"Becoming" by Michelle Obama by Michelle Obama

I heard that Becoming by Michelle Obama was a good book and was curious to learn more about her and what it was like living at the White House and what it would be like being a First Lady.  This book did not disappoint.  It satisfied my curiosity and also was very inspirational.  My favorite character in this book was Michelle Obama's mother.  The first part of the book is about her childhood, the middle about her career and developing her relationship with Barack, the last third about the Presidential campaign and her time at the White House.  She is very open about sharing her story.  Living in the White House has some perks, but the inability to go anywhere when you wanted or even just outside on the balcony without notifying the secret service and getting their permission would be a deal breaker for me right there!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 12:  When I thought I had a good idea about something, I didn't like being told no.  Which is how my great-aunt and I ended up in each other's faces, both of us hot and unyielding.  

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"The Dream Daughter" by Diane Chamberlain was a Big Hit for Both of Us!

In The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, Carly is going to give birth, but the doctor tells her it does not look good for the long run.  Her brother-in-law comes up with a wild solution, but will Carly go for it?  If she does, will it work?  This is a wild book to say the least!  Carly is a great character and you have to pull for her.  Some good twists and turns that I did not see coming kept me involved!  I especially loved the last part of the book!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Karen's review, 11-30-18:
In The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, shortly after Carly gets news that her husband was killed in Vietnam only weeks after he left in 1970, she learn she is pregnant.  Early in her pregnancy, she receives bad news that there is something wrong with her baby's heart and that it is fatal!  Carly is so devastated by the news, that she is willing to do anything to save her child--including time travel to the year 2001 so she can try fetal surgery!  Her brother-in-law, Hunter, who she met when she was his physical therapist was a time traveler from 2013 and talks her into giving it a try.

I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it to women.  It's a combination of contemporary and science fiction.  I don't think men would enjoy it as much.  It certainly has adventure but centers around Carly's fight to save and get to know her child, Johanna.  It has touching scenes and lots of unexpected twists along the way.  I was a little disappointed when it ended.  It even has two dogs in it and some funny parts as well.  I found it to be thought-provoking too and had trouble putting this down.  I really looked forward to getting back to it!
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 25:  "It doesn't matter.  What matters is that during her studies, she discovered it's possible to travel forward and backward in time."

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"Fire & Ice" (Book 3 of Wild at Heart series) by Mary Connealy

Fire & Ice by Mary Connealy is the third and final book in the Wild Heart series. This book focuses on Bailey and Gage. Bailey prides herself on being able to take care of herself and be as good a rancher as any man and Gage is determined to get his cattle to graze in the canyon that Bailey blocked with her cabin. While Gage starts blasting away the mountain to give him another way into the canyon, he and some of his men nearly get killed when a trap someone set for them results in an avalanche! He accuses Bailey but she sets him straight and convinces him it wasn’t her that set that trap. After making it through a lonely winter, she is actually happy when Gage Coulter comes to her door, but is floored at what he wants.

This third book continued to be entertaining and is a great ending to this series. I loved how Bailey and Gage gradually grew to love each other. I really liked all three sisters in this series and was sorry to see it end. Once again, this book had adventure, mystery, romance and humor. I loved this series and flew through all three books once I started it.  I highly recommend this series for light reading.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 14:  "This is why you've been as good as hiding from me ever since the first time I came across you in your sister's cabin, all the way back before Kylie married Aaron.  You didn't want me to know you were a woman."

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"Stolen Marriage" by Diane Chamberlain

In Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain, during 1943-1955, Tess is engaged to her childhood friend, Vincent.  Tess and Vincent are both devout Catholics in Maryland, and look forward to working together, he as doctor and she as nurse.  However, when a polio epidemic breaks out in Chicago, Vincent, a fine doctor goes to help.  A couple weeks turns into many and although they write, Tess gets impatient for his return.  Her girlfriend, Gina, whose husband is off at war talks Tess into taking a short fun trip to Washington, D.C. and staying at her aunt's little tourist hotel.  Then something happens that changes everything and throws a monkey wrench into her life!  She gets drunk and a total stranger takes her virginity!  She feels so ashamed and then a couple months later discovers she is pregnant!  Will she and Vincent still get married?  What will she do about the baby?  Will she even get her nursing license?  You'll have to read the book to find out, I'm not telling.

