Another Good Dog--One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs by Cara Sue Achterberg is heartwarming non-fiction. Cara really misses her companion of 17 years--her wonderful dog, Lucy! Her husband got her a "back-up" dog, but it is not the same! Cara needs something to ease the pain. She decides to tackle a new adventure of fostering dogs.
If you are a dog lover, you will love this book! She has her ups and downs in this new adventure, some funny, some sad. She writes about her experiences very well. I think maybe even a non-dog lover would enjoy this. Keep up the good work, Cara!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Teaser from page 7: I'd thought I would wait to adopt another dog, wait until I didn't miss Lucy so much and wouldn't compare every potential dog to her. But months had passed, and I only missed Lucy more.
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That's NOT What Happened by Kody Keplinger is a book about six survivors of a school shooting who try to piece together what actually happened. In a small town at the local high school, a shooting took place. Flash forward three years and this came out to tell the story of one girl who had words with the shooter. But one girl knows the real story of how it went down and wants the truth to come out!
If you are looking for an action book, this is not it. It is an interesting look of how a group of teens each have their own version of what happened. For the most part, this book kept me engaged. The down parts were few and far between. The best part of this book were the letters on the strength of that, I give this book 5 stars!
(Gerard's review)
That's NOT what happened by Kody Keplinger is about six survivors who actually were with classmates when they got shot. This book focuses on the aftermath and how these six dealt with their traumatic experience. When a story develops that isn't true about how Lee's best friend was killed, Lee decides she has to set the record straight. She gets all the survivors to write letters telling their stories of what happened to them.
I was somewhat confused, thinking this was about the Columbine shooting; however, it is a fiction story that appears to be loosely based on that which I found kind of distasteful. It's well written and certainly interesting.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
Teaser from pg. 11: And there is so much that you--and they--don't know. So many stories that had gotten mixed up, confused, or misrepresented.
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Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann is a non-fiction book about the Osage Indian murders during the 1920s. The Osage Indians were among the richest people when oil was discovered on their land! All of a sudden, they were being killed off and they wanted answers soon!
This book was interesting for sure. It details how the authorities went looking for answers. The pacing and telling of this story were very well done! You can tell a ton of research went into this book. It is worth reading!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 15: Then he screamed, ""Oh Papa!" By the time his father reached him, the boy had crawled onto a rock. He gestured toward the mossy edge of the creek and said, "A dead person."
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This book tells the true story of Ray Hinton, who found himself on death row for a crime he did not commit! Most of this book is very depressing. He even had evidence that he did not do it, but it was ignored. No one paid any attention to that. The last part of this book is uplifting!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Karen's review: The Sun Does Shine—How I found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is the sad true, but inspirational story of his life. He was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. This book shows his journey of appeals and his imprisonment. It made me more appreciative of my freedom and certainly made me more aware of the injustices that happen in our nation. It is an emotional read, making me feel both sadness and anger. I even cried at one point when he received news that his mother had died. He lost 30 years of his life because of prejudice and he’s not the only one! This is horrible!
The afterward was especially sobering. It listed the names of all those who are sitting on death row as of March 2017 by state so the reader can pray for them! It said that "Statistically, one out of every ten sentenced to death is innocent. This was a shocking statistic to me and one that should put an end to the death penalty."
This was hard to read because it is a true story of injustice but I’m glad I read it. It speaks to the issue of capital punishment and I think it’s good that people be made aware of how inhumane life on death row is. It was sort of funny how Ray kept his sanity and sense of humor while locked up wrongly all those years by using his imagination. I recommend adults and teens read this book. (5 stars)
Teaser from first page of the forward:
He resisted mightily the notion that he was arrested, charged, and wrongly convicted because of his race, but he ultimately couldn’t accept any other explanation. He was a poor man in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.
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Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is a true crime story. Pamela's dad lost two sisters. He does not talk about this so Pamela decides to look into what became of her dad's sisters. This book is hard to read because of what it describes, but it is gripping too which makes it hard to put down! The pacing of this book is well done. The writing really made me feel like I was right there. I always enjoy reading about true events that I am not up to speed on, but I can't say I enjoyed this. However, it is very good and am glad I read it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen's review: Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is the true story about how the author researched into her families past to find out what happened back in 1937 to her two aunts that she just learned she had. This is about their murder and the question of whether the guy charged was really the guy who did it. This is a very sad and disturbing book!
The author wrote this to memorialize the three girls who were murdered, two of which her family never spoke of much. I really didn’t enjoy this one because not only was the murder of the three little girls horrible, but then it seemed to me that justice was not even served. I felt the guy who was convicted was really innocent! This book points out pitfalls in our criminal justice system when it comes to wrongful convictions. I found the research extremely interesting about eyewitnesses. The emotions I felt while reading this were sadness and anger. Much of the book moved very slowly for me, but things picked up once the trial got underway. Overall, this book is very unsettling.
