So it happened again this week. The unthinkable, unwelcome April snow. Sigh. Sure, it’s melting now but still…Hellllooooo, Spring! Are you out there anywhere? I wish you could share photos in comments ’cause I’d ask you to show me your spring-y ones! Instead, let’s make do with my very own ‘Spring into Reading’ book tag. A spring inspired look at the books we have read or want to read…
And, there’s a giveaway! Participate by answering one (or more) of the book tag questions in a comment below and I’ll enter you in a draw for a $10 Baker Book Store e-card.
SPRING INTO READING BOOK TAG
The questions first – then I’ll share my answers below.
- April Showers bring May flowers – a book with flowers on the cover
- Spring Fling – a romance
- Spring Break – book with a friend group you’d want to vacation with
- Spring Gardening – a book featuring gardening or farming
- Allergies – a book that made you teary eyed and sniffly
- Rebirth – a book that helped you grow emotionally or spiritually or in understanding
- The Warmth of Sunshine – a book that gives you all the cozy, happy vibes
- Renewed Growth – a fresh take on a classic or a fairytale retelling
- Spring Cleaning – the next book you’re going to pick from your tippy toppy TBR pile
- Fresh Start – a new series you want to start
- Cadbury Mini-Eggs – a short, sweet read
- In like a lamb, out like a lion or vice versa – a mystery or suspense
April Showers Bring May Flowers – a book with a flower on the cover
Spring Fling – A Romance
Spring Break – a book with a friend group you want to vacation with
Spring Gardening – a book featuring gardening or farming
Allergies – a book that made you teary-eyed and sniffly
Rebirth – a book that helped your grow emotionally or spiritually or in understanding
The Warmth of Sunshine – a book that gives you all the cozy, happy vibes
Renewed Growth – a fresh take on a classi or a fairytale retelling
Spring Cleaning – the next book you’re going to pick from your tippy toppy TBR pile (ack! this is giving me too much bookish anxiety! How do I choose just one out of so many????)
Fresh Start – a new series you want to start
Cadbury Mini-Eggs – a short, sweet read
In like a lamb, our like a lion or vice versa – a mystery or suspense
Ha, now it’s your turn. Share a book (or more) in the comment section and you’ll be entered in. a draw to win a $10 Baker Book House e card.
TAG! YOU’RE IT!
Kav's Best Reads 
Ooh! The Garden of Fairy tales series works PERFECTLY for this tag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sarah Beran’s Snapdragon just came out, and I’m SO EXCITED to read it!!!!!!!!!!! Several of my other favorite authors are in the multi-author series, and I know it’s going to be AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m probably most excited for Madisyn Carlin’s Lilac in that series! All of the books have flowers on the cover, so that works well! It also works for fairy tale retellings. And romance……………………………..
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Oooohhhhhh, that looks like a great series. Love all the flower names and I do adore a good fairy tale retelling. Hopefully they will release in print editions as well. Right now it looks like they are just ebooks. Love the covers too. Thanks for sharing this little gem. Good luck, Courtney.
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I know at least Sarah, Jessica, and Madisyn will be releasing them in hardcover. Sarah’s is also available in paperback. I’d imagine they all will be available in paperback around/after release date!!!!!
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What a fun tag! For “the warmth of sunshine,” I’ll choose “Anne of the Island” (and I did consider the characters for a group to vacation with, as well). For Cadbury Egg, I’m going with “The Key to Christmas,” by M Jean Pike (even though it’s a Christmas read 😉)
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Anne of the Island is the perfect warmth of sunshine selection. In fact the whole Anne series could easily fit into all the tags — Rilla of Ingleside would definitely be my choice for the Allergies tag. lol And M Jean Pike is a new-to-me author. Thanks for the recommend. Who doesn’t like a good Christmas story any time of year? Good luck, Stephanie!
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We have spring but zero moisture which means another red flag (fire danger) warning for tomorrow. Low to almost no humidity and almost dry conditions and wind. I beginning to hate the wind. Gusting to 40 mph at times. Day before the first day of spring we had a blizzard here. Knocked out power to some in this city as well as cities north of here. I’ve given up praying for rain.
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Ugh! Mother Nature seems to be quite contrary this year no matter where we live. Good luck, Kim!
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I think Mother Nature is testing everyone’s nerves no matter where you live in the world.
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Oh no to the snow! Not Springy at all! So, a good Spring Reading is definitely in order. I love a bookish game
1-April Showers…my fav Spring cover book is A place to Belong by Melissa Tagg, a field of flowers and a couple sitting under a pink umbrella, it doesn’t get any better than that!
2-Spring Fling, romance-I’m reading Susan Tuttle’s backlist to read to zero and just finished Then Again Maybe, I already had my dander up with the summary, but Susan convinced me, swoony!
