"Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens--UPDATED

UPDATED 6/24/11:
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens is a far out story about a lady realtor named Annie who was abducted and kept locked in a cabin for a year! I didn't much care for Annie because of how she treated people and her frequent swearing but liked her relationship with her dog! This book did bring out some strong emotions in me: I felt sorry for her, anger against her abductor and disappointment in Annie.

The novel is told in the first person by Annie as she reveals what happened to her through her sessions with a psychiatrist. The things she went through with “The Freak” who abducted her were just sickening. I must say that I found this to be a very disturbing read rather than an enjoyable one. Even though she did finally escape, she never got back to her old self because her experiences had such a long-lasting effect on her. This book is a bit of a mystery and deals with issues of friendship, betrayal, motherhood and creepiness.
(Karen's review)

Wow, Oh Wow!  Page turner, riveting, compelling--all these words apply to Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.  What an awesome read!!  For sure this is the book of the month for June for me and very high in my top books of the year.

Still Missing is about Annie, a realtor who is abducted for a year by a man she calls "The Freak."  It is told by her as she goes to a psychiatrist.  She talks about her relationship and what he made her do and her family in detail.  Even when she is free, is she really?  The ending of this book is probably the best part--you will not believe it!

If you do not read this book, you are missing out big time!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Growing Pains" by Dwayne S. Joseph

Growing Pains by Dwayne S. Joseph is a good YA novel about a teenage boy named Brian. His teacher knows that he is a good student and tries to help Brian. Brian makes some bad choices and has to deal with the problems they bring. It goes fast and you really get to care about the people in the book. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Here's my teaser from it.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teaser: "Growing Pains" & "Nobody Loves Nobody"

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. 

Gerard's:

But she could only be on him so much, and because she spent the majority of her days going between two jobs, she wasn't able to police his extracurricular activities. She had no clue about the li'l somethin's he got into, or the crimes he committed with Tyrel and Will, and if she were to find out, Brian knew that she'd, first, be devastated, and then, second, flip out and go ballistic.

From page 25 of Growing Pains by Dwayne S. Joseph

Karen's:

You'll be teaching kindergarten through sixth grade at the shelter school," the personnel director said matter-of-factly. "Report to the metal shed at the compound under the Sixth South viaduct the day after Christmas vacation."

From page 4 of Nobody Don't Love Nobody by Stacey Bess.  Movie "Beyond The Chalkboard" is based on this book and was very good so that is why I wanted to read the book.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

BONUS: Read about a $100 Giveaway by the Ad Master at our other blog, "Right Where We Belong."

"Please Take Me For A Walk" by Susan Gal (Updated with video)

Please Take me For A Walk by Susan Gal is a cute, charming little book for children about a dog wanting to go for a walk with full-page illustrations portraying the reasons why the dog likes to go for walks.  It's a lovely book that was entertaining and amusing to me.  It only takes about three minutes to read.
(Karen's review 6/4/10)


Gerard's Review 6/4/10:  Loved It!  Woof!  Woof!
This book tells the story of a puppy who wants to go for a walk.  The words and pictures are very cute.  If you have a dog or love dogs, you will love it too.  It is especially for children, but are not we all kids at heart?

Our Dog, Abby's Review:
It is very inspiring!  It made me want to go for a walk.  I loved all the pictures of things I enjoy when walking.  Every dog would identify with this puppy!  Woof!  Woof!

Updated 7/19/11:
Abby was jealous when she found out I read to the cats so wanted me to read this book to her. This video shows me reading the book to Abby:



Happy Father's Day everyone!

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Crazy For The Storm: A Memoir Of Survival" by Norman Ollestad

A Remarkable Tale (20 stars):

Crazy For The Storm is the true story of Norman Ollestad who had a great relationship with his dad.  His dad pushed him to do things he did not think he could do.  Also gave him a desire to be the best.  Then one terrible day, the son was involved in a plane crash where he was the only survivor and had to put what his dad instilled in him to use.  I really marveled at what this young boy did!

