"Never Fall Down" by Patricia McCormick (UPDATED 5/23/12)

Never Fall Down by Pat McCormick is a powerful novel about Arn Chorn-Pond’s survival against all odds based on his true story about what happened in Cambodia.  By following his aunt’s advice:  Do whatever they say.  Be like the grass, bend low, bend low, then bend lower.  The wind blow one way, you bow that way.  It blow the other way, you do too.  That’s the way to survive.  Arn was just a boy of 11 when he faced hard work in rice fields around the clock, near starvation, cruel killing day after day and even being forced to kill others and bury people alive!  By learning to play a musical instrument, he was received some better treatment and became a bit famous.  He gives music credit for saving his life.

This is such a sad and depressing novel but with a pretty good ending.  Still, it is an eye-opener to the plight of people in other countries.  The best part was when Arn first came to America and discovering he had a choice to live, not to just die or survive.  I felt so bad for him when he realized he become the monster and how much hate he had in his heart because of the four years of terror he went through. 
(Karen's review 5/23/12)

Gerard's review:
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (a former journalist) is based on a true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, a young boy living in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge took over his country and the killing started.  One day Arn was told he had to learn to play an instrument or die.  Does he learn?  What becomes of his family that he gets separated from and finally, how does it all turn out?

This story is told in gut-wrenching style.  I found it very hard to believe people actually live this way.  If you want a real page turner, this book is almost impossible to put down.  Arn Chorn-Pond has dedicated his life to humanitarian causes around the world.  He founded Children of War, an organization that aids children held hostage by war and violence.  If you want a book that you will remember like you never read before, this is it.  It's a fantastic story--a must read!


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Sunshine Every Morning" by Dorothy Glenn (Garlock)

Sunshine Every Morning by Dorothy Garlock, writing as Dorothy Glenn is a fun romance between two older people who rushed into first marriages, both ending in divorce.  They meet in a hospital shortly after Gaye loses her baby.  She becomes attached to the baby she reluctantly agreed to breast feed that was abandoned by its mother and grandma, MacDougle.  Jim Trumbull, MacDougle’s grandfather, has custody of him and falls in love with Gaye as he sees her forming a bond with his grandson.  Gaye has strong reservations about becoming too attached to the baby and feels herself falling in love with the grandfather against her better judgment. 

I enjoyed the humor in this book and the blustery Jim Trumbull who was a very interesting character, big, rugged, passionate, boisterous, yet gentle although impatient.  He and Gayle had some funny dialogue which I enjoyed, but could have done without the explicit sex scenes.  I think someone who has been in a bad marriage or is into babies would like this book and enjoy it more than I did.

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Words" by Ginny L. Yttrup is a Must Read

Words by Ginny L. Yttrup is an inspirational quick read that is about choices, redemption, hope, healing.  Kaylee, a little girl is abandoned by her mother and left with her boyfriend to be neglected, abused and raped.  They live in a little cabin in the woods and the girl stops talking.  She finds words comforting and reads the dictionary over and over to help her focus on something else while hoping that maybe her "mother will come back today."  When Sierra, a woman whose child died just a few days after birth due to Sierra's drug addiction, visits the cemetery on the 12th anniversary of her child's death, spots Kaylee in the hollowed giant redwood tree and thinks she saw a ghost.  Sierra is lonely so takes in a stray dog she names Van Gogh.  The dog helps comfort Kaylee when they meet and is a wonderful addition to the story.

Sierra finally is able to accept God's forgiveness and move on with her life as she starts thinking about Kaylee and becomes her friend.  Kaylee looks forward to seeing the nice lady in the woods again at her special spot inside the tree.  Kaylee doesn't talk, but can communicate by writing and has an unusually big vocabulary for a girl her age.  Through Sierra, Kaylee discovers Jesus is the most important word and learns the truth that He really does love her and is able to set her free from the screams in her head and help her to speak again.

I liked this Christian fiction book very much in spite of the "fairy tale" ending.  I couldn't help but pull for Kaylee and Sierra to get together and thought the Children's Services worker did a good job.  Sierra was searching for God's purpose for her life and it was very realistic how because of her past with drugs, she was able to sympathize with Kaylee's mom and was torn between helping her get better or not because she was afraid of losing Kaylee.  The abuse Kaylee endured is done in good taste, leaving details to the reader's imagination.  There is so much humor and love in this book that prevents it from becoming depressing.  The dog, Van, was a great addition to this book, showing how pets can by wonderful companions and give unconditional love.  The information about the giant redwood trees was interesting too and provided symbolism throughout the book.  This book even inspired me to read my little dictionary, a page a day!  This is a great read that I highly recommend and am so glad I read!
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review:
This book is told by two people:  Kaylee, a 10-yr.-old girl who is abused physically, sexually, emotionally and neglected at her cabin in the woods, then abandoned by her mother who is a meth addict and Sierra, a young woman who mourns the death of her baby and finds Kaylee who she wants to help. 

