"Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts" by Kate Racculia is a Wild Adventure!

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia is about what happens when Vincent Pryce, a billionaire, dies suddenly.  In his obit, it states that when you come to his wake, you can play a game if you choose.  If you win, it will be well worth it!  What kind of game?  Can you play alone or must you play as a team?  Any clues?  What about the rules?  Time limit?  For the answers to these questions, you'[ll need to read the book.

This was pretty good because the characters were colorful, to say the least.  The book moved along quickly and the ending was wild but good.  I enjoyed it.

(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  No one had ever asked him a question like that before.  It made him almost as uncomfortable as the house.

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"Brave Like That" by Lindsey Stoddard

Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard is about Cyrus, a sixth grader who finds himself telling lies and faking things in order to keep his secrets. I think this is a good book for kids because it's about accepting yourself and not trying to be something you aren't.  It's about being brave enough to do the right thing and not worry about what others think.  I enjoyed it because of the boy's relationship with Parker, the dog and his grandmother who had a stroke.  It's a happy little story with a good message.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 7/28/20:
In Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard, Cyrus is a young teen boy whose life changes when a stray dog comes into it.  Cyrus goes against his father's wishes by keeping the dog a secret, but for how long?  When the secret is exposed, will Cyrus be brave enough to stand up for what he wants?  I thought this book was pretty good even though it is geared to children.  If you enjoyed the movie and book Wonder, you will enjoy this one.  It is a quick read.
(4 stars)



Teaser from page 6:  Tears burn behind my eyes because it doesn't feel right to just leave him here.  It's now where he belongs.

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"The Daughter" by Jane Shemilt

The cat's face tells you what I thought of this one!

When I read The Playground by Jane Shemilt, I saw she also wrote The Daughter so I decided to read that too.   Unfortunately, I got sick of the writing style with jumping from the past to present in every chapter and all the description.  Perhaps had I not read it right after The Playground, I may have enjoyed it more.  However, it moved along extremely slowly which caused me to give up on it even before getting half way through it.  The daughter went missing practically from the start of the book, but after that, the action ended.  This is one I do not recommend.
(Karen's review, 1 star)

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"The Playground" by Jane Shemilt Lives up to the Hype

The Playground by Jane Shemilt takes place in London and is about three families, one with three children, one with two kids and one with an only child.  They all meet and socialize through having one of their kids being tutored by Eve.  The parents have no clue what their kids are up to.  Each family has some sort of problem, some worse than others!  

Several different issues are packaged in this book:  marital abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, friendship and rape.  The interaction among the characters is what moves this book along.  I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked more of the characters.  As it is, I only really liked three, Eric, Grace and Charley.
(Karen's review3 stars) 

Gerard's review7/6/20:
The Playground by Jane Shemilt centers on three women, Eve, Melissa and Grace.  They all have children and over time, they become close and socialize along with their husbands.  The children go off to play on their own.  What could possibly go wrong with that?  I flew through this book because I enjoyed the interactions between the adults and the children so much.  The ending was the best!  This is a great read!  (5++ stars)

Teaser from page 30:  She wishes she had some of those earphones that cancel out noise.  She'd cancel out her whole family if she could.

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"When You See Me" by Lisa Gardner (Both Liked This One!)

When you See Me by Lisa Gardner is about how a small town is a center for evil.  This book focuses on the good guys following up on old murder cases when they keep finding skeletons of dead bodies buried in shallow graves in the Appalachian Mountains and stumbling on something even more complex.  One of the main characters is a young teenage girl who watched a bad man kill her mother with a bullet when she was just six that went through her throat and also hit the girl, taking away her ability to talk.  She is a big help to the task force working on solving these crimes.

This book is well written in that in spite of all the different characters, I was able to keep them all straight and never once felt confused.  I felt sad for the little girl (Bonita).  I liked that the task force included a couple civilians as well, one a computer analyst and the other a survivor of rape and kidnapping by a serial killer (Keith and Flora).  This book kept my interest from start to finish. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 7/20/20

In When You See Me by Lisa Gardner, bodies are starting to pile up in the hills of a small town in Georgia.  Now it's up to detective D.D. Warren and her crew to find answers and put an end to it.  There are lots of characters in this book and lots of action!  It flows well with an exciting final part.

(5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  I fly like the wind, I want to believe.  I hurtle myself into her arms.