(Gerard 6/17/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Minding Frankie" by Maeve Binchy

“Minding Frankie” by Maeve Binchy

I was very disappointed in “Minding Frankie” by Maeve Binchy. First off, I expected Frankie to be a boy and instead it was a baby girl. I was happy when I finally finished this book. It just dragged along for me. It is about a community in Ireland. The main story line is how a bunch of people help Noel, a single alcoholic dad take care of his baby girl that came as a surprise to him. The whole novel only covers the first year of Frankie’s life.

This book is like a soap opera in that there were so many different story lines, none of which I was really interested in. Other characters are Emily, the do-gooder cousin from America, Moira the social worker, Lisa who moves in with Noel because her life is a mess, Charles and Josie who are Noel’s parents that seek to build a statute to a dead saint. There are lots more characters too, all with their own story lines as well. I’d say this book is generally about how people live and how they need one another. It does show how a baby can change everything.

I found this book very boring for the most part. The only excitement was when Frankie was missing for a bit. The ending was good but it took forever to get there.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Finding Chandra" by Scott Highman and Sari Horwitz

Finding Chandra--A True Washington Murder Mystery by Scott Highman and Sari Horwitz is interesting. When this story broke it was major news. Then 9/11 happened and it was sort of forgotten. This reads like a novel but it is a true story. As always, I enjoyed learning more about this than I knew before which is the major reason I liked this book. I wouldn't call it compelling reading, but if you want to know the whole story about the missing girl, this book gives it to you.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teaser: "Finding Chandra" & "Where She Went" & "Minding Frankie"

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. 

Gerard's:

She saw the blade of a knife. He grabbed her around the throat and they crashed to the ground.

From page 180 of Finding Chandra--A True Washington Murder Mystery by Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz

That I was angry. That I was angry the accident happened. That I was angry I was the only survivor. That I was angry at you.

From page 206 of Where She Went by Gayle Forman (the sequel to If I Stay) You can read my reviews on both of these by clicking the links.

Karen's:

He left the delivery ward of St. Brigid's and headed for oncology. He knew what time Stella was going down for surgery and he wanted to be there as moral support.

From page 97 of Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Where She Went" by Gayle Foreman

Where She Went by Gayle Foreman is the sequel to If I Stay, which I Loved!  Where She Went tells the story from Adam's view.  It seems Mia dumped him and he does not know why.  This book picks up when Adam and Mia meet up in New York City.  I can't say I liked it as much as the first one, but it is not bad either.  I think it would make a good movie and liked the ending.  I'd like to see another book about these two--it's possible.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah

This kept Karen up Late!

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah is a fascinating and heartwarming read about two sisters who help a little missing girl that doesn't talk who just showed up in the small town of Rain Valley up in a tree with a wolf pup.

Julia is a psychiatrist whose reputation is shot and has lost her clients and her confidence because of it but who returns to her home town when her sister, Ellie-the chief of police, calls her for help with the "wolf girl." 


I liked this book very much.  I was fascinated at how Julia fell in love with the little "wolf girl" and helped her begin to talk again.  It was heart-breaking when after she decided to adopt the girl that her biological father came for her.  Julia and Ellie both struggled with being professional and their strong attachment to the girl.  When they found out about the dad's prison record, giving her up was even harder.  This is one of the few books that I looked forward to reading to see what would happen next and stayed up late to finish it.  I highly recommend this one!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Scoreboard Baby" by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry

Wow! Oh wow! I decided to read Scoreboard Baby Scoreboard Baby by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry because of what is going on at Ohio State and the trouble they are in. This book is about the year 2000 football season at the University of Washington.

I didn't think it was going to be this good, but it is!! The stuff these guys got away with because they were football players made the Ohio State stuff look like kid's play. Rape, shooting, drugs, DUI all looked at the other way not only by the school, but the law as well--UNBELIEVABLE! Sad but true. The reporters did an outstanding job of investigating.