I liked this book very much.  It's a good story and I got into it right from the start.  I highly recommend you read it too!  It's a feel good book and you will feel happy at the end.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The White Cascade" by Gary Krist is Captivating!

Fantastic Read--Captivating!

The White Cascade--The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist is the second captivating book I've read by this author and both are fantastic reads!  This non-fiction book is about two trains that were stuck in a huge snowstorm and were eventually hit by an avalanche!  The writing is what makes this book so good.  You hear from the people on the trains, the people trying to help, and the one person in charge of the railroad at the time.  I got the sense I was right there!  I hope Gary Krist writes another book; I'll be sure to read it too!

See my review of the other book I read by Gary Krist:  City of Scoundrels about Chicago.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Need You Now" by Beth Wiseman

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman was written to help struggling families. Brad and Darlene moved to the country to get their teenage son, Chad, away from the bad influence of his city friends. When Darlene befriends her neighbor, Layla, a divorced woman who is bitter at God for letting her daughter die, through her friendship Layla returns to faith in God while Darlene’s falters. Brad’s and Darlene’s happy Christian family runs into a crisis when they discover their oldest daughter, Grace, cutting herself. Fortunately, the daughter has a Christian friend who convinces her to get counseling. Brad and Darlene both love their daughter but have different ideas as to how to deal with her cutting which drives a wedge between them. Problems start to snowball in the marriage when communication breaks down and Darlene is faced with temptation of infidelity and believes her husband is having an affair. Of course, this being Christian fiction, it has a happy ending.


This is a good book about friendship and how God is our best friend of all. It was realistic in that it showed Christian families have problems too. If you like stories about families and parenting, I highly recommend this one.
(Karen's review--rating 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Rescue of Belle and Sundance" by Birgit Stutz and Lawrence Scanlan

The Rescue of Belle and Sundance—One Town's incredible race to Save two Abandoned Horses by Birgit Stutz and Lawrence Scanlan is a great true story! Two horses are trapped on a mountain in six feet of snow, not to mention, blizzard-like conditions at 40 below zero! Around Christmas, people come out and shovel and shovel and some bring blankets. This is a remarkable story of two horses that have the will to survive and determination of the people who come to rescue them. I really enjoyed this book. If you love animals and are looking to read a feel good story, look no further—this is it!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

Tuesday Teasers: "Words" and "The White Cascade"

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 the longest part of the day--when it's too dark to read.
When I read . . .
I forget.
That's how it works.

Taken from page 5 of Words by Ginny L. Yttrup.

Gerard's:

"I saw the first rush of snow reach the track [and] swallow the trains," he said. "And then there was neither tracks nor trains. . ."

Taken from page 161 of The White Cascade--The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Never Trust a Squirrel!" by Patrick Cooper

Our dog likes chasing squirrels so liked this book.

Never Trust a Squirrel! by Patrick Cooper, illustrated by Catherine Walters is a preschool picture book about a squirrel, a guinea pig, and a fox. I liked the big pictures and the fact that this book actually has a plot to it. It's a cute little story.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Calico Joe" by John Grisham (UPDATED)

Calico Joe by John Grisham is really, really good!  It's about a relationship between a son and his dad off the field as well as on it.  The gist of the story is the dad, a major league pitcher, hits his son's favorite player with a ball on purpose, knocking him out of the game.  I liked the dialog between the son and the dad.  The ending was sort of predictable, but I liked it anyway.  I think you would have to be a major league baseball fan to appreciate this book, but it's a quick read and entertaining!  Enjoy and play ball!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:

Calico Joe by John Grisham is not one of his better books.  It’s about a pitcher to beaned an outstanding rookie, Joe, permanently ending his career.  This book shows baseball at its worst.    The most disturbing part of this book was when the pitcher was actually teaching his 11-yr-old son the fine art of throwing at a hitter’s head.  The highlight of the book was Joe’s willingness to forgive the pitcher.  It does address the issue of dying and it was said how many regrets the pitcher had. 

