"Bittersweet" by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore Starts Slow but Gets Really Good

Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is told by Mabel, a young college student who is befriended by Eve, a wealthy young girl.  Mabel joins Eve in Eve's family summer estate and loves it!  It's everything that she does not have.  But at what price does all this wealth come?

The start of this book just plodded along so much that I almost dumped it but a reviewer on Amazon said it starts slow but to stay with it, so I did.  It did pick up and then got really good.  It's well worth reading and there was a dog in it with the same name as our dog--Abby.  I loved her!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"All The Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr is Fantastic

This novel is actually two stories and both are excellent!  Story one is about a blind young girl living in Paris.  When the Germans come to take control of their city, her father and her escape.  Story two is about a young German orphan boy who is an expert in putting together and fixing radios.  He is soon enlisted in the German army.  When the two stories collide near the end, I could hardly put this book down!  It's a fantastic read and my book of the month so far.  It sort of reminded me of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Perfect" by Rachel Joyce

Perfect by Rachel Joyce tells two stories in the same book. Story one is told by an eleven-year-old boy whose mother got into a car accident and the consequences. The second is about a grown man who is slow learning and how he wants a relationship, but something is holding him back. I enjoyed both! It kept my interest as the story lines alternated.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd is GREAT! (Updated)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd set in the early 1800s tells the story of Sarah, a young white Quaker girl and Handful, a young black slave girl given to Sarah for her 11th birthday.  The story concentrates on both of them as they grow up and face their own adventures.  It is a great read right from the start.  I loved both girls.  This is the number 1 fiction book right now and I am not surprised.  I think it would make a fantastic movie and highly recommend it!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd is about slavery in Charleston during the early 1800s.  The story is told by Sarah, the daughter of a Judge, and Handful, the slave Sarah was given for her eleventh birthday.  It is the story of the lives of both these girls and their families.  Not only does it point out the injustice and brutality of slavery, but also addresses the women’s rights issue.  From a young girl, Sarah’s desire was to be a lawyer but no one encouraged her because she was a girl.  She gave Handful back to her mother but later offered to buy her back several times so she could set Handful free, but her mother would not give in.  Sarah searches for purpose and meaning to her life while Handful seeks to fulfill her mother’s dream of one day being free.

Although this book is very sad, it held my interest because I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Handful and her mother.  This is  great historical fiction novel about slavery and the abolition movement.  If I hadn't recently read the Sisters of Shenandoah series by Michael Phillips, I would have given this book 5 stars, but since I liked that series a bit better, I have to give this one 4 stars.

(Karen's review)

 

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!

Joining in with the Feline Friday hop.  It's easy, just post a picture of a cat.

"Together Is All We Need" by Michael Phillips (Book 4 of Shenandoah Sisters series)

Together Is All We Need by Michael Phillips is a wonderful book about friendship and family sticking together and sacrificing to help each other out.  This is a very enjoyable coming of age series with a marvelous ending.  Kathleen and Mayme not only became friends and together worked to save Kathleen's plantation and made it productive again after the Civil War, but also built a very unusual household with both blacks and whites living together under the same roof in harmony.  The girls also learn from a good friend, Henry, how to trust the good Lord. 

I highly recommend you read the first three books of this series before this last one to fully appreciate it.  I absolutely LOVED this historical Christian fiction series and zipped through all four books.  They were enlightening, giving insight into how things were after the civil war for both whites and blacks and how even though the slaves were set free, they were still looked down upon by most.  This series shows how much people can accomplish when they work together unselfishly.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.
(Karen's review, 5++ stars)

The first three books in this series are:
Angels Watching Over Me
A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton
The Color of Your Skin Ain't The Color of Your Heart

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!

"The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart" by Michael Phillips (series)

In this 3rd book of the Shenandoah Sisters series--The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart by Michael Phillips, Katie and Mayme continue to fight to save the plantation with the help of Henry and his son, Jeremiah.  Mayme gets a big surprise and Katie is thrilled to see her Uncle Templeton again and find the gold that was hidden in her house.  Will it be enough to pay off the loan on the plantation?  Will the bad men steal it from her?  How many more will find out her secret that her parents have died and what will happen to the four girls living on their own?    

