"Part Wild" by Ceiridwen Terrill (UPDATED)

What a story this is!  "Part Wild" by Ceiridwen Terrill is the true story of Ceiridwen trying to raise a wolf dog from the moment it was born.  I loved this book so much!  The writing is so good that I wanted to reach out and help her or give her a hug at least.  Her husband gives her just as much trouble, if not more, than the dog does!  There are funny and sad moments—this book has it all!  It's a page turner for sure.  Make it a point to read this book because you will love it and remember it when you are done.
(Gerard's review)

This is a sad story about how the author struggled with both her relationship with Inyo, her wolfdog (part dog, part wolf) and her husband. She truly believed that if she tried hard enough, she could make any relationship work only to be proved wrong by both her dog and her husband, Ryan. Both the dog and Ryan were part wild! She describes the different problems that came up with both the dog and Ryan. To protect the dog, she lied over and over again, moved from place to place because they got evicted, and finally gave up and had to have Inyo put down. She couldn’t make an enclosure sturdy enough to keep the dog contained and it would chew furniture, clothes and even doors!

Right from the start I didn’t understand why anyone would want a wolfdog. I was glad to see by the end of the book the author said to love dogs, you hold them close but to love wolves, you let them roam. This is an interesting book because it gave me some insight into a lifestyle very different from my own. It seems the author was admitting she made two big mistakes, one was getting a wolfdog instead of a regular dog and the second was marrying Ryan who was heavy in debt, drank and addicted to video games. I felt sorry for the author but was glad it had a happy ending. If you think it would be cool to have a wolfdog, I highly suggest you read this book first!
(Karen'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.

"Edenville Owls" by Robert B. Parker (GIVEAWAY)

Edenville Owls by Robert B. Parker is his first book for teen readers about a kid who shows remarkable leadership, compassion, and courage.  He leads his 8^th grade basketball team to the state championship game without a coach and only five boys called the Edenville Owls.  He figured out how to help his nice English teacher out of a really bad situation and enjoyed a friendship with Joanie, a girl who was his best friend.


This is a quick-read, a good story with a kid who faced the question of how many bad things should he do in order to do a very good thing.  It shows that working together with friends can accomplish great things.  I think boys would like this one.


If you would like to have this book, just leave a comment letting us know along with your email address so we can contact you for your address.  The first one who wants it, gets it (limited to U.S. residents).


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.

"Katie Up and Down the Hall" by Glenn Plaskin

Katie Up and Down the Hall by Glenn Plaskin is a wonderful story about Katie, a small dog, who is able to bring people together in a small apartment complex in New York.  I especially enjoyed the part of how they all dealt with the tragedy of September 11, 2001.  This is really a good read and the writing is very good.  Give it a try, it's worth 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 Teasers: 3 This week (2 non-fiction, one thriller)

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:

If Inyo was testing me, then I failed--because I backed off. I chose to keep all of my fingers and refused to wrangle with her over a bunch of goopy marrowbones.

From page 85 of Part Wild by Ceiridwen Terrill.  (I just finished this but I liked it so well I wanted to share a teaser from it.)

Betty planted a parting kiss on Katie's wet nose--"see you next time, sister!"--and off we went.

There wasn't one person on the street who didn't turn around or stop us, as Katie was now irresistible.

From page 61 of Katie Up and Down the Hall--The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family by Glenn Plaskin.

Karen's:  

Honor's heart began beating painfully hard and fast.  Should she throw herself over Emily in an attempt to protect her, or attack him, or plead for mercy?

From page 84 of Lethal by Sandra Brown.

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.

"True Colors" by Kristin Hannah

What a neat novel True Colors by Kristin Hannah is!  It starts off following the lives of three sisters from when their mother died while they were teens.  Aurora is the peace maker who settled for marriage to “Mr. Boring” while the eldest daughter, Winona, an attorney, loves her younger sister’s fiancé and longs for her father’s approval.  Vivi Ann, is engaged to a real nice guy, but isn’t in love with him and follows her heart and passion when Dallas , the new ranch hand shows an interest in her.  The plot thickens when Vivi Ann goes against her family and marries Dallas who gets arrested for murder!  This is a great story that shows the bond between sisters as well as a contemporary romance and the struggle of a single mom whose husband is rotting away in prison.