 

I thought this book was okay but liked other books he wrote much better.  This is not a baseball book I would recommend.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

 We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Must Read but read Divergent first!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the second book in the Divergent series. It took me a few pages to get back up to speed with the story line and characters, but once I did, WOW! This book is awesome, as good as the first, if not better. There is action galore, we find out more about Tris and Tobias. It's another page turner that I didn't want to put down—finished it in two days. Book three comes out in October and a movie is in the works--can't wait! 
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth is the second book in the Divergent series.  Tris a/k/a Beatrice and Four a/k/a Tobias deepen their relationship and we get to see inside the headquarters of Amity, Candor, and Erudite, visit the home of Four’s parents in Abnegation and Four’s mother in the factionless area.  I really liked when the Dauntless were staying at Candor headquarters and Tris and Four were given the truth serum.  Life in Amity was pretty funny but when the Dauntless decided to return to their own headquarters, I felt things get more interesting.  From that point on I was into it and had a hard time putting it down.  This book has lots of action and intense moments which kept my interest as well as some funny parts.  I was glad to see Tris and Four’s relationship develop too and how they both struggle to trust each other.

I liked the first book better but this one was good too.  However, was confused by some things such as (1) why there were so many dauntless traitors everywhere.  It didn’t seem as though they were still controlled by a simulation and if they were, why then were there any dauntless left normal that were not divergent?  (2)  for Tris to forget to bring the gadget that paralyzes people with her when entering Erudite headquarters through the window was hard to swallow.  (3) Why would dauntless want to completely destroy everything in Erudite—including the hospital?  (4) Why would the dauntless just give their guns over to the factionless during the attack at Erudite headquarters?  The ending with the video, I really didn’t understand at all.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series and finding out more how everything will change.     

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"City of Scoundrels" by Gary Krist

City of Scoundrels--12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth To Modern Chicago by Gary Krist is non-fiction that reads like a novel. WOW--Awesome book, way better than I expected! You want action, how about this: an election that splits the city, a blimp crashes into a bank, killing 13, a kidnapping of a child and then a public hanging of the person who did it, race riots, a transit strike, a judge commits suicide by jumping from the 13th floor. Wow, that's plenty for me! I loved this book and highly recommend it!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Returning" by Ann Tatlock

The Returning by Ann Tatlock is contemporary fiction about a family of five:  Andrea and John who have three children:  Phoebe-5, “Rebellious” Rebekah-16 and Billy-17 with Down Syndrome.  The story starts with John returning from prison after being gone five years for manslaughter.  At first, he feels like a stranger in his own home and is frustrated with himself for not being able to find a decent job to support his family and accepts a busboy job from his brother-in-law.  His son, Billy, is really the only one who gives him a good welcome and encourages the others to accept him too.  Phoebe is afraid of her dad and Rebekah hates him.  Andrea hopes they can put their family back together again and longs for his love but John holds back and falls into adultery once again.  I liked how John didn’t give up on his family and worked at rebuilding his relationship with each of them. 

I liked this book a lot because I found myself caring for all the characters and was glad it has a happy ending.  Second chances and forgiveness is the theme of this novel.  I’d say this is Christian fiction at its best!  I highly recommend this one if you like stories about realistic family struggles with happy endings.

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Vanishing Game" by Kate Kae Myers

The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers is her first book telling the story of twins, Jocelyn and Jack who were both bullied in a foster home.  When Jack dies, Jocelyn is distraught until she starts to receive messages from Jack in code.  But how can this be; Jack is dead, or is he?  She turns to the one friend they had, Noah, to find the answer.

For a first book, this is really good!  There is lots of action and I never knew what was going to happen.  I loved the surprise ending too--GREAT!  I’ll be looking for more books by this author.

(Gerard's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Betrayal-Haunting Emma Book 2" by Lee Nichols

image source:  Amazon--read on Kindle

Betrayal by Lee Nichols continues from where Deception left off and is just as good, if not even better!  There is a lot of action fighting ghosts in this book and also her love life with Bennett heats up.  Her friendships at school fall apart but then when she finally tells the truth about Coby, they are restored.  There is a lot of ghost fighting action in this book and Simon and Lukas are assigned by the Knell to help Emma.  The fun and humor continue with Coby in ghost form continuing to hang out with his old friends and Emma.  When Emma takes on Neoss at the Knell, she is shocked to find out who it is that betrayed her. 

Betrayal is a quick read because it keeps building suspense and was hard to put down.  It’s part contemporary fiction and part fantasy.  I think Bennett should stop taking the drug and just let Emma take all his power which would make her dispelling power stronger and allow them to be together.  I love the dialog and look forward to reading the third book in this Haunting Emma series, “Surrender.”  I recommend this series if you like humorous fantasy—it’s not really spooky even though there are a lot of ghosts and some time travel.

