The One by Kiera Cass is the third book in The Selection series and my favorite so far! In this the action really picks up, Maxon and Aspen form a bond, America's father dies, Maxon finally chooses his princess and it has some surprises and several die. This is like a roller coaster with happy moments and very sad moments. My emotions were all over the place. The relationship developments, the danger at the palace, the plot with the rebels and Maxon's father continuing to knock America out of the competition made this book hard for me to put down.
I am loving this series and so glad I gave it a chance despite the boring covers. I like both Maxon and America and loved the ending of this one even though it was not what I expected! I am flying through these books because I am enjoying the characters so much. What a great book, loving this series!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Sky Key by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton picks up where the first book left off. The nine remaining players are looking for sky key. Good action in this book too. I have my favorite players and they are still alive. Moving on to Book 3.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Endgame--The Calling by James Frey & Nils Johnson-Shelton has constant action! Welcome to Endgame. Twelve players in the whole world. They have been trained for this. They must find three keys. There can be only one winner, no rules, Kill or be killed! The one feature I enjoyed about this book was the constant action. I never knew what was coming next! This is the first book of three so I will be moving on to Book two!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Karen's: But how was I supposed to decide between two good possibilities? How could I make a choice that would leave some part of me devastated either way?
From page 30 of The Elite by Kiera Cass.
But anyway, to get back to the point: lifesaving and driving people nuts are Granny's superpowers. Which perhaps makes her a bit of a dysfunctional superhero.
From page 3 of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman.
Gerard's:
Marcus has wanted, waited, and prepared for Endgame his entire life. He is not longer bored, and he won't be again until he either wins or dies.
From page 4 of End Game--The Calling byJames Frey & Johnson-Shelton.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
The Elite by Kiera Cass is the second book in The Selection series and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first one. This book has some heartbreaking moments surrounding Marlee and the competition gets a bit more interesting with only six girls left. America questions if she actually could be a good princess if she let her feelings for Maxon blossom into love or if she should just pull out and look to a future with Aspen. She really shocks the royal family with her philanthropic presentation on TV and the king really hates her now! Maxon stands up to his father for the first time to protect America and he and America finally have a heart-to-heart talk while hiding together during an attack. Will she trust Maxon? Will she learn when to keep her mouth shut and control her emotions? As she learns more what is involved in being a princess, she has more doubts but is greatly encouraged when she receives a very sweet letter from her father.
I look forward to reading book 3 and am excited to read all the rest of the books in this series (3 more to go). I really admire America’s courage but hope she can learn to control her emotions better. I love how her maids all adore her and are so eager to make her look good and help her any way they can. This book has lots of good moments but also very sad things with some surprises along the way. I really liked how sweet Maxon when he surprised America at how he handled the Marlee situation.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
I’ve heard so much about The Selection series by Kiera Cass that I finally gave in and started it. The first book of the series, Selection, is a fun, light read about the rags to riches story of America Singer, a teenage girl. This is set in a future time where what once was America is now the country of Illéia. There is a royal family who rules and a caste system in place. America’s family are “fives” which are made up of musicians and artists. Just one level above “sixes” who are servants which is the caste Aspen is in. Aspen and America are in a serious relationship but have to keep it secret since they are in different castes. One day America gets a letter that could change her life forever, inviting her to apply to be Prince Maxon’s princess. Thirty-five girls will be selected for him to get to know and choose his princess from. During the selection process, their families will be compensated for allowing their daughters to participate in the selection. This first book is about the girls being selected and the process of Prince Maxon trying to narrow down the number.
I enjoyed this book because it is entertaining and reminded me of the show, The Bachelor. Prince Maxon, however, is a nice guy and not a sleeze at all. I like the humor throughout the book and how America slowly discovers that Maxon is not the snob she expected him to be. In fact, he is nothing but exceptionally nice to her! The love triangle that develops between her, Aspen and Maxon gets a push when Aspen is drafted as a guard at the palace and is assigned to guard America’s room. This is a quick read and I am anxious to continue on with this series. This is a pretty uplifting read with lots of happy moments.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall, Norah is 17 and has accepted that the four walls of her house will be her life. She cannot possibly go outside and heaven forbid she should come in contact with a stranger. However, when a new family moves in and a young teen boy notices her, will Norah do something that she could not have imagined she would do or is she just headed for heartache?