This was a real eye opener for me--loved it! If you want to find out the story beyond Saturday college game days, this book is for you.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"If You Believe" by Kristin Hannah

If You Believe by Kristin Hannah is an historical novel about love.  Three lonely people find each other, Mariah, Mad Dog, and Jake.  Although very predictable, I enjoyed this book because of the issues Mariah and Mad Dog both had.  Jake following his dad hoping for a happy reunion was heartwarming.  Rass, Mariah’s father, was my favorite character because of his concern for his daughter and his kindness toward Mad Dog and Jake.  He kept seeking to improve his relationship with his daughter and help her let go of the past so she could enjoy the present and the future before he died.  I loved the banter between Mariah and Mad Dog.  This book was predictable right from the start but has wit, warmth, humor, sex and heartbreak which kept my interest. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Glimpse" by Carol Lynch Williams

WOW! Double WOW!! Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williamsis an awesome read about two sisters, Lizzie and Hope, who live with their mom. One day Lizzie tries to kill herself but doesn't go through with it and is taken to a mental hospital. Hope cannot figure out why and when Lizzie tells her to be careful, she is really confused. One day Hope finds out by listening to her mom talking to Lizzie about a terrible secret they share. The suspense about this secret builds all the way through! It is a hard book to put down. This is the third book I read by Carol Lynch Williams and is by far her best!  It has a super ending too! I'm telling you to read this book, it is fantastic!

Glimpse is one of the most unusual books I have ever read because the whole bookiis written in free verse!
(Gerard's review)
Check out my teaser for this one.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at

the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teaser: "Glimpse" and "The Cow Loves Cookies"

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. 

Gerard's review:

Them secrets no one
should know should know about.
You hear me, Liz? I
wish you'd open your
eyes, baby. You keep
them secrets to yourself, hear.
Do you hear me?

From Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams. This is a teen book written all in verse like that.

This is such a quick read, our review of "The Cow Loves Cookies" by  Karma Wilson is up already but thought you might enjoy this teaser--something a little different.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Cow Loves Cookies" by Karma Wilson is a Fun Read!

"The Cow Loves Cookies" by Karma Wilson is a fun book to read about what animals eat on a farm. The illustrations are very good too! We both enjoyed this children's book and highly recommend it for preschoolers. This is a really quick read!

For a laugh, take a few minutes and watch this video of Karen reading it to our cats, Spunky Doodle and Manny. (When Manny first came into our home, he was kept in a separate room for a few days and Karen would go in and read aloud so he could get used to her voice. He still likes it when she reads to him!)




You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Miles From Ordinary" by Carol Lynch Williams

I read The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams and liked it so decided to also read Miles From Ordinary by her. I liked The Chosen One better, but this one isn't all bad. Miles From Ordinary is about Lacey, a young teen girl who has to deal with her mom who has mental problems. All seems well one day as they both have new jobs to go to. When Lacey is done with her job and goes to meet up with her mom, she finds that her mom is missing. I read this book in one day—it's a quick read.  
(Gerard's review)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Chosen One" by Carol Lynch Williams

(picture from Goodreads)

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is not a “wow” book, but I enjoyed it a lot! Kyra lives in a compound. She is not allowed to read books or go to the outside world. The compound is ruled by the PROPHET. He decides Kyra must marry her father's uncle, a man in his 60s. She does not want to go along. I liked this book better than I thought I would. It kept me turning pages and moved along at a good clip.  Here's my teaser.

(Gerard's review)
 
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Comment For Our Charity For June: Joni And Friends

We are pleased to announce that during May we received a total of 267 legitimate comments on our blogs so will donate $134 to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Thanks to all our readers who took extra time to leave comments!

For June, we are excited about donating 50 cents per comment on all four of our blogs to Joni and Friends. Joni is a person Gerard most admires and whose ministry is close to his heart. Joni is a paraplegic, an artist and founder of Joni and Friends. After reading Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, I have more compassion for those with disabilities and got a better understanding of their needs and what they go through. I am so grateful that I do not have these struggles and want to help those who do. Donating to Joni and Friends is a good way to help.

Joni and Friends is a Christian organization that seeks to meet physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the physically challenged. The exciting part is that up until July 15, there is a group of supporters who will match each donation received up to $250,000. That means our donation will be doubled so this is the right time to donate! Visit Joni and Friends website to learn more about this fantastic organization.

Please visit our blogs and comment away! The best way to visit our blogs regularly would be to include us in your blog roll so you can easily see when we update and remember to visit.

