"The WAITING" by Suzanne Woods Fisher--A Beautiful Amish Romance

The WAITING by Suzanne Woods Fisher topped The CHOICE!  In The Waiting, Jorie King, the main character who helps her grandparents on their Amish horse farm and agrees to teach school finally finds love.  This is a great story that focuses on one particular Amish family, the Zooks.  The oldest, Cal is left with his young daughter, Maggie and his three brothers--Ben, Matthew, and Ephraim when his beloved wife dies of Cancer.  Cal stepped up to run the family farm when their parents died.  Issues in this book include life struggles, family issues, faith, education, judging others, relationships and coming of age.

I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more by this wonderful author.  The romance is clean, the Christian theme runs throughout without being preachy and it's thought provoking.  I cheered out loud at a couple parts--once when Cal through Ben's medications into the garbage and when the test results came back for Jorie's 8th graders.  Ephraim was my favorite character. 
(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!

We Both Liked "Belzhar" by Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer tells the story of five young teens who take a class called "Special Topics in English."  They all seem very different but have two things in common:  they are all good in English composition and they have all had a recent trauma in their life.  They all have been sent to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school in Vermont for fragile teens.  The English class will be like none they ever had before.

Wow, oh wow!  this is so good!  I really liked all the kids and wanted only good for them.  To me, this was a real page turner.  LOVED IT!  I think it would make for a good movie!  I was shocked by the ending--really good!
(Gerard's review) 

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer is teen fiction about love, loss, trauma, friendship and a bit of fantasy.  When five teens are chosen for the “Special Topics in English” class at The Wooden Barn school in Vermont, they experience true friendship and bizarre journal writing that helps them move past their individual traumas and deal with real life.  This is a very interesting read that drew me in right away.  I liked all the main characters in the book and enjoyed seeing how the class “jelled” as the book progressed.  This is a fun read that I recommend to anyone who wants something a little different and unusual.  

(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!

"Rain Reign" by Ann M. Martin about a Girl and Her Dog

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is a story told by a young girl named Rose.  Rose loves homonyms which you will learn all about if you read this book.  She also loves rules.  When her dog, Rain, gets away during a bad storm, Rose must put all her know-how to use to find her dog.  This is an enjoyable read because Rose is sweet and funny.  This is a light read that you do not have to concentrate too much to enjoy.  The author dedicated this book to her dog!  How great is that!!  

(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is a children's book about an autistic girl named Rose and her dog Rain.  She named it rain because her father found it in the rain and she loves homonyms so the name fit good.  This is a story of how Rain got separated from her during a hurricane.  When she tracks down Rain at a shelter, it's a bittersweet reunion.  This story shows the importance of micro chipping your pet and gives insight into autistic children.  It has lots of funny parts and a heartwarming ending.


This story touched me because it got me wondering about our dog's former owners.  We found her on Petfinder when she was 5 years old.  She's is such a good dog that makes me think she came from a loving home.  We got her micro chipped just in case she ever runs off.    

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

We also both liked another book by her:  A Dog's Life--an Autobiography of a Stray 

  
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!

"Steal the North" by Heather Brittain Bergstrom is Really Good!

Steal the North by Heather Brittain Bergstrom is about a young girl who was sent away for the summer to her aunt.  What a REALLY GREAT BOOK!  I enjoyed it a lot!  It is told by the different characters throughout the book.  Loved the ending too.  Would make a good lifetime movie!  

(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!