I loved this book because the characters were so believable and the story line drew me in and wouldn’t let go!  I liked how the author brought in the horses and ranch activities, how she shared with the reader how the son felt growing up without his dad through his journal entries, and the family dynamics.  It’s a love story about love, hope, forgiveness, betrayal, family ties, second chances, heartbreak and redemption.  I highly recommend this one!

(Karen'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.

"Lethal" by Sandra Brown (UPDATED)

Wow!  Oh WOW! What a thrill ride Lethal by Sandra Brown is!  Honor and her 4-yr.-old, Emily, are taken hostage by Lee Coburn.  Later on you think that might be a good thing, or is it?  I never knew who the good guys and who the bad guys were in this book.  After awhile, I just decided to quit trying to figure it out and went along with an outstanding read.  If you want a page turner, this is it!  I really enjoyed it a lot, including the ending.  It has many twists and turns.  I LOVED everything about Lethal:  the characters were outstanding, the writing well done and the plot riveting!
(Gerard's review)

Lethal by Sandra Brown is full of surprises!  It is a thriller mystery with romance too and kept my interest.  Honor, a widow of a cop, and her 4-yr.-old daughter have the adventure of their lives when they see a man lying in their yard while baking cupcakes for the upcoming birthday party.   This book has suspense, adventure, mystery, organized crime and family ties all wrapped up in it to produce a fantastic read.  The relationship between Emily, the 4-yr-old daughter and the mean man is humorous and very entertaining.  The FBI has its work cut out for them when they are brought in to help catch a mass murderer and track down the leader of a crime ring when no one knows who they can trust.  I liked the ending although it is a bit open-ended for the reader to decide what happens next.  I highly recommend this book—it’s definitely a page turner that you get drawn into right away.

(Karen'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.

"Angel on a Leash" by David Frei

I'd like to be a therapy dog-Woof!

Angel on a Leash--Therapy Dogs and the Lives They Touch by David Frei  is a wonderful book about therapy dogs and David's experiences with his.  Therapy dogs do such good work by visiting people who have cancer, or other illnesses or disabilities, and Ronald McDonald House for kids.  The stories are touching and the pictures of the people with the dogs are priceless.  I know when our dog, Abby, goes up to people, most really enjoy it!  This is a very informative book that tells what all is involved if you want your dog to be a therapy dog and what to expect. 

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: Angel on a Leash and True Colors

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:

Suddenly, someone is thinking about something other than his or her challenges or pain or a grim outlook or the next treatment. Right now, for this moment, it's not about the person, it's about the dog.

Taken from page 22 of Angel on a Leash--Therapy Dogs and the Lives They Touch by David Frei.

Karen's:

But years later, when she looked back on that week of her mother's death, Winona saw how that single action--the handing over of a lead rope--had changed everything. From then on, jealousy had become an undercurrent, swirling beneath their lives.

Take from page 8 of True Colors by Kristin Hannah.

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 Tangible Kingdom Primer"

The Tangible Kingdom Primer is an 8-week curriculum for a small group Bible study that has some very challenging concepts.  The thrust of the book is to win people to Christ through action and intentionally reaching out to people like Jesus did, being His hand and feet.  I found it thought provoking helpful in getting me more involved in the community.  I did not like the formatting of this book because some of it was hard to read.  The authors used dark backgrounds and too many variety of fonts which I found annoying.  It was hard to highlight or write notes on the dark pages.
(Karen'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.

"Love At First Bark" by Julie Klam is Funny!

This book contains three stories about Julie Klam, who is into rescuing dogs.  All three are unique in their own way and all three are very good!  Julie is a riot--very funny!  If you are into dogs, this is a good book for 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.

"Dear Bully--70 Authors Tell Their Stories"

Dear Bully contains 70 stories about bullying, edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones.  I'd say 96 percent of the stories are very, very good.  If you were bullied like I was in school, I'm sure you will identify with many of them. This book is heartbreaking because these people were bullied for no good reason.  Having been bullied, especially for long stretches, is something you never forget.  Dear Bully also tells of people who did nothing to stop it and now regret their decision.  This should be a must read for teens and adults too--bullying goes on in he work place as well.
(Gerard's review)

Want to read about my experience?  Here's the link to a post I wrote about it:  The Fat Stutterer

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Other books about bullying that we liked and recommend:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (science fiction)
Please Stop Laughing At Us by Jodee Blanco (non-fiction)
Sonshine Girls: Summer Secret by Renee Morris (Christian teen fiction)
Please Stop Laughing At Me by Jodee Blanco (non-fiction)
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (fiction)

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.