I liked this book and felt bad for Tess.  There are a lot of well-developed characters that become a part of Tess' life and there are a lot issues happening in this book including inter-racial marriage, family secrets, grief, relationships, acceptance, love and the amazing story of how Hickory, North Carolina volunteers got a Polio hospital built and functioning in just 54 hours that is based on true events. This is a good story that I think would be a good read for a book club.  I am giving it 4 stars just because I enjoyed other books by Diane Chamberlain more.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 33:  The night before came back to me in a rush and I kept my eyes squeezed tightly closed in regret.  What had I done?  I'd made love--no, I'd had sex--with a stranger.  Oh, to be able to take it all back!

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"After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline is about Maggie, a mother who loses custody of her baby girl because of her husband having her declared unfit due to her postpartum psychosis.  She remarries a widower who is a doctor named Noah and becomes a stepmom to his 9-yr-old son, Caleb.  They have a happy family until Maggie gets a call from her daughter asking her to come to the college to meet.  Maggie's sees a news article about her ex-husband dying in a plane crash and is ecstatic about finally seeing her 17-yr-old daughter after being separated for so long.  Will Anna finally become part of a happy family after feeling abandoned for so many years?  Will Noah be welcoming?  Is Anna a nice girl or a manipulative brat?  Did Noah get framed for murder or did he really kill his stepdaughter?

 I felt bad for Noah all through this book and was rooting for him and Maggie to be happy together once again.  This was a very entertaining read for me.  I liked the trial parts and was completely surprised by the unexpected twist.  Unfortunately, the twist was unbelievable and Maggie being the heroin really was far out.  I would have preferred the book be written in chronological order but it was cool how the story got told by much of the trial.  I liked it and was happy with the ending.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

 Teaser from page 2:  His life had exploded like a strip of firecrackers at a barbecue, igniting the patio furniture and spreading to the house until everything was blazing out of control, engulfed in a massive fireball.
His entire world destroyed.
It had all started with Anna.  

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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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"Bruiser" by Neal Schusterman

Bruiser by Neal Schusterman is a contemporary fiction novel but with one special boy, named Bruiser. Somehow, he has an unusual power to take on himself the pain of those he cares about, like his younger brother and his Uncle. His uncle tries to protect him as best he can be keeping him home so he doesn’t make friends. He just goes to school and comes home, until Bronte decides to be nice to him. Her brother, Tennyson, doesn’t like her seeing Bruiser at first, but then also becomes his friend, realizing he’s not really so bad after all. Bruiser is wired to only receive pain, not give it.

Teaser from page 14:  I hate him.  I hate the concept of him.  He's a freight train of bad news barreling at my sister.

I thought this book was just okay because Bruiser was so unbelievable in what was an otherwise modern-day contemporary fiction book. The story was pretty good and it kept my interest but it wasn’t near as good as the other books I read by this author.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"Only Child" by Rhiannon Navin (School Shooting told by a child) UPDATED

In Only Child by Rhiannon Navin, there has been a school shooting at the school that Zach attends.  He is going to tell you all about it!  Zach is 6 years old.  This book centers around the shooting mostly; however, there is a whole lot more to this book than that.  The aftermath of the shooting and how it affects Zach's mom, dad and other people connected to the school. 

Here is the teaser from page 7 I'd like to share with you:  She pulled the door closed again and told me to hold the metal piece this time.  I did, even though it hurt my fingers and the door was heavy to keep closed.

