"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!

"The 9th Girl" by Tami Hoag Kept Me Turning Pages

You can never go wrong with a Tami Hoag novel and The 9th Girl is no exception.  There is a serial killer on the loose that has to be stopped, and Detective Nikki also has to deal with her son who is having issues in high school.  Both are real good story lines that I enjoyed very much.  This novel has good action in it that kept me turning pages.  Read and enjoy!  
(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!

Other Tami Hoag books we've read:
Down the Darkest Road
Secrets to the Grave (Fantastic!)
The Last White Knight (romance)
Deeper than the Dead (awesome)

"Accidents Happen" by Louise Millar (GIVEAWAY)

A Thriller For You by a new author

Accidents Happen by Louise Millar is about a mother who is determined to keep her son, Jack, and her safe using extreme measures. But, is it enough? This book kept my interest throughout with very good writing and a twist at the end. Great book, I enjoyed it!  Give this new author a try.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

If you reside in the U.S.A. and would like this book, just leave a comment saying so with an email address so we can contact you for an address. (The Winner is Susan, I just flipped a coin Thursday night.)

(We got a free copy to review for no compensation. This did not affect my review in any way.)

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 Tutor's Daughter" by Julie Klassen

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen is a clean historical romance that held my interest all through with the mysterious events that happen to Emma, the tutor's daughter while staying at the cliff-top manor where her father tutors two teen boys. This book is very interesting because of the family secrets, interesting characters and the family dynamics involved. Emma knew the older two Weston boys, Philip and Henry, from when they attended her father's boarding school. Their father invited Mr. Smallwood to live at his manor and privately tutor his two younger sons, Julian and Rowan, when the academy's last student left.

I liked this book very much because although it is a romance novel, there is a lot of mystery in it as well and it doesn't have any sex scenes at all. It's a very enjoyable read and a couple times while reading I actually said, "oh no!" right out loud! This is also one that when reading on the bus, I almost missed my stop. I looked up just in time. I highly recommend this one for a book club because it has interesting discussion questions in the back covering topics such as life choices, homeschooling, special needs kids, history of shipwrecks and the characters in the book. I liked this one much better than the first book I read by Julie Klassen, The Girl in the Gatehouse.
(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!

Linking up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, responding to the prompt to share a book review.

"The End of Your Life Book Club" by Will Schwalbe

I finally get on here since the cats weren't cooperating.  Woof!

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe gets 5+ stars from me—a great non-fiction book! Will’s mom has cancer. As she goes through her treatments and daily life, they talk about books they have read. If you enjoy reading, you will be able to relate to this book and get a ton of good book recommendations that you may want to read as well. I enjoyed it very much! Thanks for sharing, Will!!
(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!

"You Don't Want To Know" by Lisa Jackson (UPDAATED)

You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson is about an unbelievable dysfunctional family who lives in a big house on an island that is a house of horrors!  These people are nuts!  Poor Ave is devastated when her little 2-yr.-old boy, Noah, turns up missing after a family Christmas party.  Her memory is foggy and she was in a mental institution for awhile.  She feels in her heart that Noah is still alive after being gone for two years, but her family is convinced wandered off and drowned and tries getting Ava to face facts.  Ava, however, is determined to find her boy no matter what since his body was never found.

There are a lot of people in this book and as Ava tells the story through her eyes, she feels she can't trust anyone and I didn't know who she could trust either until I was over halfway through the book.  It seemed like there definitely was a conspiracy against her even though her family and relatives thought she was being paranoid.  This is an amazing story about betrayal, revenge and hatred with an exciting surprise ending.  I would make for good discussion for a book club. 
(Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson tells the story of Ava, who in her dreams hears her son, Noah, crying out.  Her son has been missing for two years.  Ava believes her son is out there somewhere, but gets no support from her husband, relatives or the hired hands who help run her island home. 

This book got a lot of hype about this being the "can't miss book of the summer" and I'm here to tell you that it is all true!  I couldn't put this book down once I started it.  It moves along and I was shocked as the details came out little by little to make for a great ending too!  Don't miss this one--it is SO Good!
(Gerard's review, rating 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!