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

Tuesday Teasers: 4 This Week

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:

Duval grabs my hand and pulls me forward. "Ismae Rienne is sent from the abbess at the convent of St. Mortain."
The duchess's eyebrows shoot up. "Mortain? The patron saint of death?"

From page 207 of Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers. (I read finished Grave Mercy last Thursday but it was so good, I had to share a teaser from it.)

No factions? A world in which no one knows who they are or where they fit? I can't even fathom it. I imagine only chaos and isolation.

From page 110 of Insurgent by Veronica Roth.  Sequel to Divergent.

Karen's:

But his children--they had all gone on without him, had grown into people he would not know. They would be little more than strangers to him, and he to them.

Taken from page 28 of The Returning by Ann Tatlock.

Everything's changed, he said, his voice rough.
I know. How you can ever forgive--
Forgive you? I'm dead because of you. And you still couldn't leave me alone.

Taken from at 2% on Kindle of Betrayal by Lee Nichols (the second book in the Haunting Emma series).

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"A Land More Kind Than Home" by Wiley Cash

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash is told by three people: Jess, a young boy; Adelaide Lyle, a midwife; and Llem Barefield, a sheriff. Two boys, Jess and his brother, Christopher, see something in a church that they really should not have seen. Here's a little teaser from this book for you from page 260:

"Maybe that's why they were trying to heal him," Joe Bill said. "Maybe they wanted him to talk so he could confess his sins and go to Heaven when he died."

I found this book to be pretty good although it was mostly dialog without much action. It's a quick read.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Lifeboat" by Charlotte Rogan

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan is a novel about a young woman named Grace and her new husband, Henry, who go on a boat that has an accident and have to abandon ship. Henry makes sure that Grace is on a lifeboat which is where the story begins. I really loved this book! I kept picturing how I would react being out of food, water, and pretty soon hope while seeing other people die. This is a page turner for sure but I was a bit disappointed with the ending. That being said, this is pretty much a "must read" in my opinion. Enjoy.
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
I started this but gave up on it because it just seemed to be poking along too slow.  I only read up to around page 84 and then chucked it because I had other books I would rather read.  It takes place in the early 1900s.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Lonely Book" Kate Bernheimer

The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer is a cute story for young children. It is about a little girl who goes to the library and becomes attached to one of the books. The book feels lonely when it gets older and fewer and fewer people bother to read it. We both thought it was cute, but Karen wasn't as impressed with it as Gerard. It may encourage kids to read though.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The Good Father" by Noah Hawley

In The Good Father by Noah Hawley, the 21-yr.-old son is accused of killing a political candidate and his father uses all his resources to try to clear his son's name.  I was a but disappointed in this because I kept comparing it to Defending Jacob by William Landay which is so much better! It's not a bad read, I read it all and felt is was worth my time.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Deception" by Lee Nichols

Deception by Lee Nichols is about Emma,a 17-yr.-old, girl who finds herself mixed up in a world of ghosts when her brother and parents disappear and Bennett, her brother’s friend takes her to live with him in Boston as her guardian!  He presented papers that were notarized that he was her guardian to get her away from social services.  Emma thinks she is going crazy when she sees dead people but soon discovers she is a “ghostkeeper” who not only sees ghosts but can control them!  Both Emma and I were surprised at how many people in Emma’s life also were ghostkeepers, but she had more power than they did. 

I liked the sarcasm and humor that was included in this book and also the main character, Emma, is very likable. This book has romance, mystery, suspense and a lot of paranormal things going on.  I normally do not read paranormal books so can’t really compare this with others in that category.  It certainly was a fun, quick read with lots of humor and an interesting story line which is continued in the sequel—Betrayal (reading on Kindle).

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Grave Mercy" by Robin Lafevers

Wow, oh wow!!!  Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers is just awesome!  I loved it and had a hard time putting it down; finished it in two days.  There are lots of plots and Ismae is a great character.  This is just the first book of three so can't wait for the next one. 

Ismae is able to escape from a planned marriage.  Her next stop is the sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain, the saint of death.  She learns well and then is given a big assignment!

I think this will be my favorite read of this month--it does not get much better than this.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Every Secret Thing" by Ann Tatlock

Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlcok is about how God sees all of us and calls to us if we listen.  The author makes this point through the characters in this story.  Beth Gunnar is a lonely English teacher who now teaches at the prep school she used to attend herself, where she was inspired by her English teacher, Mr. Dutton.  Unfortunately, she felt betrayed by him and couldn’t stop thinking about it.  She takes an unhappy student, Satchel Queen, under her wing and they develop a close friendship through their love of books and poetry. 

