Showing posts with label thought provoking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thought provoking. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

"LEFT BEHIND by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (Series #1)

LEFT BEHIND
by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins is the first book in a series about end times based on scripture.  When people mysteriously disappear, Buck, a journalist is assigned to write about the different theories people have.  Rayford, a pilot, thinks maybe his wife was right all along about needing a personal relationship with God and that this is the rapture she was talking about a lot lately.  Her and their son have both disappeared leaving him and Chloe, their daughter.  He contacts their church, hoping someone is there and meets with a pastor who was also left behind because he hadn't been a true follower of Jesus.  

I liked the parts in this book about Rayford and his family, but the journalist parts I got a little bored with, although they all do tie together.  I heard a lot about this series but never read it so when I saw the whole series at the Parma Heights senior center, I decided I would read it.  I liked this book all right.  It's certainly thought provoking.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, May 28, 2022

"Hide" by Kiersten White is a Fun Read


In Hide by Kiersten White, 14 people play a game of Hide and Seek in an abandoned amusement park for a week!  One winner gets all the money.  The game lasts the whole day.  What would your strategy be?  This is good stuff.  The first part tells about the players and the action picks up once the game begins.  I enjoyed the main character, Mack, a lot!  I wanted her to win.  Liked the ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, February 29, 2020

"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy

The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a very short book with illustrations on every page.   It is about a young boy who becomes friends with a mole, a fox and a horse.  It is thought provoking because the boy asks some interesting questions.  It has some life lessons that apply to both young and old people with some humor too.  It is about kindness, friendship and love.  It's a happy quick read that is very unique because it is handwritten!  We enjoyed it, always like books with talking animals! 
(Karen & Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Teaser (pages are not numbered):  "Often the hardest person to forgive is yourself."  What is the bravest thing you ever said?" asked the boy.

To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

"The Chain" by Adrian McKinty is a Page Turning Thriller

The Chain by Adrian McKinty is about a chain of kidnappings by a lot of different people!  Normal people find themselves becoming kidnappers when their child is kidnapped in order to save their child!  The chain continues because of fear and intimidation while lots of money goes to the creator of this scheme. 

This was a page turner for me.  It definitely kept my attention and made me see how "good" people could be made to do very bad things.  The mystery of who organized the chain was also incentive for me to keep reading; however, I was able to figure it out pretty early on in Part 2.  The ending was hard to believe, but I liked it.  I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers and suspense.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

The Chain by Adrian McKinty is about a mother's worst fear--the kidnapping of her daughter.  The mother is pushed to limits that she did not think were possible to try to get her daughter back.  This book is told in two parts--the main part is first and that is really, really good!  I was hooked from the first page!  The pacing of the book is very well done and it is action packed!  The second part is short and wraps up the book.  That part was just okay.  On the basis of the first part being so good, I still give this 5 stars and recommend it.  It is well worth reading!
(Gerard's review, 7/17/19)

Teaser from page 9:  Kylie lifts her head but keeps her eyes tightly shut.  She's still trembling.  The state trooper has seen that something is amiss.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Monday, February 4, 2019

"The Stranger Game" by Peter Gadol

In The Stranger Game by Peter Gadol, Rebecca's boyfriend has gone missing, but the police do not seem to be fazed by this.  He probably is playing the "Stranger Game."  What is that?  You will need to read the book to find the answer to that!  This book was pretty good.  The pacing was good and I enjoyed how all the characters were developed.  A twist at the end surprised me and I liked how it all played out!  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars) 

Teaser from page 15:  I would never see them again.  The third rule of the game was never follow the same stranger twice, and so I drove away.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, January 12, 2019

"The Other Wife" by Michael Robotham

In The Other Wife by Michael Robotham, Joe O'Loughlin is mourning his dead wife.  At least he has his mom and dad to lean on.  One day he gets a call his dad is in ICU and in a coma.  When he gets to the hospital, he sees a woman by his dad's bedside but not his mom.  When he inquires, the woman tells him she is his dad's other wife!  Say what?  This is an adult novel. 

