"The City of Brass" by S. A. Chakraborty (Fantasy)

In The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty, Nahri knows how to pull a con.  She is street smart and pretty much lives on her own, but when she summons a Dara, her life changes forever.  When she arrives in Daevabad, she gets mixed up in a war that has been simmering for a long time and is ready to explode!

Teaser from page 12:  He stared at her in utter exasperation.  "You shouldn't be trying to do anything with djinn!"

This book was pretty good.  At over 500 pages, I think it could have been cut down a bit.  That being said, I enjoyed the give and take between the characters.  The ending was very exciting so I will read book two.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Now Is Everything" by Amy Giles

In Now is Everything by Amy Giles, Hadley has a bright future ahead of her.  She is pretty, an excellent student, and good in sports.  Her dad controls her though, and not always in a good way!  But, she puts up with it to protect her younger sister from him.  When a boyfriend enters the picture, the tension gets higher.

Teaser from pg. 39:  "The noise, the chaos, all belong to another world, another dimension.  Not mine."

I enjoyed this book very much!  I got into it quickly and was always ready to continue it.  The characters were true to life and there were no dull points.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Tilly" by Frank E. Peretti

If you are thinking about getting an abortion or if you have had an abortion, Tilly by Frank E. Peretti is a book I would recommend you read.  It is a story about a girl named Tilly who was aborted that would be nine years old now had she lived. It is also about Kathy Ross, Tilly’s mother and how she regrets that decision but finds God’s forgiveness through a dream she has of being in heaven and spending the day with Tilly.

Teaser from page 44: Kathy leaned back from the rail. She was beginning to believe all this, and that unnerved her. “No names . . . and no parents? All of you?”

This is a quick read and I suppose is thought provoking to some degree. However, it may be beautiful and helpful to someone who has gone through the experience of aborting a child. Some of those things just rubbed me the wrong way like Jesus getting married and Tilly aging in heaven as though she would if she had been born. I realize it was all just a dream which makes it more believable because in a dream, anything can happen. The point of the story is that Kathy regretted having the abortion. I see where it may be a powerful book for someone who is contemplating having an abortion so that is who I would recommend read this one. Who knows, maybe it will help save someone’s life!
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"Defiant" by Lesley Livingston (Book 2 in the Valiant Series)

Defiant by Lesley Livingston is the second book in the Valiant series and just as good as the first!  I liked Fallon again in this one and was hoping the people she put her trust in would not let her down.  It was heartbreaking when Ludus Achillea, home for gladiators, was overtaken by Pontius Aquila and Nyx.  This book has lots of action and strategy.

I liked Cai and Fallon and Quint and Elka.  I also liked how Fallon and Sorcha got to fight together to take back their home and stay free.  There are many interesting supporting characters in this book which I liked.  The plot was well developed but easy enough to follow.  I loved it and recommend this series if you like adventure and fantasy!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  I might have felt a twinge of sympathy for them but, to be honest, in that moment, I couldn't have cared less.  My friends and I were victorious, and that was all that mattered.

Gerard's review (5++ stars):
Defiant by Lesley Livingston is the action-packed follow-up book to The Valiant.  Things start out well for Fallon, but that quickly changes when the place she calls home is overrun and she is put into a cell!  Will she have to fight for an enemy or can she somehow turn the tables on her enemies?

This book is just as good as the first.  Fallon is a fantastic character and she carries the story very well.  The other characters are developed nicely and really add to the story, especially her sister!  This book is filled with lots of good action and the ending is great!  I LOVED IT!  If there is a book 3, I will read it.

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"The Girl in the Tower" by Katherine Arden (Updated)

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the follow up to The Bear and the Nighingale. Vasya is on her own now.  She craves adventure but everything changes after she takes down some bandits!  She disguises herself as a boy and is treated like a hero.  The Grand Prince likes her, but before she can move on, Moscow is in trouble.  Can Vasya come to the rescue?

Teaser from page 45:  Had he stumbled onto a wood-sprite, he could not have been more astonished.  The rider was staring at him, openmouthed.

This book is even better than the first one!  There is tons of action and the writing is so good.  I really enjoyed how Solovey, her horse, had a big role in this book!  The ending was amazing and I couldn't put it down!  Now I have to wait until August for Book 3. I reviewed both the first book and this one in this video because I loved them so much!