I didn’t care for this book much because it is slow moving and the teacher-student relationship just seemed very strange to me.  I thought it odd that Beth only seemed to care and be interested in one of her students.  I liked Ann’s other book, Promises to Keep, so much more and was disappointed in this one.

 (Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

Tuesday Teasers: 3 This week

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:

The beliefs she had cherished for a lifetime would be vindicated. But now she couldn't deny what was staring her plainly in the face: dogs in China ate better than doctors in North Korea.

From pate 220 of Nothing to Envy--Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. (Non-fiction)

I wanted to shout, "Of course we're going to die! The sisters are the lucky ones--for them it is over!"

From page 152 of The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan.

Karen's:

I wanted to do for Satchel Queen what Theodore Dutton did for me. At least what he did for me before the tragedy happened.

From page 87 of Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The Dog Who Danced" by Susan Wilson

The Dog Who Danced by Susan Wilson has several story lines that are all good.  Justine, who while getting a ride to go see her dying father, who she has a strained relationship with, loses her dog when the trucker she is getting a ride from takes off without her and kicks out the dog!  An older couple finds and takes in the dog, but they really don't get along.  Although the dog misses Justine and keeps looking for her, it tries to fit in with the couple who rescued it.  On top of this, Justine and her step mom constantly go at each other.  Enough plot lines for you? 

I recommend you read this one because it is very, very good and so is the ending!Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Nothing to Envy--Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick

Nothing to Envy--Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick tells the true story of six people who lived in North Korea in the late 90s  (if you call this living).  What an eye-opening account to me of what life is like there.  For example, ". . . dogs in China ate better than doctors in North Korea." (p. 220)  I can't say enough good things about this book!  I really got a sense of what these people went through day to day and will never forget it!  If you read this, it will certainly make you glad you live in the USA!  It's fantastic!
(Gerard's review:  100 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Dead to You" by Lisa McMann (UPDATED)

Dead to You by Lisa McMann is a real page turner! Ethan was abducted at the age of 7 and comes back home at the age of 16. WOW!! What a great book with a good ending. I LOVED IT! I hated to see this one end even though it was a great ending.
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
Dead to You by Lisa McMann is about a family whose 7 yr. old son, Ethan, was abducted and he finally gets away and finds them when he's 16.  The mom, dad and little sister, Gracie, are all very happy to have him back, but their 13-yr.-old son doesn't believe it's really him and sets out to prove it.  I was surprised at the ending which left me feeling sad.    

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Hand Me Down" by Melanie Thorne

Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne is a pretty good book told by Liz, a young teen girl.  Her mom lives with an ex-con who treats the whole family pretty bad.  Her dad is a drunk who lives with a woman and Liz's younger sister who still believes in her dad.  This leaves Liz pretty much in no-man's land when it comes to living arrangements.

This book goes quick and does have a happy ending for Liz which I am glad about.  All in all, I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The List" by Siobhan Vivian (UPDATED)

The List by Siobhan Vivian takes you back to high school. Every year at Mount Washington High School, "the List" of the four prettiest girls in each class and the four ugliest girls in each class comes out. This book follows all eight girls in the week leading up to the Homecoming dance on Saturday. The Homecoming dance night is really good! I loved this book and went back and forth on how I felt about each girl. I pretty much read this in just one day. Two things I'm certain of about this book are: (1) You will enjoy it; and (2) You will be glad you are not in High School anymore! If you are still in High School, you have my sympathy! Hang in there, life does get better.
(Gerard)

Karen's review:
The List by Siorhan Vivian portrays high school girls as shallow, selfish, jealous, wild and boy crazy. The premise of the book was that every year a week before homecoming, a list came out with copies posted all over the school listing the prettiest and ugliest girl for each grade 9-12. The book followed the eight girls who made "The List" and showed how it affected them. I only really liked Lauren (one of the pretty girls), Danielle (one of the "ugly" ones and Abby's sister, Fern who had made the ugly list the year before. I just didn't relate to this book at all because I was never into fashion, looks or petty jealousy as a high schooler. Nor was homecoming ever a big deal to me. I tried to imagine how I would have felt if my high school did such a thing and listed me as ugly. Bottom line is, I wouldn't pay any attention to such a stupid list.

This is a quick read though and was entertaining. I just felt annoyed my most of the girls in this book because they were so preoccupied with what others thought and expected. They all seemed to me to have very low self esteem which I found quite sad. I liked the ending though and was surprised to find out who made the list. Of the boys in this book, I really liked Milo and felt bad that his friend, Sarah, was acting so crazy and being so mean to him. He stuck by her anyway and actually helped her.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

James--Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore (UPDATED)

James Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore is such a great in-depth Bible study on the book of James that I was sorry to see it end. Beth’s older daughter, Melissa, also had some interesting articles included from an historical standpoint based on research she did.