3-Spring break with friends- The Light on Horn Island-I just read this for review and oh my word, I just loved the friendships in this book, so so good!
4-The Blooming of Delphinium, the seniors have a garden at the assisted living facility
5-allergies, a teary-eyed book-Welcome to the Honey B&B
6-Rebirth-Before the King by Heather Kaufman-Easter week and what it may have been like at the time of Jesus, amazing!
7-Warmth of Sunshine- Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon, I haven’t read it yet, still waiting for the price to drop, but Irene’s Hope Harbor books always give me the warm cozy vibes
8-Renewed growth-The Heart of Bennet Hollow-a new twist on Pride and Prejudice, it’s not out until Fall but I read it for review and it’s Spring so… lol.
9-Spring cleaning-back to Susan Tuttle, I’m reading the next in series, Never Too Late
10-Fresh start, new series-Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher
11-Cadbury mini short-Winning over the Baker by Danielle Thorne, out April 29, this has the best cover from Love Inspired I’ve seen in a good while, looks good too but the cover sold me.
12-In like a lion-suspense-Too Seconds Too Late by Dani Pettrey
We had 80’s last week with our a/c on and this week as low as 30’s and back to having the heat on, temps are all over the place. I hope your snow melts really soon.
Thanks for the fun bookish challenge, tracey14567 at gmail dot com
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Ironically, it’s 12 today (that’s 53 F) so the snow is melting and the sun is shining. We can hope that spring is gently ushering winter out for once and for all. Hooray!
Well, phooey, A Place to Belong is only in ebook format so I haven’t read it. 😦 Gorgeous spring-y cover though. Grrr — Then Again Maybe has my dander up now too. That must be some romance to overcome that beginning! I’m a Susan Tuttle convert now too so I’ll have to look into her backlist as well.
Has Sunrise Reef already released? Huh. The audio book doesn’t release until April 29. I have it on preorder and I am in a full blown bookish anticipatory tizzy waiting on it! Before the King sounds like the perfect read for this week….dare I get brave and tackle a biblical fiction?
Ohhhh, yes, I love that LI cover! I hope there will be more like this one. Looks like a bit of an enemies to more type of romance.
You’ve read quite a few ARCS here — I’m amazed at how early they come out for ebook readers compared to audio. Plus there are so many more ebooks available on Net Galley than audio. Still, I’m getting quite a few so I can’t complain. Thanks for playing the game, Tracey. Good luck!
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I’ve only read 2 ARC’s I listed, The Light on Horn Island and The Heart of Bennet Hollow.
Most of the ARCs I’m getting are from Thomas Nelson, and Tyndale of all publishers. Tyndale used to rarely give me a review book, now they’re one of my main ones, and Barbour.
Looks like advanced copies from Bethany and Revell are a thing of the past 😦
Sunrise Reef came out 4/1 on kindle and paperback, but I refuse to pay $17.09 on principle. I’m going to wait them out, books have taken a major upswing this year and they’re just too high. If readers stop buying, I hope publishers will realize why.
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I’m guessing Tyndale has to up their participation in order to keep on par with Thomas Nelson and Baker Book House. It doesn’t make sense that publishers are putting the same price on ebooks as print — though maybe they feel it even things out in the end? Not sure how that’s working for them in the long run though.
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I don’t think it is working. I’ve been tracking Sunrise Reef, last I looked it had 45 ratings but only 15 reviews. Of those reviews none are listed as verified sales, so if they’re all review books and not sales (from Amazon anyway) Revell should be getting the message readers aren’t going to buy at that price.
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Whoa! And Irene Hannon is a big name and that series is super popular. Hopefully publishers will figure this out sooner than later.
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I’m so sorry about the snow, Kav. Hubby’s been planting new shrubs & flowers. Beautiful weather here, but the temps vary so much from day to day. Crazy!
1) April Showers Bring May Flowers – Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham
2) Spring Fling – Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet
3) Spring Break – The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse
4) Spring Gardening – Summerlin Groves by Elizabeth Camden
5) Allergies – Driving Timmy’s Car by Barbara Ketchum
6) Rebirth – Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn
7) Warmth of Sunshine – In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh
8) Renewed Growth – Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham (beauty & the beast vibes)
9) Spring Cleaning- Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon (just picked this one up)
10) Fresh Start – Captured in Frame by Laura Thomas (pre-ordered the 2nd one THE FINAL WORD)
11) Cadbury mini – A Field of Beauty by Suzanne Woods Fisher (love that springy cover!)
12) In Like a Lion – Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright
Thanks for the Spring fun giveaway, Kav! dianalflowers at aol dot com
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It’s up to 53 F and sunny this afternoon. Just came in from a lovely springish walk! Hanging my head in shame because I still haven’t read Hope Like Wildflowers. It’s on hold at the library though. Ohhhh, yes, Summerlin Groves is the perfect choice for Spring Gardening! And there’s another mention of Driving Timmy’s Car — that title keeps popping up these last few weeks, guess I should pay attention, eh?