"Alone" by Lisa Gardner

Alone by Lisa Gardner is a page turner that had my attention from the first page all the way to the end. It's about Bobby, a police sniper who responded to a domestic violence hostage situation and killed the husband who had his finger on the trigger of a gun pointed at his wife, Catherine, and 4-yr-old son, Nathan. Afterwards, he felt terrible about killing a man. His life got complicated when the man turned out to be a high court judge's son and learned he may be charged with murder! The judge files for custody of his grandson, claiming Catherine is a bad mother who is out to kill him by starving him to death. Catherine feels alone as she tries to protect her son, Bobby feels alone as he deals with his career problems and chooses to help Catherine when she tells him there was an intruder in her house.

This book psychological thriller is filled with suspense, manipulation, murder, family secrets, domestic violence and interesting characters. I had a hard time putting this one down and recommend it. (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! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wrobiewski" (UPDATED)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski is a book that Gerard and I have completely different reactions toward. We'd love to hear what you think of it.

I read a lot about this book before reading it. USA TODAY called it the must read book of '08. Sometimes a book does not live up to that hype like Kite Runner and We Need To Talk About Kevin. This book does. Edgar Sawtelle is born mute into a family that trains dogs. The best part of this book to me was his interaction with the dogs. The ending is so good you will want more! The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski lives up to the hype! Read this book!
(Gerard's review 7/30/08, My rating: 5 stars)

(Karen's review 4/9/12: my rating: 2 stars)

Well, I finally got to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski and must say I did not like it. Gerard and I see this one very differently. He thinks it's a must read but I do not recommend this one at all. It is 562 pages that seemed like forever to get through. Although there were some parts of the book I did enjoy, like when Edgar ran away with three of his dogs and found a kind old man who let him stay with him for awhile; however, most of the book was boring or made no sense to me. I liked Edgar, the main character for the most part, but didn't like when he was mean to his favorite dog, Almondine.

I do not understand why Gerard thought the ending was good other than it was suspenseful. I did not like the ending at all but don't want to spoil it if you haven't read it yet so won't say anymore about that unless you wish to discuss it in an email.

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.

"Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline is the second book I have read by her.  It’s about a Ellen, a journalist and single mother who thinks her adopted son looks a lot like the face of a missing child on a postcard she received in the mail.  She becomes paranoid that neighbors may think she kidnapped him and is afraid she may lose him.  Nevertheless, she can’t ignore the fact that her 3-yr.-old son, Will, looks like the missing kid, Timothy.  She goes on a search for the truth to hopefully prove Will is not the same child that turns deadly.  This is a book that starts slowly and an ending that did not surprise me.  My favorite characters were Marcelo, Ellen’s boss and Will’s cat, Oreo Figaro.  I didn’t care much for Ellen at the beginning but did get to like her by the end of the book.  She was smart and courageous. 

If you like books about fierce mothers who fight for their kids or books that address moral dilemmas, this is a good one for you.  I liked Save Me by Lisa Scottoline better though.  My husband starting this one but said it was a woman’s book and gave up on it.  I agree with him—it is geared more to women.

(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.

"Saving Max" by Antoinette Van Heugten Scores High In My Book

If you go on Amazon.com, this book did not score very well at all.  But, if there was a Gerard.com, this book would get high marks!  I enjoyed it a lot!  The story is based on Max, a young teen boy who is Autistic and smart.  When he gets checked into a special care facility, he is accused of murdering a fellow patient.  Max’s mother does everything in her power to clear her son.  This book drags somewhat, but the hearing in front of the judge which is Part 3, more than makes up for it.  It is SO GOOD!  Especially when the mother, who is an attorney, takes over to defend her son.  Fantastic!  Put this on your to read list--you can thank me later.   

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.