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"The Girl Beyond the Red Rope" by Ted and Rachel Dekker

In The Girl Beyond the Red Rope by Ted and Rachel Dekker, Grace lives in Haven Valley.  She is safe, she is told, while the rest of the world is filled with evil.  Grace's brother tells her that he has gone out into the world and there is nothing to fear.  Does Grace believe that?  If so, what will she do?  Will her brother, Jamie, pay the price for going outside the valley?

I thought this book was very good.  I enjoyed all the characters and it flowed along well.  For most of the book, I had no idea what was going to happen!  The ending had me turning pages quickly, so good.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 14:  "I'm stuck," I whispered.  "I think I made a terrible mistake.  I think I betrayed Rose and now Jamie's in trouble."

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"The Kingdom of Back" by Marie Lu

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is historical fiction that centers on Wolfgang Mozart and his sister, Nannerl Mozart.  They are both very talented when it comes to playing music on the piano.  Nannerl wants fame but in this book fame comes at a cost.  Will she be willing to pay that cost?

Marie Lu is such a talented writer!  I enjoyed reading about both the brother and sister very much and look forward to her next book!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 7:  I closed my eyes.  In the darkness, with only myself, I searched for the pulse of the music and let my hands find it.

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"Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is about motherhood and secrets.  I found this story to be thought provoking and heartbreaking.  It contrasts the lives of a rich upper class family of six, the Richardsons, with a single mother, Mia, who is an artist and struggles to provide for her and her teenage daughter.  Then another story line is about a Chinese birth mother who gave up her baby and now wants her back from the nice, well-to-do couple who has started the adoption process.  There is lots of emotion wrapped up in this book.  I think this would be an excellent book for a book club to discuss.  I enjoyed reading this but was a bit disappointed with the ending that was kind of left up in the air.  I think women would definitely enjoy this one more than men.      
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Devoted" by Dean Koontz is Really Good!

In Devoted by Dean Koontz, Woody has not said a word in his 11-yr.-old life.  He believes an evil was the cause of his dad's death and that evil is still out there, coming for his mom and him!  He needs special help.  Can a gifted dog bring him that help? 

I thought this book was very good with the good and evil going after each other, Koontz style!  Wood was a good character, but Kipp, the dog is what makes this book so good in my eyes!
(Gerard's review, 5+ Stars)  

Teaser from page 36:  As he circles the room, he tries to recall when and where his life went wrong, not regarding the events at the labs, but prior to that.  When had he last been truly happy?

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"Let Me Tell You About Jasper . . . How My Best Friend Became America's Dog by Dana Perino

Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino, is a heartwarming book about her two Vizsla dogs.  She explains how she and her husband met, how they got the dogs and some funny things their dogs did.  Jasper is still alive, but their first dog, Henry, has passed on to doggie heaven.  When reading this it made me feel happy that her dogs were/are so loved.  It's not gripping, but if you're looking for a cozy book, this is it.  It is very short because the second half of the book is all pictures!  My favorite parts were actually written by her husband.  I liked it all right so gave it 3 stars because I've read other dog books that I liked much more. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


Gerard's Review of June 16, 2020:
Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino who works for the Fox News Network is a fun read.  Dana is one smart lady and loves talking about her dog, Jasper!  When I found out she wrote a book about her dog, I had to get it!  I enjoyed this book very much.  I not only learned about Jasper, but also about her and her previous dog, Henry.  Her writing is very good.  I also liked Jasper's account of his day.  This is a short book with lots of pictures.  I give it 5 stars because it is very well done!  
(5 stars)

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"The Litigators" by John Grisham is About Different Types of Attorneys

The Litigators by John Grisham was a very amusing and entertaining read for me.  This book gives insight into a variety of different types of lawyers.  David Zinc is the main character, an attorney in a huge prestigious law firm who is stuck in a very boring job and decides to just quit and go somewhere else.  He just leaves one day, no notice and no message, goes to a bar where he drinks all day and finally stumbles into a small 2-partner ambulance chasing law firm, Finley & Figg.  They hire him that day and he finds he enjoys the work.  He actually gets to help clients!  Plus, a dog lives at the office and there is Rochelle, the receptionist who actually runs the place.  The lawyers are sleezy and located in a bad part of town, but David likes his new job and has no regrets.

I really enjoyed the second half of this book when David gets to be part of a trial in Federal Court against lawyers from his old firm.  This trial is hilarious, had me laughing out loud in some parts. I liked David Zinc right from the start.  He was a nice guy and proved that as the book moved along.  The ending was great! I think anyone who enjoys Grisham books about attorneys would enjoy this one.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review of 5/31/20:
In The Litigators by John Grisham, David Zinc works in a big-time law firm.  One day the stress of his job--long hours and plenty of work gets to him and he just quits!  He joins a small law firm run by just two guys.  Will David find peace of mind again and will he be happy?