In Search of a Prince is definitely a warm and fuzzy read. Might have to give that one a relisten this year. Beyond Ivy Walls is my favourite Rachel Fordham, I think. And I’m officially jealous that you already have a copy of Sunrise Reef — though I’ll be able to stay in my happy anticipatory mood longer than you since the audio doesn’t release until the end of the month.
I have The Glass Bottom Boat by Laura Thomas on my TBR. I want to read more of her books…another author I should put in my read to zero list. Thanks for playing book tag with me, Diane. You’ve given me a few more titles to prioritize….ack! I’m feeling the pressure! Good luck!
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Yay for Spring walks. Hanging MY head in shame bc I haven’t taken one yet. Well, since the last time I mentioned taking one . . . whenever that was. 😕
I pre-ordered Sunrise Reef from Baker. Like Tracey I wasn’t going to pay that much for an ebook. And there was always the hope like other readers have mentioned—pre-orders often come early. Well, it was cheaper & I got free shipping, but it certainly didn’t come early. I think it took a little over a week past release date, which really was fine bc I needed to finish Kate Landry & had a lot of distractions going on. Including migraines. 😫 And yes! Driving Timmy’s Car is a must read! Very different than what you might expect.
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Ugh, migraines?! Hopefully those are a thing of the past now! No more messing with your reading brain!
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Well, I guess I should’ve said a migraine. One that lasted off & on last week. Not sure what caused it bc I used to get hormonal migraines all the time, but I’m past that stage now. Just a little. lol Thanks, Kav.
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Sorry you are experiencing the snow! Meanwhile here in South Carolina, my husband just got finished mowing the lawn for the third time this year I think, and it is supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow!
I’m not going to answer to many of these, but I have a few for you…
Book with flowers – The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
Spring Cleaning – Lowcountry Lost by T. I. Lowe (I picked this out last night to start, but didn’t actually get it start, but it’s on my nightstand!)
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Another one who is back into gardening. I’m so jealous. The snow is melting though and there are patches of my garden visible so it won’t be long now. I’m anxious to see if the spring bulbs I planted in the fall will show their pretty faces.
Love both of the books you mentioned. I adore Mrs Kip! Good luck, Patty!
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No chance of April snow here in Texas! Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. I’m already missing those cooler temps! *sigh*
Warmth of Sunshine – The Keeper by Charles Martin
Blessings upon blessings during this Holy Week!
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Bwahahaha – there you are mentioned Charles Martin again. 🙂 Good luck, Caryl!
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April Showers Bring May Flowers: A Promise to Love by Serena B Miller
Renewed growth: Playing the Part by Jen Turano (a retelling of/inspired by The Phantom of the Opera)
Fresh start: I’m cheating a bit since it’s probably not actually a series, but Kimberly Duffy announced she has a contemporary rom com coming out later this month – The Meet-Cute Manuscript – which is a bit of a fresh start for her, being a different genre than usual!
A week ago we had 9 inches of snow, and this morning I have pasque flowers (native crocus) blooming. Granted, these are very hardy little plants that often end up blooming in the snow, at least in Minnesota!
rdalquist AT gmail DOT com
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I haven’t read anything by Serena B. Miller in ages…like years. Must check her out. I don’t think I realized that Playing the Part was a Phantom of the Opera inspiration. I read it, but I’m not super familiar with all the nuances of Phantom so I guess the connection went over my head. Oooohhhh, I like your double meaning for fresh start — a new genre for the author. And Love that tile – The Meet-Cute Manuscript — sounds like it’s going to be a fun read.
Eeeeppp — I have pasque flowers too — the snow has receded from that patch of my garden but there’s no sign of life yet. Such a gorgeous plant. It’s the first thing to blossom in my garden every year. How fun that yours is braving your Minnesota weather to share some Easter joy! Good luck, Rachael!
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I hope Spring will be there for you soon!
April showers bring May flowers – This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke. I have this one on hold at my library.
Spring fling romance – Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet. I loved this one!
Mystery/Suspense – Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard. I have this one but haven’t read it yet.
Next Read – The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese
Sandyavery at comcast dot net
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This Promised Land is high up on my wishlist. My library usually gets Cathy Gohlke’s books so I must check. I haven’t read Rebekah Millet yet…gasp…and this is already her second book. So hard to keep up with them all! Eeeepppp, Storm Warning is fantastic!!!!! Movie it up your list, just sayin’. 🙂 Good luck, Sandy!
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April Showers bring May flowers – “The Carousel Painter” by Judith Miller – I haven’t read this one yet, but I love the flowers on the horse.
