"The Unwilling" by John Hart is One We Both Liked!

The Unwilling is a great story about the French family.  The father, a detective, an over protective mother whose favorite son was killed in the Vietnam war; Jason, the second oldest who was dishonorably discharged from the marines, an ex-con who just got released; and the youngest, Gibby, who is a senior in high school.  When Jason and Gibby spend a day together against the mother's wishes, the girl Jason was with gets murdered and Jason is the primary suspect.  Gibby sets out to find the real killer and trouble ensues.  

This was a fast-paced page turner for me!  I was drawn into it right away and liked both brothers.  I thought the family dynamic was quite interesting and the story line was thrilling.  The only thing I did not like about this book was the couple loose ends that did not fully get resolved.  Still, I loved the journey and had a very hard time putting it down.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 12/7/23:

This book is about three brothers born to a detective.  The first brother goes to Vietnam and gets killed.  The second brother, Jason, goes to Vietnam and is a killing machine.  He comes home and has an incident that puts the cops on his trail.  The younger brother, who has been protected by his overprotective mother, sets out to help his brother clear his name.  LOVED ALL THE ACTION!  Who knew who is good and who is bad?  GREAT ENDING!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (the first of a series)

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is told by two people--Tessa and Corrick.  Tessa is a young girl who wants her kingdom to take better care of the poor people.  She wants things to change.  Corrick is a young man who rules his kingdom with his brother.  They have a bond between them and both have a desire to improve things for their people.

This book is really good!  I loved both of the main characters and it has good action as well with a great story line including an early surprise that my wife nor I saw coming!  I look forward to book 2 in this series.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Karen's review, Oct. 27, 2021:

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer was an enjoyable read for me.  It is a fictional read about Prince Corrick and his brother who rule over the land of Kandara.  People are dying from an illness that is throughout the land and medicine is scarce and hoarded by the elite.  Tessa mixes the ingredients that Wes brings to her to make medicine and together they deliver it to the poor in need during the night.  Wes saved her life once and she loves him.  When a revolution breaks out, everyone is in danger!

I liked this book because although it is primarily character driven, there was enough action to keep it interesting.  I really liked the two main characters, Corrick and Tessa.  Corrick is the king's justice who is fighting his own personal battle.  (4 stars)

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"REBEL" by Marie Lu

REBEL by Marie Lu is told by two brothers, Daniel (Day) and Eden. Eden is the younger brother and Daniel aka Day is a legend. They now live in Ross City, Antarctica in 2142 AD where the higher level you are, the better standard of living you have. Eden gets mixed up with a mob boss who would like nothing better than to get rid of the levels and run things his way. Daniel is an Antarctic Intelligence Service agent who goes after the criminals. The deeper Eden gets involved with the mob, even Daniel might not be able to save him! This book is so good! I loved being back with Day and June again from The Legend series. This book had a good flow to it and had plenty of action.
(Gerard’s review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
Eden, at an illegal drone race in the undercity. Eden is trying to become his own person and establish his place in the world away from his brother’s shadow. Daniel is still seeing Eden as his little brother who needs his protection.

I enjoyed this book, it just didn’t grab me like the others did. It was fun seeing the brother’s relationship develop as they both move into adulthood. The romance between Day and June picks back up and was kind sweet. I think if you enjoyed the prior books in the Legend series, you will enjoy this one as well.  (4 stars)


Teaser from page 13: Me? I’m the nerd with bad eyesight who likes building things and framing flowers. When I speak, my voice is higher and softer than my brother’s. He is the hero who never has nightmares anymore. I am the odd, quiet one that he still treats like a kid.



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"My Name is Leon" by Kit de Waal

In My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal, Leon is a 9-yr.-old boy who lives with his mom.  His dad left a while ago.  His mom pretty much leaves him to fend for himself.  Add a new baby to the mix, and that is trouble!  Pretty soon Leon and his baby brothe4r get put into a foster home.  His baby brother gets adopted, but not Leon!  Leon will find his brother if it is the last thing he does.

This book started out strong, but when a bunch of new characters get brought in, it kind of went off track.  However, the ending brings the book back on track.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 29:  "She's been taken to the hospital, love.  You could see she wasn't well."

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"Bad Man" by Dathan Auerbach

In Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach, Ben's brother disappeared in a local store in a small town.  Ben was with him.  Five years later, Ben needs a job and goes to work at that same store.  Ben has never stopped looking for his brother!  He hopes to find a clue or something in that store.

I thought this book was pretty good.  I think it could have been shorter though.  The characters were brought out well, but it only had a so-so ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  Ben jogged uncertainly toward a truck that ambled up one of the lanes and away from the store.  Seat poured down his back and sides, stung in his eyes.  It sped up as Ben approached, but he couldn't run any faster.

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"Hot Hand" by Mike Lupica's (Kid's Basketball)

Hot Hand by Mike Lupica is a very short story about brothers Billy and Ben whose parents are separated. Billy’s dad is his basketball coach and they butt heads in this book when his dad wants him to pass the ball and he wants to shoot it. Since his dad moved out, he feels like he is the man of the house and feels added pressure to look after his younger brother, Ben. This book was okay but liked others by this author much better. I think the best thing about this book is that it is short.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 19:  "I guess I just need to know something," Billy said.  "Are you my coach today or my dad?"

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QB 1 by Mike Lupica is a Heartwarming Sports Story

QB1 by Mike Lupica is about Jake Cullen, a high school freshman quarterback who is struggling with trying to be as good as his dad and older brother and win his father’s love and attention. Jake feels like he’s always playing second fiddle to Wyatt who is now starting QB at University of Texas. Jake is smart, but doesn’t have quite as strong an arm as Wyatt. Fortunately, his high school coach got him to change his throwing mechanics to create his own throwing style which works better Troy Cullen, Jake’s dad, is a former player whose pro career ended in just his second year after four concussions (brain wounds) and seems to be living vicariously through his older son, Wyatt. When Jake finds himself in a QB controversy, everyone is pretty surprised when he gets to be the starting QB while only a freshman. His father is caught off-guard at how good Jake got so quickly.

