"My Abandonment" by Peter Rock is Based on a True Story

My Abandonment by Peter Rock is based on a true story about a young girl and her father who live as homeless people. They could afford to live in a home but would rather not. I found it interesting how they had a plan so nobody would be following them. I enjoyed it!
(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!

"January First" by Michael Schofield (UPDATED)

Gerard's Favorite of the Month, possible the year!

January First by Michael Schofield tells the true and ongoing story of Janni Schofield who has Schizophrenia. It is told by her dad, Michael. This is a fantastic read! You talk about a page turner—I really had a hard time putting this down. You will not read many books like this! Good luck, Janni, I'm praying for you and your family. This is a must read!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

January First by Michael Schofield is the true story of his daughter’s descent into madness and his struggle to save her.  At just three years old, his daughter, Janni had hallucinations and symptoms of Schizophrenia, although it took several years for the official diagnosis.  He shares his heart-wrenching story of how he and his wife were actually afraid of their sweet little girl because of her violent outbursts.  She would hit her parents, her dog and often tried to hit her younger brother.  Reading this, I felt sorry for Janni, her parents, her teachers and her brother.  It is a very sad story of a family who fought so hard to be a normal family, but couldn’t.  The husband and wife both love Janni very much but often found themselves disagreeing as to how best to help her.  Fortunately, it seems they found some hope at the end of the tunnel.  If you want to read an inspiring story of parents who don’t give up through difficult times, I recommend this book to you.   Wow!
(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!

"Land of Decoration" by Grace McCleen

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen is a wonderful story!  You will meet 10-yr.-old Judith McPherson who lives with her dad.  Judith makes up a "Land of Decoration," a promise land where things go as she wants them to.  As more and more bad things happen to her and her dad, she takes matters into her own hands and performs "miracles."

I enjoyed this book very much!  You will love Judith and I could identify with her being bullied.  I finished it in just two days.  I recommend it.
(Gerard'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!

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

"True Colors" by Kristin Hannah

What a neat novel True Colors by Kristin Hannah is!  It starts off following the lives of three sisters from when their mother died while they were teens.  Aurora is the peace maker who settled for marriage to “Mr. Boring” while the eldest daughter, Winona, an attorney, loves her younger sister’s fiancé and longs for her father’s approval.  Vivi Ann, is engaged to a real nice guy, but isn’t in love with him and follows her heart and passion when Dallas , the new ranch hand shows an interest in her.  The plot thickens when Vivi Ann goes against her family and marries Dallas who gets arrested for murder!  This is a great story that shows the bond between sisters as well as a contemporary romance and the struggle of a single mom whose husband is rotting away in prison.

I loved this book because the characters were so believable and the story line drew me in and wouldn’t let go!  I liked how the author brought in the horses and ranch activities, how she shared with the reader how the son felt growing up without his dad through his journal entries, and the family dynamics.  It’s a love story about love, hope, forgiveness, betrayal, family ties, second chances, heartbreak and redemption.  I highly recommend this one!

(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.

"Small Town Sinners" by Melissa Walker (UPDATED)

Melissa Walker does a beautiful job of depicting a 16-yr.-old Pastor’s daughter’s struggles of making her faith personal in Small Town Sinners.  This is a teen romance novella but also a book that explores faith, religion, friendship and love.  The story centers around “Hell House” which is a church production done around Halloween as an evangelistic outreach—sort of a “Christian” haunted house alternative.  I think teens would enjoy it and find it thought-provoking.  It primarily focuses on drama and teenage pregnancy while touching on domestic violence, homosexuality and suicide.   

 

I liked this book okay but think teens would like it more than I did.  Although Lacey is the main character, my favorite character was Ty, her boyfriend.  I liked that there were no sex scenes in this book and thought it was well written. 

(Karen's review 11-10-11)

 Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker is an excellent read!  It is about teenagers in a small town putting on a "Hell House" play experience.  I really enjoyed this book a lot.  The theme is friendship and being there for each other.  I liked all the scripture references, and having God in this made it that much better.  Lacey, the main character questions her faith.  It's a great read for teens, but I think anyone would enjoy this book.
(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.

"Sarah's Daughter" by Ruth Bass

I enjoyed Sarah’s Daughter by Ruth Bass more than I thought I would.  It’s about a grieving family in the 1880’s and how the husband and his three children cope with the death of Sarah, the wife and mother.  Rose, the oldest daughter, is 14 and becomes overwhelmed with taking on all that the mother did while still going to school.  The father turns to alcohol to drown his troubles.

Here is a quote I thought was very good:

Sarah always said when the problem was very big, you just started at the very beginning and went along a bit at a time, the way you read a new book.

