Beware of "The Perfect Child" by Lucinda Berry which is WILD and Extremely Sad!

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry is a very sad and depressing read.  If I had known that before, I would not have read this one, but once I started it I got invested in the Hannah, the mother.  This is the story of the family who adopted an abused 6-yr.-old child and the struggles that they encountered.  This book got me riled up and even angry at times.  It's an emotional read with a child far from perfect.  I really don't understand the title.  I would not recommend this one.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)

Gerard's review 11/30/22:
In The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry, a young girl is found who has been mistreated and needs help in the worst way.  Christopher, a surgeon, fixes her up.  He wants to adopt her since the girl has no relatives.  His wife, Hannah, agrees and they take her in.  Is it happy ever after? or the worst decision they ever made?  This book is wild!  The storyline kept my interest.  (4 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Girl A" by Abigail Dean

Girl A by Abigail Dean is a hard book to read.  It is based on a true story of parents who treated their kids in a bad way.  It jumps back and forth in time a lot!  It is told by each child which makes it very interesting.  When both parents are dead, it is time to move on, but who can and who cannot?  I forgot I read this one before so this is the second time I've read it!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Honey Bus--A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees" by Meredith May is Very Good!

I read The Honey Bus by Meredith May hoping to learn about bees because I am terrified of them and thought it might help if I understood them.  This book lived up to my expectations.  I did learn a lot about bees but also was interested in the author's story about her family.  I felt bad for Meredith throughout the book but her life did get better as she got older.  Learning about bees with her step grandfather helped her to find comfort and cope with her mother's neglect.  It shows how child abuse repeats through generations.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Gerard's review 4/4/21:
The Honey Bus:  A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees By Meredith May is a true story.  Meredith's parents separated when she was only five.  Then she, her younger brother (Matthew), and her mother went to live with her grandparents.  Meredith's grandpa was a beekeeper and taught her all about bees.  This book is more than just bees though.  

Meredith tells personal stories about growing up which was my favorite part of the book.  It was interesting learning about bees, maybe more than you want to know; but the personal stories more than make up for that!  There are some fun and touching moments in this book too.  I liked it a lot and recommend it!  (5++ stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Under Currents" by Nora Roberts

Under Currents by Nora Roberts is a very interesting read about overcoming domestic violence. Zane, 14, who dreamed of becoming a pitcher for the Orioles, and his younger sister Britt are physically and emotionally abused by their well-respected parents and comprise the main story line which follows them into adulthood.

 I really liked Zane and his sister as well as their aunt Emily. Another subplot is Darby who divorced her abusive husband pretty quickly and after her mother died in an automobile accident, moved to Walker Lakeside Bungalows in North Carolina to buy her own home and start up her landscaping business. Darby took self-defense classes after her divorce so knows how to defend herself. (Zane and her are my favorite characters so was happy when they became an item.) The third subplot is about Clint and Traci Draper, another domestic violence situation where Clint’s family lives all around and spies on Traci constantly. This book has bright spots though too, it is not all fighting. I enjoyed the addition of Zod, the ugly dog and liked learning some about a landscaping business. I also enjoyed the happy family interactions.

I liked this book a lot because it was interesting to me how people helped those who were in the abusive situations. It has some violence, action, love, family, romance and mystery. It is contemporary fiction and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about relationships and family issues. It could also be considered inspirational for anyone who is suffering from domestic violence or abuse.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
Under Currents by Nora Roberts centers on Zane Bigelow.  Zane has a rough childhood as he has an abusive father who gives beatings to everyone in the family!  Zane feels he has to do something to put a stop to this.  He also deals with this when he grows into manhood.  The book is divided into four parts.  The first part is very good and action packed.  The fourth part is also very good and has good action in it. 

The second and third parts I did not enjoy as much.  The author has a good flow to this book and keeps things moving along.  I liked Zane, Darby and Zod the best!  On the strength of the first and last parts, I give this book 5 stars.

Teaser from page 390 (Large print version): “All of them, every one, had played a part in ruining his life, in humiliating him. He would ruin theirs, every one.”


