"The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart (children's book)--Both LOVED IT! (updated)

Glad you both liked this one--yea for the dog!

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about a young boy, Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  Why does he run away?  His best friend knows the secret but she will not tell.  This children's book had me from page 1!  I LOVED IT!  What's not to like about a boy and his dog on the adventure of his life?  This is a page turner that goes quick and is the author's first book--well done!
(Gerard's review 2/23/15, 5++ stars)

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about Mark, a boy with Cancer who is tired of being the sick kid and decides to go on an adventure with his dog to keep a promise to his grandfather before he dies.  His best friend, Jess, figures out where he went but knows Mark does not want her to tell. 

This unique book deals with friendship, survival and facing death through an interesting story.   The ½ chapters sets this book apart from any I have read drew me in right away.  It is a quick read that I didn’t want to put down and I loved the surprise ending!  The honest truth is that this book will tug at your heart!  I highly recommend it; think both kids and adults would enjoy it.  I am so glad I gave up on the big fat adult book, Dust by Patricia Cornwell to read this one instead.  I enjoyed this so much more!

I even learned how to write Haiku poems from The Honest Truth.  Here is my Haiku poem I wrote about this book for Mark (and the author):

                           I read the story,

Understanding Mark’s viewpoint,
Hoping he makes it!

The boy’s dog, Beau, rocks!
Two true, loyal friends, indeed
Saving each other!

(Karen's review 2/24/15, 5 stars)

Click this link for The Personal Story Behind the Story shared by the author.

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!

Teaser Tuesday--FourToday

Gerard's:

"He didn't do it.  I know more than you can ever imagine about what it takes to do bad things."

From page 17 of Someone to Watch Over Me by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
  
Times like this, it surprised him how much he could still feel that place.  And yet, he had no one to blame but himself. 

From page 27 of Breaking Creed by Alex Kava.

I slammed the door behind me and I didn't look back even once.  I didn't worry about a key.

From page 3 of The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart. 

Karen's:  

Marino's not going to allow it either.  He slogs through the mud in a hurry, back in our direction, while Rusty and Harold get sheets ready for a barricade.

From page 99 of Dust by Patricia Cornwell.


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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.

Happy Reading!

"I Am Tama, Lucky Cat" (A Japanese Legend)

I Am Tama, Lucky Cat by Wendy Henrichs is about a kind Monk to brings in a cat and names it Tama.  In Japan, it is believed that when a cat washes his face, a guest will arrive.  (I didn't know that.  My cats wash their faces all the time and we don't get any guests.)  So, in the book, the cat brings luck. 

I was disappointed with this book.  The illustrations weren't all that cute and the story line was nothing exciting, just okay.  It is a picture book and I read it in five minutes.
(Karen's review, 2 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!

"Breaking Creed" by Alex Kava

Before I write the book review, I have to tell Mr. Kava how sad I was to read about his dog, Scout, dying after 16 years.  I know you will miss him very much, my condolences.

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava is about people smuggling drugs into the U.S.A.  This book kept my interest with some action and I enjoyed the dogs in the book very much!
(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!

"A Killing at the Creek" by Nancy Allen

A Killing at the Creek by Nancy Allen is a mystery about a woman school bus driver found dead with a slashed throat in a creek and the 15-yr.-old boy who was found driving the bus and was charged with her murder.  Elsie, an assistant prosecutor, was eager to work a murder case but didn’t expect her first one to be a teen.  I enjoyed reading about the investigation and the trial was the best part, but this book had too much bad language for my taste which easily could have been omitted without losing any of the mystery.  I didn't like the ending.  (Karen's review, 3 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!

"I Was Here" by Gayle Forman

When Cody receives an email from her best friend, Meg, informing her that she is dead, Cody is shocked and decides to investigate.  What she finds frightens her and she wants to stop it!  But is she in danger?

I Was Here kept my interest and is a quick read.  I cared about Cody and wanted the best for her.  It's a good read, give it a chance!
(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!

Teaser Tuesdays: 4 Today

Click link for our Favorite January Reads.
Gerard's:
  
But the number of treats I downed meant very little to me.  What difference existed between two and one of anything?

From page 17 of It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell.

Is this the line he used on Meg?  Did this work on Meg?

From page 33 of I Was Here by Gayle Forman. 

Karen's:  

 As long as I'm sailing through the air, about to die for the second time, I should at least be able to scream.  But no sound comes from my throat.

From page 1 of Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner.

The bloody yellow school bus wound through the hills of the Missouri Ozarks in the early dawn of a June morning.  The blood inside the bus pooled under the driver's feet, trickled in the aisle, drained out the back exit and ran over the rear bumper.

From page 1 of A Killing at The Creek by Nancy Allen.

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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.

Happy Reading!

"It Was Me All Along" by Andie Mitchell, a memoir

It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell is the true story of "the fat girl."  She continued that way until one day while in college she got on a scale and was shocked by the number.  This book tells the story of how she put on the weight and how she took it off, but it's more than that--it's how she deals with life too.

I found it fascinating--she pulls no punches and sounds like someone I would enjoy spending time with.  Through her book, short as it is, I did and am glad for that.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I am so proud that Gerard lost his excess weight.  I find it hard to believe he was over 300 pounds in high school (long before I ever met him), but here's the proof:  From 300 pounds to 140. 

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!