I enjoyed this book very much because there was a lot of football in it as well as the team dynamics and the feelings of insecurity Jake was dealing with concerning his father and older brother. This takes a good look from the perspective of a younger brother feeling the pressure of following in his star brother’s footsteps and yearning for some of his father’s attention. This book got my interest and kept it from page 1. I would recommend it to anyone who likes high school football and team dynamics.
 (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 13: He knew already that he just wasn’t going to be the player his dad had been before him, certainly wasn’t going to be the player his big brother had been.
He had talent, just not Cullen talent, at least not that he’d noticed so far in his young life.


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"Heat" by Mike Lupica

Heat by Mike Lupica is a story about Michael, a little league pitcher who loves baseball, has a very strong arm and a big secret he shares with his older brother, Carlos.  They are from Cuba, just like Michael's favorite Yankee pitcher!  He pitches lights out until a rival team challenges his eligibility because they can't believe he's only 12.  When he signed up to play, they accepted his baptism certificate as proof of age, but now must produce a birth certificate which his dad apparently forgot to bring when they left Cuba.  He can't play until he gets it!  Michael only cares about playing ball until he sees a mystery girl named watching them practice with an arm as strong as his and is immediately attracted to her.  

I enjoyed this baseball book and liked Michael's relationship with his best friend and catcher, Manny.  There is also some humor along with some actual games.  I liked how Michael and Carlos stuck together and went to great lengths to keep their big secret.  Ellie also added some extra bit of interest to the story.  I recommend this to anyone who likes reading about youth baseball.  I was a bit disappointed that it stopped short of the Little League World Series game in Pennsylvania.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 44:  Michael turned around and looked at Manny.  Who was staring at the girl in the distance the way you stare at fireworks the first time you see them in the sky.  "I saw," Manny said.

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"Expect a Miracle" by Jenny Long with Bob Der

Expect a Miracle by Jenny Long is a true story, but you really get two stories in this book.  Through the first half of this book, Jenny tells her story of growing up and it is a remarkable one!  Then we get to Conner and Cayden.  Their story will make you feel good.  They demonstrate the true meaning of brotherly love.  This is a short book that I am glad I read.  I would have liked it to be longer.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Best Boy" by Eli Gottlieb was Disappointing

Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb is told by Todd Arror. He is an autistic man in his 50s who lives in a gated community with people who have special needs. He enjoys his life to a point, but would like to go live with his brother and his family. When new people come into his life, it is time to put that plan in place. This story was good enough, the characters were okay, and the book was just sort of bland. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and it just never did. I was disappointed in this one because usually I like the books PEOPLE MAGAZINE recommends.
 (Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard is an Exciting, Fun Read! (UPDATED)

We both Loved this one!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a YA novel about a young girl named Mare.  She is a "Red" who lives in a world that is controlled by the "Silvers."  One day Mare is captured and it turns out that she has powers that a Red is not supposed to have.  The Silvers quickly take her under their wing so that this is not discovered by the world. Mare wants to help her people, the Reds, even though it puts her in danger. 

 WOW!  This book has tons of action with lots of twists that I did not see coming.  LOVED it a lot!  Will read book 2 for sure.  This is my new book of the month!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

 Karen's review:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is an interesting cloak and dagger fantasy about humans with silver blood and super powers (Silvers) ruling over poor, down-trodden humans with red blood and no super powers (Reds).  Some Reds band together, calling themselves “The Red Guard” to try to change things for the better.  Mara is a Red, but is different.  She is an excellent pick pocket who discovers, by accident, that she has a super power in spite of her red blood. 

It’s not often I hate to see a book end, but with this one, I did!  I enjoyed this book with action, brother rivalry, lying and betrayal very much.  I liked the main character and couldn’t help pulling for her despite all odds.  I was disappointed to see this is just the first book of a series.  Now I have to wait for the next book to come out.  This book is similar to Cinderella and Divergent is some ways.  If you like adventure, fantasy and interesting relationships, I highly recommend Red Queen.  

(Karen's review 3-18-15, 5 stars)

 

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"Shot All To Hell" by Mark Lee Gardner

Shot All To Hell--Jesse James, the Northfield Raid, and the Wild West's Greatest Escape by Mark Lee Gardner is a non-fiction book that tells the story of Frank and Jesse James and their brothers in arms, the younger gang. It covers their last bank robbery job and the chase for them afterward. The part about the bank robbery was really good and interesting. Some of the other meetings they had with people were good and even funny at times. However, I thought there would be a lot more action in this book so was disappointed.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

I liked Sutton by J. R. Moehringer much better, also a bank robber! It was fantastic!

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"Run, Brother, Run--A Memoir of a Murder in My Family" by David Berg

Run, Brother, Run--A Memoir of a Murder in My Family by David Berg talks about the killing of his brother, Alan, and then the trial of the person held responsible for the killing.  For the most part, this book was very interesting.  I enjoyed learning about what led up to the killing and the life Alan and David led together along with their dad.  The trial was interesting too.  I give it 4 stars.
(Gerard, 4 stars)

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"The Prophet" by Michael Koryta

The Prophet by Michael Koryta is a novel about two brothers--one is a bail bondsman and the other coaches the local high school football team. When a young girl is killed, a girlfriend of one of the star football players, it brings back the night the sister of the two brothers was killed.

This is a really good "who done it?" The interaction between the two brothers held my interest and the ending was very good too with a great twist! I think if you read this book, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, rating 5+ stars)

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