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens -- WOW!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is the coming of age story of Kya, a lonely, abandoned, abused girl who lived in a Marsh in North Carolina. It is a murder mystery and a love story as well. This is an amazing emotional read that starts out slow but picks up as it goes along. It has much sadness but some high points are mixed in. In a way, it is a rags to riches story. There were a lot of heartbreaking events and yet Kya proved to be very strong, overcoming great obstacles with very little help from others. She was definitely a “lone wolf” until as a teenager, the loneliness caused her to make some poor choices.

All I can say is WOW, what a book! This is well written and reminded me of To Kill a Mocking Bird. It includes lots of information about nature and is a remarkable story about how a girl who only attended school one day in her whole life, became a well-recognized author. I especially liked the courthouse cat, Sunday Justice, who befriended Kya. I would recommend this as a book club read because of the many issues it raises.
(Karen’s review 2/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 2/18/19:
In Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Kya is the last one left of her family.  First her mom left, then her brother and sisters left.  Her pa was the last to leave, but she found a way to survive in their shack in the marsh.  Two young men came into her life during her teen years.  When an incident happens though, Kya is once again all alone and her fate is in other people's hands.

This is a pretty good book!  Kya is a great character and I enjoyed how she got along so well by herself.  More action though would have been nice, but the pacing of this book made up for that.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 16: “If anybody comes, don’t go in the house. They can get ya there. Run deep in the marsh, hide in the bushes. Always cover yo’ tracks; I learned ya how. And ya can hide from Pa, too.”

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Being Fishkill" by Ruth Lehrer (Updated)

Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a young girl who makes her first name Fishkill because it sounds tough.  She feels she has to be tough because her mom is gone, and there is no one else!  This book was way better than I thought it would be.  I really wanted only the best for Fishkill.  The pacing of this book was very good and I was always glad to get back into it!  I liked that it had twists and turns that I did not see coming.  Pick it up, you will be glad you did!

Teaser from page7:  "I'm not in your gang."  I said.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to be or not, even if it was a real gang.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Karen's review, 12/22/17:
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a 12-yr.-old girl who is poor and lives in a shack with her drunk/druggie mother and her abusive grandfather. Her father is unknown. She finally built a friendship with a girl who called herself Duk-Duk and moved in with her and her lesbian mother who was very nice to Fishkill. After the mean grandfather died, Fishkill’s mother tried to sober up so she could get back custody of her daughter. Most of this story is sad.

I liked this book all right but could have done without the Lesbian angle. I felt bad for Fishkill and her biological mother. My favorite character was Duk-Duk because I liked how she wanted to be a lawyer and tried to view everything logically. This book had some interesting situations and really addressed the emotions one feels when a loved one dies. It also had a bit of humor when Fishkill and Duk-Duk came up with their secret mission to get revenge on the girl who bullied them—that was very cool and my favorite part of the book! (4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"If I'm Found" by Terri Blackstock

If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock is the follow-up book to If I Run.  Casey is on the run for a murder she did not commit and Dylan is looking for her to help her.  But, does Casey trust him?  Meanwhile, Casey gets involved in an injustice that she sees.

This book kept me engaged for sure!  Casey and Dylan are really good characters and it has a good ending.  Although not quite as good as the first book, I think you will still like it as I did.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Neighbor" by Lisa Gardner--Who Is the Real Monster?

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner is a mystery told from multiple points of view about a wife and cat who turn up missing. She has a husband who works second shift and a 4-yr-old daughter who was the last person to see her mother before she disappeared. Both husband and wife had bad childhoods but love their daughter very much and want to give her a good family. The cops are clueless as to what happened to the wife but have lots of suspects.  The husband and wife are both good liars and very good at keeping secrets.