 I learned so much more about James, the author of this book, than I had known before and accepted Beth’s challenge to memorize the entire book of James, which I completed on April 23, 2012.  Whew! 

This is a very practical study because the topics in the book of James are still relevant today: Patience, temptation, rich and poor, favoritism, judgment, controlling the tongue, wisdom,, our relationship with God, how to treat others, prayer. This study is fantastic! I really can’t say enough good about it. There are DVD’s that go with this that I enjoyed too because of some funny stories she shares from her experience to make her points. In particular, I especially liked hearing about her camping trip with the birds and the hair brush story at the airport. That is one I don’t think I’ll soon forget.

Other Beth Moore Studies I did were: Fruit of the Spirit, Daniel, which were good too. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a challenge who likes a good Bible study.

Related Post:  I Did It--Challenge Completed Ahead of Time (Check out this link to see the methods I used to memorize the entire book of James)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments.

Happy Reading! During March we are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday Teasers: "Catch Me" and "The List"

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:

Four days from now, I'm expecting to be murdered. I've read that you're one of the best homicide detectives in the city, so I'd like you to handle the investigation.

From page 36 of Catch Me by Lisa Gardner.

Gerard's:

"Do me a favor. Write UGLY as big as you can across my forehead."

From page 47 of The List by Siobhan Vivian.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner is her Best Yet! (UPDATED)

I LOVED Catch Me by Lisa Gardner a lot! Okay, here is the deal on this book.  You have two best friends and they both die on the same day in back-to-back years.  Now that date is coming up and you know that you are next.  What would you do?  It doesn't get any better than this!  WOW!  This a definitely a page turner with a fantastic ending.  It has to be her best book yet!  Read and enjoy,
(Gerard's review)-5 stars

Karen's review (5 stars):
Oh wow is all I kept saying through this book, especially the last quarter of it!  This is an interesting book about child abuse with the unusual angle of showing the later results of it.  I really liked this book a lot because the plot drew me in quick.  D.D. Warren finds that her recent pedophile shooting is connected with another one.  As she leaves the crime scene, she sees a woman, Charlene, lurking by her car and chases her down.   Charlene explains that on the 21st, four days away, she will be murdered and would like D.D. to handle the investigation because she is a good detective.  Charlene's two best friends from childhood were murdered last year and the year before on the 21st so Charlene thinks she'll be next.  What would you do if you knew you were going to die in just a few days?  Charlene is a 9-1-1 dispatcher who tries to get prepared by taking up running, boxing and shooting.

It seems as though a vigilante  is out to rid Boston of the pedophiles when another one is shot down in cold blood--this time a 16-yr-old boy.  I found it very interesting how the author showed how older kids find their targets through gaming websites and that more and more older kids are taking advantage of younger kids based on information she got when interviewing an internet safety expert.  I thought I had it figured out before the detectives did and then when the one detective presented my theory, I thought for sure I was right but found out I wasn't.

This book really made me think.  Is one criminal worse than another?  Is it okay to take the law into your own hands to protect the innocent?  It also gave me a better understanding of how people's pasts can really mess up their lives.  This would be a real good book for a book club.  I found myself wanting to discuss it with someone as I was reading it!  I highly recommend this one!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" by Nancy Pickard

"The Scent of Rain and Lightning" is a murder mystery that takes place in Kansas.  When one of the sons of a wealthy and influential family is killed and his wife missing, their 3-yr.-old daughter goes to live with her grandparents, Hugh Senior and Annabelle.  The family immediately suspects one of their young ranch hands, Billy Crosby, a wife beater and an alcoholic.  Billy is sent to prison for murder but the body of the victim's wife was not found and no one really knows what happened to her (until the very end of the book).  When Billy gets out thanks to his son becoming a lawyer and getting his sentence commuted due to an improper investigation 23 years later, most of the town is not very happy.  