(Gerard's review 1-19-18, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 1-19-18:
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden is the sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya and her horse, Solovey, have quite the adventure and is reunited with Sasha, her brother who became a monk, and her older sister, Olya. The Frost King, Morozko, continues to help Vasya.

I liked this book better than the first because the horse was in it a lot and I really liked the horse! It seemed to move along faster and there were not a lot of new names to learn. I felt sorry for Vasya because it seemed like everyone was against her in spite of her doing great things. I liked how she connected with her niece and rescued the three girls who were kidnapped from their village. It was cool how she battled with the men and won another horse by winning a horse race. I thought she was stupid though for agreeing to another horse race against Kasyan, but of course, that led to a whole other chain of events to make the book interesting. I think that was the only time where I thought she acted out of character by allowing herself to be distracted. (4 stars)


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"Oliver Loving" by Stefan Merrill Block -- A Slow Read

Oliver Loving by Stefan Block starts with a school shooting.  Oliver is shot and now ten years later he is alive but cannot speak.  This book is more about how his family and a young lady he was fond of deals with this than the shooting.  I found this to be a slow read, but the family was interesting as they all had their own agendas concerning Oliver. 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

In Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, Finn lives in the small town of Bone Gap with his brother.  One day Roza goes missing.  People assume that she ran off, but Finn claims she was taken, and he will get her back!  The story line was okay to start off, but got a bit wild at the end.  I enjoyed Finn, but the other characters were shallow.  It was an okay read with a good ending.

Teaser from page 22:  "It's been two months today," said Finn.  "Why aren't you out there looking for her?"
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"A Quiet Kind of Thunder" by Sara Barnard

In A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard, Steffi is a quiet girl and likes it that way.  She can talk but chooses not to.  The first day of the new school year, the principal introduces her to Rhys who is deaf.  Steffi is supposed to help him get used to his new school.  Soon she starts to have feelings for him, but will talking be the best thing for her?

Teaser from page 4:  Now they're parading strangers in front of me to mock my inability to speak in front of them?  I can feel a familiar choking panic start somewhere in my stomach.

I liked this book.  It was a good change of pace from the books I usually read.  I enjoyed both Steffi and Rhys!  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)  

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"The Couple Next Door" by Shari Lapena

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena is one crazy read involving kidnapping, family secrets, betrayal, infidelity, greed and manipulation. Anne and Marco come home from a dinner party next door to find their little 4-month-old daughter, Cora, gone! Of course, the cops are called and keep questioning the parents who are the primary suspects. The whole book is about the police investigation and their efforts to find and return Cora. Eventually, the truth comes out.

Teaser from page 21:  She can feel him shaking, can feel the painful thumping of his heart.  She tells herself that together they will get through this.  The police will find Cora.

This contemporary fiction mystery was a page-turner for me that moves along very quickly with lots of twists. I enjoyed the writing style of this one because it was easy to follow and things gradually fell into place. If you enjoy books about scheming, dysfunctional families and very sleezy characters, I would recommend this book. I think this would make a good book club selection because I think it would make for interesting discussion of the characters.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


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"Her Last Breath" by Linda Castillo (Updated)

Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo is gripping from the start, beginning with an Amish buggy hit-and- run accident that is fatal for the father and two of his three small children. Kate Burkholder, Chief of police, discovers that the hit-and-run “accident” was not an accident after all, but intentional! The widow was her best childhood friend. This is such a sad story with a surprise ending.

This book had my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. Kate Burkholder really needs to work on her hand-to-hand combat though! Anyhow, this is a good mystery and also had a bit of romance as well as some suspense. It had three storylines: the main murder mystery, Kate’s past catching up to her and the romance between Kate and Tomasetti with action near the end with a surprise twist.
(Karen's review 1/13/18, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 4:  Around him, the buggy exploded into a hundred pieces.  Paul thought he heard a child's cry and then the ground rushed up and slammed into him.

Gerard's review 1/23/18:
Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo starts off with a hit and run buggy accident in Amish country.  However, when the police investigate, there is more to it than it looks.  There is good stuff here.  I never knew how this was going to turn out!  The pace of the book is quick and the characters true to life.  (5 stars)


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"Thunderhead" by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman is the followup to Scythe.  I found this book very different from Scythe.  Rowan and Citra are in this book too, but there are a lot of new characters that have big roles.  Thunderhead has a ton of surprises which I enjoyed.  I never knew what was coming next!  The parts that Rowan and Citra were in were the parts I enjoyed most though.  I liked the first book in this series better, but this one is okay.

