"It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green!" by Dan Gutman

It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green! by Dan Gutman is part of My Weird School series.  It's a special because it includes games and puzzles in the back.  AJ and his friends go trick or treating, but run into the Halloween monster who takes their candy!  I think kids would enjoy this book simply because it is a Halloween story.  For me, it was okay.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)  

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"Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is about how four retired women assassins scheme, plot and fight for their survival against the very organization that hired and trained them to be killers.  This book moved slow for me, but had me interested right from the start.  It had a bit of humor but not enough to say it was humorous.  It is narrated from the point of view of Billie, one of the old women assassins.  The characters seemed shallow.  I felt they could have been developed more.  I'm glad I stuck with it though because the last few chapters were very good!  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"For the Wolf" by Hannah Whitten (a fantasy debut)

In For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, Red has one purpose in life:  give herself up to the woods and hope the gods will return.  I thought this book was pretty good because Red was a good character, had enough action and the ending chapters were very good!  There will be a sequel.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Island" by Adrian McKinty is Going to be a Series on Hulu

I cannot say too much about The Island by Adrian McKinty without giving too much away.  I can tell you it is about a family vacation gone very badly!  This is full of action which I liked!  The story line is good and I enjoyed all of the characters.  It is going to be a series on Hulu so that should tell you how good this book is!  Highly recommended!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:

The Island by Adrian McKinty is a thriller right from the start!  This is about a family vacation to Australia that turns into a nightmare!  This is about how the stepmom, Heather, fights for her life and tries to protect Owen and Olivia, her children.  This is a wild one that kept my interest.  Besides the adventure and fight to survive, I also enjoyed how Heather's relationship with her children improved along the way.  At times, it was hard to put down!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Breathless" by Amy McCulloch

In Breathless by Amy McCulloch, Cecily has a life changing moment, but to do it, she will have to climb up to the 8th highest peak in the world and interview the best mountain climber in the world.  She thinks she is ready, but as people start to fall by the wayside, she is worried about her own life!  I thought this book was pretty good.  I learned a lot about mountain climbing.  The storyline was good with an exciting ending.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Silent Creed" by Alex Kava

In Silent Creed by Alex Kava, Ryder Creed and his team of dogs are called in for a search and rescue mission for a mudslide in North Carolina.  However, there is more than just a mudslide that is causing people to go missing.  This book explores the strong bond between first responders and their dogs.  It has a good story line and an interesting finish.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Meet Bear (pictured), our new cat.  This is his debut on our book blog.

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We Both Liked "This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger takes place in 1932.  Four young children, brothers Albert and Odie, their Indian friend Mose and Emmy, escape from Lincoln Indian Training School in Montana where they were treated badly.  There has to be a better life for them!

I thought this book was really good.  I loved all four kids!  This book kept my attention throughout.  I never knew what was coming next and it has a great ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger is historical fiction during the depression.  Four orphans escape from the Lincoln Indian Training School in Montana and head down the river in a canoe to get to the two brothers' aunt who lives in St. Louis.  Odie is Albert's younger brother, almost 13, who narrates the story.  In the book, Odie is a storyteller who plays a harmonica--his most prize possession that his dad gave him.  Albert's purpose in life is to keep Odie safe, but also is a skillful mechanic.  Their best friend is Mose, a Soux Indian who is very big, strong and easy going.  Emmy, the daughter of one of the teachers at the school who loved Odie's stories and whose mother died in a tornado goes with them because the head of the school who took her in is mean.  

This was a great adventure story.  It reminded me sort of Huckleberry Finn since much of it involved traveling in a canoe down a river.  Along the way they encountered many different people and each grew in their own way.  I liked all the kids.  The author did a good job keeping me guessing how this would end.  (5 stars)

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"The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is One We Both Liked a Lot!