This book is about family, betrayal, revenge and marriage.  I enjoyed this book very much but almost didn't read it because of the sex scene that it starts off with.  I thought the whole book was going to be that way, but it isn't.  I felt sad about several good people getting killed and it had me guessing throughout the book as to who the real murderer was.  I thought it was a good read and had a hard time putting it down.  I recommend it if you like a good murder mystery and books about families.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Promises to Keep" by Ann Tatlock UPDATED)

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock is about a little girl’s dream of her parents getting back together even though her mother took off with her children to keep them safe.  Alan Anthony, the father is an alcoholic that was abusive to his family, but convinces his daughter, Rosalind, that he has changed and is going to come back and make everything better.  When the mother and kids move out on their own to a small town, the house they are surprised to find Tillie, the old lady who built the house, sitting on their porch reading their paper.  Tillie had been put into a nursing home when she broke her hip and her son sold her house.  After her hip healed, Tillie left the nursing home because she was determined to live out “her” days in her house.  Because the mother has to work and needs someone to watch the youngest daughter, she lets Tillie move in with them.  I liked this subplot because it was humorous. 

Promises to Keep is well-written and kept my interest all the way through by making me wonder if the father really had changed—it gives great insight into human nature.  This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but look forward to reading more of her books.  There are discussion questions in the back of the book which make this a good Christian fiction book club read.
(Karen's review)

Gerard read this too:
This is a really nice story about two little girls, one black, one white, who want to have their fathers in their lives again.  It kept my interest for sure.  Although somewhat predictable, it's a good story and well worth your time.  It goes fast!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Tuesday Teasers: "Promises to Keep" and "Outlaw Platoon"

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:

Our eyes locked, and I couldn't stop my own tears. I wanted to cry out, Daddy! Tell Mom you'll change. Just promise you'll stop drinking, and maybe Mom will stay!

From page 37 of Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock

Gerard's:

That power comes only from their minds, their hearts, not from discipline or devotion to army regulations. When death lurks, nothing else matters but that bond of trust, or lack thereof, between soldier and leader.

From page 89 of Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Blue Monday" by Nicci French

Blue Monday by Nicci French tells the story of a young girl taken at the age of 5. Then, 22 years later, a young boy is taken. Are they connected? Frieda Klein, a psychotherapist, has a client who may hold all the answers . . . or does he? This is a page turner with a major twist about ¾ of the way in and then an ending that I didn't see coming! This is the first book of a series. I look forward to reading the next one!
(Gerard's review)

I started this but just couldn't get into it and quit after the first 100 pages.  There are just too many other books I'd rather read right now.  I generally don't care for books that are set in London.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Into the Free" by Julie Cantrell

Must Read -- Fantastic Book!

Into The Free by Julie Cantrell is an amazing read—WOW!  I loved this historical fiction book set in Mississippi about faith, gypsies, death, grief, domestic violence, rodeos and romance.  It is told from Millie’s perspective, a little girl searching for her identity, freedom and faith. 

The variety of characters in this book seem real and some I loved, some I didn’t.  My favorite characters were Millie, Sloth, Bump, Mr. Tucker and Mabel.  My least favorite person was Millie’s grandfather with her father and Mr. Miller close seconds.  Hard to really say who was worse.  Millie’s mother, Marie Reynolds, had a tough life but a strong Biblical foundation.  She loved her husband although he beat her on a regular basis, at one point leaving her for dead.  Millie’s mama turned to drugs to escape the pain which was very sad.  The whole book was pretty sad but it had enough funny parts and bright spots to not be depressing.  I actually cheered out loud for Millie when made the choice in the end that I hoped she would make.
 

It shows no matter how bad things may be, there is always hope.  It also portrays “Christians” in a realistic way, showing both good ones and bad ones.  Yes, some people are big hypocrites, but not all.  I liked the balance this book has along those lines and that everything is not always hunky-dory for believers.  A main theme in the book is that God brings people into our lives to help and encourage us along the way. 

Into the Free is an interesting read because it holds your interest on so many levels.  It’s both an emotional and thought provoking read.  I LOVED IT and look forward to the sequel to find out what happens with Millie next.  I highly recommend Into the Free as a great read that would be an excellent book club choice too.  It has thought-provoking questions at the end that would make for good discussion.(Karen's review)

Gerard says he's going to read this one too.

Thanks, Beaded Tail, for recommending this one to us!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Heaven is Here" by Stephanie Nielson

Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson tells the true story of an amazing recovery by Stephanie. She and her husband were in a Fiery plane crash. Stephanie was burned over 80% of her body! What she had to go through was remarkable, but with the help of her family, her faith in God and the love of her children, she made it all the way back! What an inspirational and amazing read this is!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed

I enjoyed WILD by Cheryl Strayed a lot; it was something unusual! After the death of her mom and a divorce from her husband, Cheryl decides to take a hike of 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail! Cheryl tells the story very well; I got the feeling I was right there with her. The people she meets along the way add to an already good story. The ending, what she discovers about herself is the best part!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Land of Decoration" by Grace McCleen

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen is a wonderful story!  You will meet 10-yr.-old Judith McPherson who lives with her dad.  Judith makes up a "Land of Decoration," a promise land where things go as she wants them to.  As more and more bad things happen to her and her dad, she takes matters into her own hands and performs "miracles."