This book is based on the author's own experiences. I enjoyed it because Norah was a fun character and thought the ending was good too!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Karen's: Mom screamed by my ear, and May jumped up, sending popcorn everywhere. Gerad got excited too and started dancing. Dad . . it's hard to say, but I think he was secretly smiling behind his book.
From page 56 of The Selection by Kiera Cass.
"Maybe we shouldn't go," Jonathan repeated. "Maybe we shouldn't tell what happened. Yet."
"Do you really want to do this?" She wagged her finger between them. "A battle of wits? It's not even fun to destroy you because you're too dim to understand you're getting destroyed."
My fingers curl into the door frame so tightly it's a wonder they don't pierce the wood. But I can do it, one whole foot outside my front door, without my chest getting tight.
From page 24 of Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner is told by three teens starting their senior year in high school in a small town. Dill, Lydia and Travis take turns telling the way this book goes. They all have different family relationships. What they do have in common is a strong bond of friendship.
I enjoyed all the three teens very much. This book kept me interested throughout and has a very good 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart, my favorite children’s author, is about boys at Slabhenge Reformatory School for troubled boys located on an island and run with torture techniques. Jonathan is the new boy sentenced to 10 weeks which is longer than usual because of the bad thing he did. Jonathan is overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and believes he deserves to be there, unlike the others. A couple boys befriend him and eventually he even wins over the bully who bosses everyone around when all the grownups running the place meet an unfortunate death.
This book is dark but not as dark as Lord of the Flies although there are some similarities. I liked this book because of the exploration of group dynamics, the interaction and growth among the boys, and also because of the suspense. I even got to like that huge rat that Jonathan mistook for a cat. Jonathan is a great character who I admired because he was so kind and compassionate throughout the book. I would recommend this book to boys, but don’t think too many girls would enjoy it since there are no girls in it. I liked both this author’s other books better: The Honest Truth and Some Kind of Courage, because they seemed more believable and not as dark as this one.
SPOILER ALERT – STOP NOW IF YOU INTEND TO READ THIS BOOK. I really liked the librarian and his pet rat. I thought that was a cool surprise and liked how the librarian encouraged Jonathan to take a book every time he came. I was surprised Colin didn’t stay with him when he left the others. There were a few things I felt were farfetched: (1) How all the grownups got electrocuted and died at once; (2) that the boys would put the dead bodies in the freezer where the food would be, yuck!; (3) that the first thing they did wasn’t to all join in to destroy the sinner’s sorrow torture device that they all hated; (4) I didn’t understand why Sebastian got so mad at Colin when he left since at the beginning he announce the boys to go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted. When Colin took some chocolates saying they were just Sebastian’s, I was surprised the other boys didn’t back him up and (5) how the majority just followed whatever Sebastian said, letting him take the lead instead of following Colin or Jonathan, who were smarter and nicer, especially at the end.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)
Gerard read this first 1-9-17, here's his review, 4.5 stars: In Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart, Jonathan is the new boy at Slabhenge. It is a reform school for boys who are troubled to say the least. Now Jonathan is there and he is happy to be there. But soon he will have to make decisions that will affect him and his fellow boys. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. It has good action and the end has a good twist. I liked this author's first two books better, The Honest Truth and Some Kind of Courage, but this one is not bad at all!
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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In The Unseen World by Liz Moore, Ada is 12 years old and works with her dad and his associate in a lab. Ada is very smart. When her dad becomes forgetful and wanders off, Ada tries her best to take care of him. Soon though, he needs more help than Ada alone can give. Now she must go out in the world and deal with school and everyday things in life that she never had to deal with before. She learns things that will question just about everything that Ada thought to be true!
I thought Ada was a great character and loved watching her grow up. I got into this book early. The story moved along okay and I always wanted to get back into it! I also enjoyed this author's first book, Heft.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is a juvenile fantasy book. I really liked the cover and was looking forward to a quick fun read which it is. Sophie and her friend, Agatha, both get mysteriously kidnapped from their small village to The School for Good and Evil in some distant place. They both think they got put in the wrong school side of the school though and encounter the fight of the life to remain friends. Both girls find themselves living a fairy tale!
I think children would like this book but I was a bit disappointed in it because it really made no sense to me. There is a lot of action and magic going on; however, I found it a bit hard to follow. I liked it enough to care about the main characters, although I really liked Agatha the most and didn’t care much for Sophie, even from the start. I did want to see how it would end and liked 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
"Well, in the School for Good, they teach boys and girls like me how to become heroes and princesses, how to rule kingdoms justly, how to find Happily Ever After," Sophie said. "In the School for Evil, they teach you how to become wicked witches and humpbacked trolls, how to lay curses and cast evil spells."