 I was into this book from page 1 and I thought the pacing of it was very well done.  I really enjoyed Zach's perspective of the events going on.  Only Child is the author's first book and I will be looking forward to her next one after reading this!  With all the school shootings going on this year, this is one book you definitely should read! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 2/21/18:
Only Child by Rhiannon Navin is a contemporary fiction novel about Zach, a first grader whose fifth-grade brother was killed in a school shooting. Zach narrates the story of what happened and how his family sort of fell apart afterwards, his mixed feelings and how he spent time in his secret hideout in his brother’s closet. Zach is a cute little kid I couldn’t help but feel sorry for throughout the book.

Only Child is a touching novel that leads to healing for the family of a victim. This is an emotional read that kept my interest. I liked the ending and the child narration. Overall, it is a sad story but has some good advice for dealing with sadness. (4 stars)


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"WONDER" by R. J. Palacio is a must read for Children

Wonder by R. J. Palacio is about Auggie’s fifth grade year, a boy with a deformed face who was homeschooled through 4th grade. Auggie has a rough start at the beginning of middle school, but shows courage and determination by not quitting. This is an emotional read that includes perspectives from several different characters. Themes in this are bullying, friendship and family. This book has photos from the movie, comments from those involved in making the movie and discussion questions in the back.

Teaser from page 227 after Auggie’s dog just died: And I wondered how it would feel to be in heaven someday and not have my face matter anymore. Just like it never, ever mattered to Daisy.

There are a lot of feelings brought out in this book, but the movie really brought it to life for me. In this case, I liked the movie better than the book. It changed just a few minor things and emphasized the teacher’s role more than the book did. I liked the changes that were made in the movie. The theme I carried away from reading the book is to be kinder than necessary and make the world a better place. I recommend this book to kids and the movie to everyone!  (4 stars)

See my movie review: Must See Movie:  Wonder

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"Poison" by Galt Niederhoffer is a Wow!

In Poison by Galt Niederhoffer, Cass has her hands full.  She has a young daughter, a young boy, a baby and a cat.  She also has a teaching job and now she has a husband who (a) cheated on her, (b) tried to kill her or (c) she just thinks that is happening!

Teaser from page 34:  "Hey, what are you doing?" she said.  She stared at him, defiant.

WOW!  This book is good!  I really liked the character of Cass a lot and only wanted the best for her.  The pacing of the book is very good too and I enjoyed the ending very much!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"Protecting Marie" by Kevin Henkes

Protecting Marie by Kevin Henkes is a children’s book about a 12-yr.-old girl, her dad, and her dog. It is told in first person by the girl, Fanny. The dad is an artist and teaches at a university. This book focuses on the girl’s views and things that are important to her. She has a bunch of childish things she treasures and gets upset when her father runs a “stupid hunt” in her room to hunt down stupid things that can be thrown out She is mad at her dad over getting rid of their first dog, Nellie and has a hard time letting it go.

Teaser from page 13:  The whole idea of growing old is scary.  And a big birthday is so symbolic."

This book may appeal to a young girl, but I was not impressed with it.  The book cover is very misleading because it implies the dog is Marie, but it is not! I liked Dinner, the second dog in the book, but there was not much of a climax or great ending to this one.  The gist of the story is how Fanny and her dad mend their relationship. It just sort of fell flat for me. It was okay, but was eager to move on to something else.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"Sparks of Light" by Janet B. Taylor

Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor is the sequel to Into the Dim.  The mission is different but it gets off to the same slow start.  The trip back in time is to New York City during the Victorian era so I was thinking, how much trouble could they get into there.  Well, Hope manages to get locked up in a mental institution along with Doug!  The timeslippers have a much bigger part in this book.

Teaser from page 364:

I was nobody's physical threat.  My normal means of causing people injury generally involved me tripping and falling on them.

