Nadette Rae Rodgers's Blog

Hi friends!

Lately, I have been on a big Judy Corry kick! Have you guys read any of her books yet? If not, I highly recommend checking her books out. The first book I read by her is “Protect My Heart”. It quickly became the book that I was telling every one of my friends to read. Then I downloaded the Kindle version of her box set of books and have been ripping through those!

So of course, when I saw Judy Corry was releasing a new book, I jumped at the chance to read an advanced copy of the new page-turner! Thank you, Ms. Corry, for sharing your story with me.

*I volunteered to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. This in no way affects my opinions shared here.

Summer Reads: Reviews by author Nadette Rae Rodgers

Book: The Charade

Series: Eden Falls Academy

Author: Judy Corry

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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Synopsis (from Amazon.com):

My math tutor has one rule: he doesn’t date the girls he tutors at our private school.

But a fake relationship that’s beneficial to us both? That’s a different story.

Our agreement helps Carter get revenge on his ex while it helps me hide the real reason why we’re spending so much time together. Win-win.

Plus, flirting with the hottest guy at school is kind of fun.

As long as the feelings stay as fake as the show we’re putting on, there shouldn’t be a problem. Right?

The Charade is a forbidden romance about the new girl and the guy who everyone sees as untouchable.

My Review:

Judy Corry has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors because of her writing style. She has that style of crafting a story where the reader can’t helped but get captivated by the characters and their love story. I am typically a pretty slow reader, but when I’m reading a story by this author, I tear through the book in about a day or two! I find that I can’t put a Judy Corry book down- and if I do put it down, I can’t stop thinking about the characters.

The Charade is yet another book like that. I quickly found myself lost in the world of Eden Falls Academy! Even after I finished reading the book, I found myself thinking about the characters and their stories, and praying that Ms. Corry puts out another book in the Eden Falls Academy world very very soon!

I loved Carter’s character in this story and the back-and-forth he had with Ava. I also loved how the chapters were told from their alternating perspectives. I always love when stories are told from both sides, so the reader can really get the full picture. I think the author did this very well in this story in particular, telling just enough from each character, while also allowing the reader to stay on the edge of their seat.

Judy Corry is known for writing “clean romance” reads. Being honest, I think for this particular book by this author, I would suggest it for older teens/ young adults and not so much for the younger high school students simply because of the forbidden romance aspect and some of the scenes that went along with that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and quickly got lost in the story and the Eden Falls Academy world. I can’t wait to read future stories with these characters! I loved how she tied it all together in the end and can’t wait for more of this series!

Happy Reading & Happy Summer!

~Nadette Rae

Amazon Link for The Charade.

Amazon Link for Protect My Heart.

Amazon Link for Box Set.

Book: The Rest of the Story

Author: Sarah Dessen

My Rating: 4 Stars

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Synopsis (via Goodreads.com):

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

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My Goodreads review:

As always, Sarah Dessen books make me feel like it is summer time (even if it’s not quite summer yet!). The Rest of the Story is no exception. From page one, you feel like you’re living the story with Emma Saylor! This book is full of summer and sunshine. It’s the perfect book to bring to read by the lake or read at home to feel like you’re at the lake. If you’re looking for a summery read, I definitely recommend this or any Sarah Dessen book!My review on Goodreads & Amazon.



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More of my thoughts:

This book was really great! I really enjoyed reading it, and it really makes you feel like you’re at the lake with Emma Saylor and Roo! Also- LOVED the character of Roo! I don’t know how Sarah Dessen does it, but every time I read one of her books, you can’t help but fall for the main guy in it! She just creates such great, rounded-out characters that make you just sit there for a second and smile at the book.

I also want to clarify real quick: the only reason I gave this book 4 stars rather than 5, is simply to reserve the 5 star rating for my favorite Sarah Dessen books of all time like Saint Anything and Lock & Key. But this 4 stars is still a very-much-worth-the-read rating. So definitely, do yourself a favor and grab this book! It’s a great summer read for this year since we all can’t do much traveling with stay at home orders. Read this and you’ll feel like you’re at a lake even if you’re just in your own backyard!

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Another thing I loved about this story was the differentiation between Emma Saylor’s two stories and two personalities. In her one world, she is Emma. In her other, she is Saylor. I thought it was really neat the way Dessen wove this story together and the reader can really see and feel that transition from Emma to Saylor.

Have you read this book yet? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Happy Reading!

~Nadette Rae

Hoo Stays Home Story Time | Read by Charlotte Menke with Adams Free Library

Adams Free Library has been doing a Youtube video series reading children’s books since their story time in-person was cancelled due to COVID-19. Their latest Story Time features my newest children’s book, Hoo Stays Home, which helps to explain the stay at home order to your little ones.

Thank you to Charlotte for reading my story!

Link to the read aloud: Hoo Stays Home Story Time

If you’ve been looking for a Story Time video for your kids, be sure to check out “Adams Free Library” on YouTube.

Happy Reading & Stay Safe!

~Nadette Rae

Hi everyone!