"My Life Deleted" by Scott and Joan Bolzam

My Life Deleted by Scott and Joan Bolzam sounded interesting to me so I got the book from the library.  Basically, the guy fell and hit his head which caused him to lose his memory.  He didn't know his family or who he was.  I skimmed about the last half of the book.  Basically he started his life over again.  It just didn't have enough action for me and the writing style did not hold my interest. It just plodded along.

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.

"Roam" by Alan Lazar is Heartwarming

Talk about not being able to put a book down; I finished this book in one day (and I work full time).  Yes, to me it's that good!  ROAM by Alan Lazar is about a dog named Nelson who has a very nice home with a loving owner named Katey (his first owner).  One day the gate is left open and Nelson just wants to go exploring.  What a heartwarming book this is!  Nelson goes and finds different places and meets new people.  It's a great tale!  If you enjoyed the "Art of Racing" I think you will love this book.  I cried over this book like I cried over "Dewey, the Library Cat" but I loved both these books.  This is my favorite read for this month so far.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

We are thankful for our pets!

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!  Hope you will stop by my other blog and read about My Favorite Thanksgiving. (An excerpt from "My Funny Dad, Harry," the book I wrote in memory of my dad.)--Karen

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: "Dear Bully" and "Mudbound"

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:

Shame has bound my truth and stolen away my words. How do you tell your mother you've become a target, a loser, a failure, a lunchtime joke?

From page 122 of Dear Bully--70 Authors Tell Their Stories

Karen's:

I tried to shape my happiness out of the fabric of his, like a good wife ought to, but his contentment tore at me. I would see him standing at the edge of the fields with his hands in his pockets, looking out over the land with fierce pride of possession, and think, He's never looked at me like that, not once.

.
Taken from page 130 of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. (Click the link to see Gerard's review of this one.)

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.

"Following Atticus" by Tom Ryan

WOW!  Following Atticus by Tom Ryan is good!!  It is the true story of Tom Ryan and his dog, Atticus.  After a close friend of his dies from Cancer, Tom takes it upon himself and Atticus, of course, to climb all 48 mountains in New Hampshire twice to aid the Jimmy Fund, a cause to help fight Cancer.

It is an amazing story of the bond between Tom and his dog.  You will get caught up in it liked I did and just a little spoiler here--Atticus does not die.  Read and enjoy!
 (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.

"Angel Fire" by Lisa Miscione (Unger) (UPDATED)

Two things you should know about this book:  (1) it is written by Lisa Unger and (2) it is very , very good!  Lydia Strong and Jeffrey Mark are on the trail of a serial killer.  I loved the part about Lydia and her mom and the byplay between Lydia and Jeff.  Good luck with trying to guess who the killer is because it is not revealed until the very end.

This is a real page turner!  It took me just two days to read it; loved it!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review (11/20/11):

This is a good murder mystery all right.  Like Gerard said, I didn't guess who the killer was until very near the end.  I was creeped out by the killer cutting out the hearts of his victims even though the author spared us the gory details.  I liked it all right, but didn't love it as much as Gerard did.  While I was reading this one during the Browns game against Jacksonville today, Manny climbed up in my lap and read with me!

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.

"Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan: LOVED IT! (UPDATED)

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is historical fiction that reminded me of The Help but is a much faster read. I LOVED this one even more than When She Woke, the first book I read by Hillary Jordan. Mudbound tells the story of a black family and a white family living in the deep south in the early 1940s. The black family are the sharecroppers on the white family's land. The characters are likable and well developed. It has a really good ending and would make a fantastic movie!