If you donate to a charity per comment on your blog, kindly let us know so we can include you in our special “comments for charity” blog roll and support you as well. Take a look at it to find other blogs that are doing this. Our other three are listed there.

Tuesday Teaser: "The Chosen One" and "If You Believe"

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. 

Gerard's:

Me? What? Me to be married? I think I have no blood. I think I have lost the ability to breathe.

From page 24 of The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams.

Karen's:

He didn't reach for her. His only touch was with his eyes. And somehow that look, that glance, was more intense and physical than any touch she'd ever known.

From page 88 of If You Believe by Kristin Hannah.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Two Kisses For Maddy" by Matthew Logelin

WOW! What an awesome book Two Kisses For Maddy by Matthew Logelin is! Matt never intended to write a book, but when his wife, Liz, died the day after giving birth to their daughter, Maddy, he did. This book pulls no punches. Matt describes his feelings so well! He takes the reader through the birth of their daughter, his wife's death, funeral and how he has to raise a daughter on his own. All this from a guy who says he has trouble hanging a picture on a wall! I enjoyed the book very much. I just wish like he does, he did not have to write it. I encourage you to read this book—it's very good! Visit his website at http://www.mattlogelin.com/

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Emergency Teacher" by Christina Asquith

I was disappointed in The Emergency Teacher--the Inspirational Story of a New Teacher in an Inner City School by Christina Asquith.  It’s about a journalist who decides to be an emergency teacher for a year in an inner city school in Philadelphia that has a reputation as a bad school.  The school district was so desperate that it accepted practically anybody—no teaching degree necessary.  Even then, the special Ed class never did get a steady teacher.  This book tells the tragic story about the inequities in education in America.  The author wrote about her own experience in teaching a 6th grade class in a bilingual school.  She soon found out teaching was not as easy as she thought it would be. 

This is not the typical inspirational story about how a teacher goes into a tough class and turns it around, making a difference in their lives.  This one sadly is probably more realistic.  Yes, the teacher tries to teach; yes, she becomes attached to her students and cares about them; and yes, her students come around and like her for the most part.  However, few if any graduate.  It shows more failures than successes.  It started off very slow and I almost gave up on this one but then about halfway through it finally got better.  
(Karen's review)

Here's my teaser.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter (UPDATED 6-1-11)

Wow and wow! I didn't think I would like Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter this much, but I did! Always a good thing when I am pleasantly surprised. Three Little Words is the true story of Ashley and her brother who were put into foster care because their mom was unfit to raise them. It reads like a novel but the sad part is that it is true. It was an eye opener for me that this kind of stuff goes on. I enjoyed it right from the start. It has a super ending! I highly recommend you put this on your TBR list!
(Gerard's review)

Here's our teaser for this. Karen plans on reading this one too.

UPDATED 6-1-11 (Karen's review):
Books like this make me so proud and grateful for parents who were foster parents to two sisters and a brother so they wouldn't have to be split up. The boy was the youngest, age 4, when they moved in and it was the only foster home they ever had. The girls were 5 and 6. Although my parents never adopted them, we were definitely a family!

Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter is both heart-breaking and inspirational. When reading this, I was outraged at some of the foster homes this girl lived in and some of the social workers. Fortunately, it is not all bad and shows there were some very special people who came into her life that really helped her find good parents. Ashley and her brother were together in some homes but then were separated. I felt bad that her adoptive parents wouldn't take the boy too.

I really related to her feelings about visiting her mom and looking forward to the day when they would be reunited. The kids we took in always had this same hope that never materialized until after the girls graduated. Then they moved in with their biological dad nearby for a short time. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about kids. Maybe it will even prod you to open your home to a child who needs a family!
Sorry for my personal experience tossed into this review, but it really hit a nerve with me.    Thanks, Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time for recommending this book to us!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Lincoln Lawyer" by Michael Connelly (UPDATED-We Both Read This)

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly is about Mickey Haller, a sleazy but likeable defense attorney whose ex-wives are his secretary and a prosecuting attorney.  Mickey is used to defending creeps but when he defends a rich realtor scumbag named Louis Roulet on an aggravated assault charge, he discovers his life and the lives of those he loves are in danger.  I am at a loss for words on this one because it portrays the justice system in a very bad light.  Some things were very disturbing to me but it is a good read.   (Karen's Review)

Whether you decide to see the movie or read the book, The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly is not to be missed! WOW! This is good! Mickey is a lawyer who drives around in a Lincoln (thus, the name for the book). He gets a case which seems like a slam dunk but it's not. This novel is full of twists and turns and a super plot will have you hooked with a fantastic ending! The Lincoln Lawyer is a must read!