If you are looking for an action book, this is not it.  This is a psychological thriller that you need your thinking cap for!  There are several story lines that all lead to the main story!  I enjoyed the twists and the different characters were true to life.  Also, you never knew what was really going to happen next!  Some parts are slow, but I though the overall story made up for that.  It had a good ending and is well worth reading!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 10:  'But I was told . . .'  'I asked the hospital to call you.'  'I'm sorry, but who are you?'  'I'm his other wife.'

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Monday, July 30, 2018

"The Sun Does Shine--How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" by Anthony Ray Hinton

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.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

"Draw the Circle" by Mark Batterson

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.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, April 6, 2018

"That Darkness" by Lisa Black (Contemporary Fiction)

That Darkness by Lisa Black takes place in Cleveland, Ohio and is a work of fiction that makes one think. It is about Jack Renner, a vigilante cop who makes sure the scumbags in Cleveland who got off before do not get off again! He takes care of them himself! He justifies it by the fact that he’s saving others from their exploits. Maggie, a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department suspects him and finds herself in dangerous situations as she gathers evidence.

This book is very creepy and at first; I was feeling overwhelmed with so many dead bodies to keep track of. Then though, things settled down some and I got caught up in wondering what I would do if I were Maggie and whether I liked Jack or not. This is a book with adventure and suspense that makes you think. It is definitely not a happy little story with a predictable ending, nor is it a murder mystery.  There is no mystery at all so if that's what you are looking for, you will be disappointed. I look forward to reading the sequel, Unpunished next.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 172:  "That in times of crisis, morality is the first thing to go out the window.  It becomes a luxury people just can't afford."


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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, February 3, 2018

"Tilly" by Frank E. Peretti

If you are thinking about getting an abortion or if you have had an abortion, Tilly by Frank E. Peretti is a book I would recommend you read.  It is a story about a girl named Tilly who was aborted that would be nine years old now had she lived. It is also about Kathy Ross, Tilly’s mother and how she regrets that decision but finds God’s forgiveness through a dream she has of being in heaven and spending the day with Tilly.

Teaser from page 44: Kathy leaned back from the rail. She was beginning to believe all this, and that unnerved her. “No names . . . and no parents? All of you?”

This is a quick read and I suppose is thought provoking to some degree. However, it may be beautiful and helpful to someone who has gone through the experience of aborting a child. Some of those things just rubbed me the wrong way like Jesus getting married and Tilly aging in heaven as though she would if she had been born. I realize it was all just a dream which makes it more believable because in a dream, anything can happen. The point of the story is that Kathy regretted having the abortion. I see where it may be a powerful book for someone who is contemplating having an abortion so that is who I would recommend read this one. Who knows, maybe it will help save someone’s life!
(Karen's review, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, December 21, 2017

"Undivided" by Neal Shusterman (4th Book of Unwind Series) - Fantastic! (UPDATED)

Undivided by Neal Shusterman is the 4th and last book in the Unwind series.  The author saved the best for last!  Conner, Lev and Risa all have action-packed chapters in this book.  The pacing is really good in that you were on the edge of your seat for sure.  The last part of this book is pretty much unputdownable!  Well done, Mr. Shusterman!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

(Karen's review 12/18/17, 5 stars:)
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman did not disappoint at all!  I LOVED it and what a fantastic finish to a thrilling series with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns!  This story is about friendship, betrayal, teamwork, sacrifice and making a difference.  It has humor, a bit of romance, lots of adventure, some very creepy things, revenge, some fighting, justice, lots of escaping and just extremely interesting characters.  The teens in this series are very brave, smart and creative!  The ending is great!

WOW!  I loved this book.  After the last one, UnSouled, I didn't think this series could get any better, but it did!  This book had my emotions covering the spectrum, from humor, to sadness, to happiness, to relief, to shock to tears of joy!  I liked how I felt the characters were real and got drawn into their story lines.  This would be a great series for a book club because there is so much to discuss and so many characters to analyze.  It was a very thought-provoking series that I wanted to read straight through.

Teaser from page 14:  "There isn't one single thing that will end unwinding," she tells them.  "It will take a hodgpodge of random events that come together in just the right way and at just the right time to remind society it's got a conscience." 



