"Tried & True" (Wild at Heart Series Book 1) by Mary Connealy

Tried & True by Mary Connealy is about three sisters becoming homesteaders after serving in the Civil War disguised as men to fulfill their pa's dream.  Kylie, Bailey and Shannon are the three sisters who have been made tough by war and have picked up some manly skills.  Shannon loves animals and is happy raising sheep while the eldest sister, Bailey loves being independent and raising cattle.  Kylie, however, prefers civilization, tea parties and bonnets and has agreed to homestead for just three years to claim ownership of the land and then sell it to her pa and move back east.  When the land agent comes around and discovers she is a woman so can't get the 2-yr land exemption and has to live on the land five years to own it, she is devastated and her plans change.

I enjoyed this first book in the series which centers on Kylie and look forward to reading about the other two sisters in the next books of this series.  Kylie's struggles to do manly jobs at her cabin, the efforts to try to get her to leave and the romance that developed between her and Aaron, the land agent, kept my interest. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from pg. 21:  Aaron Masterson had his arms around the prettiest little thing in the whole wide world.  And considering she was soaking wet, freezing cold, and crying her head off, that was saying something.

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"The Wonky Donkey" by Craig Smith

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith with illustrations by Katz Cowley if a cute, funny early childhood book that has been on the best seller list.  That is why Gerard wanted to read it.  I saw this video on Facebook one day so I decided to read it too.  It is very repetitive and could be used to help little children exercise their memory skills.  I thought it was very cute and not just for children as you can see by this video, the grandma was enjoying it as much if not more than the little boy.  It's a quick read for sure--this grandma read the entire book in just over 4 minutes.
(Karen & Gerard, 5 star for children)


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"What You Hide" by Natalie D. Richards

In What You Hide by Natalie D. Richards, Spencer is the son of a wealthy family.  He is nearing the end of high school and his family has plans for him.  He want to do his own thing.  Mallory lives with her mom and step dad.  She fears for the safety of her mom and herself with a baby is on the way.  Mallory takes off and finds shelter in a library where Spencer does community service.

I thought this book was pretty good.  It kept my interest and the pacing was good so I never got bored.  I enjoyed both Mallory and Spencer and think it was worth the read.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  I start my ascent, slow and steady.  The world slips quietly away.

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Gerard's Best Books of 2018

Out of 101 books I read during 2018, I have narrowed it down to the 12 favorites below:

1--Life in a Jar by Jack Mayer (non-fiction)

2--On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides

3--The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Wife also gave this 5 stars)

4--The Last Namasara by Kristen Cicarelli (One of wife's favorites too)

5--Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (Wife also liked)

6--Bright We Burn by Kiersten White (book 3 of I Darken series)

7--Night Blood by Elly Blake (Frost Blood Series)

8--The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

9--The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

10--Children of Blood and Bone by Tom Adeyemi

11-Educated by Tara Westover (non-fiction)

12-Fury Born by Claire Legrand

See previous post for my wife's best books of 2018.  Whose list do you like better?

 Happy Reading!

Karen's Best Books of 2018

I narrowed down my favorite reads of 2018 to 12 but that includes counting four great series each as one item. My mix included some YA sports stories, historical fiction/romance, science fiction, fantasy and mystery.

1. Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain (contemporary science fiction, time travel)

Best single book of the year—Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain was fantastic. I hated to put it down because I was always eager to see what would happen next. This emotional read had so many ups and downs, twists and turns that I just kept thinking about it even after I finished. Time travel is something fun to think about and this book made it very believable. I found myself saying “Oh no!” out loud several times throughout this book! It’s about a mother’s love for her unborn child and the lengths she goes to in order for it to be healthy and have a good life. If I could recommend just one book to a woman, this would be it!

2. Nyxia by Scot Reintgen (2-book YA science fiction series)
Nyxia contained a lot of relational stuff among competitors from around the world. It was about leadership, competition, and finally survival and courage. This one is reminiscent of Ender’s Game, which I loved!

3. Everlost by Neal Shusterman (3-book YA fantasy series)
The Everlost series was just a fun read for me about how dead people can enter the body of living humans or in some cases, animals even which is called “skin jacking.” This one had lots of funny parts that made me actually laugh out loud.



4. Clover Springs Mail Order Bride Box Set by Rachel Wesson (5-book historical romance series)

5. Trails of the Heart by Rachel Wesson (5-book historical fiction series)
The Rachel Wesson historical romance series were very entertaining, with adventure, wit, and clean romance. Although each book was about the Old West romances, they each had a unique angle which kept me reading more and more of her stories. These too were quick reads.




6. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena (murder mystery)

7. Her Last Breath by Linda Costello (hit-n-run Amish mystery)
A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena and Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo were both well written murder mysteries with surprise endings for me.










8. The Last Namsara by Kristen Cicarelli (fantasy with dragons)
This one was such a different type of read for me that kept my interest. I loved the dragons in it and the main character was very cool. This is the first dragon book I ever read.

9. QB1 by Mike Lupica (children’s football story)

10. Fast Break by Mike Lupica (children’s basketball story)

11. Team Players by Mike Lupica (children’s baseball story)

 

The Mike Lupica books are great reads for kids who like sports, but I enjoyed them very much too. He wrote many others as well, but the three I listed above were the ones I liked best. They are short and go fast, but all are more than just about sports.

12. DRY by Neal Shusterman (YA contemporary fiction)
This one is actually pretty scary because it is about something that could actually happen—serious drought! A group of teens who do not have much in common, join together to work to survive.

I highly recommend all these, loved them all!  I'd love to hear what you thought of them if you read any.  I read over 90 books so it wasn't easy to narrow it down to this.  Subscribe to this blog so you don't miss any of our book reviews.  Happy Reading!

"Beyond Their Years--Stories of Sixteen Civil War Children" by Scotti Cohn

Beyond Their Years by Scotti Cohn is historical non-fiction. This is a collection of stories from 16 people who, during their childhood, the civil war was ongoing. They look back and tell how they dealt with it. This is a wide range of stories from men and women. Some from the north and some from the south. For the most part, they were interesting with some better than others. If you enjoy reading about history, this is the book for you!
(Gerard’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 55:  Before the end of February, the blue-eyed, sandy-haired "little snotty boy" wore a dark blue uniform and carried a gun.  One of the other soldiers, a big husky fellow called "Curly," was not impressed with the newly created "Private Stockwell."

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!

"Ashes in the Snow" by Ruta Sepetys

Ashes in the Snow by Ruta Sepetys is a work of historical fiction about when the Russians under orders from Stalin took people from Lithuania to Siberia and put them in a work-concentration camp.  The main characters are Lina--16-yr.-old girl, her brother Jonas and their mother.  Their father was taken separately!  The writing in this book is really good.  I got a real sense of what these people went through by reading this.  It was a good book to finish the year.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 43:  Siberia?  That couldn't be right.  Siberia was half a world away.  There was nothing in Siberia.

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!

"Stolen Marriage" by Diane Chamberlain

In Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain, during 1943-1955, Tess is engaged to her childhood friend, Vincent.  Tess and Vincent are both devout Catholics in Maryland, and look forward to working together, he as doctor and she as nurse.  However, when a polio epidemic breaks out in Chicago, Vincent, a fine doctor goes to help.  A couple weeks turns into many and although they write, Tess gets impatient for his return.  Her girlfriend, Gina, whose husband is off at war talks Tess into taking a short fun trip to Washington, D.C. and staying at her aunt's little tourist hotel.  Then something happens that changes everything and throws a monkey wrench into her life!  She gets drunk and a total stranger takes her virginity!  She feels so ashamed and then a couple months later discovers she is pregnant!  Will she and Vincent still get married?  What will she do about the baby?  Will she even get her nursing license?  You'll have to read the book to find out, I'm not telling.

I liked this book and felt bad for Tess.  There are a lot of well-developed characters that become a part of Tess' life and there are a lot issues happening in this book including inter-racial marriage, family secrets, grief, relationships, acceptance, love and the amazing story of how Hickory, North Carolina volunteers got a Polio hospital built and functioning in just 54 hours that is based on true events. This is a good story that I think would be a good read for a book club.  I am giving it 4 stars just because I enjoyed other books by Diane Chamberlain more.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 33:  The night before came back to me in a rush and I kept my eyes squeezed tightly closed in regret.  What had I done?  I'd made love--no, I'd had sex--with a stranger.  Oh, to be able to take it all back!

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!

"My Name is Leon" by Kit de Waal

In My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal, Leon is a 9-yr.-old boy who lives with his mom.  His dad left a while ago.  His mom pretty much leaves him to fend for himself.  Add a new baby to the mix, and that is trouble!  Pretty soon Leon and his baby brothe4r get put into a foster home.  His baby brother gets adopted, but not Leon!  Leon will find his brother if it is the last thing he does.

This book started out strong, but when a bunch of new characters get brought in, it kind of went off track.  However, the ending brings the book back on track.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 29:  "She's been taken to the hospital, love.  You could see she wasn't well."

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!