Here is the link to my teaser from this book.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: "Out Of My Mind", "The Emergency Teacher", "3 Little Words"

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:

I knew a lot of words, but I couldn't read a book. I had a million thoughts in my head, but I couldn't share them with anybody. On top of that, people didn't really expect the kids in H-5 to learn much anyway.

From page 45 of Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. Click the link to see my review of this one.

Alone in this spooky castle, I crept down the stairs, and then ran down the hallway to the fire-escape door. A heavy chain hung from one side, but had no padlock. Panting, I flung the door open, realizing the next time I came back here the building would be filled with kids.

From page 27 of The Emergency Teacher--The Inspirational Story of a New Teacher in an Inner City School by Christina Asquith. (non-fiction)

Gerard's:

The cake smelled lemony as it baked.  My mother handed her parenting class completion certificate to Mr. Ferris.  "There's only a few more tasks on my list before you can come home with me," she said to me.

From page 89 of Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Night Road" by Kristin Hannah (UPDATED)

This book would make an excellent Hallmark or Lifetime movie! Night Road by Kristin Hannah is the story of three teens, two girls who become friends and the twin brother of one of the girls who falls in love with her friend. One night they drink and drive and the outcome of that mistake tells the story of this book. What made this book so good to me is that you care about each and every one of the characters. The writing is that good and also I liked the beautiful ending! Well worth your time to read this—it's a winner!
(Gerard's Review)

I loved Night Road by Kristin Hannah! This is such a heartbreaking story that delves into friendship, teenage drinking, family relationships, dealing with grief, love and forgiveness. Lexi is a very lonely but nice girl who grew up in foster care for most of her life. She becomes best friends with another lonely girl, Mia, who comes from a very good family. Lexi falls in love with Mia’s twin brother, Zach, the homecoming king. Mia’s parents, especially her mother, Jude, are thrilled Mia has a friend and treat Lexi as a member of the family. In one night, everything changes, just two weeks before graduation when the three good friends drink, drive and get in a car accident that leaves Mia dead.

This is just an amazing read. I could feel the emotions the different characters went through and couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lexi, the driver of the car. Zach, Lexi and Jude all played the blame game, mostly blaming themselves. I can’t say enough good things about this book! The characters were likeable and realistic, the plot is well done and certainly sends a strong message not to drive drunk. I have to read more books by Kristin Hannah—this one was so good! I highly recommend it to parents and teens or anyone who likes a good love story. This is definitely one of the best books I've read so far this year!
(Karen's review)

Other Reviews of this book:  Sheery's Place loved it!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Out Of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

I enjoyed this children's book, Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper about Melody, a girl with Cerebral Palsy. She had a photographic memory but greatly limited physically. She couldn't talk, walk, feed herself or do basic things. Kids thought she was retarded and pretty much ignored her or made fun of her. When she was in 5th grade, she got a medi-talker which enabled her to communicate. When the kids discovered how smart Melody was, they were very surprised.

This was a quick, enjoyable read that has increased my empathy for those who have disabilities.  I recommend this to anyone who knows or has contact with special needs kids.

To see how far we have come as a society though in treating people with Cerebral Palsy, I suggest you read Petey by Ben Mikaelsen which is about the 1920s.  This one is very sad but also interesting.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Check out Bloggin' bout Books review of this for another opinion:  An Important Story For Us All

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: "Night Road" and "The Lincoln Lawyer"

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:

Jude tried to find a smile again and couldn't. Maybe God had designed senior year so that mothers like her could let their children leave home. If this kept up, it would be easier than she'd thought.

From pg. 108 of Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Gerard's:

"This is incredible," Roulet said. "To have to sit here and listen to this. I can't believe what has happened to me. I DID NOT do this. This is like a dream. She is lying!"