"I'm Outnumbered! One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys by Laura Lee Groves

I’m Out numbered!:  One Mom’s Lessons in the Lively Art of Raising Boys by Laura Lee Groves is a good little handbook for moms (and dads) of boys.  I got this because I teach 5^th grade boys in Sunday School and thought it may be helpful.  She kept the chapters short because she knows moms are very busy so it is a quick read.  She addresses many issues including expectations, laying a foundation for reading, sibling rivalry, teaching respect, organizing, media, teaching responsibility, and communication.  Also included is a special chapter for dads, for single moms, and one from the boys themselves!  Laura Groves also includes an extensive list of recommended books that deal with related topics that she wrote about in this book. 

I think this book would be helpful to any parent of boys especially.  It is sprinkled with some humor and scripture which makes it a very enjoyable and interesting read.  I liked it and am not even a parent but this book makes parenting sound like lots of fun!  As I was reading, I kept thinking of different mothers I know who may benefit from reading this.  Some general advice from I’m outnumbered! is to let boys be creative, don’t let them hurt each other, don’t play favorites, give them all a chance to be leaders and promote teamwork, treat them as individuals, love them no matter what they do or don’t do, teach them manners by challenging them to be honorable like knights. 

I’m Outnumbered! would make a great gift for parents of boys.   I highly recommend this book and can’t say enough good about it.  Thanks to The 160 Acre Woods:  A Mom's Manual For Boys for posting about it.  If this book appeals to you, please check out these great blog posts that give advice on raising boys by Italian Mama Gone Crazy:  What Would Mama Do? (Part Uno) and What Would Mama Do? (Part Due for mothers of little boys).  Many of the things Laura Groves wrote about in this book reminded me of the advice I read in these blog posts. 

Check out my teaser.

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

"Kasey To the Rescue" by Ellen Rogers--An Enjoyable Read!

This video shows some of the things monkeys are trained to do for handicapped people.  Kasey To The Rescue is about a family who got one of these monkeys to help them.





Kasey To The Rescue by Ellen Rogers is a true story of an amazing son, Ned, and his mom, the author of this book.  Ned gets in a horrific car accident but miraculously survived.  The mother brought Ned home to take care of him along with her other children and two dogs.  Taking care of Ned was a major task!  To help with his care, they went to Helping Hands and got Kasey, a monkey.

To me, the mother is amazing and the main story of this book about how she takes care of Ned, runs her family, and tries to keep up everyone's spirits including her own.  Ned too shows remarkable courage.  The monkey, Kasey, is also pretty remarkable in the way he helps.  This is a very enjoyable and encouraging read about a family who did not fall apart when faced with tragedy.
(Gerard's review) Read the teaser.

UPDATED 12/18/10:
This book is really about a super mom (Ellen) persevering in raising her family and taking care of her son Ned, who was in a car accident while away at college and suffered a spinal chord injury which rendered him a quadriplegic. The story is basically all about Ned and how his mother made him her top priority, even going so far as to bring in a monkey (Kasey) from the Helping Hands organization. In actuality, it seemed to me Kasey was more work for her than help; however, it did help Ned stay positive and gave him a constant companion. Ned gained more dexterity in his fingers and arms because the monkey provided motivation for Ned to interact with Kasey. Kasey was entertaining and although it took three months for Kasey to really trust and feel a close relationship to Ned, it was worth it.

I enjoyed reading this book but was anxious to get to the part when the monkey came which is about halfway through. This is the story of a loving family and although the beginning was sort of depressing, the second half of the book is very entertaining and inspirational. I really liked learning more about the Helping Hands organization and how the monkeys are trained to be service animals. 
(Karen's review)

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


Find best posts of the week at Saturday Sampling at Half Past Kissin' Time and submit the one you wish more people would see that you wrote this week!

"Buzz: A Year Of Paying Attention" by Katherine Ellison

Buzz by Katherine Ellison is a true story of Katherine who takes a year off from her job to pay attention and be with her son, Buzz, who has Attention Disorder Deficit (ADD).  Katherine finds out she has ADD too.  She tries to help both Buzz and herself. 

I think this is a great book for parents going through this because there are lots of tips and resources in it.  It's a good story too!  I'm rooting for you, Buzz!
(Gerard's review)

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