If you liked The Help by Kathryn Stockton, you will love this book too!  I highly recommend this one!
(Gerard's Review)

Karen's review:
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is a book that drew me into the characters.  It is historical fiction during 1946 about a black and a white man coming home from war to Mississippi to help their families on the farm.  I had no idea what this book was about from the title, but “Mudbound” is the name of the farm Henry bought out of the blue without even consulting his wife, Laura.  She is the one who named the farm because she felt trapped there.  Through great story telling by all the characters, the reader discovers the tragic story behind Pappy’s death.

Although I did not like the offensive language, it was a part of history and was used appropriately in conveying the unfairness the Blacks faced every day.  Mudbound is very well written and had lots of good passages in it.  I had a hard time choosing a teaser!  I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it if you like books with some depth that cause you to really take an interest in the characters.  I agree with Gerard that it would make a good movie.

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.

Cover Art Weekend Blog Hop

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

I chose a beautiful cover this week that really captures the story as well.  Read our review of The Guardian.

This is a brand new meme to display all those beautiful, funny, crazy and even those that make you think book covers you come across each week. I don't know about the rest of you, but I love looking at different book covers. You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but they are sure fun to look at. So, if you'd like to join in the fun, all you have to do is...

1. Take the button at the top of this post and post it on your blog.

2. Chose a book cover of your choice and post it. (You can post as many covers as you'd like.)

3. Sign up with Mr. Linky at Socrates' Book Reviews. Please use the url that links directly to your cover art post.

4. Visit other blogs on the list to see what covers they are featuring this week.

Instead of just one day, this hop runs through the weekends - from Fridays to Mondays. That gives people more of a chance to blog hop.

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 Guardian" by Nicholas Sparks

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks is a combination of a love story and a thriller with a dog thrown in.  The main character is Julie, a young widow who works at a salon and finally decides to date four years after her husband died.  Her husband, Jim, left her a letter and arranged for her to get a Great Dane puppy in the event of his death which I thought was a pretty neat idea.  The dog was his way of watching out for her.  After the Prologue, this book poked along for me until about half way through when the psycho stalks her and she realizes she is in danger.  I liked "The Guardian" because of the dog involved watching out for Julie.  Gerard read this a long time ago and liked it too.  He said I should read it and I finally got to it and am glad I did!

BEWARE:  SPOILER AHEAD--STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK!
The ending was pretty intense but I didn't like that the dog died.  I think Julie should have went for the gun when her dog grabbed the guys arm instead of letting him shoot her dog.  I get that the dog was like a guardian angel and once Richard was dead, she'd have Mike and live happily ever after and the dog's "job" was done.  I just think the dog could have lived too--I would have liked that ending better.

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.

"Sweetness--Life of Walter Payton" by Jeff Pearlman

I enjoyed Sweetness--The Enigmatic Life Of Walter Payton a lot!  It tells the story of the life of Walter Payton aka Sweetness, a football player.  I especially liked hearing from all the players he played with and against as well as the details of his life off the field were fantastic and enjoyable.  It must have taken a lot of research to write such a book.  It seemed he left nothing out!  If you are a football fan, I think you will love 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.

"Leading With The Heart" by Mike Krzyzewski

I read Leading With The Heart--Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life by Mike Krzyzewski last year but with him being breaking coach Bobby Knight's record of winning the most College basketball games this week, I thought it would be appropriate to repost this.

This is a helpful book about coaching but many of the principles and tips he shares could also apply to business and teaching.  Every coach should read this one because there are so many practical tips that Mike shares and solid principles to follow.  After each chapter is a summary of the main points.  Mike shares from his experiences to illustrate his points in a very interesting way. 

Some key points on coaching that stood out to me from Leading With The Heart--Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life by Mike Krzyzewski (Duke's head basketball coach):

1.  Recruit players with character who respect their parents, willing to be part of the team and are coachable.

2.   Do not have a bunch of rules that limit you, it's better to just have one rule:  "Don't do anything detrimental to yourself."

3.    Use plural pronoun's such as "our," "we," "us" so it's the player's team and not just the coach's. 

4.    Always look your players in the eye and tell the truth.

5.    Share the goals with the players.

6.    Lead with confidence, show your players what they need to see.

7.    Imagine the loose ball you're chasing has your name on it.  It belongs to you.

8.     Stress honor in all things.

9.      Set goals that revolve around playing together as a team, never the number of wins.  Define your own success.

10.    Five fundamental qualities that make a team great:  communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride.