You can count on Kristin Hannah books being good and The Four Winds is one of them!  In this one, she highlights the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era.  Elsa is kicked out by her family after she got knocked up by a farmer boy.  They got married and lived with his parents on their farm.  Elsa learned farming and loved her husband, but when the drought came with the dust storms, he couldn't handle it and left her and their two young children to try to find work in California.  

This book is really good!  I loved the character interaction all the way through.  Elsa was a great character who carried the book.  She had low self-esteem but turned out to be very brave for her children.  I would have liked a different ending, but still loved the book.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 7/7/21:

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is historical fiction about the struggle of farmers in America during the Great Depression and the big dust storms in the plains.  Many farmers left their land to try to find jobs in California where they thought they could find work.  Elsa, Rafe and her two kids Loreida and Anthony work on a farm in Texas with Rafe's parents.  When a long drought comes causing the crops and animals to die, Rafe leaves on his own for California.  When circumstances get even worse, Elsa has no choice but to leave with her kids as well.  Will Elsa find work?  Will she and her kids make it to California?  Will she find Rafe one day?  Will Rafe's parents be able to save the farm?  

This is a good book that made me appreciate all I have and how easy my life is compared to what people had to deal with during the Great depression.  I felt the characters were real people and cared about them.  This is a sad story about what love is and its importance.  I couldn't help but wonder how this book would end and was satisfied with the ending.  This book certainly opened my eyes and heart to the poor people who live in poverty.  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction dealing with survival. 

This book reminded me of The Children's Blizzard because both dealt with children trying to survive the elements, but I liked this one better because of the writing and because there is more action in it.  (5 stars)

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"The Wolf and the Woodsman" by Ava Reid

In The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid, a wolf girl, Evike, and Gaspar, the woodsman, form an alliance to stop Gaspar's brother from taking over the crown!  I thought this fantasy novel was really really good!  I loved the byplay between Evike and Gaspar.  It has good action and the storyline kept me interested throughout!  I also liked the ending.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Lost in the Never Woods" by Aiden Thomas

I had high expectations for Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas and it lived up to them and then some!  Wendy and her brothers went into the woods one day and only Wendy came back.  After five years Wendy still has bad dreams and dreams of a boy.  One day she meets her dream boy.  He needs her help to rescue her brothers and other lost kids.

I liked this book very much!  The story flows along well and Wendy is a great character.  Plus it has good action and a great ending!  What more could you want?  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, Addie runs into the forest to get away from a planned wedding.  She wants one thing in life--to cut off all ties to everyone and for no one to remember her.  Her wish is granted, but it comes with a cost.  You will have to read the book to find out what that is.  Life is good until one day a young man does remember her!  How can that be?

 I loved the original concept of this book!  I never read a book like this one before so enjoyed it a lot.  It is well written even though the story does go back and forth in years.  I also liked Addie very much.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Witch's Heart" by Genevieve Gornichec (Author's first book)

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec centers on a witch left for dead and found by a man called Loki.  They fall in love and have three children; however, danger is coming.  Can this family survive?

I was lost in this world from page 1.  The author does a great job of building this adventure.  I really enjoyed the characters and the story that flowed along nicely.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Orphan X" by Gregg Hurwitz has Twists and Turns

In Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz, Orphan X aka Evan has been trained and helps people who have no one else to turn to.  He does his job very well, but now someone is on his trail who wants to stop Evan for good!  I loved all the action in this book and the twists and turns leading up to a very good ending.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)   

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"Old Bones" by Preston & Child

Old Bones by Preston & Child is about the Donner party.  Nora is an archaeologist who teams up with Clive, an historian, to find the so-called "lost camp."  They find there is more to the lost camp than they thought.  They are not the only ones interested in finding out.  This is good stuff.  The story has a good flow and the characters are brought out well with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"The Captive" by Fiona King Foster

The Captive by Fiona King Foster is about a woman named Brooke.  At her farm, she is attached by a wanted criminal, Cawley.  Brooke is able to capture him and there is a bounty for him.  Her and her family set out with him to take him in for the reward.  

