"Bunker Hill--A City, A Siege, A Revolution" by Nathaniel Philbrick

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Bunker Hill--A City, A Siege, A Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick brought me up to speed on my limited knowledge about Bunker Hill and Benedict Arnold. I always enjoy books that I can learn more about historical events and this was no exception. Now I feel like I know the full story! The first hundred pages were a bit dry reading; however, once it got closer to the battle of Bunker Hill, things really picked up. The story about the battle was eye-opening and riveting! I you are a fan of historical reading, you will love this book!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

We received a free copy of this book for review but was not compensated. This in no way influenced my review of this book.


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!

"WAVE" by Sonali Deraniyagala

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala is the true story of how she lost her whole family one morning due to a tsunami. She was able to somehow survive. You can really feel the love she had for her family and the heartbreak of losing them followed by anger that she is the one left. I read this book in just one day. It’s a very interesting read!
(Gerard's review, 5 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!

"Trident K9 Warriors" by Mike Ritland with Gary Brozek

Trident K9 Warriors by Mike Ritland with Gary Brozek tells the story of an elite group of dogs who go through special training to help our men fight the wars around the world. I especially enjoyed the stories of the battle where the dogs played a vital role. Of course, I liked the pictures of the dogs too! Some of the chapters that dealt with non-battle scenes I skimmed. To Mike Ritland and your band of brothers in arms, thank you for your service!
(Gerard's review, 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!

"Beyond the Bear" by Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney

Beyond the Bear by Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney tells the true story of how Dan was mauled by a bear and survived. To his credit, he worked hard and was able to make something of his life again, even though he had lost his sight. I enjoyed the stories he told of his re-habilitation and of his help that he received from friends. God bless you, Dan, and your family!
(Gerard's review, 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!

Tuesday Teasers: 2 Non-fiction and 1 Historical Fiction

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

Dressed in blue scrubs, hands scoured and snapped into Latex gloves, Kallman walked into the operating room and up to the stainless steel table where Bigley lay on his back, prepped and draped, his ravaged body covered by a warming blanket. He stared down at the chaos before him and froze.

From page IX (prologue) of Beyond The Bear--How I Learned To Live and Love Again After Being Blinded By A Bear by Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney. (non-fiction--review posted tomorrow)

Karen's:

Tom turned his horse and headed out of the gap. "Quit yapping and let's move out."
"You're going to die, Tom."

From Sharpshooter in Petticoats by Mary Connealy. (Historical fiction)

And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

From Acts 8:11-12 of the New American Standard Bible. (non-fiction)

Happy Reading!

"Love Water Memory" by Jennie Shortridge (UPDATED)

Love water memory by Jennie Shortridge is an interesting story about an engaged couple, Grady and Lucie.  When they have a huge fight, Lucie leaves and doesn’t return.  Grady looks all over for her and eventually finds her in a hospital with amnesia, learning she was found standing in San Francisco Bay.  The whole book is about Lucie learning secrets from her past and getting her memory back while her and Grady try to rebuild their relationship.  It’s a good read but did not like it as much as Gerard did--both the main characters were likable.
(Karen's review)

Love Water Memory is told by Grady and Lucie, a couple who was going to get married until a huge fight. Eight days later, Lucie is found but remembers no one and nothing of her former life. I loved this book! It had me from page one and all the way through. My feelings about Lucie and Grady went back and forth. The writing was very good too. The only downside was that I was hoping for a better ending, but it does leave an opening for a sequel which would be good!
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

"Reconstructing Amelia" Lives Up To The Hype

There is a lot of hype about Reconstructing Amelia and I am here to tell you that it is true! This book is very good! It is told by Amelia and her mother, Kate. Kate gets a call telling her that Amelia is dead. When Kate is notified that her daughter’s death may be the result of foul play, she sets out to find answers. The book leads up to the day Amelia died and is riveting! There are lots of “wow” moments in it so I enjoyed it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen planned to read this too but only started it and quit on it because she didn't like Amelia at all. 

Blogging 'Bout Books says it is "Reconstructing Amelia: It's That Disturbing and That Compelling." She was ready to give up on it too but kept on going.