This book kept me guessing right to the unexpected ending but I felt really bad for the neighbor. It deals with family secrets, marriage issues, prejudice, computers and sexual abuse.  This book is an eye opener to the problems pedophiles face. The plot is similar to Gone Girl; however, I liked both the main characters in this and didn’t like either of the main characters in Gone Girl. This book doesn’t have near as much swearing as Gone Girl does either. I liked it!
 (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's Review, 5++ stars:
In The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner, a husband comes home and finds that his wife and cat are missing.  The rest of the house is normal and his young 4-yr.-old daughter is fine.  The police are on it and have plenty of suspects including the husband, but no body.  This is a real page turner!  The author keeps dropping tidbits that change the focus every so often to different possible suspects, but there's really no evidence.  I really enjoyed it a lot and was blown away by the ending!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Orphan #8" by Kim van Alkemade

Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade is based on a true story.  Rachel is only 8 years old when she finds herself in an infant home.  There a lady doctor runs experiments on girls.  Rachel is one of those girls.  Years later, she is a nurse in an old folks home when a patient is brought in.  Rachel recognizes the patient as the doctor who worked on her.  Will she try to get revenge?  This is a good page turner.  The tension builds as we learn what Rachel will do!  I enjoyed this book very much!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Let The Tornado Come" by Rita Zoey Chin

In Let the Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin, we are told about Rita's childhood which was rough to say the least.  Now a married woman, she suffers panic attacks at every turn.  This read like a novel only it's true!  I loved this book and highly recommend it.  I was drawn into her stories and found myself rooting for her to get help.  Turns out an animal was a big help.  What kind?  You will have to read the book to find out (or Karen's review below)!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen read this too:
Let The Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin is a memoir about her dark childhood, her panic attacks and her journey to having a normal life she dreamed of with the help of horses. I almost quit on this book because her childhood was so awful! The abusive parents were bad, but the child prostitution and her life on the streets was horrible and disgusting. I felt bad for her and admired her courage to keep searching for a better life. The best part of the book was how she bonded with a horse named Claret. The thing that was most distracting to me was how the book kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Overall, it was pretty shocking to me and gave me some insight into a lifestyle that is very different from mine. (3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Etched in Sand" by Regina Calcaterra

Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra is a story about five siblings who have to deal with a very rough childhood and a mom who would never win a "Mother of the Year" award. I enjoyed the parts of the book that dealt with the mom. You will not believe her actions and words! This would make a very good Lifetime movie for sure; well worth reading. (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Riveting Memoir: "The Blood Of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption" by Kamal Saleem

The Blood of Lambs by Kamal Saleem  tells the true story of his life and his change from being a follower of Allah to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  At the age of 7 he was trained to become an Islamic terrorist!  It is a fascinating read.  I didn't know how they train these people, but I do now and it is very scary!  The story of how he became to speak out against terrorism is mind-blowing.  You have to read it to believe it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

WOW! That's the word that kept coming into my mind as I read The Blood of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption by Kamal Saleem with Lynn Vincent. It is the most interesting memoir I have ever read!  I was fascinated by what the Muslims believe and have a better understanding of how Muslim terrorists think.  Kamal was abused and bullied as a kid, and found acceptance and protection when recruited as a boy soldier.  All his life he was raised to hate and at age 7, attended a terrorist training camp where they trained with live ammunition.  This man had a vast number of experiences that were completely new to me, including many near death experiences.  His childhood is heartbreaking and even after he came to America and was converted to Christianity, his bravery continues as he publicly shares his story and warns the U.S. to wake up to what the Jihad is up to.  His life is always in danger!

I learned so much from reading this book!  I am not into politics at all so thought this book might be boring and read like a history text book, but I was so wrong!  It is a very interesting and captivating read because wanting to know what happened to bring about this terrorist's conversion to Christianity kept me turning the pages.  This is not the kind of book I normally would read, but it was recommended to me by a friend in an email that went into detail about it which piqued my interest.  Now I am recommending it to you!    
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Okay For Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt is about Doug, a 14-yr.-old who is upset about moving to a new town and leaving his friends. The story takes place in 1968 during the Vietnam War that Doug’s oldest brother is fighting in. He also has an older brother, who gets great pleasure from picking on him and an abusive father. Doug’s idol is the Yankee ballplayer, Joe Pepitone and a signed jacket by Joe is Doug’s most prized possession. Doug narrates about his high and low points as he goes through adjusting to the new town and with the help of several caring people, he actually gets to like it. When he sees a beautiful bird book in the library, he is drawn to it and the librarian encourages him to draw the different birds. Art becomes his passion and he likens how he feels to how he thinks some of those birds feel. It’s a well-written book that gives the reader insight into the feelings of a young teenage boy. It’s a good read that I think any teen could relate to and enjoy.
(Karen's review, rating 4)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Words" by Ginny L. Yttrup is a Must Read