From page 11 of The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani.
Gerard's:
She knew then that she could not pretend any longer. She walked resolutely down the hall to Liston's office, and knocked on her door, and felt her face crumple.
From page 118 of The Unseen World byLiz Moore.
Jonathan gripped the knife in his hand and fought back the tears that burned in his eyes. "My God," he whispered to the boy next to him. "How long do we have to do this?"
From page 27 of Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart.
It wasn't the same spot as the first one. This time it was in the exact center of the four bare trees.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
Wow! After coming off A Court of Mist and Fury, I was doubtful if anything would come close to keeping my interest as much, but The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst did!
In this fantasy novel, humans are attacked by six different spirits: air, water, earth, ice, fire and wood who feel the land belongs to them. These spirits have two instincts: destroy and create. Certain humans have an affinity to control them in different degrees and The Queen is the most powerful and keeps everything in balance and protects the people. Over time though, the Queen can lose some of her power and so they have heirs trained and prepared to become Queen if the Queen dies. The kicker here is that the spirits are the ones to choose the next Queen and they give her more power. The main character is Daleina who as a child demonstrates she has the affinity to control spirits when her home is attacked. She is smart, nice, and determined to learn more so that she can become Queen and protect people from these spirits but do no harm. The Queen must be able to control the spirits, not just wipe them all out because that would wipe out their land as well.
I loved this book so much, I even read it at night to finish it! (I hardly ever read at night.) I got so engrossed in it that was almost late getting back from lunch and had to stop earlier than usual on the bus so I wouldn't miss my stop. It is a fun and interesting read that shows how important good leadership and teamwork are. There is a lot of killing in this book and I felt so bad for Daleina when her friends died. There is lots of action and humor which kept this from being depressing because of the killing. Daleina is such a great character who truly wanted to protect others. She befriends a wolf who proves to be a loyal asset to her and also is chosen to be trained by Ven who brings along a healer, Haman. The three of them work together to do what is best for the land. I really look forward to the next book in this series, Queens of Renthia.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
In The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst, Daleina is a young girl whose community is torn apart and its people are killed by the spirits. This is not supposed to happen! The Queen is supposed to protect the people. Daleina decides to try out to be a champion. A champion is a person who protects the people and is an heir to be a queen. But the odds are long that she can become one. Is the queen losing her power?
I thought this book was very good. I was into it from page 1 because Daleina is a great character. This has plenty of action and a few twists that I did not see at all. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in this series.
(Gerard's review 12/23/16, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan, Zoe Maisey ia gifted pianist. Now 17, she is giving a recital. Three years ago, an incident happened that had a tragic effect on her and her loved ones. She is ready to move on with her life, but sometimes the past catches up with you.
This book goes back and forth in time. Sometimes I'm okay with that but not with this one. I never really felt connected to any of the characters at all. There is a lot going on in this book, so much so that I thing the main story sort of got lost. I loved this author's book, What She Knewbut this one not so much!
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)
In Every You, Every Me by David Levithan, Evan is alone. He is a young teen boy whose best friend/girlfriend, Ariel, is gone! Gone where is the question. Is she alive or dead? Evan begins to get photos of her and places where they spent time, but how and from whom? Is Ariel back or is Evan going crazy with guilt because of the day Ariel left? This book had me from page 1! I love how the author kept building up the suspense all the way to the end.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn is the follow-up to Forget Tomorrow. This is ten years later and Jessa is now 16. She mourns the death of her sister and is working with the underground to overthrow the government. One day a boy who never had any time for her, gives her some new information. Will Jessa join up with the enemy if it means the world will look better to her?
This book is so much better than the first one! It has more action and less romance with a good ending to set up book 3.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The
champion looked away, across the ruined village and the broken bodies.
"Only the best can become queen. And she is not the best."
From page 15 of The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst.
Rys gave me a smile dripping with venom. He knew--through that bond, through whatever magic was between us, he'd known I was about to say no.
From page 44 of A Court of Mist and Fury bySara J. Maas.
Gerard's:
I can't breathe. I take huge gulps of air, but it doesn't help.
From page 31 of Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn
If I could go back to the past and undo my sister's decision, I would. But I can't. So all I can do now is thwart my sister's enemy.