11.    Win or lose together--don't play the blame game.

12.    Address the little things you may encounter in a real situation.

13.    Be positive about all things that happen to the team.  Look at nothing in the past as failure.  Learn from every game.

14.    Plan but be flexible.

15.    Believe you can win, but don't assume you can.

16.    Always respect your competition.

17.    Set up some team traditions.

18.    Maintain a good sense of humor--having fun reduces pressure.

19.    Show strength, hide weakness.

20.    The only way you lose is if you don't try your best.

21.    When people achieve something that they've really worked hard for, it makes them feel great, superb, wonderful.

22.    You have to work at staying in contact with your friends so that the relationships will continue and live on.

23.    If something isn't working, try something new and different.  Never give up, find a way to win.

24.    Spend time with your players outside of practices and games to get to know them and become friends.

25.    At the end of each season, thank the team for their hard work.

I really got a lot out of this book--it was great!
(Karen'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.

"I Am in Here" by Elizabeth Bonker and Virginia Breen

What a book I Am In Here by Elizabeth Bonker and Virginia Breen is!  I really liked it.  It is about the journey of a child with Autism who cannot speak but finds her voice through writing poetry.  It is written by Elizabeth and her mother.  I loved that Elizabeth shares what is going on in her head.  Here is one of Elizabeth's poems she wrote at age 9 from page 43:

Live and Let Live

Am I on display?

Why do they look at me that way?

I want to say

I am okay.

Sometimes I do things you may wonder about.

Just let me be and don't try to figure it out.

If this book doesn't tug at your heart strings, I'll be surprised. 
(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.

Teaser Tuesday: "Sweetness." "I Am in Here" and "The Guardian"

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 no idea who he was. On the first day of practice I turned to hand the ball to him and he was so quick, I barely got it to him. Then I watched him run . . ."

From page 130 of Sweetness--The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton by Jeff Pearlman.

Am I on display?

Why do they look at me that way?

I want to say

I am okay.

Sometimes I do things you may wonder about.

Just let me be and don't try to figure it out.

From page 43 of I Am in Here: The Journey of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice by Bonker and Breen.

Karen's:

In the past, he'd been the good guy, the friend, the one she could always count on.  The one who fixed her car and played Frisbee with Singer, the one who spent the first two years after Jim's death holding her as she cried.

From page 64 of The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks.

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 Danny" by Linzi Glass (UPDATED Rescue Me Week))

Finding Danny by Linzi Glass was the perfect book to read during Shelter Appreciation Week!  It is a happy children’s book about Bree, a 7th grade girl who meets some interesting people who change her life as she searches for her runaway dog, Danny.  When she visits an animal shelter for the first time, she determines to help the dogs somehow and does.

I liked this book because it was upbeat and focuses on animal rescue.  I think it would also be inspirational for children and teens to see how one person can make a difference.  My favorite part was that Bree convinced her lonely elderly widow neighbor to get an abandoned dog named Neptune.  This is a cute quick read.  (www.linziglass.com and www.theforgottendog.org)
(Karen's review)

This is a book about a young girl named Bree. Her parents are super busy so they decide to get her a dog to keep her company. She names the dog Danny and they get along famously! One day her mom makes a mistake and leaves the gate open and Danny gets away. Bree sets out to find Danny and winds up helping many other dogs How you ask? You will have to read this book to find out. It's a wonderful story. I read it in two days and loved it! Give it a chance and you will too! 
(Gerard's review)

Now, how about visiting a shelter near you and adopting a pet?

Over at Mayzie's Dog blog, to honor their Grampa J who loved pets, they are encouraging everyone to post a pet who needs a home on your blog and next week they will draw five participants and donate $100 to an animal rescue of their choice!

Here is Forest, one of the dogs hoping for a forever home waiting at Canine Lifeline where we got our dog from:

The shelter was full and Forest was at the top of the list to be put down as he’d been there awhile. According to the dog pound folks, Forest’s family moved out and left him chained at the empty house. Forest spent his weeks at the shelter grieving for the loss of his home and family. The shelter staff and volunteers said he looked closely at everyone walking through the shelter hoping his family had come for him but after a couple of weeks, he was depressed and seemed to have given up hope.


