"That Night" by Chevy Stevens is Great! (Updated)

That Night by Chevy Stevens is a fantastic read that kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.  Although Toni, the main character and narrator, is a teen who smokes pot, drinks has pre-marital sex with her boyfriend, and fights with her mom constantly, I couldn't help but sympathize with her throughout the book.  She was being bullied by a group of mean girls for a long time and they just wouldn't let up.  When her "goody two shoes" sister, Nicole (her mother's favorite), is murdered, Toni and her boyfriend are wrongfully convicted.  That Night is about the truth coming out about what really happened the night Nicole was killed.  It is a fascinating read that shows how people have more than one side sometimes and are not always what they seem to be.

This book is so well written, that even though it jumps back and forth between the present and the past, it was still easy to follow.  I found Toni's life both in and out of prison interesting and was pulling for her to get to live a normal life after having lost so much and been through so many struggles.  We highly recommend this one!  It's a must read!  LOVED IT!
(Karen's review 7/10/14, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 6/29/14, 5++ stars):
That Night by Chevy Stevens is told by a young teen girl named Toni.  She was found guilty of killing her younger sister and sent to prison.  This book goes back and forth between what led up to that night her sister got killed and her prison life.

To me, Chevy Stevens is two for two.  I loved her first book, Still Missing, and I loved this one maybe more! This is a real page turner for sure.  I always wanted to get back to it and the ending came as a complete surprise.  I am looking forward to her next book.


NOTE:  This is the July Book Club Selection at She Reads where you can find more reviews of this great thriller!

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!

"A Sliver of Light" by Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal & Sarah Shourd

A Sliver of Light by Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal & Sarah Shourd is an incredible tale of three people on a hike in Iraqi Kurdistan and then crossed over into Iran.  The border patrol arrested them and they were in a situation they will never forget.  This is a great story told by all three people in a way that reads like a novel except it was real life!  This was an eye-opening book for me that I won't soon forget.  Thanks for sharing! 
 (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!

"Sleepwalker" by Wendy Corsi Staub

Sleepwalker by Wendy Corsi Staub is all about a father who seeks revenge on people he feels are responsible for his son's imprisonment and subsequent death.  This book is gruesome and the killer is a real creepy mean person who goes to extreme lengths to make others lives miserable.  Allison McKenna's testimony at his son's trial is what convinced the jury to convict him so the father lives to make her pay.  Allison, Mack and their three little kids kept me reading.  Once Mack starts sleepwalking as a side effect from his medication, things start picking up and get very interesting.

This book started out slow for me and I almost gave up on it because of how mean and creepy the killer is.  It is not you basic who done it because right from the start you know who the killer is.  The "mystery" of it is if Allison and Mack will be able to stay safe and keep their happy family together.  I'm glad I finished it and didn't quit on it.  If you like creepy books, I 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!

A Chance To Win--Boyhood, Baseball, and the Struggle for Redemption in the Inner City by Jonathan Schuppe

Gerard gave it 5+ stars, Karen gives it 3 stars

A Chance To Win--Boyhood, Baseball, and the Struggle for Redemption in the Inner City by Jonathan Schuppe is inspirational non-fiction based on the real lives of several people living in the ghetto in Newark, New Jersey.  Rodney, a drug dealer who gets shot, paralyzed from the waist down, winds up in a wheelchair and seeks to make a difference in the lives of others by getting kids to play baseball and get off the streets.  I was surprised that parents didn't mind their kids being coached by an ex-con, but guess since many of the parents were ex-cons too or into drugs.  That was my favorite part of the book, when it was about the coaching and ballgames. 

Unfortunately, that was just a small part of it and most was more about the lives of several of the players and their struggles with their family, particularly their fathers.  It was interesting for the most part, but did not care about the part about the mayor and the city.  I would classify this as an inspirational read because the message is not to ever give up, no matter what the circumstances.  I was somewhat disappointed in the ending and found myself plowing through it near the end.  It felt to me like a news article rather than a novel and didn't end as I hoped so was kind of a let down.

My husband liked it much more than I did.  You can read his review here.
(Karen's review, rating 3 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 received a free copy to review but have not received any compensation. This did not affect our review in any way.

"The Key on the Quilt" by Stephanie Grace Whitson

It even had kittens in this book!

The Key On The Quilt (first book in "The Quilt Chronicles" series) by Stephanie Grace Whitson is a wonderful story about the unlikely friendship of three different women and how God worked in each of their lives.  In this historical Christian fiction novel, Jane is serving a 10-yr. sentence in prison for murdering her second husband while her sister takes care of Jane’s little girl, Rose.  All the while, Jane hopes to be reunited with her daughter one day.  While in prison, Jane works on a quilt for her daughter that she trusts will be a reminder to Rose of her mother’s love and instrumental in reuniting them. 