From page 132 of The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Just wondering if you actually choose your teasers at random as in the instructions or do you cheat and look for something good?  I admit, we usually cheat and do some hand picking.

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You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Mary Surratt Lincoln Assassination Trial" by Bryna J. Fireside

Let me see a show of hands please for all those people who know the name Mary Surratt and her place in history. My hand would not have been raised before I read The Mary Surratt Lincoln Assassination Trial by Bryna J. Fireside. I enjoyed learning about history that I know nothing about. She was the only woman hanged in the U.S. This book covers the trial, the plot, and the killing of President Lincoln. It is only 109 pages so I finished it in one day. It left me wondering if Mary was innocent or guilty. I believe it's well worth your time to read!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"One Hundred Names For Love" by Diane Ackerman

One Hundred Names For Love by Diane Ackerman tells the heartwarming story of Diane's husband, Paul, who suffers a stroke. Both are very talented writers who have to find a new way of communicating with each other. Interesting to me was Diane explaining how our brain works.

If you want to read an inspirational love story of a husband and wife, I recommend this book. I finished it in just two days.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Keep A Little Secret" by Dorothy Garlock

Keep A Little Secret by Dorothy Garlock is about secrets, revenge and romance. Charlotte leaves her home in Minnesota to teach in Oklahoma and lives on John Grant’s ranch. John Grant is a target of two people holding grudges against him.  Owen and his twin sister leave Colorado in search of their father to get revenge but find love instead. There are several calamities that make this an interesting read.

I was attracted to the cover and when I saw it was by Dorothy Garlock, I had to get it. This is a fun read with some mystery, action and romance. I liked the teasing between the couples and between the brother and sister. The wildfire, stampede and tornado all made for exciting reading.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Our Friday Fragments

Half-Past Kissin’ Time host the Friday Fragments linky. It’s just short blurbs from your week that aren’t enough for a whole post by themselves. Here’s ours for this week:

We love the new elephant exhibit at the Cleveland zoo! We'll be posting all about it next week over at our other blog, Right Where We Belong on Tuesday hopefully.

Abby is on the chair, Spunky on the cat tree

Spunky Doodle regurgitated her breakfast in the living room and while I went for a paper towel to clean it up, Abby cleaned it up for me—yuck! She had it all licked up by the time I got back in less than 30 seconds! That is SO gross!

Today is our anniversary of our proposal day. We’ve been married 13 years now. We used to celebrate it, now we just mention it. Happy proposal day, honey!

It was nice being off work Wednesday and Thursday this week. Went to the zoo Wednesday and the Indians game on Thursday. Go Tribe!  It was actually hot, a gorgeous day but sad they lost.  

My husband has worked for 40 years at the same place as of June and they offered to give us an all-expense paid trip to Boston to see a Red Sox game—one of his dreams.  Don't know if he'll actually go yet or not.

Our backyard grass

Our grass looks good now.  Last fall we think skunks were hunting for grubs and tore it all up but Gerard put some Grub-X down and it seems to have worked.  Here's the link about our messed up yard:  Did You Ever Have This Problem?

This is posted late because Blogger was down--oh well. I was frustrated that I couldn't leave comments on other blogs and I couldn't schedule posts on mine. I really like blogging and missed it!

Since Blogger was down this morning, I played Word Womp on Pogo before work this morning and found all the words for a change--that only happened once or twice before.

Why not visit Friday Fragments for more and link some of yours up too.

"The King's Speech" by Mark Lougue and Peter Conradi

The King's Speech deals with the true story of King George VI who had a severe speech problem. His wife urged him to see a speech therapist—Lionel Logue. The rest, as they say, is history! A very interesting book about how he overcame his problem and how his speech rallied a nation. A very good read. I hope to see the movie one day.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"History Of A Suicide--My Sister's Unfinished Life" by Jill Bialosky

History Of A Suicide—My Sister's Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky tells the story of how Jill is dealing with the suicide of her sister, Kim. It's a lot more than that though. It also tells of Jill's own struggles of having two children die during childbirth and of their mom who blames herself and refuses to visit Kim's grave site.