From page 30 of Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
Here is a list of books both Gerard and I loved that we read in 2016 and would highly recommend. If you click the links it will take you to our reviews:
YA fantasycontinues to be a favorite genre for both of us. Books in this genre we both read and loved last year were:
We also each made a top 12 Favorites list for 2016 so some of these will not be on those lists because we had to narrow down our favorites to just 12--a very hard thing to do! I read 83 books last year and Gerard read 132. You can see both our favorites of 2016 here:
To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn, you get your future memory on the day you turn 17. But when Callie gets her memory, it is not what she expected at all. Now she will do anything to stop this from happening! But can she do it?
This book was okay. It had a bit too much romance for my liking though, would have liked more action. The last part of the book was very good when things came together which pushed this to 4 stars. This is book 1 in a series and look forward to reading book 2.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Wow! A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is so good! This is the second book in A Court of Thorns and Roses series and is even better than the first! This review has some spoilers so read the book first and then come see what I thought of it. Definitely must read the first book before this one. If you like fantasy and magical kingdoms, this is a "must read." (This would be R rated for sexual content.) SPOILER ALERT: Feyre pretty much tells Tamlin to “jump in the lake” and chooses to stay with Rys who is her mate and challenges Feyre to use her skills. This book is full of new adventures with lots of wit and packed with both heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes and lots of good dialogue. I like all the characters in Rys’ inner circle and loved their trip to the Summer Court and how the wraiths came to save Feyre and Amren from drowning. I cheered when Feyre served Rys the food in the cabin, accepting the bond as mates. The ending is Great and I can't wait for the next book!
I was having a hard time deciding on my favorite read for December until I read this one which is the winner! (Karen's review, 5 stars)
Gerard read this first, 6-15-16: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the follow-up book to A Court of Thorns and Roses and is like ten times better than the first one! Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to spring court, but at a high cost. She still has the bargain with Rhysard.
Wow, oh Wow! I really liked the characters, the writing and the action which all work together to make the story flow well. The ending is probably the best I have ever read! I want book 3 NOW!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess, Henrietta has powers that she keeps hidden. However, when a friend is in danger, she reveals her powers for all to see. She is the "Chosen One" who must go and train with men to help fight the attack that is sure to come. She has a secret though that if found out, the battle will be lost for sure.
This is the first book of a series. Most of the real action comes at the end to set up for the second book. I enjoyed the main character and it had good twists at the end that peaked my interest for the next book.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan, two young children are all alone in a fierce winter storm. Teddy (the talking dog) locates them and leads them to a cabin where he lives so they will be safe. Teddy tells them a story while they wait for the storm to end and for help to come.
This is a young reader's book, but I enjoyed it very much. I hope it touches your heart like it did mine! Perfect read for the holidays!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen read it too and here are her thoughts: I read it because it was a short children's book that I could read quickly but did not enjoy it as much as Gerard did. The dog understood words and only children and a poet could understand what the dog said. I liked the ending but overall wasn't impressed, but then, poetry isn't my thing. I liked other dog stories much better. (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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
I inspected my new body. I appeared to be a teenaged Caucasian male, clad in sneakers, blue jeans, and a green polo shirt.
From page 5 of The Trials of Apollo--Book One, The Hidden Oracle byRick Riordan.
Gerard's: "A sorcerer would never harm children," I said, squeezing her hand in return. Granted, I'd never met a sorcerer, but Sarah didn't need to know that.
From page 1 of A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess.
He led me to his sister crouched under a big tree, a blanket wrapped around her. She was younger, maybe eight.
From page 2 of The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan.
The champion looked away, across the ruined village and the broken bodies. "Only the best can become queen. And she is not the best."
From page 15 of The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is simply all about a 59-yr-old man called Ove who is brokenhearted because his wife died and he feels useless since he retired. He is quite a character and is actually a lovable, crotchety old man who lives in a little community that he sort of takes responsibility for. He desperately wants to join his wife so tries committing suicide, but it seems something always comes up that spoils his plans--life happens in spite of himself. The more I read, the better I liked Ove.
This book is really good! I liked Ove so much, partly because he reminded me of my dad and husband in some ways. The chapters are short and give pictures of different moments in Ove's life jumping back and forth from the present to the past. There are many tender moments and some funny things as well which makes this book very real to life. I loved how gradually Ove formed relationships with those around him, even the stray cat who was practically starving and almost died. This was a tear jerker for me because the ending was so sweet. I'm sure this is one that I will not soon forget! I highly recommend it!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Paul is this close to completing a decade's worth of training to be a neurosurgeon. All his late hours and 24-hour days are almost done. His marriage is having problems and his wife is also a doctor. Paul though is on top of his game and could have his choice of top-notch hospitals at only 37 years old. But the unthinkable happens and all of his plans are changed!
