"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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"Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat" by Mike Ritland is Amazing!

Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland is about Malinois dogs used in battle and how they are trained.  It is pretty fascinating and was interesting reading about the different dogs and how they helped in battle.  It was also eye-opening to see what the trainers and handlers go through to prepare the dogs for battle.
(Karen's review, 4 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 Long Drop" by Denise Mina (Based on a True Story)

In The Long Drop by Denise Mina, William Watt's wife, daughter and sister-in-law got shot to death and William is the primary suspect.  Watt turns to Peter Manual who claims that he has information that only the killer would know, but can he be trusted?  Will Watt give Manual what he wants in exchange for the information?

This novel is actually based on a true story!  I thought it was pretty good and kept my interest to the end.
(Gerard's review, 4 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!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

'I killed my wife, they say.  I suppose anyone might kill their wife, but her sister?  Why would I?  Who would?  And my daughter?'

From page 43 of The Long Drop by Denise Mina.

Karen's:

From his seat between the knees of his handler, a SEAL named Brett, Chopper's chest rose and fell at a slightly agitated rate in response to the men's eagerness.  The men were about to rappel out of the plane into the pits-black night and into enemy territory, and Chopper was going with them.

From page 2 of Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland.

I  offered her emergency contraceptives and the phone number for a domestic abuse shelter.  She didn't cry once during the entire process.  But now the tears are falling freely, dampening the clean scrubs I gave her to change into.

 From page 10 of Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"100 Hours" by Rachel Vincent

In 100 Hours by Rachel Vincent, Genesis and Maddie and their friends are on vacation in Columbia.  They are soon taken hostage and their parents better comply with the people now in charge or people will start getting killed.   The first 100 pages set the scene and from then on this book takes off in a good way!  There was just enough action to keep me interested and the ending makes me look forward to book 2.
(Gerard's review, 4 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!

"Two Good Dogs" by Susan Wilson--We Both Liked This One (UPDATED)

Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson is all about second chances and is a heartwarming story involving two Pit Bulls who used to be used as fighting dogs but got rescued. Skye and her daughter Cody are trying to start a new life after Skye’s husband got killed in a drive-by shooting. Skye decides to go after her dream of running a hotel but her daughter does not share that dream and resents having to leave all her friends and move to a little town. Cody has a secret that she cannot tell anyone because it is a matter of life and death. Adam is a widower who visits Skye’s hotel with his dog, Chance, a therapy dog. Chance leads Cody to Mingo, a street kid who overdosed, and his pit bull, Dawg Chance and Dawg become friend;, Cody and Mingo become friends. Cody’s strange behavior is all related to the big secret she feels forced to keep.

I loved this book and it went by quick. I was sorry to see it end because I really liked Mingo and would have liked to see how Cody would continue to mature and grow. I also would have liked to know if Adam and Skye would actually marry, but the book ended before any of that happened. I still enjoyed this book very much and liked all the main characters. I thought Skye, the single mom, was also an interesting character who I felt sorry for throughout the book because of all the trouble her daughter got into.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5/25/17:
In Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson, single mom Skye runs a hotel with the help of her daughter Cody but when Cody falls in with the wrong crowd, she needs help.  Adam and his dog check into the hotel and Skye befriends him.  When Cody befriends a street kid named Mingo and his Pitbull, can these four form a bond?

I thought this book was pretty good.  The story line kept me interested and I really enjoyed both dogs in it!  (4 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!

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (UPDATED)

In Flame in The Mist by Renee Ahdieh, Mariko is to be married, but her convoy was cut short when the Black Clan attacked and killed everyone but her!  Mariko wants revenge and decides to join the Black Clan to find a way to destroy them and why they wanted her dead.  

I thought this book was really good!  Mariko is a great character and this book has good action along the way.  I enjoyed the twists in the story that I did not see coming and look forward to book 2 in this series!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's Review, 5/28/17:
Flame in The Mist by Renee Ahdieh centers around Japan and is the story of Mariko, a young woman who feels she is looked down upon because she is a female. She has a twin brother who is a warrior and she would like to be a warrior too. While on her way to becoming the bride of someone she never met that has been arranged by her father, her caravan is attacked and everyone is killed except for her. She gets away but before too long, finds the Black Clan who are the ones she believes were the attackers and wants to find out who wanted her dead.

