"The Whisper" by Emma Clayton (Juvenile Fantasy)

The Whisper by Emma Clayton is the follow-up to The Roar.  Mika and Ellie, telepathic twins, are back together again, but now they have to try to lead the brainwashed army of children that the government controls to freedom and to stop the war that is coming.

I found this book to be better than The Roar.  There is much more action and I enjoyed the parts leading up to the ending very much!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Dogs of War" by Jonathan Maberry

In Dogs of War by Jonathan Maberry, a radical scientist has come up with a plan that will cause havoc on earth.  Billions will die and there is not too much that can be done to stop it!  The technology is that good.  Joe Ledger and a rebuilt department of military sciences are all that is left to stop this from happening!   Plenty of action makes this book zoom right along!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas - We Both Loved It!

A Court of Wings and Ruin is the third book of A Court of Thorns and Roses series and did not disappoint! It starts off with Feyre back with Tamlin in the Spring Court where she creates some havoc with her mischief, but soon moves back to Valeris. Feyre and Lucian’s friendship is strengthened and he proves. In this book, other courts come into play and more new characters are introduced. Feyre’s sisters have a major part in this book and some romance starts to blossom. Rys and Fayre are reunited and work together so well throughout the book. There is a lot of banter and adventure.

This is a page turner that was hard for me to put down once Rys and Feyre were reunited. I was happy to see Tamlin come through for Feyre and her flying lessons with Azriel were pretty funny but paid off in the end. I loved how this book brought out a wide range of emotions for me and of course had some surprises along the way. I look forward to the next book in this series. (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
This is the third book in this series written from Feyre's perspective.  WOW!  This book is really good!  It has plenty of action and I loved the dialogue between all the main characters.  That really added to the enjoyment of the book for me.  The ending is full of surprises and I had a hard time putting it down for the last 150 pages.  With this book, Sarah J. Mass shows once again why she is one of the best!  I give this 5++ stars!

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"The One Man" by Andrew Gross is FANTASTIC!

In The One Man by Andrew Gross, a man has escaped after the Nazis have killed his family.  He is safe and is working to help the war effort to defeat the Germans, but would love to do more.  One day he is offered the chance to do just that, but this mission is next to impossible to pull off.

WOW!  You talk about a page turner--this book is FANTASTIC!  I flew through it!  The story is that good and the writing is outstanding!  This would make a very good movie.  LOVED IT!  A must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

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"Here Comes Exterminator!" by Eliza McRaw

Here Comes Exterminator--The Long-Shot Horse, the Great War, and the Making of an American Hero by Eliza McGraw is a non-fiction book is one of those books that tell about somebody or someone I have no knowledge about that I find very interesting.  These are some of my favorite books to read.

Exterminator was a fantastic race horse.  He won the most money of any race horse ever!  He won the Kentucky Derby in 1918 and from then on Americans had a love affair with this great horse.  Ms. McGraw tells the story really well and I got to know how it was back then.  I enjoyed this book very much!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"So Close to Home" by Michael J. Tougias and Alison O'Leary is Remarkable!

So Close to Home by Michael J. Tougias and Alison O'Leary tells a true story which makes it all the more remarkable!  The main story deals with the Downs family, a husband, wife, 8-yr.-old boy and 11-yr.-old girl.  They were on a freighter that a German U-Boat torpedoed!  The story of how they survived it is really good!  This book also deals with other aspects of the war on the sea that I found interesting as well.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"PAX" by Sara Pennypacker - A Book for Children that We Enjoyed

PAX by Sara Pennypacker is told from two points of view:  Pax, a fox and a young boy named Peter.  Peter's father is going off to war and decides that it is time to send Pax into the woods.  After a while, Peter and Pax know that this is not right and set out to do something about it!

Wow!  This book was so good!  I LOVED Pax.  His story was so good I hung on every word.  Give this book a chance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I too enjoyed PAX by Sara Pennypacker about the bond between Peter, a 12-yr.-old boy, and a fox and the cost of war.  Peter's mother had died and so when his father went to war, the boy had to go live with his grandpa 300 hundred miles away.  The father made the boy release the fox into the woods on the way to the grandfather's house.   The chapters alternate between the boy's journey and the fox's journey which I found very interesting.  When Peter decides to go back for his fox, he breaks a bone in his foot and is befriended by Vola, a lady who lives on a farm alone who is a very interesting character.  Peter and her help each other.  This is a touching story with adventure and suspense.  I also liked the artwork by Jon Klassen.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Silent Boy" by Andrew Taylor

The Silent Boy by Andrew Taylor is told when the French Revolution was going on.  A young boy named Charles Watches his mother being killed, we think, but we are not really sure.  Charles is about to get away and he does not speak at all.  He knows something and various people want to know what that is.

The first part of the book sets up the plot, but no real action takes place until the second half when Charles goes on the run.  All the time his father is looking for him.  This was okay and worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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Great Military Books in Honor of Veterans Day

My husband isn't comfortable doing videos, but he gave it a shot when I asked him to talk about some of the military books he liked for Veterans Day.


Have you read any of these? 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!

"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

A Separate Peace by John Knowles is the story of two roommates at a boys boarding school in New Hampshire during World War II. It’s about their rivalry, friendship, and how the boys try to stay separate from the war. Gene, the introverted intellectual who tells the story is jealous of his roommate, Phineas (Finny), a natural athlete who is outgoing and a natural leader but a poor student.