The Warmth of Sunshine – “Fairest Of Heart” by Karen Witemeyer – Technical this works under the Fairytale retelling, too, but I wanted to put it here.😊
Renewed Growth – “Cloaked in Beauty” by Karen Witemeyer – A mix of Sleeping Beauty & Little Red Riding Hood
Spring Cleaning – “Of Gold And Shadows” by Michelle Griep – So hard to choose one! Though I do plan to read this one soon, if another book doesn’t jump out to me first😜
Fresh Start – “Harbor of Spies” series by Megan Soja – The books sound so good that I’m already anxious for the second book to release, and I haven’t even read the first yet!😂
Cadbury Mini-Eggs – “A Bargain To Keep” by Alena Mentink – Short and sweet, it’s the first book I’ve read by her, but I’d read more.
In like a lamb, out like a lion or vice versa – “Written In Secret” by Crystal Caudill – it had it all: mystery, suspense, humor, faith and romance.😁
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Judith Miller! That’s a blast from the past. I used to read all her books. The Carousel Painter was one of my favourites. She has a very classic style. Even the title, ‘Fairest of Heart’ feels sunshiney 🙂 I wrestled with the Spring Cleaning tag too — I have TBRS from the library, print books I’ve bought, books I want to re-read, books in my audible library – oh and my Chirp library too. Ack! So hard to decide. lol Adding Alena Mentink to my wishlist of authors to try. Thanks for the nudge….I think! You’ve already read Written in Secret?! It’s just been out a month. Happy to hear it ticks all the boxes. Plus, it’s a historical! Good luck, Sabrina!
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My nominee fits two categories, Renewed Growth and Spring Cleaning. The book at the top of my TBR is the start of a series I’m excited to start! Look to the Heavens by Carter Norman Phillips! (A medieval historical with fantasy-realism😉)
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Love a double duty read! 🙂 And it sounds completely original, for the Christian Fiction genre, anyway. Good luck, Elly!
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Sorry about the snow, Kav. Ugh. So let’s start with flowers 🙂 This one goes back several years, but I’ll mention Perennials by Julie Cantrell. That might work for gardening too! But for farming I’ll say The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold. For a romance I’ll go with Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson. What a fun tag idea! 🙂
ckbarker at gmail dot com
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I totally forgot about Perennials. It was on my TBR for ages and my library even has a copy but I never followed through. Shame on me! Yet another book to add to my long, long, looonnnnnngggggg wishlist! Love your other choices – I’ve read those two book, hooray! Good luck, Cheryl!
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I just finished The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese. It would fit in the Allergies category–teary-eyed and sniffly. Now I’m reading This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke. It can fit in the Spring Gardening, Rebirth, April Flowers Bring May Flowers, and possibly a couple of others. I love both of these authors. They write such deep and thought-provoking stories.
whthomas13 at yahoo dot com
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Wow, it sounds like The Promised Land is a multi-purpose read! Bet it would fit the Allergies category too — Cathy Gohlke’s books always make me cry at some point. Can you believe I haven’t read the first two books in Nicole’s series and this third one has just come out?! Gah! What is wrong with me?! lol Good luck, Winnie!
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I think it definitely could fit in that one, too. I’m only about 1/4 into it, so we’ll see what the rest of it brings!
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Warmth of Sunshine- Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon I want to read when price is “lowered”. jacsmi75 at gmail dot com
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Sunrise Reef is probably my most anticipated April release. Good luck, Jackie!
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bookgurl60 at gmail dot com
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Whee! I didn’t know there was going to be a Christmas novella in Julie Klassen’s Sea View series. Woohoo! Love all your book choices, Elizabeth and you’ve reminded me that I need to try a Hannah Currie novel. Good luck!
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You managed to find a book that not only has flowers on the cover but in the title too! I can’t find your second choice – the one for romance…wait I checked again and found it — Kelli without the e. How weird that it wouldn’t come up on either GR or Amazon. Anyway — sounds intense and angsty! The Sensible Shoes series sounds really interesting. I haven’t heard of Sharon Garlough Brown before and…eeeppp…her books are on audible. That’s two new-to-me authors you’ve introduced me to. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of Valerie Comer’s books (yay Canadian authors!) I think it’s time I picked up another one. Eeeeepppp!!! Chautona Havig has a Regency Cinderella retelling?! Eeeeep! You’ve given me lots of great recommends here, Tammy. Thanks. Good luck!
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Your list fun, so here goes mine:
perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com
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Your list IS fun! I’m sorry about you getting more snow and my typo – I’m tired, LOL.
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I have a Belle Calhoun Alaska book on my TBR right now. Just brought it home from the library. I think I’ve read all the books you mentioned except for A Year of Flowers and The Keeper! Love your choices. Pepper Basham’s books definitely fit the warmth of sunshine category — makes me grin just thinking about them. Good luck, Perrianne!
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