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 Loved "Orphan Train--a Novel" by Christina Baker Kline (UPDATED)

I really enjoyed Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline about the life journey of Vivian, a 91-yr.-old who was an Orphan Train rider at the age of 9 who becomes friends with Molly, a 17-yr.-old Goth girl who is in the foster care system.  This novel is written in such a way that is both contemporary and historical fiction, as Vivian shares her background with Molly.  It is a very interesting read because both Vivian and Molly have a lot in common, understand each other, and help each other.

This book has some very sad parts but also some very happy and heartwarming parts which makes it an enjoyable read.  It addresses the issues of the importance of kind people in our lives, what things we value, perseverance and how things happen for a reason.  The author does an outstanding job of smoothly transitioning from the past to the present and from the story of Vivian back to the present-day story of Molly and Vivian.  I was never confused at all.  Great novel that brings the early 1900’s to life in sharing that part of American history.  I highly recommend this to anyone!
(Karen's review)


Orphan Train--a Novel by Christina Baker Kline has two main stories: (1) A 91-yr.-old woman tells of her young life of being on an orphan train. Her story is fantastic! and (2) A young teen girl who is now an orphan, describes what she is going through. Her story is very good. These two women are brought together and find they have more in common than they thought. I loved this book!

Even when the story is finished, there is still an interview with the author, a story about orphan trains and questions for a book club . Make it a point to read Orphan Train; you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Related Reads:  Orphan Train Rider by Andrea Warren

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

Tuesday Teasers: 3 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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

She opened her mouth to tell him, but didn't know what to say. He waded closer, slowly, carefully, like someone would approach a hurt dog or a crazy person.

From page 2 of Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge. (click the link for Gerard's review)

Karen's:

"Don't worry, we'll be all right . . ." I begin, but she gives me a look of such desperation that my words trail off. As we watch people line up and begin to mount the steps to the stage, I feel like one of the cows in the agricultural show my granddad took me to in Kinvara.

From page 64 of Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.  (Click link for Gerard's review)

They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

From Acts 5:18-19 of The NIV Study Bible.

Happy Reading!

The Gospel of John is a Must Read!

WOW!  I finished reading through the Gospel of John and found it to be so interesting.  I thought I knew everything that was in it but still found lots of things that caught my interest and refreshed my memory.  If you doubt that Jesus is the Son of God, this is a must read for you!  I really enjoyed this book of the Bible very much which contains probably the most well-known verse in the whole Bible:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.--John 3:16 (NIV)

This book was written by the apostle, John, one of Jesus closest disciples.  The one, in fact, that Jesus loved and trusted so much that when dying on the cross, he gave the responsibility of taking care of his mother to John.  John writes an eyewitness account of many of the things Jesus did when he lived here on the earth.

I love these two verses that John included just for us today:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book:  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in his name. --John 20:30-31 (NIV)

Here are several of my "Sunday Sharing" posts where you can find some highlights that I shared from this book and a bonus one from Easter 2012:

He Knows My Thoughts (John 2)
A Personal God (John 2-6)
The First Speed Boat (John 6)
Plotting Against Jesus (John 9-11)
I Give You Peace (John 14)
A Direct Line to God and a Password Tip (John 15-16)
4 Questions--Can You Answer Any? (John 20)
Happy Easter Everyone:  He Is Risen! (John 3)

I hope you will take some time to read some of these posts.  Since I read the Bible every day, I am going to start sharing a teaser each week from it too for our Tuesday Teaser post.  It's the one book that has made the biggest impact on my life!  I must share about it!


Have you read this one? Who do you say Jesus is?  Happy Reading!