Words by Ginny L. Yttrup is an inspirational quick read that is about choices, redemption, hope, healing.  Kaylee, a little girl is abandoned by her mother and left with her boyfriend to be neglected, abused and raped.  They live in a little cabin in the woods and the girl stops talking.  She finds words comforting and reads the dictionary over and over to help her focus on something else while hoping that maybe her "mother will come back today."  When Sierra, a woman whose child died just a few days after birth due to Sierra's drug addiction, visits the cemetery on the 12th anniversary of her child's death, spots Kaylee in the hollowed giant redwood tree and thinks she saw a ghost.  Sierra is lonely so takes in a stray dog she names Van Gogh.  The dog helps comfort Kaylee when they meet and is a wonderful addition to the story.

Sierra finally is able to accept God's forgiveness and move on with her life as she starts thinking about Kaylee and becomes her friend.  Kaylee looks forward to seeing the nice lady in the woods again at her special spot inside the tree.  Kaylee doesn't talk, but can communicate by writing and has an unusually big vocabulary for a girl her age.  Through Sierra, Kaylee discovers Jesus is the most important word and learns the truth that He really does love her and is able to set her free from the screams in her head and help her to speak again.

I liked this Christian fiction book very much in spite of the "fairy tale" ending.  I couldn't help but pull for Kaylee and Sierra to get together and thought the Children's Services worker did a good job.  Sierra was searching for God's purpose for her life and it was very realistic how because of her past with drugs, she was able to sympathize with Kaylee's mom and was torn between helping her get better or not because she was afraid of losing Kaylee.  The abuse Kaylee endured is done in good taste, leaving details to the reader's imagination.  There is so much humor and love in this book that prevents it from becoming depressing.  The dog, Van, was a great addition to this book, showing how pets can by wonderful companions and give unconditional love.  The information about the giant redwood trees was interesting too and provided symbolism throughout the book.  This book even inspired me to read my little dictionary, a page a day!  This is a great read that I highly recommend and am so glad I read!
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review:
This book is told by two people:  Kaylee, a 10-yr.-old girl who is abused physically, sexually, emotionally and neglected at her cabin in the woods, then abandoned by her mother who is a meth addict and Sierra, a young woman who mourns the death of her baby and finds Kaylee who she wants to help. 

I liked this book very much.  It's a good story and I got into it right from the start.  I highly recommend you read it too!  It's a feel good book and you will feel happy at the end.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner is her Best Yet! (UPDATED)

I LOVED Catch Me by Lisa Gardner a lot! Okay, here is the deal on this book.  You have two best friends and they both die on the same day in back-to-back years.  Now that date is coming up and you know that you are next.  What would you do?  It doesn't get any better than this!  WOW!  This a definitely a page turner with a fantastic ending.  It has to be her best book yet!  Read and enjoy,
(Gerard's review)-5 stars

Karen's review (5 stars):
Oh wow is all I kept saying through this book, especially the last quarter of it!  This is an interesting book about child abuse with the unusual angle of showing the later results of it.  I really liked this book a lot because the plot drew me in quick.  D.D. Warren finds that her recent pedophile shooting is connected with another one.  As she leaves the crime scene, she sees a woman, Charlene, lurking by her car and chases her down.   Charlene explains that on the 21st, four days away, she will be murdered and would like D.D. to handle the investigation because she is a good detective.  Charlene's two best friends from childhood were murdered last year and the year before on the 21st so Charlene thinks she'll be next.  What would you do if you knew you were going to die in just a few days?  Charlene is a 9-1-1 dispatcher who tries to get prepared by taking up running, boxing and shooting.