I liked Into the Dim better than this one because I really didn't have a good understanding of what exactly their mission was in this and really didn't care.  I was interested to see how Hope and Doug would get out of their predicament.  The thing I did like most about this one was the development of Bran and Collum's friendship.  I got a bit confused on a couple of the characters and was glad when I finished it.  I still liked Hope's sarcasm and one again, she proved to be very brave and useful.  If there is more to this series, I do not intend to read it.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

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"Tomorrow's Garden" by Amanda Cabot (Western Historical Romance)

Tomorrow's Garden by Amanda Cabot is the last book in the Texas Dreams series.  This one focuses on Lawrence, the former Texas ranger who accepted a temporary position as sheriff and mayor of a small Texas town. Harriet accepted the job of school teacher and moved to town with her five brothers and sisters.  Both Harriet and Lawrence had secret fears resulting from some scary past experiences.  This book has family drama, some adventure and some romance.

Of the three books in the series, this was my least favorite but I still enjoyed it.  I just didn't like Harriet, the main character, much.  I did not like how she treated Jake, her younger brother or how she treated Lawrence.  I was glad to see she changed for the better by the end of the book.  I really liked Lawrence and how he tried to help Jake.  There were parts in this book that made me laugh out loud.  It's an entertaining read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"No One Cares About Crazy People" by Ron Powers (Non-fiction)

No One Cares About Crazy People is a non-fiction book by Ron Powers.  The author is the dad to his two sons, Kevin and Dean who were both gifted but had to deal with Schizophrenia.  Some of this book is like a textbook so I just glossed over those parts.  The parts where he talks about how he and his wife dealt with their two sons was very interesting.  I hope something can be done to help the people who have this and their caretakers who are trying to do all they can to support them.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"The Heir" by Kiera Cass (Book 4 of The Selection Series)

The Heir by Kiera Cass is the fourth book in this series and although I enjoyed this one the least, it still gets 4 stars from me. This is 18 years after the end of The One and the main character is America and Maxon’s eldest by seven minutes, Eadlyn. The castes have been faded out by now and there is peace; however, old prejudices and discrimination still exist among some people. Small fights all over continue to break out over dissatisfaction with the monarchy. In an effort to provide a distraction while Maxon and America try to figure something out to correct the situation, they ask Eadlyn to have a selection of her own. She very reluctantly agrees and this book then becomes similar to the TV show, The Bachelorette! 35 suitors are picked live on TV with a draw, choosing someone from each providence. Someone entered Kile Woodward’s name (Marlee’s son who grew up in the palace with Eadlyn) and he is one of the selected. Eadlyn thinks love makes one weak but made a deal with her parents to go through the process for three months provided if she didn’t find love, she would not have to choose anyone in the end and that any of them were free to leave any time if they chose. Her parents are hopeful, she just wants her freedom. It’s fun to look back to the previous book as her parents reveal things about their Selection experience to Eadlyn and how interested she is

Eadlyn is a spoiled brat and basically rude to the suiters, but in spite of herself, her wall begins to crumble and she does start to really care about some of them. Her best dates turn out to be the ones that the cameras aren’t ready for. The two group dates were really fun. Some of the guys were outside playing baseball and she came by and decided to join them! The other was set up by the guys who felt left out of the ballgame—they got her to agree to join them for the “best date ever.” They put on a talent show and through this she actually laughed and finally enjoyed herself while getting to know a bit more about the suitors.

Eadlyn is so bratty that I did not like this book as much as the previous ones, but by the end she was becoming more decent. I like how there are really several possible choices for her and I am not sure who she will pick. I think it is a very interesting addition the Henri needs a translator, Eric who tries to stay in the background and is quite smart. Henri speaks only Finnish but is very nice and a great chef! Their kitchen kiss was so sweet!  I also like seeing America’ and Maxon’s friends appear in this book as well. I cheered when I saw Aspen is now a General! I flew through this book as well and continued right on with the next. I am eating up this series and highly recommend it as a light, funny, entertaining read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner is told by three teens starting their senior year in high school in a small town.  Dill, Lydia and Travis take turns telling the way this book goes.  They all have different family relationships.  What they do have in common is a strong bond of friendship.