"Juror #3" by James Patterson

In Juror #3 by James Paterson, Ruby does not have too much experience in court.  Now she had to defend a person in a murder trial!  I thought this was pretty good.  Ruby was a great character and really carried the book.  There are actually two trials in this book--the second trial is the main story.  The book flowed well and had a good twist to it!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

Karen's review:
Juror #3 by James Patterson is about Ruby, an inexperienced lawyer who finds herself representing two men charged with murder in two separate trials in Mississippi.  In the second trial, Lee, a wealthy man who she almost married is her client.  She feels as though she is over her head, but is supported by Lee's sister, Suzanne.  In both trials, Juror #3 is a strange one!

I enjoyed this book but was disappointed the second trial was sort of skimmed by at the end.  Ruby was brave and put herself in danger to help her client.
(Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Teaser from pg. 30 of large print version:  My stomach did a flop.  I had a spasm of such intense nausea, I was afraid I might vomit on his carpet.

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"The Girl with the Broken Heart" by Lurlene McDaniel

In The Girl with the Broken Heart by Lurlene McDaniel, Kenzie's second year of college comes to a close.  Instead of going home, she heads off to work at a horse farm to take care of three horses!  She has her reasons.  Austin, who has secrets comes into the picture to help Kenzie with the horses.

I enjoyed this book!  Kenzie and Austin were really good characters.  The book had good pacing so I really could not figure out the whole story.  I had this book at 5 stars, but the ending par pushed it up to a 5++ stars, my highest rank!  I recommend this one to anyone who likes Hallmark movies--good read.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Girl with the Broken Heart is a teen romance between Kenzie, a college girl with a heart issue and Austin, the guy who was her helper in caring for rescue horses during one summer. Austin finds himself falling in love with her even though he tries not to. He has secrets he does not want to share.

This book is okay. Kenzie and Austin’s feelings are developed slowly which makes their relationship very believable. I liked that there are no sex scenes in this book. Although there are sad events, the writing did not touch my emotions. I thought this was pretty ho-hum but enjoyed the horse part of the story. (3 stars)


Teaser from page 18:  She closed her eyes, took deep breaths.  "I . . . I know.  I didn't mean to yell at you.  I guess I was expecting someone--"

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 Last Pass" by Gary M. Pomerantz

The Last Pass by Gary M. Pomerantz is a true story describing the basketball career of Bob Cousy and his life off the court.  Bob Cousy was a fantastic point guard for the Boston Celtics.  The stuff he could do with a basketball is amazing!  He could dribble and pass like no one else!

The basketball part of this book was really good, but I enjoyed reading about his life off the court even more!  I laughed out loud while reading this one!  He is in his 90s now, what a remarkable story he has told!  This is my "book of the month" for December!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 28:  Seeing Cousy play against the Globetrotters that night, Kerner, owner of the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks, was dazzled.  He decided that Cousy was the greatest college player he had ever seen.

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!

"When the Men Were Gone" by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story that is inspiring.  In fact, it even inspired the author to give coaching football a try!  Brownwood, a small Texas town during WW II was on the verge of canceling their High School football season because they did not have a coach.  Tylene, a former English teacher and now assistant principal at the High School loved football and what it meant to the town.  She also hated to see the season canceled, knowing the then some of the seniors may drop out to enlist.  She began her search for a coach and found herself stepping into the role!  A lady football coach was unheard of in the 1940s, but Tylene ignored the insults and proved she knew the game and could play!

I enjoyed this book very much.  I really liked the football parts and how Tylene and Moose interacted with the players and how she convinced the men she could be the coach.  I give this 4 stars because I would have liked to have had more football games than just one.  This is a quick read and I was sad to see it end.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)


Gerard's review:
When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story.  In the early 1940s, in a small town in Texas, it's time for high school football.  It is the place to be on Friday nights!  But, with the men of fighting the war, somebody needs to step up to coach the team.  With no one coming forward, it looks like the season will be called off until a woman steps up!  How will that go over?

I enjoyed this book very much.  Tylene was a great character and rally carried the book.  The story line rang very true in this quick read.
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  "When are you going to call the shots out there, Tylene?"  Mr. Periwinkle asked.
      "I'll go down there right now if they'll let me," I said.
      My father turned to the men.  "Don't kid yourselves.  She might just take over before the second half."

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!

"One of Us" by Craig DiLouie

One of Us by Craig DiLouie is about a bunch of children who were born with extreme genetic mutations.  They are kept in a home, but this is not a happy home to say the least!  They want that to change.  I thought this book was okay.  The story line was told pretty well; however, some parts did not hold my interest.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 62:  "You creepers keep away from normal kids, you hear.  Next time, there won't be no warning.  I'll just take off my belt and get to whuppin'.  Understand?"