With some blossoming romances as well as interesting lives and insight into prison life,  I think this would be a good book club read and highly recommend it to women, especially if you like quilting. It does have discussion questions in the back.  This is the first book I read by this author, just found it browsing at the library but think I will read more by this author.

Read my Teaser if you like.

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!

"Canada" by Richard Ford

Canada by Richard Ford didn't impress me.  I loved Part 1, told by a 15-yr.-old son of parents who robbed a bank to pay off a debt the father had from running a scam.  The mother drove the getaway car.  The son goes to Canada with the help of one of his mom's friends and the parents go to prison.  Part 2--the main part totally confused me.  I liked Part 3 which tells about years later when the son meets up with his sister, who is dying and gives him their mother's journal.
(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!

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"The Returning" by Ann Tatlock

The Returning by Ann Tatlock is contemporary fiction about a family of five:  Andrea and John who have three children:  Phoebe-5, “Rebellious” Rebekah-16 and Billy-17 with Down Syndrome.  The story starts with John returning from prison after being gone five years for manslaughter.  At first, he feels like a stranger in his own home and is frustrated with himself for not being able to find a decent job to support his family and accepts a busboy job from his brother-in-law.  His son, Billy, is really the only one who gives him a good welcome and encourages the others to accept him too.  Phoebe is afraid of her dad and Rebekah hates him.  Andrea hopes they can put their family back together again and longs for his love but John holds back and falls into adultery once again.  I liked how John didn’t give up on his family and worked at rebuilding his relationship with each of them. 

I liked this book a lot because I found myself caring for all the characters and was glad it has a happy ending.  Second chances and forgiveness is the theme of this novel.  I’d say this is Christian fiction at its best!  I highly recommend this one if you like stories about realistic family struggles with happy endings.

(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 May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" by Nancy Pickard

"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" is a murder mystery that takes place in Kansas.  When one of the sons of a wealthy and influential family is killed and his wife missing, their 3-yr.-old daughter goes to live with her grandparents, Hugh Senior and Annabelle.  The family immediately suspects one of their young ranch hands, Billy Crosby, a wife beater and an alcoholic.  Billy is sent to prison for murder but the body of the victim's wife was not found and no one really knows what happened to her (until the very end of the book).  When Billy gets out thanks to his son becoming a lawyer and getting his sentence commuted due to an improper investigation 23 years later, most of the town is not very happy.  

This book is about family, betrayal, revenge and marriage.  I enjoyed this book very much but almost didn't read it because of the sex scene that it starts off with.  I thought the whole book was going to be that way, but it isn't.  I felt sad about several good people getting killed and it had me guessing throughout the book as to who the real murderer was.  I thought it was a good read and had a hard time putting it down.  I recommend it if you like a good murder mystery and books about families.
(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 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?

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"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.

"Forever My Lady" by Jeff Rivera

Forever My Lady is a story about Dio, who has to go to a prison boot camp.  He loves a childhood sweetheart named Jennifer.  What he goes through in boot camp is interesting, as are the people who are also there.  I thought it had a pretty good ending and it says "to be continued."  This is a short, quick book that I recommend.  I look forward to a sequel.

(Gerard's review 6/12/09)

Karen Says:  Real World Romance From A Man's Perspective

I liked Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera, because it's not your typical romance. It's about Dio, a Latino gang member called Playboy, whose girlfriend, Jennifer, got shot six times in a drive by shooting meant for him. He was sent to prison boot camp and Jennifer was in the hospital. It's a good story about his struggles at boot camp and how he matured and learned to become a responsible citizen that Jennifer would want to marry. He thinks about her constantly and thinking about their future together is what keeps him going and motivates him to become a better person. The reader learns much about their relationship through the letters they exchange while he is detained. The warning label on the book which says "Parental Guidance, Explicit Language, Adult Situations" almost scared me off but I'm glad I read it. It has a bitter sweet ending. I came to like Dio and pulled for him throughout most of the book. I highly recommend this to both men, women and young adults.
(Karen's review 6/10/09)

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

"The Four Stages Of Cruelty" by Keith Holliman

The Four Stages Of Cruelty by Keith Holliman gives a realistic view of a prison through the eyes of a female prison guard.  She was my favorite character.  This is a good story with a surprising twist at the end.   (5 stars)

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

"Dogwood" by Chris Fabry

Dogwood by Chris Fabry is a short novel that I found a bit hard to follow at first.  It got off to kind of a slow start but takes some unexpected turns along the way that made for interesting reading.  It’s about Will who is in love with a girl from high school that he decides is worth waiting for, even though it means being an ex-con and returning to his small hometown in West Virginia which doesn’t want him back.