This book has more surprises pop up, more action and some humor too.  I enjoyed this one too and look forward to finding out what happens next in the last book of this series. 
(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!

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is a story about a young boy who tragically loses his mom at a young age.  To remember her, he takes a picture from an art museum.  This book mostly centers on the boy growing up and his placing with his foster families and then his dad who ran off and came back.  The boy also becomes involved in the criminal world.  Does anyone miss the painting he stole?  

Although this book is long, don't let that deter you.  It is well worth the time.  I enjoyed it. 
(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!

"Help for the Haunted" by John Searles

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is about a family that consists of a mom, dad and two girls.  The one daughter goes against what their parents are teaching as they do a show on the road.  She leaves, but one night she calls and tells them to come to the church to talk.  They go and bring the other daughter along but she waits in the car.  Mom and dad go into the church but don't come out.  They are found dead.  The rest of the book tells what led up to that night, who killed the parents and what becomes of the daughters.  It's pretty good.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"Unfinished Symphony" by V. C. Andrews

Unfinished Symphony by V. C. Andrews is the third book of the Logan Family series focusing on Melody actually discovering who her real father is and tracking down her mother in Hollywood.  More and more family secrets come to light as Melody continues to snoop around and ask lots of questions.  This book has some humor, adventure and romance as her love for Cary grows.  I liked being exposed to all kinds of lifestyles through Melody’s experiences of living with all different people in different places.  She posed nude for an artist, had pre-marital sex with her boyfriend but drew the line when it came time to be in a porn film and was embarrassed when she discovered she was wearing a see-through swim suit at the pool.  Melody and Grandma Olivia’s relationship gets even more interesting in this book with Melody’s lessons on etiquette providing some humor into the story.  As the Olivia tries to groom Melody to take over the running of the family, Melody humors her and they form a sort of truce, until the shocking ending.

 

I am enjoying this family saga series very much and will continue to the next sequel, Music in the Night.  This book raises issues of identity, destiny, grief and if one can rise above their past and the sins of their parents.  I highly recommend this series.

(Karen's review)

Previous reviews of books in this series:  Melody and Heart Song

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"Heart Song" by V. C. Andrews - Loving This Series!

Heart Song by V. C. Andrews is the second book of the Logan Family series which I am enjoying.  This second book is about Melody's search for her natural father, her romance with Cary, modeling for Kenneth and meeting her real grandmother that does not sit well with Olivia.  Melody learns more family secrets and stands up to Olivia.  It has a shocking ending that left me hanging, eager to read the next book of the series. 

This series sort of reminds of Belva Plain's family sagas.  There is a lot of interaction among the characters which makes for an interesting read.  I liked this book as well as the first, Melody.   

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!

"The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman was Disappointing

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (New York Times Bestselling Author), is about a man who comes back to his boyhood home and remembers the summer when he was seven when a girl befriended him.  It's a pretty good read with some good parts but also some parts that didn't interest me much.  
(Gerard's review, 3.5 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!

We Both Liked "The Clock of LIfe" by Nancy Klann-Moren (Giveaway)

 The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren is about Jason Lee desiring to be as brave as his dad and do the right thing no matter what.  It shows the effects of the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement on Jason Lee’s family.  Jason Lee is a southern white boy who befriends Samson Jackson, a black boy in spite of what others think.  Jason Lee’s father was actively involved in the civil rights movement and endured ridicule for joining with the blacks in the march with Martin Luther King before Jason Lee was born but died in the Vietnam war before Jason Lee was born.

Jason Lee’s coming of age story is both interesting and sad.  My favorite part was when Jason Lee and Wally went to visit Jason Lee's mom at the hospital and helped her escape!  It’s an entertaining historical fiction read that emphasizes blacks and whites are alike and should have the same rights.
(Karen's review posted 8/22/13, 4 stars)

The Clock of life by Nancy Klann-Moren is a real good coming of age story about a young white boy who befriends a young black boy in the south. This book had my attention all the way! I really enjoyed the main character and the story line was well told. Great writing that I think both young teens and older people would enjoy.
(Gerard's review posted 7/15/13, 5 stars)

August 28 will be the 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil rights March with Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  This book would be a good one to read this week! 
Here's a teaser from the book:

     "It's a tough thing to do in these parts, but you be friends with anyone you want, Jason Lee.  Don't let nobody tell you different, you hear?"  Her tone sounded like a scolding. 
     "I won't."
     "Your daddy got himself forty-seven stitches across the back of his shoulder.  And they threw him in jail to boot, just so you and boys like Samson could be friends."

