"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)

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"They Both Die At The End" by Adam Silvera

In They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, Mateo and Rufus are both young teen boys.  Death-cast calls chill them and tell them that today will be their last day to live!  Even though you know how it plays out, this book still works!  The boys were really great characters and it was interesting how they bonded.

Teaser from page 41:  Everyone wanted so much more out of me, myself included.  I have to honor this.  It's my last day to do so.
(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 Game You Played" by Anni Taylor (Great Debut Psychological Thriller)

The Game You Played by Anni Taylor is about Phoebe and Luke whose 2-yr.-old son goes missing.  Phoebe has some mental problems and Luke gets tired of everyone feeling sorry for her and not him.  This takes place in a suburb in Australia, where Luke is a real estate agent seeking to make a lot of money and working a lot.  Phoebe and Luke grew up together and so have the same friends.  They are both on the wild side compared to me!  The story is told in first person, alternating between Luke and Phoebe.

Teaser from page 279 (Loc. 4880):  My knees buckled when I saw what was on the page.  I fell to my hands and knees, vomiting into the garden. 

I discovered this book through a teaser on Teaser Tuesday. This was quite the mystery!  I could not figure out who took Tommy.  I liked this book and was surprised to see it was a debut novel.  It certainly had a lot of interesting characters and several different themes about friendship, hoarding, judging others, parenting and drugs.  I think this could make for an interesting book club discussion, especially if you discussed it as everyone was reading it rather than after everyone read it.   You could have a guess who the kidnapper is contest at the beginning and give a prize to the winner at the end (if anyone gets it right).  It reminded me a bit of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Fire Blood" by Elly Blake Wowed Me!

In Fire Blood by Elly Blake, Ruby has defeated the frost king and melted the powerful throne.  Arcus is now in charge, but Ruby has more battles to fight.  The Minax is now free and is causing terror throughout the land.  Ruby must find a way to stop this, and a war is brewing also.  Can Ruby bring peace to the land?

Teaser from page 27:  As the doors shut, it wasn't her words that struck my heart with a painful blow but the silence that followed.  Arcus hadn't said a word to defend me.

Wow!  This book is just as good if not better than the first, Frost Blood!  Ruby is a great character and there is plenty of action!  LOVED IT!  This is my book of the month and I will be reading book 3 for sure!
(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 Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz

In The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz, Jane wants to find out why people are killing themselves and these people have no reason to do this.  She will stop at nothing to find the answer, but some people want to stop Jane for good!

Teaser from page 16:  "How did it happen, honey?  How did you lose him?"

There is good stuff here.  Jane was an interesting character to say the least and there is good action as well.  I will be on to book 2.
(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!

"Summer of Promise" is Historical Christian Romance

I liked the dog in this one!

Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot is the first in the Christian Romance Westward Winds series. Back in the 1880s, Abigail teaches in an all-girls school in Vermont and is planning to marry a colleague named Woodrow who is very nice and well organized. Abigail is worried though about her older sister, Charlotte, who is married to an officer and lives at Fort Laramie in Wyoming. In reading her letters, Abigail got the feeling that something is not quite right so decides to visit her. On the way she meets Ethan, a lieutenant, on the stagecoach who saves the passengers from a couple robbers. Abigail finds that Charlotte is pregnant and seems very weak so stays to help her and cheer her up. When the army post gave orders to kill all the stray dogs running around, Abigail couldn’t help but pick a puppy for Charlotte who she named Puddles. Abigail discovers that Wyoming isn’t boring like she originally thought and finds that God has different plans for her than what she expected.

Teaser from page 58: “Oh, Ethan, he’s so cute. You can’t drown him.”

This book was pretty good but seemed to move a bit slowly. I really liked Ethan and Puddles the best! Although there is some mystery about who was robbing the stagecoaches and who was a traitor, it wasn’t really too hard to figure out. The romance was predictable, as is par for the course with Christian fiction books. I enjoyed some of the funny parts in this book very much, such as when Ethan was teaching Abigail how to shoot a gun. I will probably continue on with this series, but not right away. I need something a bit more gripping.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)


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"She Rides Shotgun" by Jordan Harper

In She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper, Polly knows something it wrong when she finds her dad waiting for her outside of her school one day.  One, he never does that, and two, he is supposed to be in prison.  Even though Polly is 11 years old, she had her Teddy bear with her as usual and goes off with her dad for better or worse!

Teaser from page 54:   Polly put the bear down.  She picked up the phone.

Polly is a great character and when she was in the story, it was really good!  This book starts off strong and ends well; however, having so many characters made the middle of the book not so good.  That being said, on the strength of Polly and the story line, I still 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!

"The Child Finder" by Rene Denfeld

In The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld, Madison is with her family looking for a Christmas tree out in the woods.  The next thing the parents notice is that Madison is gone.  Years later, they decide to call Naomi, "The Child Finder."  The mother clings to hope that Madison is still alive.

Teaser from pg. 15:  

She was awake, the furs and blankets around her cradled with sweat.  She could feel the snow falling outside.