I enjoyed this book very much!  You will love Judith and I could identify with her being bullied.  I finished it in just two days.  I recommend it.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Tuesday Teasers: 4 This Week!

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 asked God if it was my fault Mother died, and He said that it was. I knew that already though. I knew it every time Father was angry with me.

From page 250 of The Land of Decoration by Grace Cleen

It would be my luscious escape, if only for a brief time. There, I'd leave my troubles behind, I thought.
Instead, I only found more.

From page 37 of Wild--From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.

Karen's:

"Why are all those dogs with you?" she shouted, instead of answering his question.
"Oh, I don't know," Henry said, lamely. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel and looked down at Edgar, scootched below the windows.

From page 427 of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.

I climb higher in the sweet gum and hope the engineer will turn that train around and come back to get me. Take me away, to the place Sloth calls the free.

From page 15 of Into the Free by Julie Cantrell.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate (UPDATED)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate tells the story of Ivan, a Silverback gorilla, and his friends: Stella, an old elephant and Bob, a stray dog. They perform three shows every day at Exit 8 Big Top Mall. When business slows, Ruby, a baby elephant, is brought on board and things change.

This is a lovely story, funny for sure, and it will get and keep your interest. I think this is a book for all ages. It will touch your heart and put a smile on your face! I enjoyed it very much and the ending is so, so good!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review--my rating 5 stars
I really enjoyed The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate even though it is children’s fiction.  It is based on a true story about Ivan, a Silverback gorilla who was captured and put in a cage for 27 years without any contact with any other gorillas.  In this book, Ivan is the narrator and his owner sells Ivan’s drawings and paintings.  Ivan is quite an artist.  Ivan has a stray dog named Bob who comes into his “domain” and sleeps on Ivan’s stomach.  In the next cage is Stella, an elephant, who is a good storyteller but who had a hard life at a circus.  When a baby elephant, Ruby, joins her, she is very protective of her and when she knows she is dying, gets Ivan to promise to protect Ruby for her.  He comes up with a great plan to get Ruby moved to a zoo.  This is such a cute book that has a happy ending.  It is a quick read but very enjoyable!  If you like animals and are looking for a heartwarming story, I recommend this one!  I loved it! 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wrobiewski" (UPDATED)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski is a book that Gerard and I have completely different reactions toward. We'd love to hear what you think of it.

I read a lot about this book before reading it. USA TODAY called it the must read book of '08. Sometimes a book does not live up to that hype like Kite Runner and We Need To Talk About Kevin. This book does. Edgar Sawtelle is born mute into a family that trains dogs. The best part of this book to me was his interaction with the dogs. The ending is so good you will want more! The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski lives up to the hype! Read this book!
(Gerard's review 7/30/08, My rating: 5 stars)

(Karen's review 4/9/12: my rating: 2 stars)

Well, I finally got to The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobiewski and must say I did not like it. Gerard and I see this one very differently. He thinks it's a must read but I do not recommend this one at all. It is 562 pages that seemed like forever to get through. Although there were some parts of the book I did enjoy, like when Edgar ran away with three of his dogs and found a kind old man who let him stay with him for awhile; however, most of the book was boring or made no sense to me. I liked Edgar, the main character for the most part, but didn't like when he was mean to his favorite dog, Almondine.

I do not understand why Gerard thought the ending was good other than it was suspenseful. I did not like the ending at all but don't want to spoil it if you haven't read it yet so won't say anymore about that unless you wish to discuss it in an email.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Laugh at Life" by Jane Seabrook

Laugh at Life by Jane Seabrook is a small collection of funny sayings with great animal illustrations to go with them, one saying or picture per page.  The author has a whole series of these cute little books.  In the back she lists the names of all the animals she illustrated in the book.  Some are very exotic.  Here is one of my favorite sayings from this book:  As you get older, your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either. This would make a perfect little gift for any animal lover.

I got this one for my personal library from paperbackswap.com for free.  If you are not aware of this site, you might like to check it out.  You post books that you are willing to give away and pay the postage for mailing, then when someone requests one of your books, once they receive it you get a credit which can be used to get a book of your choice for free (since the one sending the book pays the postage). 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Hope you will visit our other blog, "Right Where We Belong" to see our Happy Easter Everyone post!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.