"Read only the first line," she'd say, "and understand that.  Don't go skimming through or try to see the end before you have absorbed all the lines between.  Problems are like books.  You work your way through them, and sometimes the ending is quite a surprise."

I liked the humor in this book and found the historical look at daily living in the 1800s very interesting.  The main character is likeable and well developed.  The author told most of the story from Rose’s point of view, even sharing her funny thoughts with the reader.  It is very well written and character driven.  This novel is about friendship, dysfunctional families, grief, suicide, dreams and some romance.  I recommend it to anyone who likes books teens or historical fiction.

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.

"The Murderer's Daughters" by Randy Susan Meyers

The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers is an interesting read about how a father ruined his daughters’ lives when he killed their mother. This story is about Merry and Lulu who were left without parents. Lulu felt responsible for her mother’s death and so always felt as though she had to take care of her younger sister. LuLu became a doctor and Merry became a probation officer. This book has some interesting family dynamics and deals with issues of grief, guilt, foster care and relationships.

I liked this book and found it interesting how both sisters reacted to their father when he was in prison. It was sad how their mother’s murder overtook their life for so long. I liked this book because it seemed realistic and had a pretty happy ending. I recommend it to anyone who likes books about families and interpersonal relationships. The author worked ten years with men who destroyed their families like the father did in this book.

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.

"If You Believe" by Kristin Hannah

If You Believe by Kristin Hannah is an historical novel about love.  Three lonely people find each other, Mariah, Mad Dog, and Jake.  Although very predictable, I enjoyed this book because of the issues Mariah and Mad Dog both had.  Jake following his dad hoping for a happy reunion was heartwarming.  Rass, Mariah’s father, was my favorite character because of his concern for his daughter and his kindness toward Mad Dog and Jake.  He kept seeking to improve his relationship with his daughter and help her let go of the past so she could enjoy the present and the future before he died.  I loved the banter between Mariah and Mad Dog.  This book was predictable right from the start but has wit, warmth, humor, sex and heartbreak which kept my interest. 

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.

"Two Kisses For Maddy" by Matthew Logelin

WOW! What an awesome book Two Kisses For Maddy by Matthew Logelin is! Matt never intended to write a book, but when his wife, Liz, died the day after giving birth to their daughter, Maddy, he did. This book pulls no punches. Matt describes his feelings so well! He takes the reader through the birth of their daughter, his wife's death, funeral and how he has to raise a daughter on his own. All this from a guy who says he has trouble hanging a picture on a wall! I enjoyed the book very much. I just wish like he does, he did not have to write it. I encourage you to read this book—it's very good! Visit his website at http://www.mattlogelin.com/

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.

"Train From Marietta" by Dorothy Garlock

Train From Marietta by Dorothy Garlock is story of adventure in Texas and romance in the 1930s. When Kate plans to take the train from New York to California to practice medicine with her uncle, little did she know that she would be kidnapped along the way and her plans would change when she finds romance. This is also a story of betrayal, survival and friendship. I liked all the main characters, especially the Indian boy.


Dorothy Garlock is one of my favorite authors and this book did not let me down. I love how she can tell the story in such a way that it makes me feel as though I’m right there or watching a movie. I enjoyed this book very much because I like stories with happy endings!

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

"The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is an amazing story about teen rebellion, love, friendship, romance, and forgiveness.  I can't say enough about how touching this book is.  The main character is a girl named Ronnie who held a grudge against her dad because he left, but her 10-yr.-old brother, Jonah, brought out her tender side.  One summer, she has to go live with him against her will and learns and grows into a mature woman who realizes she was not always right after all and everything is not about her.  I enjoyed watching her develop into a truly caring person and learn about forgiveness. 

It's a very good story and I liked it a lot! I liked the characters in this book because they were all very believable.  Parts were sad but overall, I liked the ending because it was very touching and happy at the same time.  This is a must read if you enjoy books about teens and parents.
(Karen's review)


I’ve been blessed to read a lot of really good books this year and I  add The  Last Song by Nicholas Sparks to the list.  At first, I thought,  “Oh, great, a teen novel.”  I’m not going to like it.  I LOVED it!  It  tells the story of Ronnie, a girl who has to spend the summer with her  dad and does not want to.  Turns out she had the best summer ever.   Superb writing.  This book is hard to put down.  The characters are very  believable.  There is nothing bad to say about this book.  I am so glad  to end the year with this wonderful book!  Do yourself a favor and read  this one.  You will be happy you did.
(Gerard's Review)

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

Other reviews of this:  Reading Without Restraint