The pacing of this book is very well done!  You cannot help but love Madison and only want the best for her.  I enjoyed this book very much!
(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 Last Magician" by Lisa Maxwell

In The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, magic is all but gone in modern day New York.  Mageus lives in the shadows.  They have magic, but they are trapped by the Brink.  Esta can save them, but she will have to go back 100 years to change things and it will not be easy.

Teaser from page 32:
The voices were closer now.
She forced herself to ignore the searing bite of the stone's heat against her arm, and with every last ounce of determination she had left, she finally found the layer of time she needed and dragged them both through.

Esta is a great character; I really enjoyed her!  There are some down spots where not much goes on at all, but the last 100 or so pages more than make up for that.  It is a 500-page book and I look forward to book 2!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Sparks of Light" by Janet B. Taylor

Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor is the sequel to Into the Dim.  The mission is different but it gets off to the same slow start.  The trip back in time is to New York City during the Victorian era so I was thinking, how much trouble could they get into there.  Well, Hope manages to get locked up in a mental institution along with Doug!  The timeslippers have a much bigger part in this book.

Teaser from page 364:

I was nobody's physical threat.  My normal means of causing people injury generally involved me tripping and falling on them.

I liked Into the Dim better than this one because I really didn't have a good understanding of what exactly their mission was in this and really didn't care.  I was interested to see how Hope and Doug would get out of their predicament.  The thing I did like most about this one was the development of Bran and Collum's friendship.  I got a bit confused on a couple of the characters and was glad when I finished it.  I still liked Hope's sarcasm and one again, she proved to be very brave and useful.  If there is more to this series, I do not intend to read it.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

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"Into the Dim" by Janet B. Taylor - Husband and Wife Agree on this one!

Into the Dim is about Hope Walton, a home-schooled girl from a small town, who travels back in time to bring back her mother from the 12th century who she thought was dead, but who just traveled back in time!  This book is a wild one!  She meets Bran Cameron on the moors of Scotland while visiting her aunt, and then finds out he traveled back in time too to the same place she did!

This started out slow and was a bit silly and confusing for the first 100 pages or so.  I considered giving up on it but I am glad I stuck with it and gave it a chance.  This is a very entertaining read with Hope's sarcasm and wit and a roller coaster ride of ups and downs.  Just when it seems their plans are going well, they find themselves in danger and situations that seem hopeless, until they get some help from unexpected sources.  This is the first book of the series and I look forward to starting the sequel tomorrow.
(Karen's review, 9/2/17, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (5+ stars, 9/6/17):
Hope Walton is at her mom's funeral and if that isn't bad enough, now her dad wants to send her to Scotland to live with an aunt she never met while he goes on vacation with another woman!  When Hope gets to Scotland, she finds some news that will send her on the adventure of her life!  

Teaser from page 42:  My jeans wicked up the frigid water as I splashed through the shallows toward him.  His head lay cocked at an angle that hid his face.

The start of this book was kind of slow and I had a hard time getting into it; however, then it came into focus and I really enjoyed it a lot!  The main characters are really good and east to root for!  There is good action that kept me engaged with a good ending that made me look forward to book, Sparks of Light!

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!

"All Is Not Forgotten" by Wendy Walker is Good Stuff!

In All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker, Jenny Kramer is a young teen girl who gets violated at a party.  She is given a drug that is supposed to erase the memory.  This book tells the story of the months that follow and the impact of her assault on her parents.  This is told by the psychiatrist who treated Jenny and her parents.

This is good stuff!  The characters are well brought out and believable.  The pace of the story is good too.   If you think you know who violated Jenny, trust me, you don't.  I did not like this as much as her second book, Emma in the Night, but well worth reading!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Fierce Kingdom" by Gin Phillips

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips would probably appeal more to mothers.  Joan and her 4-yr.-old son are enjoying time at the zoo.  They like seeing the animals, but this time Joan sees something that she has never seen at the zoo before, and it means trouble!  If you go to the zoo often, you will see yourself in this book.  It starts out strong, but then drags along until it picks up at the end.  Joan and the school teacher were my favorite characters.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Marriage Pact" by Michelle Richmond

In The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond, Alice and Jake are newlyweds. They decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known as “The Pact.” The goal is to keep marriages happy so how bad can it be? Alice and Jake both want a long and happy life! This book is wild to say the least and certainly not dull at all! I never really knew what was going to happen. I liked both Alice and Jake. This book kept my interest throughout and make me actually laugh out loud at some parts.
 (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

An appropriate book review for our 20th anniversary!

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

Karen's:

I could see the way Mr. Martin's son looked at Emma when he came home from school, and the way Mr. Martin looked at his son looking at Emma, and the way our mother looked at Mr. Martin when he was looking at them.  And I could see that this was going to result in a bad future.

From Pg. 10 Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker.

You won't win more games if you keep making the same number of unforced errors.  And, you can wish all you want that the tooth-fairy will grant you better pickleball skills, but I regret to say, it probably isn't going to help you the next time you're out on the court.

From page 17 of Smart Pickleball:  The Pickleball Guru's Guide by Prem Carnot.

Gerard's:

She hears more footsteps, and then she hears hushed voices, and then the footsteps get faster.  She hears someone rattle metal or glass.