"Prodigy" by Marie Lu (UPDATED 4-16-13)

Starts Slow But Picks Up--Stick With It

Prodigy by Marie Lu is as good as her first book of this series, Legend. This book goes quick because it’s so good! Day and June alternate narrating chapters and the action kept me turning pages. The Republic is on the verge of a revolution and Day and June join forces on the same side, but is it the right side? Who can they trust? Who is telling the truth? Can Day continue to trust June? Tess, developed a major crush on Day and he begins to see her in a different light. The author has a good balance between strong, likeable characters and action and suspense. Prodigy is about friendship, loyalty, trust, and fighting for freedom and social change. I highly recommend this YA read.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Prodigy by Marie Lu is the follow up after Legend.  Legend was fantastic; however, Prodigy started very slow.  I would have liked more action but the second half picked up and I really got into it!  I look forward to reading the last book in this series too! 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

This is the sequel to Legend which we both liked! You should really read that one first.

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!

"The Key on the Quilt" by Stephanie Grace Whitson

It even had kittens in this book!

The Key On The Quilt (first book in "The Quilt Chronicles" series) by Stephanie Grace Whitson is a wonderful story about the unlikely friendship of three different women and how God worked in each of their lives.  In this historical Christian fiction novel, Jane is serving a 10-yr. sentence in prison for murdering her second husband while her sister takes care of Jane’s little girl, Rose.  All the while, Jane hopes to be reunited with her daughter one day.  While in prison, Jane works on a quilt for her daughter that she trusts will be a reminder to Rose of her mother’s love and instrumental in reuniting them. 

With some blossoming romances as well as interesting lives and insight into prison life,  I think this would be a good book club read and highly recommend it to women, especially if you like quilting. It does have discussion questions in the back.  This is the first book I read by this author, just found it browsing at the library but think I will read more by this author.

Read my Teaser if you like.

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

Tuesday Teasers: Historical Fiction and a Memoir

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

They shaved her head. She was a beautiful little girl and they shaved her head! Who could do that?!

From page 3 of To Sing Frogs, A memoir by John M. Simmons. (A true story about family, friends, life, and other things that don't make sense) My review will post on Wednesday.

Karen's:

Fresh air, sunshine, a purring kitten, and flowers to plant. Jane smiled as she realized she was following Miss Dawson's example. Listing thankfuls.

From page 164 of The Key on The Quilt--The Quilt Chronicles by Stephanie Grace Whitson. (Historical fiction)  My review should be up Thursday.


Check out our Giveaway to U.S. residents.

Happy Reading!

"Alex Cross, Run" by James Patterson

Don't let the size scare you off--this was LARGE print.

In Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson, there are a lot of dead bodies in Washington. It's up to Alex Cross to find their killer, or is it killers, and bring them to justice. What he doesn't know is that one man is out there that is after him and will do anything to get his revenge. I liked Alex Cross, Run because it moved right along with a good surprise ending.
(Gerard's review, 5 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!

"Purry Logic" by Jane Seabrook Would Be a Hit With Cat Lovers

Purry Logic by Jane Seabrook is a delightful amusing little book that any cat lover would enjoy!  Each page has a close up a different breed of cat along with a cute quote.  In the back she lists all the breeds pictured.  It is a very quick read, like five minutes.  This is the 5th book I have in my Furry Logic collection! 

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!

"The Burning Air" by Erin Kelly

The Burning Air by Erin Kelly tells the story of a young boy who when he gets turned down to enter a private school, holds a grudge against the family who runs it. The first 75 pages set the background and then the two plots kick in. Why two? You will find out when you read it. The last 100 pages or so are absolutely gripping! This is Erin Kelly's third book and in my mind, she is 3 for 3.
(Gerard's review)

Other books we read by her:
The Dark Rose
The Poison Tree

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

Tuesday Teasers: Two Today

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

It was a lapse of judgment. If I could have foreseen the rippling aftershocks that followed I would have acted differently, but by the time I realized the extent of the consequences, it was too late.

From page 4 of The Burning Air by Erin Kelly.

Karen's:

Everybody is going to think I'm . . . Normal. My ability is what makes me halfway cool. I'm nobody without it.

From page 49 of Pivot Point by Kasie West. (YA fiction)

Be sure to check out our giveaway of Her by Christa Paravani, a dark memoir about twin girls.

Happy Reading!

"Her" by Christa Parravani

Gerard liked it; I didn't. 

