"Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls

Half Broke Horses is a true life novel about Lily Casey who grew up in the 1930s, the oldest daughter of a horse trainer in Texas. Lily was a girl with gumption and her story is both inspirational, funny and amazing! She could break horses, play poker, teach school and fly a plane! Lily was a strong girl who never gave up and who always found a way to manage, even when things were tough. The only child she encountered that she couldn't teach was her own daughter who was a wild child with compassion and a yearning for adventure. I enjoyed this novel and found it to be an interesting read which is based on the author's grandmother's life.
(Karen's review)

We also enjoyed The Glass Castle by this author, about the author's immediate family growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father and mentally disturbed mother.  Jeannette was much like her grandmother, Lily.

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. Happy Reading!

"That's Why I'm Here--The Chris and Stephanie Spielman Story"

That's Why I'm Here--The Chris and Stefanie Spielman Story by Chris Spielman with Bruce Hooley details the story of how Chris dealt with his wife's cancer. The part of the book that focuses on Stephanie's battle was very captivating but the first half about football I mostly knew already. Stephanie was some woman! Thanks for telling her story, Chris. God's blessing to you and your children always.
(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. Happy Reading!

"I'll Walk Alone" by Mary Higgins Clark

I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark is contemporary fiction dealing with stolen identity, impersonation and the kidnapping of a 3-yr-old boy, Matthew. Zan, a young successful interior decorator is still holding out hope for her son’s return. Even though she is divorced, she agreed to have dinner with her ex-husband on what would be their son’s fifth birthday to reminisce. Things go from bad to worse for Zan when some pictures surface showing her actually kidnapping her own son!

I felt sorry for Zan throughout this story and even though it seems like all is revealed early on, there is still the mystery of who is really behind the kid’s kidnapping. This book held my interest right from the start. The police seemed to be in the dark throughout the book while Zan’s friends work to prove her innocence and find out what’s really going on with Matthew. What a nightmare this poor lady lived through! It’s definitely a book I’d recommend for anyone who likes contemporary fiction with some mystery in it.
(Karen'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. Happy Reading!

"Broken Harbor" by Tana French

Broken Harbor by Tana French opens with a murder of a husband, two young children, and the wife in very bad shape. As told by the lead detective, he thinks he has the person who did it, or does he? This is a really good book for sure. I got into it from the get-go and the last 200 pages or so are very gripping. They kept me turning pages until I got to a compelling surprise ending which I loved! I would have liked a little more action throughout, but it certainly is a good read!
(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. Happy Reading!

Tuesday Teasers: 3 Good Ones For You

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Karen's:

The morning the man with the gun walked into Evelyn Oliver's classroom, she was wearing two items she had vowed during her forty-three-year career as a teacher never to wear. Denim and rhinestones.

Taken from p. 8 of One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf. (One school. One gunman. Your child.--fantastic book we both liked, click link to see our review)

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I confess that I am an accessory to a crime that is ongoing and to a murder that is going to happen very soon."

From page 2 of I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark. (Stolen identity thriller)

Gerard's:

They scurried in every direction like small animals caught suddenly under a light.
But, of course, there was nowhere on earth to go.

From page 4 of The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.  (science fiction)

Happy Reading!