Jill goes to support groups and I found it interesting to read how different families handle the after math of suicides that touched them. Finally, Jill recalls Kim's life and what may have led up to her killing herself.

By no means is this an enjoyable read, but a fascinating story well told.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Unplanned" by Abby Johnson with Cindy Lambert

You have to read Unplanned by Abby Johnson because it's just so good! It's the true story of Abby, who was a leader of a Planned Parenthood chapter. One day she had to see the actual abortion, and that changed her whole life from then on. The story is amazing! A coalition For Life was praying right next door and she went to join them. But the part I really enjoyed in this book is her relationship with God! She shares how God can use anyone to spread His word and Abby praying is so good! I got chills reading about it.

This is a powerful book that you will not want to put down. Abby, if you are reading this, thanks for sharing and God bless your husband, daughter and you. You wrote a fantastic book!

 
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: "unPLANNED" and "Keep A Little Secret"

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. 

Gerard's:

I had a sudden urge to yell, "Stop!" To shake the woman and say, "Look at what is happening to your baby! Wake up! Hurry! Stop them!"

From p. 5-6 of unPLANNED by Abby Johnson (Gerard's review will be posted tomorrow)

Karen's:

"I can't do that," Owen spat solemnly. "I can't accept it. I'll tear this place apart piece by piece if I have to. Mother may have wanted to keep her little secret, to try her damnedest to protect us, but for what that man has done to all of us, I swear that I will know his name.

From page 5 of Keep A Little Secret by Dorothy Garlock.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Black and White" by Paul Volponi is a Super Read! (UPDATED)

Black and White by Paul Volponi is a teen novel about how a few bad decisions can wreck a friendship and a promising future. Marcus and Eddie were close friends on the high school basketball team with hopes of getting college scholarships. They started robbing people to get some fast cash until things got out of hand one day and Eddie shot a man who could ID Marcus. Marcus was black and Eddie was white. The part I liked best was how the parents were affected. It is an interesting quick read that deals with friendship, consequences and the unfairness of the justice system. I would recommend this to teens.  (Karen's review 5/9/11)

(Gerard's review 5/4/11)
What a super book to start the month of May with! Black and White by Paul Volponi tells the story of two young teen boys who play on the same high school basketball team—one black, one white. They are best friends and turn to crime to get some money. What I enjoyed about this book is that it is told from the black side and the white side. It is a young adult novel but I think any age would like it. I know I did! I highly recommend you read this one—it's good!!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Endgame" by Frank Brady

Biography of Bobby Fischer

Endgame by Frank Brady is the kind of book I love that catches me up to speed on a person or subject that I really didn't know that much about. Don't worry, you do not have to be into Chess to enjoy this book. It deals more with the life of Bobby Fisher than his Chess games although Chess, of course, is a big part of the book as you would think. He was a child prodigy who at age 14 was beating Chess masters. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend that you read it too.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Live to Tell" by Lisa Gardner (Updated)

Live To Tell certainly kept my interest.  It focused on Danielle who was the lone survivor when the rest of her family was murdered.  She went to work as a nurse in a Children's Psych ward to help kids who had mental illnesses.  That gave me insight into something I knew absolutely nothing about so found very interesting.  On the other hand, the "spiritual healer" that was into New Age thinking was too goofy for me.  That part of the book made no sense to me but was a core part of the book.  I liked it because it was interesting, but also found it very sad and depressing.  I did liked the ending though but wow, what a journey!  
(Karen's review 5/6/11)

Gerard's review:
Live To Tell by Lisa Gardner is one of her best books yet!  Two families are brutally murdered, one girl hangs herself, a boy has a fixation to kill his mother, and another girl thinks she's a cat!  Is that enough action for you?  I loved that this book was action-packed and moved along quickly.  It had me turning page after page!  I highly recommend you read this one!