Gerard's review of 3/30/13
Her by Christa Parravani is about her and her twin, Cara.  When Cara passes away, Christa finds herself at a loss and pretty soon starts to follow the same path that did Cara in!  Which path is that and what does Christa do to get back straight?  You will have to read to find out.


I enjoyed this book.  The parts of the book I liked best was the interaction between the two sisters.  I was going to give this book 4 stars, but the ending was SO good, it pushed it up to 5 stars.  Not a "must read" but it is good.  Give it a shot, you will be glad you did!


Karen's review posted 3/4/13:
Her by Christa Parravani is a dark memoir.  When Christa's identical twin died, Christa sort of changed into her.  In this book, Christa shares about their bond, her guilt, and her struggle with handling her sister's death.

This book was very sad and depressing to me.  It is hard for me to imagine people actually living their lives like this, on drugs, infidelity, abuse, in and out of mental hospitals, and seeking advice from psychics.  It also jumped around a lot which made it hard to follow.

This book did not appeal to me but I can understand that it was helpful for her to write about her sister and her struggle. The only reason I kept reading was because I was hoping for a happy ending.  I won't tell you how it ends because I do not want to spoil it for you. 


We received an advanced reading copy of this book which goes on sale March 2013.  This did not affect our review.

Happy Reading!  (I'm releasing this one "into the wild" through bookcrossing.com in August, 2013.  If you join, please use my screen name as your referral:  BookDumper.

"The Promise of Stardust" by Priscille Sibley (UPDATED)

A Thought Provoking Love Story--Must Read!

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is an unusual love story of Elle, an astronaut, and Matt, a neurosurgeon, that splits a family apart when there is a life or death decision to make.  Matt and Elle want a child so bad, but there always seems to be complications and she loses the baby.    The author brings up some interesting legal issues related to making decisions about keeping someone on life support after they are brain dead in this captivating novel. 

My feelings towards the characters changed as the book progressed and I found myself pulling for Matt by the end.  I liked how Elle's dad changed along the way and how the doctors were so nice to Matt.  This is definitely a good read I recommend if you like thought provoking stories about family.
(Karen's review of 3/28/13)


Gerard's review of 3/16/13 (5++ stars):

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is a great love story you must read!  Matt and Ellie were childhood friends who now have a loving marriage.  What they want are children and a family.  Their first two attempts ended in tragedy. When Matt, who is a doctor, gets a call that Ellie is being rushed to the hospital, he hurries only to find her fall from a ladder has left her brain dead and that she is carrying his child!  He wants to keep her on life support hoping that the baby will live but his mom and Ellie's brother want the plug pulled.

This is an outstanding book that is a page turner.  I loved how the author went back in time to show how Matt and Ellie came to be married and the trials they faced.  Does the baby live?  Who wins the trial?  Speaking of the trial, that part of the book is gripping with suspense!  Have a tissue handy for the ending.  This book will tug at your heartstrings--it did mine!  Loved it!!  It doesn't get any better than this!  The Promise of Stardust is her first novel too, are you kidding me?  Well done!  ( visit her website at www.priscillesibley.com)

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!

Visit Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, one of her prompts this week is to share a book review.

"Banished--Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church"

Banished--Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain with Lisa Pulitzer tells the true story of Lauren Drain, who was banished from her church by her own family! Why? You will have to read the book to find out! What Lauren did and lived like when she was a member of WBC is unbelievable. This is an unforgettable memoir with plenty of "wow" factors! Happy Easter, Lauren, and God bless! (5++ 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!

Tuesday Teasers: A Love Story and a Memoir

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

Some of the people were so worked up that they tried to push and punch us. Others got up into our faces to yell, and some even spat at us.

From page 7 of Banished--Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church by Lauren Drain with Lisa Pulitzer. (a memoir)

Karen's:

"Because Elle picked me to watch out for her, and you are seriously considering keeping her on life support, and that's not what Elle wanted. It's just wrong to keep her in this state, as an incubator for something that isn't even a baby yet."

From page 48 of The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley.



Happy Reading!

"Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose (UPDATED)

A Real Page Turner For Sure!

Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose is a fast-paced, complex thriller about revenge, betrayal, dysfunctional families and a very brave prosecuting attorney, Daphne (a cancer survivor), who is a target and the romance that develops between her and the Federal agent (Joseph) who tries to find her kidnapped son.  This novel has a lot of things going on:  abduction, murder, manipulation, crime investigation, colorful characters and secrets. 

 

I loved the part Daphne’s dog played in this novel.  Divorces, remarriages and name changes really make it challenging for the reader to keep everyone straight and make all the connections.  Parts reminded me of the writing style of Brandilyn Collins where the author leaves you hanging and then jumps to another scene with other characters.  The author creates lots of suspense without a lot of gore.  I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers with some mystery.

(Karen's review added 3/22/13)

Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose is the story of a man who has a grudge against a woman prosecutor in Baltimore.  For me the best part of this book was following the man who had it all planned out how he was going to get his revenge against her--just excellent with a great ending and lots of suspense.  Put this one on your TBR list and when you read it, you will be happy you did. 
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

"The Road Out--A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America"

The Road Out--A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America by Deborah Hicks is a true story about a young teacher who teaches seven young girls in a poor neighborhood. The parts of the book I enjoyed were:

(1) When the teacher was trying to get through to the girls, and having a hard time;

(2) How each girl had her own personality and outlook on life; and

(3) The last few chapters that let you know how the girls are doling.
Not a must read, but is a good read. I think any teacher would really enjoy, but even if you aren't a teacher, you may like it. I did!
(Gerard's review, 5 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!

"The Dinner" by Herman Koch

The Dinner by Herman Koch is about two married couples who get together to discuss a horrible crime their sons committed. In my opinion, it starts slow but once it focused on the main story, it took off. I loved the ending and thought it was a good read, not great so give it four stars.
(Gerard's review, 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!

Tuesday Teasers: 3 For You--Contemporary Fiction

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

Come on, Elle, I thought. React. Prove my gut reaction wrong.

From page 4 of The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley. (My review posted on Saturday, but this is so good, I just had to do a teaser from it!)

What would this evening have been like if, no more than an hour ago, I had simply waited downstairs until it was time to go, rather than climb the stairs to Michel's room?
What would the rest of our lives have been like?

From page 11 of The Dinner by Herman Koch.

Karen's

Gone. Taken. Just like me. I can't do this again.

From page 98 of Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose.  (Click the link for Gerard's review of this one.)

Happy Reading!

"Dumping These Four"

Gerard orders books from the library all the time and waits for them to come in.  Often, he'll get a truckload all at once which is what happened last time.  When this happens, he doesn't stick with a book if he's not into it.  This morning he brought me these four and said, "I'm dumping these" and plopped them down for me to include in our "Dud" list (Click our Duds tab above for more we gave up on and why).  

Please keep in mind, just because the books didn't appeal to us, doesn't mean it's a bad book.  Everyone has different tastes so you may like some of these.  If you did, please leave your thoughts in a comment here.

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!

"How They Grow: Owl" and "The Miracle of Easter" (Reading online)

Did you know you can help organizations get more books in the hands of children for free just by reading children's books online at We Give Books?  These are the two I read this morning:

Ages 0-3 (science)

How They Grow:  Owl by DK Publishing is a cute picture book that shows how the owl looks and what it does from the time it is hatched until it's full grown in 12 weeks.  See, even reading these children's books, you can learn things quickly.  For example, I didn't know it takes 12 weeks for an owl to be full grown.

Ages 4-7 (history)

The Miracle of Easter by J. M. Malone is a nicely illustrated book that quickly tells the story about Jesus beginning with his wondrous works through his resurrection.  I was disappointed though with the ending because the book did not tell how after He rose from the dead, he was actually still on Earth for awhile before ascending to heaven and seen by many people.  I feel this book is a bit misleading and would not recommend it for that reason.

(Karen's reviews)

I do recommend that you check out this site to help kids get books.  It's all free!

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!