From page 8 of The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren.

We are offering this first to my friends and blogging buddies (that's you!) before releasing this book "into the wild."  Just let me know if you would like to have it.  It's too good to just sit in our bookcase--it needs to be read!

(We received a free copy of this book to review and received no compensation and did not affect our reviews.)

Visit the Author's Website here.

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!

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani is the story about a young girl who gets sent away to camp after an incident comes to light.  The camp is a riding camp for girls.  She learns a lot more than just horses.  There is not a lot of action, but I really enjoyed the main character's interaction with her family and the other girls at the camp.  It has a pretty good ending too.  (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. Happy Reading!

"Joyland" by Stephen King

Joyland by Stephen King is a story about a young man who signs on to work at an amusement park.  He finds that not only are the rides exciting, but the people who he has contact with are also.  I enjoyed this book very much!  It is a pretty quick read and the action keeps moving.  The ending has a couple of twists and I liked how it all turned out!
(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!

"Sweet Mercy" by Ann Tatlock

Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock is an historical fiction book set during the great depression, notorious criminals and prohibition.  The main theme is that no one is all bad or all good and that we all need mercy.   Eve tells her grandson about her memories at the lodge which is about to be torn down that was owned by her family and that is the whole story of the book.  When she moves from St. Paul Minnesota where many criminals reside, she is thrilled to live with her Uncle Cy at his lodge in Mercy, Ohio.  She learns that not everything is as it seems and Love covers a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8), as her father always taught her. 

The story is both interesting and sweet.  It’s a coming-of-age story with a bit of romance weaved into it and is an enjoyable read.  Although Eve is self-righteous and judgmental at the beginning, she learns a surprising truth about herself as she learns of a certain bootlegging operation.  It has lots of varied characters and I loved the ending!  I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction! 

(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Other books I also liked by this author:  Promises to Keep and The Returning

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!

"Someday, Someday, Maybe" by Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood

Someday, Someday, Maybe is Lauren Graham's first book.   I loved her on the show, "Gilmore Girls" and now on "Parenthood."  She tells the story of a young woman who wants to be an actress on Broadway, sharing the trials and triumphs she goes through, hoping to make her dream come true.  It is very funny, like watching an episode of "Gilmore Girls."  Do yourself a favor and pick it up.  You will be glad you 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. Happy Reading!

"Maya's Notebook" by Isabel Allende is an International Best Seller!

Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende is about a young girl who goes off the deep end once her grandfather passes away.  What is really good about this book is that the girl is telling her story at a safe house and is looking back at all the trouble she got in and still might be in!  There is lots of action and a few twists that I didn't see coming.  I enjoyed it!
(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!

"The Death of Bees" by Lisa O'Donnell

A Page Turner debut novel

For the most part, The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell is narrated by two sisters, Marnie and Nelly.  Their parents are dead and with no relative around, they fear going into foster care and being separated.  So, what do they do?  You will have to read the book to find out.  I enjoyed this from page 1.  It's a good page turner as I wondered if the plan the girls came up with would work or if they would be found out.  This is the author's first novel.  I'll be looking for more of her work!  (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!

"Buddy" by M. H. Herlong

Woof!  Woof!  A great dog story about bonding!

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a real good story about a boy and his dog. The boy is 13 and always wanted a dog. On the way to church, their dad hit a dog with their car and they took it in. When hurricane Katrina comes, they have to make some hard decisions about the dog. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it, even though it is a children's book. Although a cute dog is on the cover, this book is more about the family and what goes on with them than it is about the dog. Give it a read, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Buddy by M. H. Herlong is a good story about a 13-yr-old boy, his family and his 3-legged dog, Buddy, who got separated when hurricane Katrina hit their home in New Orleans. The boy narrates the story from his point of view. Through the story, this book reveals what people went through in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It brought out several different emotions as I read this: happiness, sadness, and anger. It is a moving story about a kid growing up and maturing to where he thinks of others and seeks to do what is right.  I highly recommend it it to dog lovers, especially boys!
(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!