmas holidays, Catriona's prayers seem to be answered. But the MacNeices arrive with a whole host of their own problems and it's going to take time, patience and a little bit of Christmas magic to make this holiday a happy one.Christmas at the Cottage After a bad breakup, all Rowan Corrigan wants is time alone at the family cottage in the Lake District. But her sister Rachel and husband Paul have exactly the same idea. As does Paul's best friend Nick - the very last man Rowan wants to see after her embarrassing encounter with him at Rachel and Paul's wedding. As the snow begins to fall, this could become the worst Christmas on record. But Christmas is a time for miracles and Rowan has always believed in those...
Winter Whimsy: Escape this Christmas to the Boardwalk by the Sea
Georgina Troy - 2020
His Father's Son
Tony Black - 2013
It's a far cry from his native Ireland, but he believes this is the place he and his wife can make a new life and forget the troubles of the past. And for a time, they do just that. There's a good life, a new house, regular work and, in time, they welcome their new son Marti into the world. But as the years pass, this new life thousands of miles from the Old Country comes under threat. Joey's wife has been struggling with demons of her own, their marriage is on the rocks and suddenly, Joey's wife disappears and takes Marti with her. Joey is beside himself, with no clues about where they are, with both his childhood sweetheart and his son - his pride and joy - now missing. Then, when Joey gets word that his wife and son have returned to Ireland, he knows that he'll now have to do the same if he ever wants to see his son again. And he also knows that he'll finally have to confront the ghosts of his past that he's been running from for years. His Father's Son is a touching and beautiful story of a family struggling to come to terms with their past, their present and an uncertain future.
Full Circle (Rollin On Series Early Years Book 3)
Emilia Finn - 2019
We were put here for a reason, our lifetime is finite, so we should make our memories, love hard, love unconditionally, then create our family, because eventually our time ends and we leave nothing behind but a legacy. Make your name mean something, and don't waste the small window of time you've been given.
Winter Blues
Jessica Caryn - 2018
He was her boss's son and was said to be a maverick. Vance was a celebrity lawyer. He invested in a fleet of start-up companies and lived a bachelor lifestyle. Their exchanges were always intimate, stolen moments until a New Year's gala when Vance took her breath away in a passionate Winter's kiss. He received a phone call and left before Cassandra had a chance to reveal her feelings for him. SOMETHING NEWCassandra found out months later that Vance was involved in a situation that could lead to his financial ruin. She didn't see Vance until he walked into the company's holiday toy drive almost a year later. He wore a designer suit with a diaper bag slung over his shoulder as he steered a high-tech baby stroller. Vance said he was a single Dad and then introduced her to Braeden Jacob Stephens, his adorable two-month old son. Vance Stephens wanted Cassandra from the moment he saw her. She was off limits for years and bad timing had kept them apart. A stressful moment and his random proposal will prompt Cassandra to accept an arrangement. Can she handle the situations and responsibilities or will her own past and insecurities destroy her chance at happiness? Adult Romance, contains sexual content.
The Nightmare Ex-Boyfriend Before Christmas: A modern day Christmas Carol
Devon Hartford - 2019
It’s also the epicenter of our past scandal that nearly killed me and my parents when it broke.Trust me, it made the local TV news every night for two weeks. One night, it went national.Guess who never left King City?Channing.The curb turd.As relentless as he was on the field, I would’ve thought he’d go on to play in the NFL. He never did. Knee injury. Oh, the cliche.Small pond, meet big fish.Only this fish has grown bigger than anyone ever expected, built up his own business empire. Turns out he’s better at business than he ever was at football, and that’s saying something. Despite his knee injury, he managed to keep his college football body, abs and all. Wherever he goes, it’s raining money and marriage proposals.When he finds out I’m home for the holidays, he just has to come knocking at my parents’ house bearing meaningless gifts.News flash, unless he’s hoping for an immaculate conception, he has another thing coming, and it definitely won’t be me.
