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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Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is a wonderful YA novel about tenderness, family relationships, love and dealing with Cancer. When the husband and father of three is diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, he gets his family to spend the summer at their cottage again by the lake that they haven't been to in five years. Taylor, the 17-yr.-old daughter is reluctant to go back because of her broken friendships. It even has a dog in it!
This is a very good story about mending friendships, overcoming fears and being real with people. The bond between Taylor and her dad is beautiful and reminded me so much of the special relationship I had with my parents. The writing is conversational and told from Taylor's point of view. It was interesting to see how she grows as a person through the book and gets to know her whole family better. Her relationship with Henry is very sweet and this is a very touching story. In some ways it is similar to The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. If you liked that, I think you would also like Second Chance Summer. It really touched me because I knew a couple sisters whose father died of Pancreatic Cancer in a very short time. I also couldn't help reliving the deaths of my own parents, although I was fortunate to have had them much longer than Taylor had her dad in this book. I loved this book too--a great emotional read!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is about a family where the father receives medical news that is not good. Consequently, the family decides to go to a summer cottage that they have but have not been to for a while. Taylor, the oldest daughter, is not big on this. The last time she spent there, she left on not so good terms with some friends she had there. I loved the character of Taylor. She was so good but that is not to say the other characters were bad. I enjoyed them all! I was always happy to get back to this book. It is a very emotional read, especially at the end. The writing is excellent! In short, I LOVED IT! (Gerard's review on 5/16/16, 5++ stars)
If you still aren't sure you want to read this book, watch this video by Jesse the Reader which is what convinced us to read it:
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The Fire Line--The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and One of the Deadliest Days in American Firefighting by Fernanda Santos is a non-fiction book that tells the story of an elite crew of firefighters called "The Granite Mountain Hotshots." This was some book, let me tell you! I never knew all the details and things you have to know to be a firefighter! Through this book I really got to know them and their families. The main part of the book describing the Yarnell Hill fire made me feel like I was there. These were very brave men and I am glad to learned about them through this book!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk kept my interest all the way. Annabelle has lived a nice quiet life in her small town with her loving family. However, that all changes when a young girl named Betty comes to town. Annabelle is being bullied and has to find a way to stop it. Then one day, Betty goes missing and all signs point to one man who Annabelle has befriended.
This book was really good! It moved along quickly and Annabelle is a great character. It also has a surprise ending that I liked!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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I want to say yes. I want to say, Yes, beautiful girl, I know.
From page 27 of When We Collided by Emery Lord.
I was trying not to see how tired he looked, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. But most of all, I was trying not to think about the fact that we had been told, by experts who knew these things, that he had approximately three months left to live.
I left her there, musing in that patch of poison, and prayed that she would wake tomorrow with scarlet boils and hard scabs. I prayed for a rash to veil her face with pustules and scales.
From page 53 of Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk.
Karen's:
It took a while for the otters to realize that something was happening inside the crate. But a moment later, they heard it.
From pg. 6 of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi is a heartbreaking story about Fereiba and her family in Afghanistan. Part 1 of the book is her childhood and her life in Afghanistan growing up and her marriage to Mahmoud, a good man who was an engineer, and their three children. Part 2 focuses mostly on Saleem, her 15-yr.-old son and their journey to England after her husband was killed by the Taliban. He felt the responsibility to be the man of the house and then got separated from his family in Greece on their way to England to live with Fereiba's sister.
This book kept my interest all the way through. It shows how tough the life of a refugee is and my heart just goes out to them. I liked Fereiba who always felt like an outsider and had a very hard life except for a short time. I found myself pulling for Saleem in the second part of the book which showed how three different women helped him along the way and how encouraging that was for him. I was a bit disappointed that the ending was sort of open, but I guess that was better than a sad ending. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in what it is like to be a refugee or Muslim. It was an eye-opening story for me to understand how not all Muslims are extremists. It even has some discussion questions in the back for book clubs to use. It's very good!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
Tweet by Karen:
Reaching the Unreached-MENA https://t.co/cbMY4fQUHp donated after reading WHEN THE MOON IS LOW
Here is a link to donate to help refugees in Greece through Samaritan's Purse
Here is a link to donate to help refugees through World Vision
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When We Collided by Emery Lord is about two teens--Jonah and Vivi, who have a summer romance. However, this book is so much more than that! They both have a lot to deal with in their lives and take turns telling the story.
I really liked Jonah and Vivi was very good too! It captured my attention from page 1 and the ending made me cry! This is so good, I highly recommend it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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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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He wasn't about to start a fight earlier with the Heredia in the process of sinking, but now adrift on the raft, where minutes felt like hours, he wondered if they'd have another disagreement. His ship might be at the bottom of the ocean, but he was still the captain.
From page 100 of So Close to Home by Michael J. Tougias & Alison O'Leary.
It took a while for the otters to realize that something was happening inside the crate. But a moment later, they heard it.
From pg. 6 of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.
Karen's:
"Oh, Hazel! This is where it comes from! I know now--something very bad! Some terrible thing--coming closer and closer."
Page 7 of Watership Down by Richard Adams. (This teaser is by a rabbit.)
I wasn't sure what I wanted, but I had no interest in marriage and the household that would come along with it.
When my chores were completed, I would slip into the orchard with a book.
From page 35 of When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi.