SPOILER ALERT--skip this unless you have read this book:  In this book, Connor and Grace make it to Sonia's where he and Risa are reunited and discover an invention that Sonia's husband had been working on that can manufacture human parts!  It gives them all hope that an end to unwinding is possible!  Lev does what he can to get the Indian reservation to publicly announce that it is a sanctuary for AWOLS.  Hayden, Bam and Jeeves team up to overthrow Starkey and Hayden begins podcasting again against unwinding.  Argent is betrayed by Nelson and switches sides to help Connor and Risa.  Cam brings down Roberta and the Proactive Citizenry operation all by himself.  The ending was so touching when Conner was finally reunited with his family!


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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

"Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide" by Prem Carnot

Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide by Prem Carnot is a very helpful book for improving your Pickleball game.  It contains instructions for executing different shots, drills to practice to improve, and strategies to implement in your game.  All this in a very conversational writing style where he basically takes the reader into one of his clinics and even shares tips from some of his private lessons.  This book is excellent and was not at all boring to me.  He has a good sense of humor as well that makes for a very enjoyable read.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn to play Pickleball well and who is willing to practice.

Teaser from page 22:  Smart PickleballTM  is about strategically setting yourself up to win a point by biding your time, using your energy efficiently, playing the percentages and anticipating several shots ahead.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

"Tune My Heart to Sing--90 Devotions on Hymns from "Our Daily Bread"

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)

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Monday, December 26, 2016

"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is simply all about a 59-yr-old man called Ove who is brokenhearted because his wife died and he feels useless since he retired.  He is quite a character and is actually a lovable, crotchety old man who lives in a little community that he sort of takes responsibility for.  He desperately wants to join his wife so tries committing suicide, but it seems something always comes up that spoils his plans--life happens in spite of himself.  The more I read, the better I liked Ove.

This book is really good!  I liked Ove so much, partly because he reminded me of my dad and husband in some ways.  The chapters are short and give pictures of different moments in Ove's life jumping back and forth from the present to the past.   There are many tender moments and some funny things as well which makes this book very real to life.  I loved how gradually Ove formed relationships with those around him, even the stray cat who was practically starving and almost died.  This was a tear jerker for me because the ending was so sweet.  I'm sure this is one that I will not soon forget!  I highly recommend it!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, November 19, 2016

"Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult is Thought Provoking--A Must Read! (UPDATED)

 Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is a contemporary fiction about racism that is absolutely very thought provoking and educational.  It is about Ruth, a black nurse, who is charged with murder and negligence because the newborn, the son of white supremacist parents, that she was watching over dies.  Ruth is a widow with a son who is a high school honor-student.  

There are so many good scenes in this book!  It started a little slow for me with all the baby deliveries at the beginning, but that just was a small part and soon moved along.  That was just to show what a good nurse Ruth was and that she really loved her job.

This is such a remarkable story that helped me look at blacks in a whole different light.  I never realized before reading this how it really is to be black.  I would love to hear a black person's views about this book!  I really did not enjoy the chapters about Turk and Brit, the parents of the baby who died because they were horrible people!  I really liked the chapters about Ruth's public defender, Kennedy and the chapters about Ruth.  In typical Picoult style, chapters are written from different characters' points of view.  I felt the characters were well developed and the plot had an unexpected twist that shocked me!  I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone--must read.  It has lots of great lines and the author used the experiences of some real people that she interviewed to get a feel for what it's really like to be black in the United States.  I loved the surprise ending!  Must Read! 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

My husband and I both loved this one, here's his review:

In Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, Ruth Jefferson is a delivery nurse in a small hospital.  She has been one for 20 years and is very good at it.  One night a newborn baby is having serious problems and Ruth is left alone with the baby.  The baby is white, and Ruth is black, with orders not to touch this baby.  When the baby dies, the parents blame Ruth!  Did she do something to the baby or did she try to save it?

WOW!  This book is GOOD!  This story is true to life and the characters are well developed.  The trial part alone is worth reading for sure but I enjoyed the whole book!  A must Read!!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Shared this with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop - the prompt was share a book review.  I was pleased to see she is reading many of the books we have recommended and loved!

