This year I’m trying to read more. I’m on Goodreads (Hey, find me there if you are on it too!), and for the first time I’m doing the yearly reading challenge. My goal is 52 books in the year. You can do the math on how many books each week I need to read. So far? So good.
I think the very first book of the year I read was Tammy L. Gray’s My Hope Next Door. Tammy writes about people who’ve come from messed-up pasts and messy backgrounds. Yet she keeps her stories clearly in the Christian fiction market. I love everything about that combination!
My Hope Next Door is about the town bad girl, Katie Stone, who comes home years after leaving town — and she’s a changed woman now. She’s given her life to God and has turned over a new leaf in a new town in a new state. And then she finds out that her very dysfunctional family needs some help.
Time to go back to the scene of her crimes.
Gray does an excellent job of showing the struggle someone can have to be a new person in a place that used to have such a tight, evil grip on them. She doesn’t gloss over this struggle to be the new creature salvation has made Katie, to escape the people who keep trying to pull her back to what she used to be, to escape the things she did that affected others in ways she still feels horribly guilty over. Sometimes she fails, fails big. That imperfection, that reality, was refreshing to see.
I might not have the past or the struggles that Katie did, but I found myself identifying with her over and over. My sin nature is still there, and man, does it get a hold of me some times. I hate that. And seeing Katie fight, get discouraged, and then receive encouragement from someone to not quit was such a needed reminder to me.
Did I mention there’s romance in this book? There is, and it’s a sweet one.
Have you read My Hope Next Door yet? Or any of Tammy’s other books? She’s got a few that I haven’t had a chance to get to yet. I’d love to hear what you’ve enjoyed about her books.
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Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, Sally has been fascinated by all things Chicago (except for crime, politics, and traffic) for almost as long. She now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they get back to Chicago for important things -- like good pizza and a White Sox game. A freelance-fiction editor and former president of her writing chapter, Sally has won a handful of awards for Kept and another work-in-progress. Visit her online at sallybradley.com or on Facebook.
Hi Sally, I have not read this book, but have read others of Tammy Gray’s (Shattered Rose, Shackled Lily, Splintered Oak) and enjoyed them.
I like your goal of 52 books, it gives you a great excuse to read, and there are so many good books to read. Do you have any new books coming out soon?
Blessings:)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book. I haven’t read anything from Tammy even though I’ve had her Winsor Series books in my TBR list.
So many good books! I would like to read more too. I like your goal of 52 books this year. I hope to read a lot of new authors. Blessings !
Hi Sally! I haven’t read this yet, but it’s going on my list. It sounds like a great read. Thanks for the recommendation!
Hi Sally! My Goodreads 2017 goal is 100 books. So far I have read 13 books and started several new ones, but none caught my interest and so I am 2 books behind schedule. February in Michigan has been an interesting month with the unusual warm spring weather – Seven days with 60 degrees temperature set a new weather record. I spent this unseasonable warm time outdoors with my granddaughter, soaking up the sun (relief after six weeks of gloomy rainy weather). Today temperatures are in the 30s. It is snowing and the winds are howling. Maybe March will come in as a lion and go out as a lamb, so Michiganders really experience spring.
Thanks for sharing Tammy L. Gray’s book My Hope Next Door. I read Shattered Rose, two years ago. Best wishes. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Writing and Reading!
This book sounds really good!
Another fun book! I made a goal of 50 books. I am already behind. :)
Thanks for the recommendation! I haven’t read any of Tammy’s books. This sounds like a good one. Have a great day!
I loved My Hope Next Door!!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Wemble, I actually haven’t read the books by Tammy that you’ve read. I’ll have to get on that one of these days. :)
Yes, I have another book coming out as soon as I can make it happening. I’m trying for this spring. It’s Shelf Life, and I’m really getting excited about it. I’d love to start talking about it, but we’re not quite there yet. Stay tuned, right?
Thanks for asking.
This is the third book of hers that I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed them all. I hope you do too, Priscila.
Isn’t discovering new authors fun? Have fun reading, Pat!
Hope you enjoy it, Jill!
Renata, we’ve had the same weather pattern here in Kansas! We actually hit 80 a couple days ago, and we’ve had almost ten days of sixties and seventies weather. It’s crazy. It’s a month ahead, temperaturewise, of where we normally are. And yes, now it’s cold here too!
I was at a writer friend’s speaking engagement earlier this week, and it was such a gorgeous day. I joked then that good weather is bad for books, at least late in the fall or early in spring. Everyone wants to get outside and enjoy that weather. :)
It is, Melanie! I hope you enjoy it.
Well, Merrillee, you’re just gonna have to spend the weekend reading, right? :)
Oh, yay! I love introducing people to new-to-them authors. So fun!
Carrie, you have excellent taste. ;)
My pleasure, Valerie. :)
I actually have this book, but haven’t read it yet :) I’ve only read a few of Tammy’s books, Mercy’s Fight and Just One Summer collection, but I love her stories and look forward to more of them! Cheering you on as you meet your reading goal on goodreads, such a great site and the only way I can keep track of the books I love :)
Hi Sally,
I hope to some day read My Hope Next Door. I’ve heard a lot about it. I’ve read one book of Tammy’s it’s Mercy’s Fight. It truly made an impacted on my heart. I would recommend it.
I’ve read My Hope Next Door and loved it! I’ve also read most of the rest of Tammy’s books. They were all wonderful. She’s one of my fav writers.
why, thank you ;)
Mercy’s Fight was another good one of hers, wasn’t it? Happy reading, Kara!
Marylin, I felt that My Hope Next Door was an even better book than Mercy’s Fight! I’d love to hear what you think of it when you read it.
She’s a good one! I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next from her.
I am an avid reader (24 this year) but have not read any of Tammy’s books….need to correct that! I have one of yours, Sally, on my Kindle to read…must get to it.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I have not read a book from Tammy before. Hopefully I will sometime this year.
It sounds interesting. I love Christian fiction!
I know the feeling of a challenge to read all the books! I think I set mine this year at 100. I love your number of 52 more! This book is new to me as well, I am going to check it out now. Thanks for sharing!
I have not read this book, but, it looks like one I will want to add to my list of “to be read”. :-)
Sounds like you’ve got lots of reading fun in store, Jackie. Enjoy!
Go for it, Colleen! Hope you enjoy her.
Me too, Diana. I’m so glad we have options that don’t drag us down. :) Hope you enjoy it!
100 books! I’d love to read that many, Bree. Have fun!
May I recommend that you put it up high on your list? :)
I don’t think I’ve read any of her books yet. Sounds interesting.
Hi Sally! She is a new author to me. I love finding new authors!
Would love to read this!
A great idea! :-)
I have not read any of her books. Will have to check them out!
This book sounds right up my alley. I’ve read the Windsor series and loved it.