"The school says not, but then they would, wouldn't they?" Ray didn't hold a particularly high opinion of Tom's head teacher, who had been quick to place the blame on Mags and Ray for not presenting a "united front" at parents' evenings.
From page 105 of I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.
Once again, Hopper would be helping Mrs. Clover teach the kinderbunny class at Easter Bunny Elementary School. That was where young bunnies went to learn how to be Easter Bunnies.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
In The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, a crate is washed up on a remote wild island. Robot Roz escapes from the crate. How will the robot adopt to the island? How will the many animals that call the island their home see this new object?
Okay, I get that this is a children's book, but I will tell you that I think any age would enjoy this book. The way the robot and the animals got along was so good! The story kept my interest all the way and it went really fast! Take a chance and be a kid again--read this and enjoy the story when nature and technology collide.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is a children's book I enjoyed for a break from heavy topics and intense mystery novels. This is a light, fun read about animals on an island who become friends with Roz, a robot who got washed up on their island in a crate. Roz befriends the different animals along the way and they grow to like her in return. She adopts a little gosling and learns to be a good mother. I think children would enjoy this one very much.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is quite the mystery! Actually there are several mysteries in this one: (1) Who really is the serial killer? (2) Where is Tessa's sister and how did she find out their father died? (3) Will Callie and Tessa renew their friendship? and (4) Will Tessa find her mother?
This book is good, but I must admit, at one point I got pretty confused with all the different things going on. However, the author soon cleared things up and it was a very good mystery. I liked Tessa because she really wanted to make things right when she had doubts about her testimony she gave when she was 9 years old that contributed to a man being convicted of murder. If you like stories about dysfunctional families and a good mystery with a surprise ending, this is it!
(Karen's reviewed 5/6/16, 4 stars)
Gerard's review 4/30/16, 5+ stars: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas is about a young girl named
Tessa and her friend, Callie. They have never really talked about a
night that they both saw something that changed their lives. Tessa
moved away but now she is back looking for answers, but some people want
the past to stay hidden. I thought this book was pretty good. I
enjoyed the two main characters very much and the book had a good flow
to it. The ending completely surprised me!
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The Grumpy Bunny Goes to School by Justine Korman (illustrated by Lucinda McQueen) is a cute little children's book that caught my eye at a rummage sale. I won't tell you why the bunny was grumpy, but I will say I think any teacher would enjoy this one! It is about teaching creatively. I enjoyed it very much!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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Our dog Abby is a rescue--found her on Petfinder when she was 5.
Rescue Road by Peter Zheutlin is a true story about Greg Mahle who was down on his luck. Things were not going his way. When he decides to go on rescue road trips to deliver dogs to their forever families, his whole life changes! I loved this book! The people Greg meets while he is driving are remarkable. The dedication they have to dogs is something to behold. However, the dogs steal the show as you would expect. I read a large print book so it went very fast, but being a dog lover helped too!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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The ex by Alafair Burke is about Olivia Randall, the best criminal defense lawyer in New York. When she learns that her ex-fiance is in some major trouble, she takes the case. However, the more she learns about her ex, the more she suspects that maybe he did the deed.
I thought this book was pretty good. I enjoyed both of the main characters and the story moved along well. I was surprised by the ending too! It is well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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He dug into the bottom drawer of his desk. Pulled out the bottle he'd stolen from his dad, uncapped it, and took a drink.
From page 3 of The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen.
That would be of murder, I surmised. Three counts of murder against a guy I could only imagine being arrested if he accidentally walked out of a Whole Foods with a raisin granola bar.
From pg. 16 of The Ex by Alafair Burke.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
In The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen, there is a website that young teens are going to. It's a suicide how to and somebody is encouraging them to do it! The detectives are on it and it's a race to stop this person before more kids die. But they will need all their skill to stop it.
I thought this action-packed book was really good; the pages flew by! The characters were developed well and very believable. The ending was kind of drawn out, but that is a minor point.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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Aundy by Shanna Hatfield is a historical western romance that kept my attention all through and was an enjoyable read, although had some very sad parts in it. I liked Aundy right off and felt so sad for her and her new husband at the beginning of the book. This is a story of a woman coming from the city to be a mail-order bride for a farmer in Oregon who was very excited to marry her and share his dreams with her. She is a strong, independent woman with a kind heart.
This is a clean romance novel with action as well. I liked the writing and hope to read more books by this author. I really liked how she took charge and made her own decisions in running her new farm.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
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In A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold, Sue is the mom of Dylan, one of the killers at Columbine High School! She holds nothing back in describing what she felt when she found out it was her son who was one of the killers, and the reaction she received from people afterward and how she dealt with it. She also gives us background on Dylan growing up and the lead up to the shooting.
Parts of the book were really riveting. I have to say this was an eye opener for me! She wrote very well too!
(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!
The girl had been so strong and stoic throughout the entire day's ordeal. He knew she had to be exhausted, frightened, and beleaguered by all that had happened on a day that should have been filled with love, happiness, and celebration.
From Kindle location 805-7 Aundy by Shanna Hatfield.
Gerard's:
All hope vanished as she comprehended what lay at the edge of the wooden planks. In the very place she'd been kissed only moments before, were the remains of her life's great love.
Tom and I raced around the house like demented wind-up toys, flooded with adrenaline, unable to stop or to complete a task. our wide-eyed pets crouched in the corners, alarmed.
From page 6 of A Mother's Reckoning--Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
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.