This story has quite a bit of action in it and I enjoyed reading it even though parts were a bit confusing. The names were strange but I liked the relationship that developed between Okami and Marika. I liked how Marika was able to fool people into believing she was a guy. I did not really understand the magical stuff in this book like the enchanted forest and the beast that came and went. Some things just didn’t make sense to me. The strange ending left me hanging. I did not like the way it ended at all and for me, that brought my rating down from a 4 to a 3.  (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!

Tuesday Teaser

Gerard's:

The glimmer in Tella's eyes grew brighter; when she was happy, the world turned shimmery, making Scarlett want to beam along with her and say yes to whatever her sister desired.  But Scarlett had learned too well how treacherous it was to hope in something as illusive as a wish.

From page 17 of Caraval by Stephanie Garber.

Karen's:

If Mariko lingered, she would be burned alive.  If she moved from her hiding place, the masked men outside would undoubtedly finish their dark task.

From page 17 of Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh.

I put my nose to the air that puffs out as the doors close.  Yes, absolutely.  This is one unhappy girl.

 From page 39 of Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"Caraval" by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is about Scarlett who has always wanted to go and experience Caraval, a faraway, one-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show.  Her father would not allow it though and she didn't have a ticket.  When she manages to get a ticket, she has her sister defy their father and go.  But when Scarlett gets there, her sister, Tella, goes missing.  Is that part of the Caraval game or is it something more?

I thought this book was very good.  Scarlett was a great character and I never knew what was real and what was not!  Sign me up for Book 2 in this series.
(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!

"Nearing Home--Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" by Billy Graham

Nearing Home--Life, Faith and Finishing Well by Billy Graham is practical as well as inspirational.  This is a non-fiction book about aging that is inspirational and made me feel a bit better about approaching retirement age.  It is encouraging and uplifting.  It's a quick read that I finished in just one day.  One of my favorite quotes from this book is "About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age."  I recommend this one!
(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!

"Bear Town" by Fredrik Backman - Loved This One! (Updated)

Bear Town by Fredrik Backman is about how a small town got so wrapped up with their boys’ hockey team having a shot at the championship that it became the town’s priority. This book deals with rape and how people always assume the girl brought it on herself, or deserved it, or wanted it, especially when the accused rapist is a popular, well-liked boy who is captain of their beloved hockey team.

I liked this book because of all the different characters and their interactions with each other. I liked how parenting played a big part in this book as well as the hockey team. It is well written and was never confusing. I got into this right from the start and my views about some of the characters changed for me along the way. My favorite characters were Amat, Peter (the GM), Benji and his sisters, the teacher (“Sweet Cheeks”), and Ramona. I liked the surprise ending too! (Karen's review 5/24/17, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5/19/17:
Welcome to Bear Town by Fredrick Backman, author of A Man Called Ove.  Bear Town is a small town that is excited because its junior boys hockey team has a chance to win a championship, but this book is so much more than just hockey!  The writing is fantastic!  The characters in this book are so real that I got sucked in early.  You need to read every page because the author includes so much that you might miss a game changer if you skip parts.  The ending is perfect!  This book will be high on my top book list for 2017--that I know!
(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!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

"Come on.  We helped you steal it, and if that box caused what happened with Miss Peters, you can bet we're going to get grilled about it."

From page 36 of To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough.

Karen's:

The headmaster lets out an anxious yelp and flies up from his chair, takes her by the arm, and leads her our into the corridor.  Perhaps grabbing someone's arm is the correct response.

From page 137 of Bear Town by Fredrik Backman.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"To Catch a Killer" by Sheryl Scarborough

In To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough, Erin Blake's life has always been tough.   When she was a toddler, she was left alone with her dead mom for three days.  Through the years, she always wanted to know who killed her mother.  Now someone close to her is killed again, 14 years later.  Is she getting close to finding out who?  Is she next? 

For a debut novel, this was pretty good.  It kept my interest for the most part and has a good ending.  The forensic part with the DNA dragged along for me, but I give it 4 stars.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Avenged" by Amy Tintera

Gerard's review, 5/17/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is the sequel to Ruined, which we both liked a lot.  EM is back, and that is a good thing.  Now she is the Queen of Ruina along with her sister, Olivia.  But they do not see things the same way!  Trouble is coming and Em must save her people and their land.  Will her sister get in her way?  Will Cas and Em get together?  This book went fast since it has good action and the ending sets up a great book 3.
(5 stars)