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"The Last Straw" by Ed Duncan is Full of Violence

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan is adult fiction with several story lines and several main characters.  First is the story line of why a Chicago crime boss is ordering a hit on a teenage girl who witnessed a car jacking in which the driver was killed.  The other is about the relationship between Paul (a well-respected lawyer and friend of the witness's family) and a hit man named Rico.  There is a lot of killing and action from the get-go in this dark adult fiction book.  It has racketeers, hit men, a prostitute, an inter-racial affair, murder and suicide.  

I got this book in exchange for a review and that's really the only reason I finished it.  There are a lot of characters in this, to which most I could not relate.  Rico was a hit man with a conscience which to me made him the most interesting character; however, this book is mostly about action and killing.  I felt the characters could have been developed more.  This book was just too dark for my taste with the only wholesome thing about it being the teenage eyewitness who was willing to testify.       
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Jerry was the closest thing he had to a friend.  Yet when he found out about his death, he had felt nothing akin to grief.  Indeed, what he felt was almost nothing at all, except that he might be next.

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"The Lying Game" by Ruth Ware - Husband Loved It, Wife Didn't

My husband and I had completely different opinions about The Lying Game  by Ruth Ware.  He loved it, liked all the four girls and the pacing.  For me, I liked the dog best and Isa's husband, Owen.  I didn't care for any of the girls much nor the story line in general.  Throughout the book it was all about what really happened in the past with Kate's father, an art teacher at a girl's boarding school.  I did not like how the book went from present to past and and felt it was slow moving.  I was very glad when I finally finished it. 
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

In The Lying Game by Ruth Ware, Kate texts her three boarding school friends from the past saying "I need you."  It has been 17 years, but Fatima, Isa and Thea know they must come--first, because of their friendship and second, because of the incident that will forever bond them together!  I thought this book was fantastic!  I loved all the four girls in it.  The pacing of this book was perfect and the writing was very good!  Ruth Ware's books are always good!  Put this on your TBR list and you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 81:  But that's a lie, and worse, it's a lie to Fatima.  That was the most important rule of the Lying Game.  Lie to everyone else--yes.  But to each other--never.

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"Sadie" by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers is teen fiction.  A radio personality gets a call to help find a missing girl--Sadie Hunter.  At first, he blows it off, but when he finds out Sadie is on the hunt for the man that killed her sister, he decides to go look for her!  This book is told by Sadie and West McCray, the radio personality.  It is pretty good and held my interest because of the really good parts by Sadie.  I think the ending could have been told better than it was though.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 19:  It makes me sick to think about her throwing her life in the garbage like that because that's what it amounts to.  Every little bit that made her, everything, was all in the trash and when I found it, I just started to cry because she'd . . . it wasn't worth anything to her anymore.    

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!

"On Desperate Ground" by Hampton Sides

On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides tells the true story of the Korean war!  It concentrates on the battle of the Chosin Reservoir--a classic battle!  Marines had to deal with over 300,000 Chinese and bitter cold.  They were surrounded and still they fought on!  What a great book!  These men had so much courage!  The writing is so good I felt like I was right there with them!  If you enjoy these kinds of books, then do not miss this one!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 242 (large print version):  The next star shell revealed a horrific panorama:  The snow was smeared with blood.  Twisted corpses and shorn body parts had been flung in all directions. 

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!

"Educated" by Tara Westover (Hubby and I disagree on this one!)

Educated by Tara Westover is her memoir of leaving her Mormon family in Idaho to pursue a formal education.  This is a long journey.  Tara is from a large family whose father owned a scrap yard and who kept her working for him as long as he could.  It is an amazing story of how she was accepted at BYU and went on to Cambridge and Harvard without having graduated high school!  In fact, even her "home schooling" was not at all regular.

I found this book very hard to read.  The father and brother made me very angry and it was difficult to fathom how dysfunctional this family was.  In some ways it reminded me of The Glass Castle and A Child Called It.  The domestic violence and abuse is heart wrenching.  I did enjoy Part 2 better when she got away from her family and into college.  I was never engrossed in this book and for the most part had to plow through.  I would have liked to know what kind of actual job the author wound up with after all that education.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Gerard's review:

Educated by Tara Westover is a true story and what a story it is!  Tara first stepped foot in a classroom at the age of 17, but now she received a BA degree from Bringham Young University and a scholarship to Cambridge in England where she was awarded a PHD in history!  WOW!  She tells her story so well.  She wanted more of a life than her family could give her, and overcame long odds to do it.  She went through a lot both in and out of the classroom!

I highly recommend this memoir, don't miss it!  Put it on your TBR list right now!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 39:  There was never any more talk of a hospital.  The moment for such a decision had passed, and to return to it would be to return to all the fury and fear of the accident itself. 

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!