This is a very emotional book! I felt so bad for Paul, his wife and their families. There is a lot of medical terms in this book that were over my head so that is why I gave this one 4 stars instead of 5. It is worth reading for sure!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Seashell Season by Holly Chamberlin is about Gemma, a girl who was kidnapped by her father when she was just a baby and after 17 years, is finally reunited with her mother who is now a complete stranger to her. The whole book is about adjusting to her life with her mom and trying to understand her dad. The mother is an artist who teaches art at a college in Maine and is a bit apprehensive about how exactly to get to know her daughter and make her feel at home.
This book reminded me of a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. I enjoyed it a lot and liked how the author let us see how both Verity, the mother, and Gemma thought about things. I think women would enjoy this book much more than men because it is very heavy on developing relationships and low on action. I read it because one of my co-workers recommended it to me and I liked the summary of it.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In Teach Me To Forget by Erica M. Chapman, Ellery is dealing with pain. The pain comes from a tragic family accident that her dad blamed her for and she also blames herself. She decides to end the pain and comes up with a plan. When a classmate, a boy, finds out her plan, he will do anything to try to stop her plan from going forward. But can he stop it? This is a very strong emotional book for sure! I thought all the characters were developed very well.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
If you have a teaser, please feel free to leave your link to it in my comments so I can visit.
Karen's:
I realized I was about to get what I had been wishing for so fervently for over seventeen years. And I wondered if I was ready for it.
From page 29 of Seashell Season byHolly Chamberlin.
Gerard's:
I often wonder if in the split second after I pull the trigger I'll have changed my mind, decided I should live. This haunts me, but I know only one thing.
From page 10 of Teach Me to Forget by Eric Chapman.
I finally was able to leave our link on the host blog today by using my gravitar instead of the open ID thing--whew! Another problem solved! Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else was experience difficulty too.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker (unfortunately, I don't know how to leave my link in a comment over there--help.) Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson is the third and final book of the Remnant Chronicles series, and in my opinion, the best! Lia survived Venda and is now headed home to save her people because an army is coming to her land. I thought this book was very good. At close to 700 pages, it is a big one! Lia was so good! Even better in this one than the first two. Rafe and Kaden were good as well and I enjoyed them too. I LOVED the ending! This is my book of the month for December! (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen read this one first: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson is the third book of the Remnant Chronicles series and finishes strong. Princess Lia continues to be awesome and an amazing peacemaker! In this book, traitors are caught and alliances are made with love taking a back seat as Rafe, Lia and Kaden work together to bring down the cruel Komizar of Venda. All through, I kept hoping that Lia and Rafe would eventually marry. Do they? You'll have to read the book to find out!
Wow! This book drew me in and I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. I loved this series and really cared about the complex characters as they developed. Every book in this series is great! I liked this series even more than THE THRONE OF GLASS series by Sarah J. Maas because it was much easier to follow and wasn't so much magic which made it more believable and realistic.
(Karen's review, 12/2/16, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is about a human, Fayre who is the sole provider for her family until she kills a Faerie and gets taken by a beast away from her home to his Faerie kingdom. The beast, Tamlin, treats her well and they fall in love. Wanting to protect her from the impending trouble, he sends her back home to the human world. However, her love for him is so strong that she decides to go back and try to help him no matter what. I liked Tamlin, but didn’t care for Feyre in the beginning but grew to like her as the book progressed. I liked this book because the suspense built and the romance blossomed gradually. I also liked Lucien and Rhysand who were interesting characters. This book has magic, adventure, suspense, romance and an interesting plot that was easy to follow.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
Gerard read this one first: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is about a young girl named Feyre. She is the sole supporter for her family, a dad and her two sisters. One day while hunting, she shoots a deer and a wolf that was going after the same deer she shot. That was a BIG mistake as she soon found out. Another wolf comes and gives her a choice to either be killed now or go live with the wolves.
This book was outstanding! I LOVED the characters in it. The middle dragged some but the last 100 plus pages more than made up for that. I can't wait to read the second book in this series!
(Gerard's review 7-30-15, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
If you have a teaser, please leave your link to it in my comments so I can visit. I don't see how to leave a comment on the new host's blog! Can someone let me know?