(3 stars)
Karen's Teaser from page pg 79: And I thought about the leading cause of wrongful convictions—a problem with police investigations that’s still with us today. Eyewitness misidentifications have led to 75 percent of the wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence in our country, and many of those mistakes happen early in the process when police are desperately seeking a suspect, just as they were in Inglewood in those frantic days after June 26.
Gerard's Teaser from pg. 16: She politely fended off reporters' continued questions about whether the girls would have gone with Eddie the Sailor. She held a hand to her mouth, choking back tears, and told them, "I'm afraid to let myself think what might have happened to them."
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Down Cut Shin Creek—The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer is a very short book about a group of women during the Great Depression who delivered magazines, books and Sunday School papers on horseback to the poor people of Kentucky. I did not know of this and found it very interesting! It has pictures too which I enjoyed.
(Gerard’s review, 5 stars)
Karen read it too: Down Cut Shin Creek—The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer is an interesting book about The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky during the Great Depression. President Roosevelt created The Works Progress Administration (WPA) instituted the Pack Horse Library Project give create some work. Mostly women on horseback delivered donated books and magazines to people in Kentucky. Sometimes they would also go on foot. This is a very short but interesting book with pictures about a brief time of history that is little known. I’m glad I read it--it took less than an hour! (Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson is a devotional book on prayer along with a workbook and a DVD. Our church encouraged everyone to do this study together for 40 days so my husband and I read this book and participated together. The DVD is simply the author talking about the same exact things he wrote in the book. In my opinion, the DVD is redundant and not needed if you read the book.
I thought the book was very interesting and it helped me to improve my prayer time and inspired me to pray more using scripture. It also challenged me to have a prayer journal again. I enjoyed reading about the amazing answers to some prayers that he shared in this book. I did not agree with everything in the book, but most was very good and Biblical.
(Karen's Review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 28: Almost like hunger pangs that hit you after going too long without eating, I couldn't go too long without hitting my knees. Kneeling became almost as instinctual as eating or sleeping.
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Life in a Jar--The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer is so Good! What started out as a school project turned into something that has touched many lives! Four young Kansas teens discovered the true story of Irena Sendler, and what a story it is! This book is told in three parts. Part 1 is the girls discovering Irena's story. Part 2 is the main part of the book. The true story of how Irena risked her life every minute of every day to save 2,500 children from the Germans and certain death! Part 3 is the girls meeting Irena!
I thought the main part of the book was so captivating I found it hard to put down! Irena was a true hero! I loved this book! Part 3 when the girls met her in person was really good too! You owe it to yourself to read this book!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Teaser from page 160: "Doesn't this make you nervous?" Irena Schultz said. "A few orphans every week is one thing--ten times that many--and not orphans--that's quite another."
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Have Dog , Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto is his true story about being born legally blind but trying to pass as sighted. He rode a bike, went to public school and even read. He became a professor, but when he got laid off at a young age, he had to do something. That is how he came upon getting a guide dog and a whole new way of living!
I thought this book was pretty good. I learned a lot about guide dog training and how people react to seeing someone with a guide dog. It is a very short book, only 232 pages. I loved Corky, his guide dog!
Teaser from page 43: I wasn't sure what I thought about walking around with a "pretend" guide dog. Somehow it seemed embarrassing, oddly performative, but my comfort wasn't as important as my safety, and ultimately getting the right dog.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater is the true story of two teens and the crime that changed their lives. Sasha and Richard are two teens who lead separate lives. The only time they are connected is when they are both on the No. 57 bus after school, and only for eight minutes tops! One day an incident happens between the two that will change both of their lives forever!
Teaser from page 5: Surely it's not too late to stop things from going wrong. There must be some way to wake Sasha.
This book is divided into three parts: Sasha, Richard, the incident. The incident part is by far the best! On the strength of that, I give this book 4 stars.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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The Last Girl--My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad is a true story! Nadia was born and raised in Kucho, a small village in Iraq. Life was okay and she enjoyed her large family. She had plans for her future, but that all changed when Isis moved in and took over. Her life became a nightmare!
Teaser from page 60: I couldn't see them as people. Like the guns they carried and the tanks they drove, the men themselves were just weapons to me, and they were aimed at my village.
This is not an easy book to read. Nadia went through unspeakable horror! This book opened my eyes to what these people had to deal with. I give her so much credit for telling her story!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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Some of my favorite books to read are non-fiction books about events that I am not up to speed on. Fire on the Track by Roseanne Montillo is one of them! It centers on women running track in the late 2's, early 30s. Most people did not even think women should be running at all! Three women are the main focus: Betty Robinson, Babe Dickerson and Stella Walsh. I enjoyed this whole book, especially the part that is about the Olympic games in Germany with Hitler watching!
