"Killer Instinct" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Naturals #2)

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the second in a series about five young teens who each have a special ability to solve crimes.  In this one, a serial killer is on the loose and needs to be stopped.  This was pretty good.  I liked how all the teens had to work together to figure out how to stop the killer.  It has a good storyline with good action.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Girl in the Castle" by James Patterson and Emily Raymond

In The Girl in the Castle by James Patterson and Emily Raymond, Hannah lives in two worlds.  One is the year 1347 in a castle where she must save her sister, Mary, from the evil Barron.  The second world is where she is now--the Looney Bin.  She must go back to save Mary, but no one believes her until . . . .  You will have to read this book to find out what comes next!  I thought this book was really good!  It has great characters an unique storyline and plenty of action!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"One of Us Is Back" by Karen M. McManus (Book 3)

One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus is the third book in the One of Us Is Lying series.  The whole gang is back and looking forward to a fun summer until one of them goes missing.  This is pretty good.  The characters were brought out well and the storyline kept me engaged.  It has good action with a nice finish.  This book has been made into a TV series on Peacock.  Unfortunately, I do not have it, but if I did, I'd be watching it.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Click on links below to read my previous reviews of books in this series:

One of Us Is Lying

One of Us Is Next

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"Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong

In Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, Princess Calla has been in hiding for five years.  She killed her parents and now she plans to kill the king of her country.  However, she must win the annual games to get a chance to meet with the king.  If you loved HUNGER GAMES, then this is the book for you.  It has good action with a good storyline and a great ending!  I look forward to Book 2 of this series.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Heroine" by Mindy McGinnis (Second Time I've Read This)

In Heroine by Mindy McGinnis, this is the year Mickey has been waiting for.  She is the bad ass catcher of her school softball team.  This is the year they are going to win State!  It will be the first time in school history, except she gets into a car accident.  She will need to re-hab big time to be ready for the first game.  Her doctor gives her a prescription for pain pills and the more she takes, the more she wants.  Can she still make her softball dream come true?  This is a really good book!  Mickey was a great character with a good storyline.  I enjoyed it very much!!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I read Heroine back in 2019 but enjoyed reading it again.  Click the link to see my earlier review.

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"Falling" by T. J. Newman

In Falling by T. J. Newman, a pilot's family has been kidnapped.  He is told to crash the plane or his family is dead!  I thought this book was really good.  It has a good storyline and the characters seemed real.  This is going to be made into a movie!  This is the author's first book--well done!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult

In Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Olivia did not know her husband had a dark side.  She goes back to her hometown but then her son is charged with first degree murder of his girlfriend.  Is he abusive like his dad?  Can Olivia do anything to saver her son?  This is good.  The characters are brought out really well.  It is a bit long, but the storyline more than makes up for that!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Breakdown" by B. A. Paris

The Breakdown by B. A. Parris is so good that I read it twice!  The first time was back in 2017 and my wife enjoyed it too!  Here is the link to our reviews of it.

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"The Senator's Wife" by Liv Constantine

In The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine, Sloane and Whit (a Senator) are ready to move on after both of their spouses have passed.  Sloane is going to have a hip replacement and Whit hires a woman to look after her.  Is she a Godsend or is something strange going on?  This has a good storyline, but needed more action.  I liked the big surprise ending!  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Drowning" (The rescue of flight 1421) by T. J. Newman

Drowning by T. J. Newman is about a plane that was in trouble from the start and is now deep in the ocean.  Can anybody be saved?  This is very good stuff as you can see how this could actually happen!  It is interesting how they came up with things to try to save people!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Quiet Tenant" by Clemence Michallon is Really Good!

In The Quiet Tennant by Clemence Michallon, Aidan is a hardworking family man but is not a very nice man, especially toward women.  The story is narrated by those closest to him, his daughter, his girlfriend, and the one victim he spared.  I thought this book was really good!  I was into it from the first few pages.  It had good character development and the ending will have you turning pages quickly!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:  8/14/23

The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon is about a lady ("Rachel") who was taken by Aiden, a widower, and kept hidden first in his shed, then in his house for years.  Aiden has a daughter who only learned about her father's "guest" when they had to move and Rachel was brought into the house.  Rachel is the name given her by Aiden.  She discovers he has killed several other women and wonders why he hasn't killed her.  I wondered too!   I thought this book was just so-so.  It dragged along for me without much action or suspense.  It picked up at the end, but things seemed unlikely.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Small Mercies" by Dennis Lehane

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane takes place the summer in Boston before black and white kids are bussed so they can go to school together.  A white girl goes missing and a black teen boy is killed by a train under mysterious circumstances.  This is a good book.  The main characters were developed very well!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Collateral Damage" by J. A. Jance

