January 1, 2019

Review: Indian Paintbrush (Carson Chronicles Book 3) by John A. Heldt



Product Description:
Arizona, December 1943. After surviving perilous six-month journeys to 1889 and 1918, the Carsons, five siblings from the present day, seek a respite in their home state. While Adam and Greg settle down with their Progressive Era brides, Natalie and Caitlin start romances with wartime aviators and Cody befriends a Japanese family in an internment camp. The time travelers regroup, bury some ghosts, and continue their search for their missing parents. Then old problems return, new ones emerge, and a peaceful hiatus becomes a race for survival. In INDIAN PAINTBRUSH, the sequel to RIVER RISING and THE MEMORY TREE, several young adults find love and adventure as they navigate the home front during the height of World War II.


My Thoughts:
By this third book in the Carson Chronicles I feel like the characters are some of my favorites to read about. They all have their distinct personalities and I feel invested in what happens to them. In each of the books there have been emotional ups and (surprisingly low) downs and I think this is what helped solidify that relationship for me. 

In Indian Paintbrush the family travels to 1943/1944. Here the men have to deal with the WWII draft, newly acquired brides and the continued search for their parents. The ladies both meet dashing men that sweep them off their feet but then they face the ultimate decision... to keep their secret or risk sharing it and put their family's safety on the line. 

While this book in the series covers some of the events in World War II and gives us a look into a Japanese internment camp, it doesn't have as much historical knowledge as other time travel books I've read and absolutely loved by Heldt. With that being said it's still a fantastic story that leaves me anxiously awaiting the next book in the Carson Chronicles. 

My Recommendation:
I recommend this for anyone who loves romantic time travel books. 

Books I've Read in 2019

Books
January
  1. Winter's Web by Jennifer Estep
  2. Witch is How The Tables Turned by Adele Abbott
  3. Frill Kill by Laura Childs
February
  1. Whoops! We’re In Big Trouble Now by Adele Abbott
  2. You Dropped a Blonde on Me by Dakota Cassidy
March
  1. Witch is How The Drought Ended by Adele Abbott
  2. Murder with All the Trimmings by Elaine Viets
  3. Witch is How the Dice Fell by Adele Abbott
April
  1. Burning Down the Spouse by Dakota Cassidy
  2. Murder On Account by Adele Abbott
May
  1. The Fashion Hound Murders by Elaine Viets
  2. Death Swatch by Laura Childs
  3. Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith
June
  1. Caitlin's Song by John A. Heldt
  2. The Warehouse by Rob Hart
July
  1. The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
  2. Witch is How The Biscuits Disappeared by Adele Abbott
August
  1. The After Days by Amy Ginsburg
September
  1. The Passengers by John Marrs
October
  1. Witch Is How Dreams Became Reality By Adele Abbott
  2. Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
  3. Randomize by Andy Weir
November
  1. Witch is How Bells Were Saved by Adele Abbott
December
  1. A Night at the Movies by H.A. Price
  2. Camp Lake by John A. Heldt
  3. Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Audiobooks
January
  1. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
  2. Lock in by John Scalzi
  3. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
  4. Circe by Madeline Miller
  5. Killing Floor by Lee Child
  6. Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs
  7. Year One by Nora Roberts
  8. Dead on Arrival by Matt Richtel
  9. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
February
  1. 48 Hours by William R. Forstchen
  2. The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell
  3. The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
  4. Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
March
  1. Die Trying by Lee Childs
  2. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
  3. Of Blood and Bone: Chronicles of The One, Book 2 by Nora Roberts
  4. Head On by John Scalzi
  5. Secrets of a Charmed Life by by Susan Meissner
  6. Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell
  7. Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer
  8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  9. Run Away by Harlan Coben
April
  1. The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry
  2. On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman
May
  1. Spell or High Water by Scott Meyer
  2. The Stars Below by David Baldacci 
  3. The Chef by James Patterson & Max DiLallo
  4. Redemption by David Baldacci 
  5. The Forever Ship by Francesca Haig
June
  1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  2. An Unwelcome Quest by Scott Meyer
  3. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
  4. Killer Chef by James Patterson
  5. The Scribbled Victims by Robert Tomoguchi
July
  1. Fight and Flight by Scott Meyer
  2. Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  3. Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
  4. The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
  5. The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
  6. The One by John Marrs
  7. Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyen
  8. Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
  9. Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
  10. Invisible by James Patterson
August
  1. The River by Peter Heller
  2. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
  3. The Farm by Joanne Ramos
  4. The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg
  5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
September
  1. The Fallen by David Baldacci
  2. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
  3. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
  4. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
  5. Vendetta in Death by J. D. Robb
  6. Polar Vortex by Mathew Mather
October
  1. One Good Deed by David Baldacci
  2. Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake
  3. The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
  4. The Holy Road by Michael Blake
  5. Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
  6. Undeath and Taxes by Drew Hayes
  7. The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
November
  1. Coached to Death by Victoria Laurie
  2. Out of Spite, Out of Mind by Scott Meyer
  3. Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods
  4. The Institute by Stephen King
  5. The Crossing by Michael Connelly
  6. Home For Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler
  7. Nameless by Dean Koontz
  8. The Dinosaur Four by Geoff Jones
  9. Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich
December
  1. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
  2. Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci
  3. The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts
  4. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
  5. A Nearly Normal Family by Rachel Willson-Broyles
  6. Full Throttle by Joe Hill
Grand Total: 104

Here's what I've read in previous years:
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

Top 5 Books I've Read in 2019




  1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  2. Secrets of a Charmed Life by by Susan Meissner
  3. Circe by Madeline Miller
  4. Dead on Arrival by Matt Richtel
  5. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel - The entire trilogy is a must read!

Books I Didn't Finish in 2019

Below will be any books I started and didn't finish and the reason why. 

    1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab 
      • I only got a few chapters in but I couldn't concentrate long enough to care about any of the characters so I bailed pretty quickly on this one.