Sunday, June 19, 2016

"The Boy at the Top of the Mountain" by John Boyne

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is about a young boy named Pierrot who becomes an orphan around the time of World War II.  When he is 7 years old, rides three trains by himself to go live with his aunt whom he never even met.  While living with her, he is influenced by the people he meets and soon he sees things far different than he used to.

I thought the second part of this book was better than the first part and the ending was very well done.  However, I do not think this was as good as this author's first book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) but still is a very good read.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

(Karen's review 6/17/16, 5 stars) 
I was eager to read The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author who also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an amazing story!  The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is also set during World War II.  It shows how a nice, innocent 7-yr.-old boy, Pierrot, with German and French background is faced with a whole new life when his aunt takes him in to live with her after his parents both die. 

This story kept my interest all the way through and didn't have any boring part.  I finished it in just two days and liked how the author made Pierrot's struggles so clear.  This too is a sad book but thought provoking.  As Pierrot gets a new identity, he fights to keep his memories of "the good old days" and is torn apart when he realizes what he did was really wrong.  I thought the ending was great and recommend this one!  I hesitate saying any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Just read it and be shocked like I was!  I don't think I'll easily forget this book, just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is lodged in my memory.


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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Friday, May 27, 2016

"Inside the O'Briens" by Lisa Genova (Effects of Huntington's Disease)

Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova is about a Catholic Irish family living in Boston.  Joe, a cop, loves his wife, Rosie and his four grown children but starts acting strange.  He is diagnosed with Huntington's Disease (HD) but still tries to do his job without telling anyone.  When he is told it is a genetic disease, he is afraid for his children. 

I finally decided to read this book because my husband kept saying how good it was.  Inside the O'Briens informs the reader about HD through the life of Joe and his family.  We see how it doesn't just affect the person who has the disease, but everyone around him.  I liked Joe and felt sorry for him and his wife, and his son JJ the firefighter and his family; however, I did not care for the other three children much at all.

There is a blood test that can be done to see if a person has HD even before the symptoms show up so the big question in the book for the children is if they want to know.  It is thought-provoking because the reader can't help but question what they would do in this situation.  Would you want to know if you were going to have this disease in your future?  I don't think I would want to know ahead unless I was thinking about having a baby.

I did not care for the rough language throughout the book, nor for the lifestyles of Patrick and Katie which caused me not to like these characters, two of his grown children.  My husband loved this book, but I found it to be sad, depressing and was very disappointed in the ending that left me hanging.  I liked this author's other books much better:  Still Alice and Left Neglected.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

See also my blog post inspired by this book:  Just sayin' We Should be Humane to Humans Too! 

Gerard's review 4/24/15, 5++ stars:
Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova is about Joe, a Boston policeman.  He has been having some health issues and his wife wants him to see a doctor.  He thinks it is nothing, but agrees to go.  It turns out he has Huntington Disease!  You find out all about it when you read this book--trust me, you do not want this disease!  Not only that, but his kids are at risk of getting it too.

Lisa Genova's books are always top notch and this is no exception.  I loved the interaction between Joe and his wife and kids.  This book had me from page 1.  Make sure you read the "Call to Action" part of this book as well.  The ending is perfect!  I LOVED this book and highly recommend it and her other book too:  Still Alice and Left Neglected.

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!