Collateral Damage by J. A. Jance is about a crooked ex-cop who is out on parole.  He wants revenge on the people who sent him to prison.  He also has information on well-known people who do not want what he knows to get out.  This has a good storyline that is easy to follow with action throughout the book.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Writing Retreat" by Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz is wild in a good way.  Alex wants to be a published author and winning a writing retreat would go a long way to doing that.  However, all is not right at the estate of horror writer Roza Vallo, where she has to be to win a big contract.  Soon Alex will have more than just writing a book to worry about.  A good storyline with twists and turns make this book very good!  This is the one I read when on jury duty.  I'm glad I had a good book to read!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Puzzle Master" by Danielle Trussoni

In The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni, Mike Brink, because of a football head injury, can solve puzzles at an alarming rate.  Jess Prell is in prison and she has a secret no one has been able to solve.  Mike is asked to try.  For the most part, this book was good; however, the last quarter it seemed that the author did not know how to end it.  Due to that, I give it 4 stars.  It was not as good as I expected.  (Gerard's review)

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"The Wager ( A tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder) by David Grann

I always enjoy non-fiction books about historical events.  The Wager by David Grann is one of those!  It tells the story of men who were on a secret mission at sea and survived being marooned and winding up on a deserted island where they just about starved to death.  Six months after they came back, three men came home on a makeshift raft and told a different tale.  This was good stuff that I enjoyed reading!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"West With Giraffes" by Lynda Rutledge

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge is based on true story how two giraffes went on a 12-day road trip to the San Diego zoo just as World War II was about to start.  An old man tells the story, and what a story it is!  I enjoyed this because it has a good storyline and some good fiction with a good ending.  This was recommended to me by a friend from pickleball.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Secrets of Midwives" by Sally Hepworth

In The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth, Neva does not want anyone to know who the father is of the baby she is about to have.  Why?  Floss, Neva's grandmother, has a secret that goes back 60 years about her child's birth.  If that gets out there will be trouble for all!  

As always, Sally made me care about these characters and had an ending I did not see coming at all!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Mother's Promise" by Sally Hepworth

In The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth, Alice is a single mother who has a 15-yr.-old daughter, Zoe.  When Alice gets sick with Cancer, she is told that she needs a support person to help her and drive her around.  Unfortunately, she has no one except Zoe to count on.  Kate, a nurse, and Sonja, a social worker come to her aid, but they are dealing with their own problems.  This book is really good!  All the characters seem real.  I especially loved the parts with Zoe!  This is Sally's best book yet!  I LOVED IT!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

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"A Dog Like Daisy" by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

A Dog Like Daisy by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is about a veteran who is getting a dog to train to be a certified service dog to help him emotionally.  His son, Micah, doesn't like the dog he chose, but their relationship grows friendlier throughout the book.  Then ending was a pleasant surprise, but I liked Stay by Bobbie Pyron much better.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)  

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"The Things We Keep" by Sally Hepworth

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth centers on three people.  Anna, age 35, and Luke, age 41, are in an assisted living facility because they both suffer from early onset Alzheimer's.  The third person is Eve who becomes a cook at the facility.  She soon finds out that she needs to do more than that.  This book is really good.  It has a good storyline and I cared about the characters.  Parts were very funny!  I love all the books I've read by Sally Hepworth so far.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

  

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"Stay" by Bobbie Pyron Inspires Children to Help Others

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is about a family that has to live in a homeless shelter and a woman who lives on the street with only her small dog to keep her company.  It also shows how people can rally around for a good cause and help others who are going through hard times.  I especially loved the parts where the dog tells the story. (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is a heartwarming, children's story about a girl, Piper, who is homeless but whose heart is set on helping someone worse off than her--an old homeless lady with a little dog, Baby.  I really enjoyed this book about the homeless, friendship, adventure, and helping others.  The dog had a big part in it and it has a good lesson about not judging others on the basis of their appearance.  I think it's a great children's story and highly recommend it.  I had trouble putting this one down!  (Karen's review 6/12/23, 5 stars)

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"The Soulmate" by Sally Hepworth

In The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth, Gabe and Pippa's house is near a cliff where people sometimes go to end their lives.  Gabe has a way of talking people off that cliff.  However, one day with Pippa watching, a woman and Gabe talk until the woman is falling off that cliff!  To Pippa, it looks like Gabe pushed her, but she doesn't really believe it!  Could he have?  