"The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult is so good! Wow, oh wow, where to start? It is about an old man who was a German S.S. guard at a Nazi war camp. Now he wants a favor from a woman, one she is not sure she can do. There are several good story lines in this book. You get the Nazi guard story, a fantastic story from the young girl’s Jewish grandmother who was in the death camp, and the story that she was writing, which is sort of what the book is based on. I just loved it! As usual for Jodi Picoult’s books, the ending is shocking!
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

"The Tutor's Daughter" by Julie Klassen

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen is a clean historical romance that held my interest all through with the mysterious events that happen to Emma, the tutor's daughter while staying at the cliff-top manor where her father tutors two teen boys. This book is very interesting because of the family secrets, interesting characters and the family dynamics involved. Emma knew the older two Weston boys, Philip and Henry, from when they attended her father's boarding school. Their father invited Mr. Smallwood to live at his manor and privately tutor his two younger sons, Julian and Rowan, when the academy's last student left.

I liked this book very much because although it is a romance novel, there is a lot of mystery in it as well and it doesn't have any sex scenes at all. It's a very enjoyable read and a couple times while reading I actually said, "oh no!" right out loud! This is also one that when reading on the bus, I almost missed my stop. I looked up just in time. I highly recommend this one for a book club because it has interesting discussion questions in the back covering topics such as life choices, homeschooling, special needs kids, history of shipwrecks and the characters in the book. I liked this one much better than the first book I read by Julie Klassen, The Girl in the Gatehouse.
(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!

Linking up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, responding to the prompt to share a book review.

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

Josef lets out a breath he has been holding. "So it is not a no," he says cautiously. "This is good."

From page 54 of The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

The black-masked figure raised his Taser again. Calmly inserted a fresh cartridge. Took aim. Fired.
My fifteen-year-old daughter started to scream.

From page 19 of Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner. (My review will be up tomorrow.)

Karen's

Heart pounding, Emma gingerly leaned forward and peered around the corner. She held her candle at waist level, too nervous to lift it high, uncertain what she might find.

From page 116 of The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen. (historical romance--my review will be posted Thursday.)

Happy Reading!

Silly Sunday

We have so many books this week that I was barely able to get a cat into the picture. After several outtakes, this header picture is actually the best with the cat. At least only one book is covered and one partially covered. Can you see enough to guess the titles?

The one in the top row on all the way to the left is Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose which Gerard already read and Karen plans to read this week, and the one Manny Boy is covering up is The Road Out--A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America by Deborah Hicks:

"Mighty Inspiration--Love Letters From God" by Barbara Bernard Miller (Giveaway)

Mighty Inspiration--Love Letters From God by Barbara Bernard Miller is a unique book in that she shares things that God has “given” her to write during her journey of faith. It is written in first person from God’s point of view. It is a challenge to believers to use their gifts to work together to change the world. It is a short, quick read but would be a good devotional book, reading just a chapter a day and meditating on that. It is thought provoking and challenging; however, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of scripture.

I encourage you to visit Barbara’s blog: Mighty Inspiration and if you would like to have this book and live in the United States, be the first to leave a comment letting us know you want it with an email address so we can contact you.

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!

"The Death of Bees" by Lisa O'Donnell

A Page Turner debut novel

For the most part, The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell is narrated by two sisters, Marnie and Nelly.  Their parents are dead and with no relative around, they fear going into foster care and being separated.  So, what do they do?  You will have to read the book to find out.  I enjoyed this from page 1.  It's a good page turner as I wondered if the plan the girls came up with would work or if they would be found out.  This is the author's first novel.  I'll be looking for more of her work!  (5++ 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!

Tuesday Teasers: "The Death of Bees" and "The Handmaid's Tale"

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

Today I am fifteen. Today I buried my parents in the backyard.
Neither of them were beloved.

From the prologue of The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell.  Stop back tomorrow to see my review.

Karen's:

In the semidarkness we could stretch out our arms, when the Aunts weren't looking, and touch each other's hands across space.  We learned to lipread, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other's mouths. 

From page 4 of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  (I just started this so don't really know what's going on yet.)

Happy Reading!

Our February Favorite Reads

 Gerard's favorite for February is Me Before You by Jojo Meyes:

Contemporary Fiction

Karen's favorite for February is In Need of a Good Wife by Kelly O'Connor McNees:

Historical Fiction

What was your best read in February?