Saturday, April 9, 2016

"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys--A Must Read!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys takes place in 1941. Lina is preparing for art school and all that summer has to offer. Then the Soviet Secret Police break into her home and taker her, her mother and her younger brother away. Her father was taken captive too, but kept apart from them. Will they get back together? Will they ever survive? What do the Soviets want from them? I thought this book was outstanding! I was into it all the way. The writing was so good too that I could really picture it in my mind. A Must Read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 5 stars:
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is a very good historical fiction book about Lithuanians who were deported during WW II by the Russians.  This book is about a 15-yr.-old girl, Lena, who is very brave and loves to draw.  She is the cousin of Joana, one of the main characters in Salt to the Sea, that is taken by the NKVD during at night along with her mother and younger brother, Jonas.  First, they are crammed into a train with a bunch of others who were "on the list" going to who knows where.  Lena becomes friends with Andrius, a boy her age who is also on the train.  The second part of the book is about her time at the farm where the Russians try to force them to sign a paper admitting they are criminals and willing to work on the farm for 25 years.  Those who sign get treated slightly better than those who don't.  Andrius signs but Lena does not so Andrius tries his best to help her and her family.  Living in unsanitary conditions with barely anything to eat, she is forced to dig with a trowel all day or carry 50 lb. sacks of grain.  Can things get any worse?  Oh yes.  The third part of the book takes Lena, her mother and brother to Siberia but not Andrius, way up into the Arctic Circle where they must use the bricks and wood that the Russians brought along to build barracks and a bakery for the soldiers.  They have to make huts for themselves out of driftwood, moss and whatever else they can scrounge up from the trash the soldiers throw away during temperatures below zero!  All through this book, you wonder along with them if they will survive and if they will ever be reunited with their father and Andrius.       

The author does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to other characters as Lena meets them so it is pretty easy to keep them straight.  I really liked this book better than Salt to the Sea because it had better continuity with just telling the story from Lena's viewpoint.  I couldn't help but thinking how I would react if I was in that situation.  I'm pretty sure I would have given up.  These people went through awful things but the book did have some high points with the romance thread, the birthday and Christmas celebrations.  This book stayed with me after I was done and needed time to process it before jumping into my next read.  I must say, I liked this as much as I liked The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Also liked Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys but not as much as this one.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

"The Forgetting Time" by Sharon Guskin is Unforgettable!


I liked The Forgetting Time a debut novel by Sharon Guskin.  Janie knows that nothing comes easy for her with her 4-yr.-old son, Noah, but when his preschool calls her again, she knows it's time to get him some professional help.  Enter Dr. Jerome Anderson, who just received some bad news and knows his time of normal functioning is fading.  When Noah's mom comes to him for help with her son, he sees a last chance to finish his life's work.

I thought this book was very well done.  It kept my interest throughout and had some twists I did not see coming.  Congrats to the author on a great first novel!
 Gerard's review (5 stars)
 
(Karen's review, 4 stars): 
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin will probably prove to be unforgettable for me! When 4-yr.-old Noah screams his head off if his mother tries to bathe him, has nightmares, says he wants to go home and wants his other mama, and talks about things such as shooting a rifle, going to their beach house, Lord Voldemort and all kinds of lizards he has no way of knowing about, she is at her wits end. She and the psychologists she has taken him to don’t have a clue what is wrong with him or how he knows these things.

Finally, she discovers a psychiatrist who is looking for one more American case to complete his book about the possibility of living more than one life.  Noah becomes his last case before he loses speech altogether as he has just been diagnosed with Aphasia--a rare type of Dementia that affects the language center.  The story is told from different points of view.

This book was interesting but kind of like a contemporary science fiction story about boys and two mothers. It starts off pretty slow but builds along the way to a great ending. I initially thought Noah was just a bratty kid, but liked him as the story opened my understanding as to maybe why he acted as he did.


SPOILER ALERT--STOP IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET! 
I got a bit bored when the author inserted the “cases” for reincarnation from other countries that were not directly related to the main story line; however, when I did an online search for "life before life" I found it to be an actual book that several of the cases were quoted from by Jim B. Tucker.  I was just curious about that.  The Doctor's story runs along with the main story in this book.  I did not like the ending to his story line though.  Although I personally do not believe in reincarnation, I still enjoyed this book.



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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

"Ghost Boy" by Martin Pistorius is a True Story!

Ghost Boy--the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body by Martin Pistorius is a true story!   It tells the story of Martin's life so far and what a story it is!  One day he went to school but never went back.  He spent his 14th birthday as a mute quadriplegic but then his mind came alive.  Thought to be brain dead, he was really aware of what was happening all around him but couldn't communicate it.  He knew it, but no one else did.  He refused to give up!  I also found it very interesting how people acted around him.  Give this book a try--I loved the ending!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
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