"Pioneer Girl" is a Must Read for "Little House on the Prairie" Fans!

Pioneer Girl--Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Annotated Autobiography (Pamela Smith Hill, editor) has stories that were not seen on the TV show.  I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie so enjoyed this book very much.  The pictures are priceless!  If you were a fan of this show, then this is a must read for you.  I liked it a lot!
(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!

"Crash and Burn" by Lisa Gardner

Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner starts off with Nicole Frank getting into a car accident. When the police come, she tells them her daughter is missing.  They cannot find her and the police dogs cannot track her, what now?  Her husband shows up and tells the police that his wife suffers from a mental illness and cannot be trusted in anything she says.  But, can he be trusted?

This is a fantastic read!  Lisa Gardner is always good and this novel is no exception!  As you read this book, what you think you know, you do not.  Trust me.  It's filled with so many twists and turns your head will spin!  LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner is a fascinating and intriguing mystery about a police investigation of an DWI accident that finds them trying to solve a 30-year-old mystery.  Nancy Frank suffers from PTSD and mental confusion from three concussions.  Her husband is supportive of her, or is he?  Can she trust him?  Who is Vero? There are so many questions that come up along the way and when you think you know something, it turns out different from what you thought with all the twists in this book.  It certainly kept my interest all the way through and is a wild read.  I can’t really go into detail because I don’t want to give you ruin the surprises for you.  

(Karen'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!

Teaser Tuesdays: 3 For You Today

Gerard's:
  
And as sleep wafted over from the continent of her body, warm and unlimited beside him, he dreamed of the amethyst striking his forehead again and again of his own candy-apple blood on his hands, and of the boy repeating that revelatory, heart-stopping sentence--Nothing can really hurt you, Will--as if it all had something to teach him, as if it were something he ought to try again.

From page 15 of If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie.

Without pausing to look back, she raced past the end of her bed even as she heard him coming after her, praying the wound she'd caused would slow her attacker down enough so that she could get out.  Alive.

From page 67 of Hush by Karen Robards.  (click link to see both our review, we both loved this one!)

Karen's: 

"I know the lumpectomy isn't a big deal, but what if you have to do chemo again?  I graduate in three months and I thought we were going to finally start trying for a"--he clears his throat and looks at me--"a baby."

From page 43 of Before I Go by Colleen Oakley. (Click link to see our reviews--Gerard Liked it, I did not!)

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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.


Happy Reading!

"Hush" by Karen Robards has Action, Suspense and Romance--We Both Loved It!

Hush by Karen Robards is an exciting read that I didn't want to put down.  George, Riley's ex-father-in-law, scammed lots of people, including some very dangerous men, out of a lot of money.  George is arrested but the money is missing.  He says it's all gone but the FBI, CIA and the other people he scammed do not believe him.  Also, the guys who worked with George want to get it too.  Riley has four near-death experiences because she knows where the money is but Finn manages to protect her.

This is an excellent novel filled with suspense, action, lies and a developing hot romance.  I really enjoyed the cat and mouse game Riley and Finn played with each other throughout the book.  The author did a great job mixing suspense and romance for a great read!  I'll be looking up more of her books for sure.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5++ stars):
This novel tells the story of Riley.  Her ex-husband is dead by what looks like a suicide, but Riley believes he was murdered.  His billionaire father concocted a financial fraud and is in jail, but the money he was able to get is out there somewhere and everyone wants it!  Riley is in great danger and the CIA has assigned agent Finn to recover the money.  Can Riley trust Finn and what secret is Riley keeping?  This is a really great book with good action which kept me turning pages.  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!

"If I Fall, If I Die" by Michael Christie

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie is about a young boy named Will.  His mom suffers from an illness and keeps Will inside at all cost.  But when Will meets someone at school, he decides to rebel.  The first half of this book is very, very good and kept me turning pages.  However, the second half of the book, not so much.  Overall, I enjoyed it!  Give it a chance and let me know what you think.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 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!

We Both Liked "Cold, Cold Heart" by Tami Hoag, She Does It Again!

In Cold, Cold Heart by Tami Hoag, Dana gets away from a serial killer by killing him which got me hooked right from the start.  After spending a year in the hospital trying recover from what he did to her, she returns home, hoping to get some of her memory back.  Unfortunately, home proves not to be a safe haven and thoughts of how her best friend died haunt her.

You can never go wrong with a Tami Hoag book, and this one is no exception.  I LOVED it and always wanted to return to it to read more.  It has a great story line, even includes a dog which I loved as well as a good ending.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Cold, Cold Heart by Tami Hoag is an unusual thriller in that the majority of the book deals with Dana trying to solve the mystery of her best friend's disappearance that happened seven years ago which makes the killer nervous.  Dana was a beautiful news anchor on TV until she was abducted by a serial killer who she managed to kill, but escaped with lots of side effects from her trauma including brain damage. 

I liked this book and agreed with its message, although it was somewhat redundant:  "Anyone could be a killer under the right circumstances" and "Where there's life, there's hope."  At the beginning, I'm wondering where the big mystery is since Dana kills the serial killer.    This book kept me guessing who killed Casey until near the end.  I really liked John who was nice to the stray dog who became his best friend.  Although there were several murders in this book, it is not full of gruesome details.  Mostly it's all about Dana trying to remember and putting together the pieces to find out what happened to her best friend with only a little action. 
(Karen'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!