Have you read these yet? 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!

"Game Over" by Dave Zirin

Game Over by Dave Zirin gives an eye opening account of things that happen in sports off the playing field.  For example, Oregon University is struggling to pay their teachers, but that has no bearing on a brand new sports complex costing $41.7 million for their athletes to train in.  At Texas, undergraduate tuition increased 4%, but their football coach got a raise of $2 million.  This book has stuff like that which you don't always read in the sports pages.  I enjoyed most of it and give it 4 stars.  This is NOT a page-turner, more like a plow through.  I almost gave up on it at the beginning.
(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!

"Tenth of December" by George Saunders (audio book)

This audio book is a collection of short stories read by the author. I think that is pretty cool. He does a great job! The three main stories are very good, especially the Tenth of December (the last one). The other two main stories are pretty good too, especially the first one, "Victory Lap"! The other stories I did not like so much. The language at times is rough, which I didn't care for. Overall though, based on the strength of "Tenth of December" I give it four stars.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read or listened to 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!

"Predator" by Terri Blackstock

Predator by Terri Blackstock is a contemporary fiction page-turner about online security.  When Krista’s 14-yr-old younger sister, Ella, is murdered, Krista is horrified to find discover that Ella gave up-to-the-minute details about her whereabouts on the social media GrapeVyne (similar to Facebook).  Krista is determined to find her killer and warn others about posting so much personal stuff online, especially one’s whereabouts.  The killer continues going after more girls and the suspense builds as Krista becomes his next target. 

I enjoyed this book because it moved along and addressed an important issue in an interesting way.  The ending wasn’t very believable but overall it is a good read.  It shows the importance of not posting things on-line that you wouldn’t want a predator to see.  Don’t think only your friends see what you post!  

(Karen's review 2/26/13)

Predator by Terri Blackstock should serve as a warning to people, especially young girls who put way too much information online.  Bad guys are out there and this book tells the story of one of them.  This book is a real page turner.  You can quickly identify with all the characters in the story.  The writing is very good and there are a lot of interesting twists and turns.  It goes fast--a very good read!
(Gerard's review 6/19/10)

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

"The Fifth Assassin" by Brad Meltzer

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer is on the "Best Sellers" list for a reason--it is that good!  Someone is re-creating down to the last detail the four assassinations of the four presidents that were in office.  Now, there is going to be a fifth one.  The question is who is doing this and will the fifth attempt be successful?  It is hard to know the bad guys from the good guys in this one and the plot twists are eye popping!

At 654 pages (large print) this is no light read.  The book took four years to finish and it shows.  This one kept me turning pages and the ending is the best of all!  I loved it and recommend it! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

Tuesday Teasers: "Predator" and "The Fifth Assassin"

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

Karen's

The killer had access to this information, and he was somewhere here, hidden among her GrapeVyne friends. Krista clicked on Ella's Friends and saw a list with pictures of over eleven hundred people.

From page 20 of Predator by Terri Blackstock.

Gerard's

Almost on cue, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking down, President Wallace pulled it out just enough to read the newest text onscreen:
How's my funeral going? Dr. Stewart Palmiotti asked.

From page 5 of The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer.

Happy Reading!

"In Need of a Good Wife" by Kelly O'Connor McNees

Light and Entertaining

In Need of a Good Wife by Kelly O'Connor McNees is a post-civil war historical fiction novel about mail-order brides seeking a new start. When Clara sees an ad for wives needed in Nebraska, she sees it as a business opportunity and becomes matchmaker for women in Manhattan who want a new start and are willing to go to Nebraska. She contacts the mayor of the Nebraska town, Destination, and when the gentlemen seeking wives write, she tells the women about them and they correspond for months before their trip. The story focuses on Clara, Elsa, an older lady who was a laundress most of her life who never married and Rowena, the prettiest in town who is a broke widow with a father in an asylum in need of money to take care of him.

I loved this book because it is unpredictable and filled with interesting characters. Some of the marriages panned out nicely while others did not, but the plot thickens when Clara was unable to deliver what she promised and the gentlemen without brides want their money back and charge her with fraud! My favorite character was Elsa. This one has discussion questions in the back and would make for a good book club selection.