As the author of Hoo Stays Home, I was so delighted to come across this adorable audio-recording by Kavish (“Kavish USA Vlogs”) on Youtube.

You did a wonderful job reading the book! And I am so glad you liked it!

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

What a year this has been, huh?!

Being a graduate this year as well (I can’t believe how fast college flew by!), I wanted to share a little something on the blog today.

I wanted to use this opportunity to remind all of my readers out there how important it is to follow your dreams! I know I am so grateful that I did!

I honestly did not think, a few short years ago, when I was graduating high school, that I would be where I am today, writing to you all, as an AUTHOR. It was something I had dreamed about for so many years growing up. I’d walk through the aisles of Barnes & Noble, looking at book after book, and thinking, “Wow, how cool would it be to see my name here one day?!” I wrote little “books” and stories when I was little and shared them with my family, hoping someday I would have more than a few pieces of computer paper stapled down the middle.

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And now, here I am, graduating college and starting my graduate program… with SIX published books that seem to have resonated with all of you. I am so blessed and honored and quite honestly, blown away, by all that has happened these last few years with my books. Meeting my readers at book events, reading my kid’s books at preschools, and hearing your stories of how my stories have impacted you. If I wouldn’t have taken that leap – and published Illusion the week of my high school graduation – I would not be where I am today.

So! This is your reminder, just in case you need it today:

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! Even if you think you’ll fall… you might be surprised how you fly! It will take hard work and dedication, but it will be so worth it in the end.

Congratulations, Class of 2020! WE DID IT!!!

If you’re looking for a motivational read or a gift for a graduate in your life, I highly recommend this book by Lauren Graham (yes, Lorelai from Gilmore Girls!). She wrote this book after giving pieces of it as a commencement speech for a graduation. I think it is just so full of great life-advice that everyone should read it.

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It is a little gift-type book, with short pages, so it’s an easy read for those of us who just spent the last few years reading and can’t imagine picking up another book right now. I also must say the cover under the dust-jacket is such a pretty blue! I love it!

Dear Readers,

I really wanted to do my part to help during this crisis our world is going through right now. I’ve been thinking a lot about the little kids out there, seeing people walking around in masks covering their faces, seeing their hometown look empty and like a ghost-town, and being told they can’t see their friends or go places. It’s scary enough during these times for us adults, so imagine how the little kids in our world must be feeling.

I wanted to write a simple book with a clear message, that this is happening to keep us all safe. I wanted to show the Little Yellow Owl my young readers have come to love wearing a mask, just like them. I wanted there to be a sun on every page, to visually remind my little readers that there is brightness in all of this, and the sun is there on every page, just like the sun comes up every day.

Introducing… Hoo Stays Home (a Hoo Loves You Story) :

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I wrote this book in a way that is simple, but gets the point across. After reading the book with their children, parents and caregivers can decide how they want to have the conversation about this quarantine and coronavirus with their individual child.

I never imagined I would write a book like this. My illustrator never imagined having to add a mask to our cute little owl. But they say this is the “new normal,” so we just wanted to share a story to remind kids that they are safe and they are loved.

I hope to get a paperback edition out here soon! (There are some delays with the shutdown.) But when the paperback is ready, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the paperback edition to COVID-19 relief efforts throughout 2020.

So, if you know any young children and want to remind them they are safe and loved during this time, click this link to get the Kindle version. Whether you’re sending this to your grandkids, downloading it for your own kids, or reading it to your students over your virtual classroom, I hope this book helps your little one with some of the anxiety and uncertainty they’re feeling.

Stay safe and to stay home, just like the Owl!

~Nadette Rae

Book Description:
“Hoo stays home?” The Little Yellow Owl asks his mama one day.

During these unprecedented times, there are a lot of big words and ideas that your little ones might be struggling to understand. Use this storybook as a tool to teach your little ones about this new normal we are living in– a new normal of face masks and stay-at-home orders.

This book follows the Little Yellow Owl that our young readers have come to love, as he asks questions and learns about staying home during these times. The owl learns that all of his friends in the forest have to stay home, too. He also learns that they are all staying home so that they can all stay safe.

The perfect read for birth to age 8.

This is the third Hoo Loves You children’s book. “Hoo Loves You” and “Hoo’s Birthday Is It?” have both been named Finalists in the International Book Awards, and “Hoo Loves You” was ranked #1 on Amazon for children’s books in 2018.

The author (Nadette Rae Rodgers) will donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of the paperback edition of this book to COVID-19 relief efforts throughout the 2020 year.

 

Hi, everyone,

I know these times are very uncertain, for all of us. Everyone has been impacted in some way by this Coronavirus and the shut downs and stay-at-home orders.

I was watching the news the other night, thinking about how this whole situation is so confusing and hard to wrap my head around. I often feel I have more questions than answers when thinking about this whole “new normal.”

THEN I started to think…

If I am this confused, and those around me are confused, how must the little kids living in this “new normal” be feeling?

There are so many big words being thrown around: “quarantine,” “novel coronavirus,” “pandemic,” “vaccine,” etc. The list goes on and on.

 

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I thought there needed to be a simpler way to explain this whole situation to the little ones Hoo you love.