From page 53 of Fierce Kingdom by Alexandra Sirowy.

But then I realized that something else was bothering me--the calmness in Alice's expression, the resigned and nonchalant way she relayed all of this to me.  "You don't seem angry," I said.

From pate 115 of The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond.

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!

"Without Warning " by Lynette Eason (Book 2 of Elite Guardians Series)

Without Warning by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Elite Guardians series. Daniel and his 17-yr.-old niece Riley get bodyguards when Daniel finds a former employee hung in the basement of one of his restaurants and another of his restaurants burned by arson. Daniel, an ex-marine, is a very nice guy whose life is in danger due to greed. He even owns his own plane!

This book is about betrayal, arson, suspense, faith and romance. It was a page-turner for me with a lot of action. It grabbed my interest right from the start.
 (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!

"Emma In The Night" by Wendy Walker (Updated)

In Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker, one night Cass and Emma disappear.  Three years pass and Cass shows up at home, but Emma does not.  Cass tells her story about the three years she has been gone, but to psychologist Dr. Abby Winter, it does not seem to add up.

I thought this book was really good!  It is told by Abby and Cass.  The pacing of the story is so well done that I did not know how it would turn out until the very end.  LOVED IT!  Add this to your TBR list.  You will be glad you did.
(Gerard's review 5++ stars)

Karen read it too, 8-29-17:
Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker is about a dysfunctional family and lots of despicable behavior! It is full of creepy sick characters, fantastic storytelling manipulation and injustice. When Cass returns home without her sister after both being missing for three months, everyone is all ears about what happened to her, where she was, where and what happened to her sister, Emma. The FBI reopens the case in their search for Emma and the reader gets the back story in bits and pieces as told by Cass and the forensic psychologist, Dr. Winter, who is an expert on narcissistic personality disorder based on her own experience.

This is one crazy mystery that moved a bit slow for my taste, but has an interesting ending. This book centers around the mother who has narcissistic personality disorder and whether the cycle can be broken. As mysteries go, I have to give it 4 stars because I really could not figure out where Emma was; however, I cannot say I liked this one. This left a bad taste in my mouth due to the injustice and all the wickedness and evil in this book. It’s definitely written in a unique manner which is really what makes it a good read!


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!

"First We Were IV" by Alexandra Sirowy

In First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy, four young teens find a dead girl in an orchard.  Five years have gone by and the killer has not been found.  the teens decide to form a society and do pranks in their small town to raise awareness that bad stuff goes on and maybe the police can finally find the killer. 

The story line was weak at best.  I really could not get into the characters at all!  I kept reading in the hope that it would get better or make some sense. I would not recommend this one!
(Gerard's review, 2.5 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!

"Always Watching" by Lynette Eason (Elite Guardians Book 1)

Always Watching by Lynette Eason is the first book in her Elite Guardians series. It is a good romance mystery about a wealthy widower who has a 12-yr. old daughter that suffers from anxiety attacks. He is nice guy, founder of a charity and a radio talk show host but has a stalker. His father secretly hired a bodyguard to protect his son which proved to be wise. It soon becomes clear someone is out to kill him and the police and his bodyguard think it may be his stalker who left him gifts. As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear than not only is one person out to get him, but two! The question is who and why? Olivia, his bodyguard, has a hard time protecting him because he is so stubborn and doesn’t want to change his usually routines or plans. When his daughter is confronted by his stalker, he finally realizes he needs to start cooperating to keep her safe.

This is a very good book I read quickly. It had enough action to keep my attention and for the most part, things made sense. I figured out who his stalker was early on, but her accomplice was a complete surprise to me! It seemed the bodyguards did a pretty poor job which made for a good story. I liked the suspense and that the bodyguards were not perfect like super heroes. I look forward to reading the other books in this series!
 (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser Tuesday

Karen's:

She glanced at the man who'd stolen her heart.  And some fat cow at his side.  Why had he brought her?

From Pg. 8 (Loc. 117 on Kindle) of Always Watching (book 1 of the Elite Guardians series) by Lynette Eason.

I don't know if it's what I've got and, more important, I don't want to know.  For now, ignorance is bliss.

From page 77 of The Breakdown by B. A. Paris.

"I've always believed that each of us was put on Earth to make it a better place.  We can't change the past, but if we make the present the best it can be, we can influence the future."

From page 24 of Waiting for Spring by Amanda Cabot.

Gerard's:

I knew even as a stupid little kid that no girl, not even one who cuts you, deserves to be hurt, dead, given wings.

From page 109 of First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy.

It was a matter of life or death.  A child's life was more important than a business relationship, especially when the child was Rachel.

From pate 31 of Exposed by Lisa Scottoline.


The friends' faces now in horror, watching as his eyes roll upwards and his body convulses in front of them all, back arched, limbs juddering.  A doctor skiing past stops to help, the Rescue Patrol is called, paramedics are removing the young man's jacket, T-shirt, cutting through his vest in the race to keep him alive, the air reverberating with the thump, thump of a helicopter's blades.

From pg. 9 of Beyond the High Blue Air  by Lu Spinney (a memoir).
 
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!