It seems as though a vigilante  is out to rid Boston of the pedophiles when another one is shot down in cold blood--this time a 16-yr-old boy.  I found it very interesting how the author showed how older kids find their targets through gaming websites and that more and more older kids are taking advantage of younger kids based on information she got when interviewing an internet safety expert.  I thought I had it figured out before the detectives did and then when the one detective presented my theory, I thought for sure I was right but found out I wasn't.

This book really made me think.  Is one criminal worse than another?  Is it okay to take the law into your own hands to protect the innocent?  It also gave me a better understanding of how people's pasts can really mess up their lives.  This would be a real good book for a book club.  I found myself wanting to discuss it with someone as I was reading it!  I highly recommend this one!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Into the Free" by Julie Cantrell

Must Read -- Fantastic Book!

Into The Free by Julie Cantrell is an amazing read—WOW!  I loved this historical fiction book set in Mississippi about faith, gypsies, death, grief, domestic violence, rodeos and romance.  It is told from Millie’s perspective, a little girl searching for her identity, freedom and faith. 

The variety of characters in this book seem real and some I loved, some I didn’t.  My favorite characters were Millie, Sloth, Bump, Mr. Tucker and Mabel.  My least favorite person was Millie’s grandfather with her father and Mr. Miller close seconds.  Hard to really say who was worse.  Millie’s mother, Marie Reynolds, had a tough life but a strong Biblical foundation.  She loved her husband although he beat her on a regular basis, at one point leaving her for dead.  Millie’s mama turned to drugs to escape the pain which was very sad.  The whole book was pretty sad but it had enough funny parts and bright spots to not be depressing.  I actually cheered out loud for Millie when made the choice in the end that I hoped she would make.
 

It shows no matter how bad things may be, there is always hope.  It also portrays “Christians” in a realistic way, showing both good ones and bad ones.  Yes, some people are big hypocrites, but not all.  I liked the balance this book has along those lines and that everything is not always hunky-dory for believers.  A main theme in the book is that God brings people into our lives to help and encourage us along the way. 

Into the Free is an interesting read because it holds your interest on so many levels.  It’s both an emotional and thought provoking read.  I LOVED IT and look forward to the sequel to find out what happens with Millie next.  I highly recommend Into the Free as a great read that would be an excellent book club choice too.  It has thought-provoking questions at the end that would make for good discussion.(Karen's review)

Gerard says he's going to read this one too.

Thanks, Beaded Tail, for recommending this one to us!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"A Difficult Boy" by M. P. Barker

A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker is a good story about two young boys working for a shopkeeper. This book kept my interest from page 1. It's funny at times and heartbreaking too! Give it a chance, you will be glad you did!

(Gerard's Review 11/10/11)


I loved reading A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker even though it is a teen historical fiction book set in Massachusetts in 1839.  It is the story of two indentured servants, Ethan (9 yrs. old) and an orphan named Daniel aka Paddy, a few years older (who become friends and worked together to get their freedom.  This book kept my interest all the way through and I felt sorry for the boys and anger towards their abusive master, Mr. Lyman, the town's well respected storekeeper.  What a creep he was!  My favorite part of the book though was when Daniel taught Ethan how to ride Ivy, Mr. Lyman's horse.  I also liked the ending!

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories about friendship.  I think this would make a very good movie!  It is interesting that the author worked as a costumed historical guide in Massachusetts for nearly ten years and this is her first novel!  It won the 2003 PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award.  To learn more and view the book trailer, visit her website:  www.mpbarker.net. 
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes" by Chris Crutcher

WOW!  What a great Book this is!  Loved it!  This book is about a very special friendship between a boy and a girl who are "misfits" at a high school but much more than that.  It deals with freedom of speech, suicide and abortion too.  I got into Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes right away and really cared about the characters.  This is a good YA novel but all ages would get something out of it.  I give it a double wow!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.