So, I wrote a little something…

Check back at noon to find out what it is!

Stay safe and remember, #stayhome !

~Nadette Rae Rodgers

Book: Own Your Everyday

Author: Jordan Lee Dooley

My Rating: 5 Stars!

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My thoughts: 

Recently I posted that I wanted to try to read some of the nonfiction books I’ve gotten as Christmas gifts and actually take the time to read a little bit of them each day to help me stay motivated. My “everyday” has changed recently, as I am currently in a graduate program studying speech pathology. This book has been so helpful to me, during this transition time in my life. This book was the first book I picked to read from my Nonfiction TBR pile, and I am so so glad I chose this one!

Here’s my thoughts of the book:

Wow! Being honest, I love books (you can probably tell that by now), but there aren’t many books I read and feel like the book was written specifically for me, exactly where I am. This was one of those books. It was also one of those books I know I will reference/ re-read all the time and one of those books I will be giving as a gift to all the gals in my life.

This book was raw and real and relatable. I so appreciated Dooley’s openness and honesty in talking about the subjects many avoid. From breakouts to breakups, life not going according to your plan, or overcoming not feeling “enough,” Dooley offers sound and realistic advice. I loved how she added 3 simple and realistic steps for each issue. Instead of just writing a book to motivate us, telling us to own our everyday, Jordan Lee Dooley gave us practical ways to actually take so we can truly own our everyday.

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I honestly believe that this book is what we all need right now. The world is in a crazy place. Our everyday as we knew it has changed (slightly for some, drastically for others). This book has been such a source of light and positivity for me right now in these uncertain times of COVID-19. I’m not joking when I say this will be the book I recommend and gift to all of my friends. This quote toward the end of the book really hit me when I read it. I feel like it really goes with what our world has been experiencing lately, a period of waiting and uncertainty and how we need to take a pause and look at the message this time is trying to teach us.

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Jordan Lee Dooley, if you happen to be reading this review… Thank you for sharing your story, for breaking down your walls, for writing the words I think we all could use (not just today, but everyday). In writing this book, you have helped so many (myself included) to break our walls down and own our everyday. So, thank you!

Happy Reading & Go our and own your everyday!

~Nadette Rae

For more about the book see below:

Amazon Link to book here. 

Jordan’s Website. 
Synopsis:
Does it ever seem like you still have to find your purpose or that you’re stuck with “unfigured-out dreams”? Do you feel the pressure to prove yourself or worry about what others will think?

 

You are not the only one.

 

From accidentally starting a small business instead of using her college degree, to embarrassing herself onstage in front of thousands, to wasting time worrying about what others think or say, Jordan Lee Dooley knows exactly how that feels—and she’s learned some important lessons about living a purposeful life along the way.

 

An influential millennial widely recognized for her tagline turned international movement, “Your Brokenness is Welcome Here,” Jordan has become a go-to source that women around the world look to for inspiration in their faith, work, relationships, and everyday life.

 

Now, in this approachable but actionable read that’s jam-packed with practical tools, Jordan equips you to

 

• tackle obstacles such as disappointment, perfectionism, comparison, and distraction

• remove labels and break out of the box of expectations

• identify and eliminate excuses and unnecessary stress about an unknown future

• overcome the lie that you can’t live your God-given purpose until you reach a certain goal or milestone

 

If you ever feel you need to shift your mindset but don’t know how, this book will help you overcome shame, practice gratitude, and redefine success.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

With everyone today wearing their green and talking about the luck of the Irish and four-leaf clovers, I thought I would share some things you might see in a dream that are symbols of good luck!

Four-leaf Clover: this is a sign that good fortune and something positive is coming your way.

Garden: to see a garden in a dream means that your hard work is about to pay off.

Gems: to dream of gemstones symbolizes riches and treasures coming your way.

Crescent Moon: reinforcement that you are on a wise path, the right path. It also means that new beginnings and opportunities are coming your way.

Horseshoe: a horseshoe in a dream is symbolic (if turned the right way) of good luck. If it is turned the wrong way, this is known to be symbolic of bad luck.

Sweet Dreams & Wishing you all the luck today!

~Nadette Rae

Some information found on DreamMoods.com  and DreamStop.com

hey y’all!

I realized I often talk only about fiction books here on the blog, but there are some nonfiction books I’ve been really wanting to read, too. So, I thought I’d share them with you and then update you on my thoughts after I read them.

Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley (Buy it on Amazon)
Go Bravely by Emily Wilson-Hussem (re-read) (Buy it on Amazon) 
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis (Buy it on Amazon) 
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis (Buy it on Amazon) 
In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham (Buy it on Amazon)

[image error]@nadetteraereads on Instagram

I think it is important to have some books like these in your personal library so you can look back at them and read them when you need some inspiration. I have found that when I get stuck with my writing (or just in life in general), all I need is to read a book like this to remind myself how important it is to not only chase after my dreams, but also to stay grounded and own my everyday until I reach those dreams!

What nonfiction books are your faves? Have you read any of the above books? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

Happy (nonfiction) Reading!

~Nadette Rae