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.

"Small Town Sinners" by Melissa Walker (UPDATED)

Melissa Walker does a beautiful job of depicting a 16-yr.-old Pastor’s daughter’s struggles of making her faith personal in Small Town Sinners.  This is a teen romance novella but also a book that explores faith, religion, friendship and love.  The story centers around “Hell House” which is a church production done around Halloween as an evangelistic outreach—sort of a “Christian” haunted house alternative.  I think teens would enjoy it and find it thought-provoking.  It primarily focuses on drama and teenage pregnancy while touching on domestic violence, homosexuality and suicide.   

 

I liked this book okay but think teens would like it more than I did.  Although Lacey is the main character, my favorite character was Ty, her boyfriend.  I liked that there were no sex scenes in this book and thought it was well written. 

(Karen's review 11-10-11)

 Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker is an excellent read!  It is about teenagers in a small town putting on a "Hell House" play experience.  I really enjoyed this book a lot.  The theme is friendship and being there for each other.  I liked all the scripture references, and having God in this made it that much better.  Lacey, the main character questions her faith.  It's a great read for teens, but I think anyone would enjoy 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.

"The Puppy Diaries" by Jill Abramson

The Puppy Diaries is absolutely a wonderful book about raising a puppy.   Jill's old dog, Buddy, passed on to the Rainbow Bridge.  Jill wasn't sure she was ready for another dog right away, but when it was time, she picked out Scout.  If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy this book!  It is very funny at times and you will see yourself in the struggles that Jill and her husband experienced.  There are also some great tips on how to handle a puppy.  I LOVED THIS BOOK and think you will 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 top of our blog.

“The Crossing” is a complicated mystery about a 10-yr-old unsolved murder case that is re-opened.  Claudia saw her English teacher, a friend, killed on the bus after a football game.  The teacher shares her last thoughts with the reader right before she dies which was an interesting way of giving clues about the killer.  Claudia had nightmares and panic attacks so her husband, the D.A., decided to re-open the investigation and found things that were overlooked. 

This story attempts to show the depravity of man and God’s forgiveness and unconditional love.  Some people repented and sought help and others didn’t with tragic consequences. 

I didn’t really get invested in any of the characters and didn’t care much for this one.  It moved along pretty good, I was interested to find out who the killer was (although that didn't make sense to me) so I guess that's why I didn't care for it much.  It just wasn't as good as I expected it would be.
(Karen'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: "The Crossing" and "Finding Danny"

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:

This is what happens when someone leads a secret life. One day, someone has enough of the duplicity and storms a bus of innocents to punish the guilty.

Taken from page 78 of The Crossing by Serita Jakes.

Gerard's:

"NOOOOO!" I screamed, my feet accelerating at a speed they had never reached before. Then I sprung high and wide, every muscle in my body focused, like a cheetah onto its prey.

Taken from page 54 of Finding Danny by Linzi Glass.  (See the previous post for my review of this one.)

Our cat Spunky Doodle (the black and white one) invites you to Right Where We Belong to see her video of having some Fun Before Work.

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.

"Dog On It" by Spencer Quinn (UPDATED)

Two Paws Way Up For Chet (25 stars)

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn is a fun book to read. It is told by Chet, a trained K-9 dog who helps Bernice, a private eye, investigate a missing person report. You are just going to love Chet's perspective on things! It goes fast and you're into it quickly. The best thing is that there is going to be another book with Chet and Bernice. You can bet I'll be reading that one too.
(Gerard's review 4/1/09)

Karen's thoughts (11/5/11):

I liked this one because the dog tells the story from his point of view.  Chet, the dog, has a wonderful relationship with Bernie, his owner and they make a good team in solving the case.  This is different from the usual mysteries because the reader finds out what happens along with the dog who knows way before Bernie.  Parts are very sad--the dog got abducted, mistreated, and wound up at a shelter where he almost was put to sleep for good!  This is a quick fun read if you like dogs. 