Have your read this?  For the month of May, we will donate 50 cents for each legitimate comment to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"56--Joe DiMaggio And The Last Magic Number In Sports" by Kostya Kennedy

As a rule, I do not read a lot of sports books because I find most of them to be boring. However, Joe DiMaggio by Kostya Kennedy covers the 56-game hitting streak of Joe DiMaggio but it's more than just a game-by-game recap. The author really sets the scene of life in 1941. I enjoyed this book a lot! It took me just two days to read it. Even though I hate the Yankees, I loved 56—Joe DiMaggio And The Last Magic Number In Sports. If you are a baseball fan, I think you will love this one too!
(Gerard's review)
Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"The Caregiver" by Shelley Shepard Gray

The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray is the first book of Shelley’s “Families of Honor” series. It is about Lucy, an Amish abused widow who goes to take care of her cousin who is going through chemo treatments. On the train there, she meets Calvin Weaver who is going to the same place and learns that he his her cousin’s neighbor. They hit it off on the train until she witnesses his temper which reminds her of her dead husband and that she can’t trust men. Over time, she opens up and finds love with Calvin, big surprise--NOT! There are discussion questions at the end of this book so this could be a book club read.

Here's a little teaser from page 25:

She would concentrate only on Mattie's needs. That would enable her to keep her mind off her own pain and start to move on.

I didn’t care too much for this book because I really didn’t like Lucy, the main character or her cousin, Mattie, although I think she was the most believable of the characters with her faith waning as the chemo treatments progressed, making her feel worse instead of better. My favorite character was Calvin’s little sister, Katie, but she was only in the beginning of the book.  This seemed to move slow and I like books that I really look forward to seeing what happens next.  This just didn't grab my interest although I like the cover!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: "The Caregiver" and "Black and White"

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. 

Gerard's:

My right hand was in my coat pocket, still wrapped around the gun. I could smell that it had just been fired. But I wouldn't pull it out again.

From page 14 of Black and White by Paul Volponi


Karen's:

She would concentrate only on Mattie's needs. That would enable her to keep her mind off her own pain and start to move on.

From page 25 of The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray.


You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Comment For Charity--The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!

We received 322 (our highest yet!) comments during April and were happy to donate $161 to Samaritan’s Purse to help with the relief efforts in Japan after the earthquake and Tsunami.  Now they are helping those in Alabama recover from their destruction.  This organization is wonderful, founded by Dr. Billy Graham's. son.  I actually read his autobiography,  Rebel With A Cause by Franklin Graham which describes the beginnings of Samaritan's Purse. Thanks to all who took time to comment in April!

For the month of May, our charity for comments is The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  I used to participate in the Great Strides walk each year, but really do not like to hit up people for money so thought I would donate 50 cents per comment during May.

My friend has a child with Cystic Fibrosis.  I never realized what all it entailed until I watched this video made by the father when she was three that shows what it is like.

Here are some statistics regarding cystic fibrosis that I got from www.cff.org:

• About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
• More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
• More than 45% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
• The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is in the mid-30s.

We hope you will visit all four of our blogs (listed on our sidebar) and comment away in May!  If you donate per comment to charity, please let us know so we can add your blog to our special blog roll of others we know that do.

"Rebel With A Cause" by Franklin Graham

Rebel With A Cause is the autobiography of Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist, Billy Graham. It can be a real encouragement to anyone who has some wayward kids. Franklin Graham was a rebellious teenager and did not want to be a preacher or a missionary. In the book he tells how God kept on working in his life and how God prepared him and led him to take over overseeing the Samaritan’s Purse ministry. He was both reckless and cocky growing up, but he surrendered his life to Christ and God used him to help people in great need and further His kingdom.

A couple principles he shared that I thought were helpful were these:

(1) Always leave “God room.” God room refers to the gap between what your resources are and what the need is. True faith is when you promise more than you can deliver, but trust God to provide the rest.

(2) Don’t beg for money. This is a principle that Franklin Graham used in running Samaritan’s Purse. His plan was to present the facts. Let people know the need, and then back off and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. He gives practical examples over and over throughout the book that shows this principle works.

Franklin’s life was quite an adventure! It was through this book that I first became familiar with Samaritan’s Purse. I look forward each Christmas to support Operation Christmas Child which is just one of the Samaritan’s Purse projects.  This organization is often among the first to get relief to disaster areas worldwide. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?
During April we will donated 50 cents for each legitimate comment on any of our blogs ($161) to Samaritan's Purse to provide relief to Japan.  During May, our charity is The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs listed on our sidebar!