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!

Francona--The Red Sox Years - A Must Read For Sox Fans!

A must read for all Red Sox Fans!

Francona--The Red Sox Years by Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy is a really really good book about the years Francona managed the Red Sox.  It was so much fun going back over the two years that they won the world championships!  There is interesting inside stuff too on ownership, players and the things that go on that the average fan knows nothing about.  I have yelled a lot at Francona while watching the Red Sox games when he was manager; but after reading this book, I've gained respect for him.  I wish him luck with Cleveland this year except when they play the Sox.  This one is a must read for all Red Sox fans!
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

"Brain On Fire--My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan GIVEAWAY (Updated)

Here's a non-fiction Must Read!

UPDATED 2/20/13:
Brain On Fire--My Month Of Madness by Susannah Cahalan is her true story about how a rare, mysterious disease almost took her life.  It is a contemporary medical thriller and very scary because it really happened!  It was only because her parents and boyfriend persevered at getting her the help she needed that she survived.  I felt sorry for her and her family as I read her account.  It's really scary that one of the best neurologists in the country just thought she was a drunk having withdrawal symptoms and never even heard of anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis which is what she was finally diagnosed with and treated for. 

This is a fascinating read and I was glad that this journalist recovered enough to write this book about her experience.  The key lesson is to get a second opinion!  I found it interesting for the most part but she lost me when she tried explaining the medical details of how the immune system actually attacks the brain.
(Karen's review, rating 4 stars)

Brain On Fire--My Month Of Madness by Susannah Cahalan is the true story of Susannah who started to have medical problems.  She was misdiagnosed so often that one day she woke up in a hospital and didn't know how she got there.  Wow, what a great read!  

This is a page turner for sure with lots of "wow" factors for me.  The biggest wow is that I got this one to review for free--it's a must read!  I highly recommend it.  I'm so glad you are all better now, Susannah.  Thanks for telling your story and God bless!

(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

We received this book free to review but that did not affect our reviews in any way.  


If you would like this book and live in the USA, just be the first to say so in a comment on this post including your email address so we can contact you for your mailing address.

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!

"Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes is a Must Read!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes centers on two people: Will--an outgoing young man who had it all going on until an accident put him in a wheelchair; and Louisa--a young woman who does not have many skills becomes the caretaker of Will because she needs a job. The interaction between these two is just fantastic! When Louisa finds out about a death pact between Will and his parents, she has a short time to convince Will that life is worth living. How does she go about it and does she succeed? You will have to read the book to find out!

This book had me from page 1. You talk about a page turner, this is it.  You will keep turning pages quickly to see how it ends. The books I really remember are ones I cried over--this is one of them! I highly recommend this as a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ 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!

Tuesday Teasers: "Brain on Fire" and "Me Before You"

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

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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 last thing he sees is a leather glove, a face under a helmet the shock in the man's eyes mirroring his own. There is an explosion as everything fragments.

From page 15 of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

Karen's:

There's something wrong with me. This is how a crazy person acts.

From page 32 of Brain on Fire--My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. (Non-fiction)

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!

"Ecclesiastes" written by King Solomon, Inspired by God

"A Wise Man Believes in God"

I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes from the International Children's Bible and enjoyed it very much!  Although it gets a bit depressing at times, it is a very interesting read.  It talks about how a lot of life is useless, like chasing the wind. Some common phrases that we hear today like "Ignorance is bliss," "A little bird told me," "Follow your heart," and "Where there's life, there's hope" seem to find their start in the book of Ecclesiastes.  For example, one I thought was funny is Eccl. 9:4 for the phrase "Where there's life, there's hope" which says:  But anyone still alive has hope.  Even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

The main point of the book is to enjoy your short life while here on earth but know that God will judge you for your actions.  After a detailed description of old age in chapter 11, it closes with the admonition to remember thy creator in the days of your youth.  The most important thing people can do is to honor God and obey his commands.  It is only twelve chapters, but very thought provoking and at sometimes funny. 
(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!