The Dog Who Knew Too Much is another one we read by this author which was good too!  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"When She Woke" by Hillary Jordan

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is about Hannah, who had an abortion.  She refused to name the father or the doctor who performed it.  As a consequence of her crime of murder, she had to live her life as a red chrome (She turned red!).  A chrome is a criminal whose skin color is genetically altered to match the color of their crime and released back into society.  How Hannah deals with this, the people she meets and the decisions she makes is the basis for this book.

I really enjoyed When She Woke a lot!  It's a real page turner to say the least.  I cared about Hannah and looked forward to reading more.  I also thought the ending was really good!
(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.

"We the Animals" by Justin Torres

We The Animals by Justin Torres is a short story about a mom, a dad and three brothers.  It was interesting but I wanted more.  As it was, I thought it was okay, nothing great.  A coming of age story about family bonds.
(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 Death Cure" by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner is a real page turner that I couldn't wait to get back to reading. This is the third book of The Maze Runner trilogy that I enjoyed as much as I did The Hunger Games trilogy. The Death Cure picks up where The Scorch Trials left off and is a suspenseful read that is loaded with adventure but doesn't quite finish as I expected. All through is a fight for survival.

I liked most of the characters, especially Thomas and Minho. It is about saving the human race from a virus that makes people lose their sanity. Some are immune to it and so hated by those who have it. I liked how the "subjects" all worked together to prevent what happened to them from happening to others. The question is does the ends justify the means. At one point, Thomas says he doesn't believe there is a right and wrong anymore, just horrible and less horrible. It has a strange ending but then, the whole series was strange since it is science fiction.

You must read the first two books in this series though before reading this one or you would be pretty lost. I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for something different and adventurous.
(Karen'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.

Teaser Tuesday: "A Difficult Boy" and "Small Town Sinners"; "The Death Cure"

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:

He wanted to run, but his legs seemed to be melting beneath him. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Mr. Lyman drawing his fist back to punch Daniel.

From page 40 of A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker. See my review of this book I posted yesterday.

He couldn't get her out of his head, even though he hated her a little more with every passing moment.  Her last words to him had been WICKED is good, and right or wrong, to Thomas she'd come to represent all the terrible things that had happened.

From page 3 of The Death Cure by James Dashner.

Gerard's:

Is my worry about a boy watching me getting in the way of my personal prayer?  Isn't my love for God and my desire to feel His presence bigger than my fear of embarrassing myself in front of Ty?

Taken from page 89 of Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker.

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.

"A Difficult Boy" by M. P. Barker

A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker is a good story about two young boys working for a shopkeeper. This book kept my interest from page 1. It's funny at times and heartbreaking too! Give it a chance, you will be glad you did!

(Gerard's Review 11/10/11)


I loved reading A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker even though it is a teen historical fiction book set in Massachusetts in 1839.  It is the story of two indentured servants, Ethan (9 yrs. old) and an orphan named Daniel aka Paddy, a few years older (who become friends and worked together to get their freedom.  This book kept my interest all the way through and I felt sorry for the boys and anger towards their abusive master, Mr. Lyman, the town's well respected storekeeper.  What a creep he was!  My favorite part of the book though was when Daniel taught Ethan how to ride Ivy, Mr. Lyman's horse.  I also liked the ending!

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories about friendship.  I think this would make a very good movie!  It is interesting that the author worked as a costumed historical guide in Massachusetts for nearly ten years and this is her first novel!  It won the 2003 PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award.  To learn more and view the book trailer, visit her website:  www.mpbarker.net. 
(Karen'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.

"Now and Then" by Jacqueline Sheehan

Now and Then by Jacqueline Sheehan is a nice easy-to-read story about Anna and her nephew, Joseph. After Anna picks up Joseph at a juvenile detention center, that next day they wake up to find themselves in Ireland in the 1800s, back in time! How they cope and what they discover about themselves is the story. My favorite character in the book was Madigan, the dog, who is outstanding! If you are looking for a good story with a happy ending, this book has both.

I also read Lost and Found by this author and liked that one too!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Hurry and check out our audio book giveaway of "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta. Winner will be chosen Sunday, Oct. 30.

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.