I read this book a long time ago for school and decided to re-read it now because I remember liking it. I especially liked the parts with Finny and enjoyed it again. It has some fun parts, but mostly is sad, especially what happens to Phineas.
 (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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We Both Liked "American Sniper" by Chris Kyle is a Must Read

American Sniper is Chris Kyle’s story of his life, the American SEAL sniper credited with the most kills in the Iraq war. The book starts with a little from his childhood and how he was a cowboy, then goes into depth about his Navy and SEAL training. It covers his experiences in Iraq during the war over his four deployments and touches on his personal life as a husband and father. He was a great warrior and was completely dedicated to serving his country by killing the bad guys. It shows the struggles between he and his wife due to their different priorities.

I liked the book because I learned some new things; however, can’t help but think both he and his wife would have been better off not getting married. Chris was definitely “married” to the Navy and being a sniper. Time after time, he put his career ahead of her and his children. I enjoyed reading about the training he went through and the combat situations he experienced, but when he went into detail about the different weapons, I got bored with that. I did learn though that choosing the right weapon is kind of like choosing a golf club—there are a lot of options. I also was shocked at how much hazing goes on when new guys are assigned to a SEAL team.

I guess what bothered me most was that he proclaimed to be a strong Christian, yet seemed to be very self-centered when it came to his marriage, his language was rough, he got into a lot of bar brawls and drank a lot—all things strong Christians would not do. If you want a glimpse of what really goes on in the Iraq war and the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families, this is a must read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

American Sniper is the true story of Chris, a sniper, and the best one in the service.  I have read a few books on the war and this one ranks right up there with the best, if not the best that I have read!  His account is absolutely riveting.  I was able to experience through his telling what is going on and what he went through.  WOW!  I LOVED this book!  Chris was an American hero for sure!  This is a must read and if you have a chance to see the movie, do 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 Silver Donkey" by Sonya Hartnett (Updated)

The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett with illustrations by Don Powers is juvenile historical fiction about two young girls who befriend a soldier they come across in the woods near their home.  He is blind and needs to get home to his sick brother.  This is a wonderful book for all ages, young and old.  I got into it right away and the stories that the soldier tells the young girls are really, really good!  This is the kind of book you could read again and again!  That being said, it is my book of the month so far for June.  LOVED IT!

 (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I thought The Silver donkey by Sonya Hartnett was okay.  I enjoyed the stories about donkeys that the soldier told the kids.  The soldier becomes blind because he's seen so many terrible things in the war and decides to just go home so he winds up in some woods where two little girls find him. They help him and he tells them stories about a donkey and shows them his little silver donkey good luck charm.  The girls get their brother to help them think how to help the soldier get home.
(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. Happy Reading!

Wynne's War by Aaron Gwyn Starts Slow but Picks Up

Wynne’s War by Aaron Gwyn is a novel about a group of American soldiers and the captain who leads them who go on horseback to fight the Taliban.  It starts out a little slow but when it picks up, it gets really good so stick with it.  The ending is a twist that I did not see coming.  I enjoyed it and if you are into this kind of novel, I am sure you will enjoy it too!  
(Gerard's review, 4.5 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 Impossible Knife of Memory" by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book is about a young girl who has to deal with her dad who is suffering from PTSD.  Then she gets a boyfriend to complicate matters more.  I really enjoyed this because the main characters are really good and the plot line is true to life.  Kept me turning the pages--LOVED 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 Winter Horses" by Philip Kerr (UPDATED)

Watch this video to see Gerard and I discuss this book:


The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr is based on a true story, or I would like to believe that it really happened.  Read the book, then you decide.  It is about an old man and a young girl who save two horses that might be the last of their kind.  It takes place during World War II.  I liked both the main characters, the old man and the young girl.  I also liked the animals in the story--both horses and especially the dog!

This is a real page turner that I loved!   Give it a chance.  If you liked War Horse, you will like this one too because it's similar.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr is a moving historical novel about Kalinka, an Ukrainian Jewish orphan girl who saves a couple very special Przewalski’s (pronounced “shuh-VAHL-skeez”) horses during World War II with the help of an old man named Max, a loyal wolfhound named Taras, a kind German army Captain and a kind Russian Major.  The wild horses did their part in the struggle to survive as well.

This is an amazing story that made me cry three times!   It addresses the wide range of how low and how kind people can be.  Part of the book I especially enjoyed were the words of wisdom Kalinka remembered her grandfather saying.  It is a wonderful story about a girl’s special connection with a couple wild horses and a great dog too!  Although it had several very sad and disturbing parts, I loved it!  It is a page turner that I didn’t want to put down. 


Join in with Mama Kat's Vlogging prompt:  Book 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!

"Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell tells the true story of four Navy Seals who fought a battle in Afghanistan against the Taliban by the lone survivor himself!  To me, this book breaks down into three parts:  (1) what you have to do to become an elite seal--and it's really a lot as you could imagine; (2) the battle which is told so well you can visualize it; and (3) after the battle and finally his rescue.  It is a fantastic story that is also a movie!  I enjoyed it very much, well worth the time!  Mr. Luttrell, thank you for your service!

(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!

"Zlata's Diary--A Child's Life in Sarajevo" by Zlata Filipovic

Zlata's Diary--A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic is her diary over a two year period of war in Sarajevo. She is 11 years old at the beginning and I was surprised to read how her life was much like that of American children. The book is pretty sad and depressing, day after day pretty much the same thing. It shows how terrible war is, how innocent people are impacted, and how very basic things made her so happy.

It made me thankful for all I have was a reminder to me that I have nothing to complain about! It goes fast but gives great insight into what it's like to live in a war zone.
(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. Happy Reading!