This is not the author's best work, but there was just enough that I had to stay with it and see how it all turned out.  I give it 4 stars on the strength of David and parts of the story line I really enjoyed.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  "Sure," David mumbled as he managed to move forward.  The door slid open, the bell chimed again.  He was out of the elevator, looking around nervously as if he'd never before seen the place.  In fact, he'd left it only ten hours earlier.

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"Kill You Twice" by Chelsea Cain

In Kill You Twice by Chelsea Cain, Archie, a detective, can sleep better knowing Gretchen, a serial killer, is lock away.  He gets a new case and is informed that Gretchen has inside knowledge about it.  Is Gretchen just playing a game with Archie or does she really know something?

This was pretty good.  I liked Archie and Gretchen.  Some parts dragged though, but not too many and the ending is good.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  He smelled something--sandalwood?  cloves?--and opened his eyes.  The butterfly was gone. 

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Finally, a New Header Picture!

We got quite a few books to borrow from our neighbor librarian a few houses away.  Gerard is very happy about this and has started John Grisham's, The Litigators.  I still have plenty to read on my Kindle and one other book we got from the little free library at the end of our street.

Here are some outtakes with Spunky Doodle for our header I thought you might like seeing:

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"If It Bleeds" by Stephen King

If it Bleeds by Stephen King has three short stories and one long story in it.  The two I enjoyed the most were short:  Mr. Harrigan's Phone and Rat.  The long story, If It Bleeds, was pretty good too.  The other short story, The Life of Chuck, did not impress because I didn't understand it at all.  I give this book 4 stars on the basis of how much I enjoyed the two short stories I liked the most.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Water from my Heart" by Charles Martin is About Second Chances

Water from My Heart by Charles Martin is about Charlie Finn, a successful gambler and drug dealer who decides to straighten out when he realizes his and his partner's business is negatively affecting his partner's son and young daughter who comes close to death.  He becomes attracted to three women, Shelly, Amanda and Leena but really only falls in love with one.  In Nicaragua, he has quite an adventure!

This book moved along quite slowly; however, I found myself liking and rooting for Charlie to succeed.  Things picked up when he went after Zaul in Nicaragua and met Paulina and Paulo.  I liked the story, but not the writing.  It jumped around in time too much for my taste and I almost gave up on it.  The only thing that kept me reading was knowing Charlie was going to have a change of heart.  The theme can be summed up by the line, "Love with Legs" meaning showing love with your actions.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 5:  I was attracted to risk and not attracted to anything resembling hard work that benefited someone other than me.  If you were going to be dumb enough to risk your money in a card game, then I was going to be smart enough to take it from you.

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Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult deals with the issue of what to do when the "right" thing is illegal.   Charles is married to an alcoholic and has a 4-yr.-old girl.  Not only that, but he discovers his wife is cheating on him with Victor and they get divorced.  Charles "rescues" his little girl by taking her from Arizona to live with him in New Hampshire under new names (Andrew and Delia) instead of returning her home after his day with her.  Delia grows up happy but doesn't remember much of her mother.  Ironically, she grows up and helps detectives and police search and rescue missing people with her dog, Greta.  Thirty years later, he is arrested for kidnapping.  Will he be found guilty and spend 20 years in prison?  What will Delia think of him for lying to her practically her whole life?  He told her that her mother died in a car accident.   Will she marry her long-time friend, Eric, a recovering alcoholic and lawyer, or choose her other long-time friend Fritz, a journalist.

This book was pretty good because it had a surprise ending and I liked the tension between liking Andrew even though he did technically kidnap his daughter.  I felt a little bad for the mother and Delia.  There were some parts that I did not care about, but they didn't last long.  I did not like the way the book jumped around between the past and present, but the story line was good and I did like Delia and her father, Andrew, the main characters.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 75:  On the one hand, I was his child, and he must have been doing what he felt he needed to do.  On the other hand, I'm a mother now, and he committed my worst nightmare.

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"The Turn of the Key" by Ruth Ware Is One We Both Liked!