"Sorry" by Zoran Druenkar

Sorry by Zoran Druenkar is about four people who start an agency that will tell people that you are sorry for you. Everything is going along great until one day they get a job and when they arrive at the apartment, a woman is dead and nailed to the wall! This is a very good read! It's filled with a lot of twists and turns; I didn't know what was going to happen next but was anxious to find out. I loved it and finished it in just two days! You will be sorry if you don't read Sorry!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Check out our giveaway for an audio book:  "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta 

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 Sword" by Gilbert Morris

"The Sword" by Gilbert Morris is a Historical romance that is a good read. It has a mix of action, humor, romance and Christianity. It takes place during the Civil War and is a fascinating read. Chantel, the main character decides to leave home when her mother dies, leaving her alone with her step father who tries to rape her. She finds an elderly Christian Jew peddler who is hurt and saves his life. They become partners and together bring supplies to the soldiers and help a lot of people. The Christian theme is that God brings people together and loves everyone, forgiving and giving peace to all those who trust in Jesus. It's a good story, I enjoyed it!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Check out our audio book giveaway for "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta. All you need do to enter is leave a comment!

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: "Wildwood," "Night Strangers," "The Sword"

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:

Nothing her parents had told her, nothing she'd ever learned in school, could possibly have prepared her for this thing that was happening. Or really, what was to follow.

I finished reading Wildwood by Colin Melot but loved it so much that I wanted to do a teaser from it, so here it is from page 8:

"You really don't hear it?" Hallie asked in a small but intense voice. "You really don't hear them?"

There was that word again: them.

From page 64 of The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian.

Karen's:

"God knows you and has known you since before you were born. And He chose you to help a poor old man that was dying."

From page 108 of The Sword--The Last Cavaliers: Two by Gilbert Morris

Check out our giveaway for an audio book:  "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta

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 Night Strangers" by Chris Bohjalian

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian is about Chip, an airline pilot. One day, through no fault of his, he has to make an emergency landing on water. Unlike the “miracle on the Hudson” landing, lots of people die. Chip and his family decide to move to a new town and buy a new house. As you would expect, this does not go well at all! Talk about a page turner, I had trouble putting this down. It's a perfect spooky read for Halloween season!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  

Be sure to check out our audio book giveaway for "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta.

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.

Audio Book Giveaway: "The Leftovers": by Tom Perrotta

We have an audio book of "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta to giveaway to someone who leaves a comment on this post saying they would like it.  This is a fiction book on 8 CDs including a bonus interview with the author.  Here is the summary of what it is about:

WHAT IF--WHOOSH, RIGHT NOW, with no explanation--a number of us simply vanished?  Would we think it was the Rapture?  Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?

That's what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends, and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out.  Because nothing has been the same since it happened.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community.  Kevin's own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster:  His wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence.  His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne.  Only Kevin's teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she's definitely not the sweet A-student she used to be.  Kevin wants to help her, but he's distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

TO ENTER:  If you live in the U.S. and want to enter this giveaway, just leave a comment with your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner.  The winner will be randomly chosen on October 30.

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.

"Wildwood" by Colin Meloy

WOW! Wildwood by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis, is an outstanding read! Prue's baby brother is carried off by crows to Wildwood--a place you are not supposed to enter. But, enter she does joined by her friend, Curtis, who offers to help.

This is a fantastic fantasy read with kings, queens, talking animals, and action galore! It has 530+ pages and I finished it in just two days! That's how much I enjoyed it. Give it a read, you will be glad you did! I highly recommend it if you are looking for some fantasy.

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 Most Dangerous Thing" by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman is about growing up, keeping secrets, death, friendship, jealousy, and marriage. Three brothers and two girls form a close friendship but when an incident occurs in the woods where they go exploring, it affects them and their parents for years to come. The novel jumps around a lot with flashbacks and hopping from one family to the next. The reader gets to know the parents and their struggles as well as the kids who grow up into adults with struggles of their own. Sometimes I found it hard to follow. This is a mystery with complex characters. It kept me reading to discover exactly what the most dangerous thing was; not telling you. You’ll just have to read this to find out!

I liked the flashbacks to the kids hanging out together but overall this is a sad story with a dark view of marriage. Only one out of 6 marriages were really happy which I found kind of sad. This is slow moving and depressing. If you enjoy family sagas and lots of interpersonal relationship dynamics, then you may like 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.