"You and Me and Us" by Alison Hammer is Very Good!

You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer is told mostly by Alexis who lives with Tommy.  Tommy always wanted to have a wedding and make it official, but Alexis does not want that.  CeCe, their daughter, also tells some of the story.  Tommy has always been there for CeCe.  Alexis, who runs her own business, not so much.  Unfortunately, Tommy has health issues and his time is short.  The story is about how these two women deal with this and other things that come up.  

I was into this book from page 1.  The writing is good and I enjoyed all the characters very much.  I think this book would make a good movie!  Must read this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  "It won't.  And I'm not going to put you or CeCe through what I went through with my mom.  The false hope, the pain and suffering."

 

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"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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