Sally Hepworth is always good, but this book is fantastic!  The characters are really good and I thought I knew how it would end, but I was wrong!  LOVED THIS ONE!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Three Sisters" by Heather Morris (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Book 3)

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is based on a true story.  Three sisters make a pact to always stay together and be there for each other, but when two of them are sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis, that pact is put to the test.  Will they survive to see their sister again?  This book is really good!  The parts about the concentration camp are very powerful!  I loved all the three sisters and liked the very good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Doorway to the Bible" Book 1 in THE BOOK OF LIFE SET

I had this Book of Life set a very long time and never read any of them so this year I decided I would read through the set.  I just finished reading Book 1--Doorway to the Bible which gives a very brief introduction to the Bible with some short Bible stories geared to children and some nice prayers for kids.  There are also a few application stories included for children as well as color pictures.  I look forward to continuing with this series to see what the rest of the books offer.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"All the Broken Places" by John Boyne

In All the Broken Places by John Boyne, Gretel does not like to talk about her past.  Most of all, her father!  But in life your past has a way of catching up with you, and when it does for Gretel, it becomes a life or death situation.  This book is pretty good but no where near as good as "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" also written by John Boyne.  That being said, i am glad I read this one.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt

In Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, the two main characters are Tova,  a 70-yr.-old woman who cleans an aquarium after visiting hours and Marcellus, a giant octopus.  They form a friendship and help each other.  This is a quick, cute, happy, fun read.  Marcellus was a great, fun character!  The ending was real good too.  I enjoyed this.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"All the Dangerous Things" by Stacy Willingham

In All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham, Isabella's life changes forever when she wakes up one day and her baby boy is gone!  She cannot sleep at all and her own past is hunting her.  This is the second book I've read by this author.  Flicker in the Dark was the first one and I loved that and this one too!  She got me engaged in both and I loved her endings as well!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Cilka's Journey" by Heather Morris

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris is based on the true story of Cilka Klein.  What a story it is!  She was only 16 when she was taken to a concentration camp.  After that she was sent to a Siberian prison camp--the charge was sleeping with the enemy.  She will have to be strong to endure this.  

Good stuff!  Cilka was so brave and determined to stay alive in the face of death every day.  Be sure to read the additional information and the afterword as well.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"Praying the Bible" by Donald S. Whitney - The Best Book on Prayer I Ever Read!

Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney gives a great solution for keeping your prayers fresh and your prayer time from becoming stale and boring by praying the same old thing for the same old things.  I really identified with what the author said about getting into a rut and losing the eagerness about praying every day.  This book gives practical instruction on exactly how to pray the Bible in order to keep a vibrant prayer life and actually converse with our loving Father in heaven.  It is very short, so a quick read and not at all dry or boring.  This book is life changing!  I highly recommend it to any Christian who finds their prayer time boring.   (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise" by Colleen Oakley

In The Mostly true Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, we meet Louise, an old woman who takes a fall in her home and her family insists she get someone to look after her.  We meet Tanner, a 21-yr.-old girl who the last thing she wants to do is look after an old woman.  She would rather wear sweatpants and play video games!  Sound like a match to you? 

I thought this book was really good.  Louise and Tanner are both good characters and the byplay between them is entertaining.  There are some twists and turns.  I thought I knew how it would play out, but I was surprised!  I recommend this book if you are looking for something light and entertaining to read.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Backgammon of Today" by John Longacre

Backgammon of Today by John Longacre is a concise book on how to play Backgammon.  Terms are listed in the back but should have been in the front instead.  However, it is a helpful book because it gives the odds for the different rolls, suggested opening moves based on the various rolls of the dice and four strategies.  It also has a chapter on doubling.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their game.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Her Darkest Nightmare" by Brenda Novak

In Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak, Evellyn survived what no 16-yr.-old girl should have to go through.  Now, she is a psychiatrist trying to figure out what goes on in men who do bad things to women.  She works at a maximum security prison. When women turn up dead, things soon take a turn for the worse.  

This book had a good storyline and Evelyn was a good lead character; however, there were too many parts that dragged along with no action.  That being said, I was glad I read it.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Flamefall" by Rosaria Munda (Book 2 of Fireborne Series)

Flamefall by Rosaria Munda is the follow-up book to Fireborne.  This story is told by Annie, Lee and Griff.  They each have to deal with problems of loyalty and honor to their homeland.  When the battle takes place, can they all survive?  Good stuff.  This is better than Fireborne!  There is more action and the stage is set for the final book of the series.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Fireborne" by Rosaria Munda

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda is told by Annie and Lee.  They have been friends since childhood, but now war is coming and their friendship will be tested like never before.  Can they lead a revolution?  This is good stuff.  Annie is a great character and drives this book.  This is book 1 of 3 and I look forward to reading the next two.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a very strangely written book that kept my attention throughout.  It is filled with humor and yet deals with suicide, love, a bank robber, a hostage situation, two policemen who are father and son and a group of strangers who become friends through a crazy situation.  According to the author, this book is about idiots! 

It reminded me of a Seinfeld-type episode.  The writing was unusual.  It jumped around a lot, there are lots of characters each with their own storylines and often the reader is first exposed to new facts and then followed by an explanation about how it came to be.  I think this is a book I won't soon forget.  I loved the ending!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 4/8/23:
In Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, a bank robbery turns into a hostage situation.  What I liked most in this book was the interaction among all the characters.  I actually laughed out loud at some parts, it was that funny!  The storyline is good and so is the ending.  I love this one!  (5++ stars)

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