Season of Second Chances
Aimee Alexander - 2020
A novel of family, love, and learning to be kind to yourself by award-winning, bestselling Irish author, Aimee Alexander. Grace Sullivan flees Dublin with her two teenage children, Jack and Holly, returning to the sleepy West Cork village where she grew up. No one in Killrowan knows what Grace is running from - or that she's even running. She'd like to keep it that way. Taking over from her father, Des, as the village doctor offers a real chance for Grace to begin again. But will she and the family adapt to life in a small rural community? Will the villagers accept an outsider as their GP? Will Grace live up to the doctor that her father was? And will she find the inner strength to face the past when it comes calling? Season of Second Chances is a heart-warming story of friendship, love and finding the inner strength to face a future that may bring back the past. Perfect for fans of Call The Midwives, The Durrells, Doc Martin and All Creatures Great and Small. The villagers of Killrowan will steal into your heart and make you want to stay with them forever.
Twenty-nine going on Thirty
Andaleeb Wajid - 2018
Living in Bangalore with her best friend, Farida, and working as the social media head of a software firm, she's weighed down by the thought of becoming a responsible thirty-year-old. To add to this, sge also has to fend off her nother's persistent queries about when she intends to get married. Things begin to look up when Priya bumps into her charming new neighbour, Ajay. Sparks fly, but she soon finds out that he's a widower who has some baggage to deal with.Thabkfully, Priya finds comfort in the fact that her friends Farida, Mini and Namrata are approaching the three-O milestone too. Free-spirited Farida, shy Namrata, feisty Mini and Priya are brought together by family drama, boy trouble, and their fast-approachung birthdays. As they navigate love and friendships, they realise there's a difference between growing up and growing old....
This Is Life
Shakara Cannon - 2012
Sequel to This Can't Be Life
Imaginary Friends
Darren Pillsbury - 2007
It was a normal Christmas Eve until Jeff Tanner's youngest son Davey snapped a turkey wishbone and made a crazy wish. Now Jeff thinks he's gone insane, because he sees strange things that no one else can - bug-eyed babies, walking teddy bears, and tiny freaks galore. What's worse, they don't like him. At all. Now Jeff has to figure out why they're angry, and quick, before his life is ruined by a million, invisible IMAGINARY FRIENDS.
The Crazy Life of a Kid from Brooklyn
Bill Morgenstein - 2014
I was on the Stuyvesant baseball team, but because of my working hours, my playing time was limited. My first dream to become a corporate president by the time I was 35 years of age was fulfilled.Experience the ups and downs of a life well lived in Bill Morgenstein's compelling new memoir, The Crazy Life of a Kid from Brooklyn.While first reminiscing upon his childhood in Brooklyn during the depression, Morgenstein traces his life through times of war, peace, and everything in between.At times extremely funny and heartbreaking, The Crazy Life of a Kid in Brooklyn details Morgenstein's enlistment in the US Army, his days running a $55 million dollar company, his despair at losing it all to a scam, and much more.His chance encounters with such historical figures as Sergeant York, Cordell Hull, Sid Gordon, Jomo Kenyatta, and Vince Camuto provide amusing cultural touchstones that reveal a willingness to embrace everything life has to offer.Through all the successful, disappointing, dangerous, educational, and enlightening experiences that have shaped his life, Morgenstein remains philosophical as he explores the roles of ethics, honesty, and unfailing determination in shaping the human experience.
In Time For An Amish Christmas
Samantha Price - 2017
Heidi King was one woman who needed a miracle. She left the Amish community years ago and built a life for herself as a successful New York City realtor. Loneliness and regret cause her to cry out to God. Heidi wakes the next morning to the life she would've had if she'd stayed in the Amish community and married Derek, her old Amish love. At first, she was delighted to be Derek's wife and mother to their three children, but soon motherhood and the realities of life in the Amish community overwhelm her. Heidi finds her way back to her city life and her single status. Now with no children and no Derek, will she realize she's made the biggest mistake of her life? Will Heidi be able to find her way back in time for an Amish Christmas?
Christmas at the Little Cornish Gift Shop
Rachel Griffiths - 2018
Her dreams of making it as a screenwriter failed and she has no idea what to do next.
Reality TV star Jake Woodhouse was delighted to find a small, isolated Cornish cottage to rent for the holidays. He aims to spend his days there in peace and quiet, licking his wounds – his only company his faithful, but stubborn, British bulldog, Sherlock Bones.
But as Ruby and Jake are drawn together by the magic of the festive season and the Little Cornish Gift Shop, they both begin to realise that sometimes it is possible to learn to trust again, and that friendship can be the most valuable Christmas gift of all.
This is the first of three short stories in The Little Cornish Gift Shop series.
Look out for Spring at The Little Cornish Gift Shop coming in 2019.