In The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware, Rowan does not like the job she has.  When she comes upon an ad she thinks this could be the answer to her prayers.  But she has to get this job and she does!  She thinks all her problems are solved, but really they've just begun!  I thought this book was very good!  I liked the character of Rowan a lot.  I never knew what would happen next.  There are some parts where there is nothing going on; however, those are few.  The story makes up for them and the ending part was very good!
(Gerard's review of 3/9/20, 5+ stars)

Karen's review:
I read The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware because my husband recommended it and I was intrigued by the book summary.  It was very good about a nanny who takes a live-in position at a house in Scotland with a history of murder and a reputation for being haunted.  It is told in a very unusual way with twists I did not see coming.  This is a murder mystery that I had no clue who the murder was.  There is much deception in this book and it certainly kept my interest all the way through!
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  All this time I have been telling myself that if only someone would let me clear my head and get my side of the story straight, without interrupting, maybe this whole awful mess would get sorted out.

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"Her Last Breath" by J. A. Schneider

In Her Last Breath by J. A. Schneider, Mari wakes up in bed in a strange room with a dead man she does not know next to her who has a knife in his chest.  She remembers nothing!  Did she do it or is this a set up?  This book is pretty good.  Mari was a good lead character and I really cared about her.  The story had a good flow and it kept me guessing!  The ending was okay.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)


Karen's review of 12/29/17:
Her Last Breath by J. A. Schneider is a page-turning murder mystery. Mari, who is separated from her husband, wakes up on a bed in a strange room with blood all over her, her dress torn and next to a dead guy she doesn’t know who has a knife in his chest! To top it off, she has asthma and cannot find her inhaler. While looking for it, she passes out and wakes to another strange man who is trying to save her. The cops arrest her for the guy’s murder because her fingerprints were on the knife. The guy who saved her life is a former cop, currently a construction worker named Jay. Mari’s husband, Ted who is a lawyer, comes to the hospital and volunteers to defend her. Mari gets to the point of being paranoid and not knowing who to trust!

Teaser from page 1: She froze; gasped. Couldn’t take in air seeing his black hair, his chest hidden under a tent of bloodied sheet.

I got hooked on this book right from the start and was surprised with the ending. I did not figure out who the murderer was although it was obvious someone was setting Mari up. I hope to find more books by this author and highly recommend this one if you enjoy a good mystery. She has a series of standalone thrillers with the same cops as are in this one.
(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!

"Where the Forest Meets the Stars" by Glendy Vanderah

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah, is an interesting story about love.  A very smart little girl claiming to be an alien shows up at Jo's cottage with a wild story, no shoes and dirty clothes.  Jo tries to find out her name, but the girl refuses to say.  After searching missing person websites with no success, she grows attached to the child.  Gabe, a neighbor, allows the girl to visit his farm animals and she also becomes attached to Gabe.

This is a good story but moved a bit slow for my taste.  I liked the girl though and it kept my interest because I wanted to see how things would turn out.  I liked the ending.  It's more than just the mystery about the girl though.  It's also about walls people put up and how even adults are sometimes afraid to let people in.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

In Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah, Joanna is doing graduate research in the forest alone, the way she likes it!  One day a young girl shows up.  Who is she?  Joanna goes to the police, but gets no help.  Looks at missing children files and finds nothing!  Joanna lets her stay until she finds out who she is.

I thought this book was very good!  I was into it the whole way and really cared about the characters.  It moved right along.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 3:  Jo could see her eyes now.  The intelligent glint in her gaze was oddly shrewd for her baby face, and Jo took that as a sign that she knew it was all in fun.  "If you're an alien, why do you look human?"

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"A Heart So Fierce and Broken" by Brigid Kemmerer

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer is the second book of this series about Rhen, Grey and Harper.  In this book, the main characters are Grey, Lila Mara and Hunter's brother and friend--Jacob and Noah.  The focus is on Grey's secret and the efforts of Lila Mara's country to form an alliance with Rhen.  Will there be war or can a peace agreement be reached?  Will Grey and Lila fall in love, perhaps rule together?  How will Rhen protect his people?

I enjoyed this book as well, especially since I like Grey and this was all about him.  There was fighting, new relationships formed and a cliff hanging ending.  Can't wait to read the next book in the series!  I was somewhat disappointed in the small part Harper had in this book; however, I did like Lila Mara and found myself routing for her and Grey.  I also liked the scarver, Iisak who brought another facet to the story.  There was not a lot of magic in this one, just a little here and there.  I enjoyed Jacob's brother in this and the banter between him and Grey.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmererfocuses on Grey, the former captain of the guards protecting Rhen.  Lia Mara is the new character in this book that plays a main role along with Grey.  She tries to make a peaceful alliance with Rhen, but appears to have failed.  I thought this book was very, very good!  I enjoyed the interaction among all the characters.  The pacing of the book is very good also so I am looking forward to book 3!  (5++ stars)

See our review of the first book in this series, A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

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