This book is about illusions.  Things are not what they seem.  I’m glad I finished it because it did get good at the end and was hard to put down; however, overall, I really didn’t care much for this one.  I’d be curious to hear what others think of it.  It’s not your usual crime mystery or romance, that’s for sure!   Discussion questions are included--could be a book club read.

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

"The Brethren" by John Grisham

The Brethren by John Grisham is a well written, somewhat humorous and fascinating story about judges.  It started out very good but I didn't care of the homosexuality in it and I hated the ending.  It left a very bad taste in my mouth.  
(Karen's review 1/01)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"The Pact" by Jodi Picoult

In The Pact by Jodi Picoult, Chris & Emily grew up together and then became lovers (although Emily really didn’t want to marry Chris ). She became pregnant but didn’t tell anyone. Went for an abortion but changed her mind. The jail time and trial was very interesting and I liked the parents perspective—seeing their kids as perfect.  I liked the attorney very much too.  Great book about young love.
(Karen's review 9/06)

The Pact was the first book either of us read by Jodi Picoult and we loved it!  She is an amazing writer who can really hold your attention and keep you interested right from the start.  Her books go quick because they are so good, you can't put them down!  This one keeps you wondering if Chris is really guilty or not.  
(Gerard's review 9/06)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Salem Falls" by Jodi Picoult

"Salem Falls" by Jodi Picoult is a good book right from page one about a girls nice soccer coach who was falsely accused of rape twice. First time he took a plea bargain and served 8 months in jail. Second time, Jordan McAfee, got a "Not Guilty" verdict so he was set free, but most town people didn't want him around and were still afraid of him. He was a master at Jeopardy and fell in love with Addie, the diner owner who he washed dishes for when he first came to town after getting out of jail the first time. I could hardly put it down. 

I liked this book a lot except for the witchcraft in it, but even through that I learned more about it.  I found myself despising the girl who cried rape and ruined the coach's life. I highly recommend this.  It's one of my favorite Picout books!
(Karen' review 12/07)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Blacklands" by Belinda Bauer

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer was a bit slow moving I thought for a suspense novel but it did keep my interest.  A 12-yr-old boy named Steven writes to the serial killer in jail to try to find out where the killer buried his uncle Billy who was killed when he was just a boy.  I liked the way the letters were written and how suspense built up to when Steven and the killer confronted each other.  It didn’t end like I expected.  It's good and I recommend it
(Karen's Review 4/18/10)  


Blacklands by Belinda Bauer is awesome!  I finished it in just two days because it was almost impossible to put down.  This book is about Steven, a 12-yr-old boy who wants to find where a killer buried his uncle.  He decides to write to the killer in prison and the letters back and forth between the killer and Steven is very interesting!  This is Belinda Bauer’s first book, but I’ll be looking for the next one--super job!

(Gerard's Review 4/9/10)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Morning Glory" by LaVyrle Spencer

Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer is one of my all-time favorite romance novels.  Although I read it back in April of 2002, I still remember it as being an emotional read.  I liked that it had little kids in it and an unusual story line.  I had a hard time putting this one down. 

Will, an ex-con gets fired and responds to want ad for husband because he has no place to live and nothing to eat. Elly is a widow with two little kids and a baby on the way who lives in a broken down house with messy yard and broken down buildings. They fall in love for real and he goes in the Marines, gets a medical discharge and goes on trial for murder. Elly wouldn’t leave her home but she did because of Will.
(Karen's review 4/02)

LaVeryle Spncer is my favorite romance author.  In fact, it was her books that got me started reading romance novels so the next few days, I will be posting about some of them that I enjoyed reading very much and highly recommend.

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"The Innocent Man" by John Grisham

The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a very disturbing non-fiction book about our judicial system, a heinous crime and a wasted life. It showed how several innocent men were convicted of murder and that in reality, one is really guilty until proven innocent rather than the other way around. It is a very sad documentary about a talented high school athlete who really ruined his life with drinking, drugs and got framed for murder, and developed mental and physical illness. 

It's unbelievable how these innocent men spent 12 years in prison while the appeals courts kept upholding the verdict in spite of all the bungling and lack of evidence in the first trial. The main thing I learned from it is if you ever get brought in for questioning by the police, don't answer any questions without an attorney present, even if you are innocent and have nothing to hide! The fact that this really happened makes horrific. 

I recommend this to anyone interested in legal thrillers, the justice system, or prison life.
(Karen's review 3/09)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?