I enjoyed all the three teens very much.  This book kept me interested throughout and has a very good ending.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Seashell Season" by Holly Chamberlin

Seashell Season by Holly Chamberlin is about Gemma, a girl who was kidnapped by her father when she was just a baby and after 17 years, is finally reunited with her mother who is now a complete stranger to her.  The whole book is about adjusting to her life with her mom and trying to understand her dad.  The mother is an artist who teaches art at a college in Maine and is a bit apprehensive about how exactly to get to know her daughter and make her feel at home.

This book reminded me of a Hallmark or Lifetime movie.  I enjoyed it a lot and liked how the author let us see how both Verity, the mother, and Gemma thought about things.  I think women would enjoy this book much more than men because it is very heavy on developing relationships and low on action.   I read it because one of my co-workers recommended it to me and I liked the summary of it.
(Karen's review, 4 stars) 

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"A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas (UPDATED)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is about a human, Fayre who is the sole provider for her family until she kills a Faerie and gets taken by a beast away from her home to his Faerie kingdom. The beast, Tamlin, treats her well and they fall in love. Wanting to protect her from the impending trouble, he sends her back home to the human world. However, her love for him is so strong that she decides to go back and try to help him no matter what.

I liked Tamlin, but didn’t care for Feyre in the beginning but grew to like her as the book progressed. I liked this book because the suspense built and the romance blossomed gradually. I also liked Lucien and Rhysand who were interesting characters. This book has magic, adventure, suspense, romance and an interesting plot that was easy to follow. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard read this one first:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is about a young girl named Feyre.  She is the sole supporter for her family, a dad and her two sisters.  One day while hunting, she shoots a deer and a wolf that was going after the same deer she shot.  That was a BIG mistake as she soon found out.  Another wolf comes and gives her a choice to either be killed now or go live with the wolves.

This book was outstanding!  I LOVED the characters in it.  The middle dragged some but the last 100 plus pages more than made up for that.  I can't wait to read the second book in this series!
(Gerard's review 7-30-15, 5++ stars)

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"Three Weeks with My Brother" by Nicholas and Micah Sparks

Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks is one of the best memoirs I have read. It has humor, interesting adventures and touching moments. I loved how these guys gave us a look at their family dynamics from childhood. I think they did a fantastic job of weaving their memories into their time together as they traveled around the world in three weeks. It is a story of persevering through tragedy and life’s bumps. Throughout the book, they kept repeating the mother’s standard sayings: It’s your life. No one ever promised that life would be fair. What you want and what you get are usually two entirely different things. 

I enjoyed reading this more than I expected and found the inspiration for Nicholas Sparks' books very interesting. I think anyone who enjoys Nicholas Sparks' books would enjoy this as well even though it is non-fiction. It even includes discussion questions in the back for book clubs!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Undoing of Saint Silvanus" by Beth Moore

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore is her first fiction novel. It takes place in New Orleans and centers on a group of people who live in an old refurbished church. When Jillian gets a mysterious phone call from a woman who works for her grandmother telling her that her father is dead, she hops on a plane and finds her grandmother living at Saint Silvanus. Jillian’s mother does not get along with her mother-in-law and was not happy about Jillian going to see her. Some family secrets are revealed, Jillian finds herself in great danger when she gets involved with the wrong person but makes some good friends with the bunch at Saint Silvanus. Jillian is not a religious person but Adella, the woman who called her, is and managed to help Jillian and her grandmother mend their relationship. This novel is about how God can pick up the pieces of broken lives and put them together.

I thought this Christian fiction novel would have more humor but most of it was pretty dark. It moved along very slowly and some things didn’t make sense to me, like why all the flashbacks to when the church was actually a church. Nor did I understand if the father had money for Jillian to inherit, why he lived on the streets like a bum. I liked Adella the best because although she was the Christian in the book, she was presented in a good light and provided at least some humor with her wit and direct ways. I didn’t much care for Jillian, the main character, but liked her better as the book progressed. It certainly is quite a story and one I will probably remember because of the original plot.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

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