Karen's:
I leaped back, almost stumbling over my cowering father. The faerie could have killed me--could have, yet the lunge had been a warning.
From page 34 of A Court of Thorns and Roses bySara J. Maas.
Gerard's:
My head ached, trying to sort it all out. Our freedom came at a high cost to others.
From page 8 of The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker (unfortunately, I don't know how to leave my link in a comment over there--help.) Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. Happy Reading!
In Heartless by Marissa Meyer, Catherine is one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, but all she wants to do is open a bakery and make people happy with her baked goods. The king of Hearts wants her to be his Queen, but she runs away and falls for another man. Will the King get his way? Will Catherine marry or just run a bakery? This was a fun read that I didn't have to think a lot about the plot. I enjoyed my time in Wonderland and the characters were really 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks is about a family living a good life until it isn't so great. Russ is living a good life, married to Vivian, a beautiful woman, with new born child and zero money problems. But life has a way of sneaking up on us and soon Russ is going to have to deal with life that is not so great.
I thought this book was really good. All the characters were well brought out. The best part of this book for me was the back and forth between Russ and Vivian, just priceless! This was a great book to start the month. Enjoy!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay is about Cal Weaver who lives in a small town and is looking to find out if his son's death was an accident or not. One night he gets involved in something that he probably should not have, but it's too late to get out!
I enjoyed this book because it has good action and lots of characters. I kept trying to figure out who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. I wasn't sure until the last page how it all worked out! Good stuff! This is a new author to me, got this one because a friend recommended it.
(Gerard's review 12/1/16, 5++ stars)
Karen read this one too on 12/8/16: A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay is a thriller involving several mysteries. This takes place in a small town where cops like to take things into their own hands. Cal Weaver, a private investigator, is trying to find out who sold ecstasy to his teenage son who got high, fell off a roof and died. On a rainy night, against his better judgment, Cal gives Claire a ride when she taps on his window because she mentions that she knew his son Scott. From there, things really get messed up and snowball. This is an interesting mystery that I only partially figured out. The short chapters that had conversations between a mother, son and a man whose names were not revealed until much later were annoying to me. I really wanted to know who these people were! There was a lot of tension in this book between the mayor and the police department, tension between Cal and his wife in dealing with the loss of their son and if Cal could track down Claire before something bad happened to her. There is a lot of suspense and mystery happening in this book with some very creepy people! (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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson is book two in the Remnant Chronicles series, the sequel to Kiss of Deception, which I LOVED. Lia and Kaden are taken as prisoners by the barbarians of Vaden and deception is prevalent in this book throughout, but not for the reader as it was in book one. Lia continues to be both feisty, brave and deceptive. She pretends not to care for Kaden in order to save his life while relying on Rafe, the assassin, to protect her. Tension between Kaden and Rafe continues to escalate, but they both love Lia. Lia and Kaden catch short times together to hatch an escape plan, that is even more urgent as Lia’s wedding to the Komizar fast approaches. There is some brutality in this book with lots of interesting characters and relationships. Will Rafe betray the Komizar to protect Lia? Will he kill Kaden? Will Griz get his revenge? Will Kaden and Lia be successful in their escape?
I LOVED this book so much! It moved along quickly and was as much fun to read as Kiss of Deception. I thought the funniest part was when Lia beat Griz at cards, but the saddest was when the Komizar killed the little girl. This is a good series that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure, romance and fantasy with royalty. I look forward to the next book to find out what happens! (Karen's review 8/1/15, 5 stars)
Gerard read this too 12/8/16, but didn't like it as much as I did: This book is the follow up to Kiss of Deception which I liked better. Lia is being held captive in the city of Venda and Kaden is keeping an eye on her, making sure no harm comes to her. Rafe is also captured and is waiting for his army to come and rescue him and Lia. As in book one, the part that Lia tells were the highlight for me. She is really good! There is some action finally near the end which sets up the final book. (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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Losing Isn't Everything--The UNTOLD STORIES and HIDDEN LESSONS--Behind the TOUGHEST LOSSES in SPORTS HISTORY by Curt Meneffe with Michael Arkush is a winner! This book tells the story of people who were on a big sports stage and came out on the losing side. I found it interesting to see what they were thinking during the games and how they dealt with defeat. If you are a sports fan, then this book is for you! You know how the winners felt because they are on TV and social media, but this book shows how the losing side feels.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