Teaser from page 12: Had she ever been timed? Price asked. Had anyone ever used a stopwatch to see how fast she could run?
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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Will's Red Coat by Tom Ryan is a true story about Tom who lives a simple life in the mountains of New Hampshire with his two Schnauzers, Atticus and Will. It is the story of how his dogs helped him become a better person and how he helped his dogs, especially Will who was an older rescue dog in bad shape with biting and incontinence issues that no one else wanted.
This book has a wonderful theme: old age is not a disease and it's never too late to love or receive love. I enjoyed the parts about his dogs and the wildlife, especially the bear who became their friend. I really liked the nature parts of this book where he included the reader on his hikes through the forests and mountains. Sometimes though, he went off on tangents about his beliefs and philosophy which I found boring and thought distracted from the story. Of course, I cried when one of his dogs had to be put down. It just brought back the feelings I felt when I had to put down several cats. That is why I gave this book only 3 stars.
(Karen's review)
Gerard's review 11/13/17, 5 stars:
Will's Red Coat by Tom Ryan is a true story which makes it that much better! Will is an old dog. Most people think it does not have much time left, but Tom decides to take him in. His friends did not think this was a wise choice.
This book is a story of love! If you are a dog lover, this book is one you will love reading. I give credit to Tom for writing this book about his dog!
Teaser from page 17: "No. I meant what would you have me do if you were the one who was old, in pain, alone, and had no place to call home?"
This is the second book I read by this author. The first one was Following Atticus, which I also loved.
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I got Praying For Your Children by Elmer L. Towns and David Earley when it was offered for free on Kindle because I thought it would help me to be more effective in praying for the kids in my Sunday School class. This book has lots of prayers included right from scripture and then lists specific points to pray specifically for. It is helpful in praying for specific spiritual needs for the children instead of just asking God to bless them and their families. I recommend it to parents and Sunday School teachers. It would be a great baby shower gift for any Christian. The one thing I found slightly annoying though was repetitiveness; some scripture passages were repeated.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland is about Malinois dogs used in battle and how they are trained. It is pretty fascinating and was interesting reading about the different dogs and how they helped in battle. It was also eye-opening to see what the trainers and handlers go through to prepare the dogs for battle.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Nearing Home--Life, Faith and Finishing Well by Billy Graham is practical as well as inspirational. This is a non-fiction book about aging that is inspirational and made me feel a bit better about approaching retirement age. It is encouraging and uplifting. It's a quick read that I finished in just one day. One of my favorite quotes from this book is "About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age." I recommend this one!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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Angels on a School Bus--How a Community of Volunteers Saved Two Hundred German Shepherdsand Huskies by Dr. Roberta K. Ray is a true story. Over 200 dogs were being held in a school bus by a man who hoarded them with the intent to sell them to make money.
I loved this book because it shows that there are lots of people willing to do what they can to help! I especially enjoyed the stories of the dogs that found their good forever homes!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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The Art of Pickleball--Techniques and Strategies for Everyone by Gale H. Leach is a comprehensive book about how to play Pickleball. The material includes the rules, how to execute and when best to use different types of shots, etiquette, grips, footwork, doubles and singles, some drills and the mental game and strategies. The author interviewed tournament players and presents different views on technique and strategy. I believe anyone who would like to improve their game would find this book helpful. One thing that made a lot of sense and really stood out to me that I came across in this book is that when playing outdoors, if one side of the court is at a disadvantage due to the sun or if playing on a very windy day, when you reach 6 points (halfway through a game) teams switch sides! Having played outdoors on very windy days myself, this seems to be a very fair rule, one I had not heard before.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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I was thrilled to find PICKLEBALL Fundamentals by USA Pickleball Association with Mary Littlewood because we are adding this sport to our church FOCUS sports camp for the first time this summer and I will be the director for it. I was looking for a complete book that included tips, instructions and drills. This book has it all! It covers all the different shots and gives an explanation of when they should be used in a game. Everything that is addressed is also shown with pictures or diagrams to help the reader understand. It even has checklists as to what adjustments to make when you find yourself making the same error repeatedly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about learning to play Pickleball well or anyone who is in a position to teach others how to play.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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Tune My Heart to Sing is a collection of 90 devotions on Hymns from Our Daily Bread that is very interesting if you are familiar with hymns. I really enjoyed reading about the background of different ones and as I’d read, the tunes would run through my mind. As you can see from the picture, I marked a lot of pages that had things that stood out to me. I think the scripture index at the back of the book is a helpful addition. I highly recommend this devotional book because they are short, only one page long, but all contain scripture passages related to the hymns.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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