This book picks up about halfway through with good action when Brooke's daughters go missing.  I liked Brooke.  (Gerard's review 2/3/21, 4 stars)

Karen's review 1/27/21:  

In The Captive by Fiona King Foster, Brooke, the mother of two little girls who owns a cranberry farm with Milo, finds herself desperately trying to protect her family from her past.  She grew up in a drug dealing family that she left 15 years ago.  She kept her past a secret from Milo and her girls.  Growing up, her family was in a drug war with another and one day, one of them who has a warrant for his arrest shows up at her farm!  Will he tell her family about her past?  Can she get the bounty for turning him in?  Will he hurt her girls?  Did he come looking for her?

This book is about family secrets and how difficult it is to leaves one's past behind.  There is adventure and suspense in this book.  I got into it fairly quickly and it just kept getting better and better as it went along.  Brooke is a fighter and although she did lots of bad things, it's hard not to pull for her to succeed.  (4 stars)

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"As the Shadow Rises" by Katy Rose Pool is Very Good!

As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool is the follow up to There Will Come a Darkness which got my highest rating!  This books starts right where the first ended.  There are five main characters who each have their own story so are well developed.  As you read, you never know which character will come up next.  This book is so good, just as good as the first if not better!  I want more!!!!  (Gerard's review, 5+ Stars)

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"The One and Only Bob" by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Bob is the follow-up children's book to The One and Only Ivan by Katherin Applegate.  In this book the main character is a dog named Bob.  I thought this book started out a bit slow, but once Ruby and Ivan came into it, it picked up and stayed good the rest of the way.  I enjoyed the interaction between the animals and the story had a good pace to it.  I liked getting back to this world of talking animals.  More please!  I thought Bob was a good character and it was good to hear from Ivan again.  The ending was very good and I liked the funny moments.  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts" by Kate Racculia is a Wild Adventure!

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia is about what happens when Vincent Pryce, a billionaire, dies suddenly.  In his obit, it states that when you come to his wake, you can play a game if you choose.  If you win, it will be well worth it!  What kind of game?  Can you play alone or must you play as a team?  Any clues?  What about the rules?  Time limit?  For the answers to these questions, you'[ll need to read the book.

This was pretty good because the characters were colorful, to say the least.  The book moved along quickly and the ending was wild but good.  I enjoyed it.

(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  No one had ever asked him a question like that before.  It made him almost as uncomfortable as the house.

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"Water from my Heart" by Charles Martin is About Second Chances

Water from My Heart by Charles Martin is about Charlie Finn, a successful gambler and drug dealer who decides to straighten out when he realizes his and his partner's business is negatively affecting his partner's son and young daughter who comes close to death.  He becomes attracted to three women, Shelly, Amanda and Leena but really only falls in love with one.  In Nicaragua, he has quite an adventure!

This book moved along quite slowly; however, I found myself liking and rooting for Charlie to succeed.  Things picked up when he went after Zaul in Nicaragua and met Paulina and Paulo.  I liked the story, but not the writing.  It jumped around in time too much for my taste and I almost gave up on it.  The only thing that kept me reading was knowing Charlie was going to have a change of heart.  The theme can be summed up by the line, "Love with Legs" meaning showing love with your actions.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 5:  I was attracted to risk and not attracted to anything resembling hard work that benefited someone other than me.  If you were going to be dumb enough to risk your money in a card game, then I was going to be smart enough to take it from you.

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"Wolf Pack" by C. J. Box

In Wolf Pack by C. J. Box, two game wardens want to go after the person who is causing deer and elk to stampeed and some are getting killed, but they are told to stand down!  For the good of national interest or else!  Why is this person being protected?

This is good stuff!  The story and action kept me turning pages.  The ending part ws very good to say the least!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 48 (large print version):  Joe felt a tremor wash through him.  He couldn't help but think the wolf was sending him a warning of some kind.

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