Karen's review, 5/20/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is a continuation of Ruined.  It took me a while to remember the characters because it's been so long since I read the first book of this series, but once my memory kicked in, I really enjoyed this book.  The sisters are both queens of Ruined together, but because they have different views about plain humans, things become quite rocky.  Olivia wants to fight off everyone and destroy them all while Em prefers to try to keep peace through negotiating.  At least they both agreed it would be a bad idea for either of them to marry the Oslo prince Austin, a complete jerk.  There is a lot of action in this and the relationships kept my interest.  It ended too soon, left me wanting more, ugh!  (4 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 Red Hunter" by Lisa Unger (Updated, We Both Liked This One)

Manny Boy (R.I.P. 5/14/17)

The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger is a mystery with complex characters and surprises about seeking justice/revenge. At the center of this novel is an old “haunted” farmhouse that was Zoey’s childhood home where her parents were murdered years ago and one Claudia has inherited and is renovating. Some cops justify stealing $1 million from a drug dealer and after the agreed upon cuts, Zoey’s dad hides it. The story line with Claudia centers on her marriage, her teenage daughter Raven and the renovation while Zoey’s story centers on her hunting down and killing the men who murdered her parents and tortured her as a kid.

This novel is fast-paced and kept my attention, peaked my interest and challenged me to think about the difference between justice and revenge. I liked both Claudia and Zoey. The ending was great but also a bit shocking. The only thing I didn’t really like was that abrupt switching between story lines without any transition. I really liked this one though in spite of that and highly recommend it if you like crime novels that weave in normal lives. 
(Karen's review, 5/18/17, 5 stars)

Gerard read this first:
In The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger, Claudia wants a new start.  She is trying to deal with a horrible assault on her that she will live with forever.  She is going to fix up an old house that was in her family for her and her daughter.  Zoey Drake had a terrible ordeal too and wants revenge in the worst way!  What these two women have in common is that house and the secrets that still exist in it, none of which Claudia has any idea about.

This is good stuff!  The first part of the book sets it up and the last part of the book shows how it all plays out.  Lisa Unger is always good!  This is another good read by her and I look forward to her next one.  (Gerard's review, 5/8/17, 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!

Teaser Tuesdays

Gerard's:

"Fine."  he'd find someone else to kill.  There were plenty of Lera hunters running around Ruina, attempting to get out now that they were the ones being hunted.

From page 20 of Avenged by Amy Tintera.

Karen's:

What would they, my coworkers, say if they knew what I was?  All the same things they said about him.  That I was quiet.  Kept to myself.  They would have a hard time reconciling the pale, silent, nondescript girl who worked beside them.

From page 27 of The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"A Rancher for Their Mom" by Leann Harris

A Rancher for Their Mom by Leann Harris is a happy Christian fiction romance for Mother's Day.  A widow rancher with two young boys who want to be cowboys and one little girl prays for God's help to get her farm planted and keep the ranch going.  The answer comes in the form of a rodeo cowboy passing through town.

This is light reading and you know right from the title how it turns out, but the boys in it made it somewhat interesting and a heartwarming read.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

On a sad note, this our cat, Manny's, last photo shoot.  He was a very affectionate cat and we will miss him terribly, but he stopped eating and when he did, he couldn't keep it down anymore.  He kept losing weight and I had to do what was best for him.  We chose to end his life so he would die with dignity and not be in pain any longer.  This picture was taken on his last day with us. 

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!

"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!

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 Takedown" by Corrie Wang

In The Takedown by Corrie Wang, Kyla has it going good, on track to be the valedictorian, debate champ and good friends including a loving boyfriend.  But when a video hit the internet just days before college applications, Kyla might lose it all!

I had a love-hate relationship with this book.  Just when I wanted to give up on it, I found a reason not to.  I liked the main character and it had a lot of hi-tech gadgets that were pretty cool with a real nice ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 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 Dog Who Was There" by Ron Marasco (We Both Liked This!)

The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco is told by Barley, a dog who lived during Bible times.  He has a lot of adventures and also gets to see "the kind man."  This book is a very good read, especially for Easter, but I think you would enjoy it any time.  This is very good Christian fiction!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco weaves the life of a dog in Judea during Bible times with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, told mostly from the dog’s point of view. Barley, the dog, has good times and bad, changes masters throughout the book and shows how forgiveness and love can change people. Although there is quite a bit of sadness in this book, it also has happy times with a marvelous ending! (4 stars) The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco weaves the life of a dog in Judea during Bible times with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, told mostly from the dog’s point of view. Barley, the dog, has good times and bad, changes masters throughout the book and shows how forgiveness and love can change people. Although there is quite a bit of sadness in this book, it also has happy times with a marvelous ending! (4 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!