Teaser from page 29:  "But allowing the . . . the condemned . . . to choose their own method?  It's positively barbaric!" Scythe Truman shouted.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Karen's Review:
Thunderhead is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe series. I was really looking forward to this book because I loved the first one, but was somewhat disappointed in it because of the slow pace. I expected to understand the Thunderhead better, but unfortunately, I am just as confused about it as I was in the first book. This book follows the separate lives of Rowan and Citra (Scythe Anastasia). This book also has a big surprise that I did not like at all! This book has lots of action near the end, including a very interesting concave and ends on a cliff hanger, of course.

This book gets better as it goes along but I really did not like the ending or the big surprise. I still like Scythe Anastasia and Rowan in this book and kept hoping that somehow Scythe Faraday would be able to fix everything but that didn’t happen. Scythe Curie is very cool in this book too, I liked Greyson Tolliver as well, and think that somehow, maybe he’ll become a scythe in the next book. His relationship with the Thunderhead was confusing to me, but hopefully it will all clear up in the next book. The Thunderhead seems to be kind of an artificial god with some limits. I am ready to see what happens in the next book of this series!
(4 stars)

SPOILERS (stop here if you have not yet read this book):
Did not like that Goddard was rescued by Rand and given a new body attached to his head—made no sense!

Don’t think either Rand nor Goddard were smart enough to know how to mess up things that brought down Endura. Thought it was interesting though how Rand told Rowan to leave the island ASAP because if Goddard lost, things would even be worse! She must have been in on the whole plan.

Really hated that Scythe Curie did not get to be the High Blade.

How is anyone going to find Rowan and Anastasia to bring them back to life? Even if the vault is discovered, how would anyone get it opened?

I also hate that Goddard is going to go back and get to be the High Blade now that Scythe Curie is dead.

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"The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden is a "Must Read"

In The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Vasya is the youngest child of a large family in Russia.  Her mom died soon after she was born.  She loves the forest and she loves the animals.  But the forest contains spirits that are evil!  Vasya will have to use the special gifts that she inherited from her mother to keep her family safe at all costs!

Teaser from page 15:  "I have only a little of her gift," Marina went on, ignoring her old nurse.  Dunya knew her lady well enough to hear the regret.  "But my daughter will have more."



This book is based on a Russian folklore.  I LOVED this book!  I was engaged from page 1!  Vasya is a great character and I was always anxious to get back into this book.  The good news is I have book 2 in this series and the 3rd one comes out this year!  I highly recommend this one as a "must read."
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is a whimsical story incorporating Russian folklore. Vasilisa is a girl who does not want to be told what to do and has a special gift to see the demons others do now. There are several different types of demons, who live in the forest, in the river and some in households. Vasilisa lives in the wilderness with her father, stepmother, brother and half-sister after her mother died and her older sister and brother married. When Father Konstantine arrives, he scares people with his preaching except for Vasilisa. Will she be able to keep her family safe?

This book has a lot of Russian names that were confusing to me at the beginning, but that petered out as the book progressed. The plot in this story is like a fairy tale so doesn’t make much sense; however, there were parts I liked very much. I liked the house demon, the stable demon, the horses talking to Vasilisa, and the time at the invisible cabin with Morozko. The demon creatures in this book are not all evil and the house demon reminded me a bit of Dobby, the house elf in the Harry Potter series. This is an entertaining read. (3 stars)

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"A Stranger in the House" by Shari Lapena (UPDATED)

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena is a murder mystery thriller about Tom and Karen who have been married two years when Karen goes missing one night. Tom gets home from work to find her gone and dinner halfway prepared. He has no idea where she is and calls her friends before contacting the police. A police shows up at his door telling him there was an accident and his wife is in the hospital. From that point, the story takes off with amnesia, a murder and criminal investigation, a nosy neighbor, jealousy, betrayal and manipulation!

Teaser from page 6:  My wife went out and I don't know where she is.  She left without her phone and her purse.  She forgot to lock the door.  It's completely unlike her.

This is a page turner that I zoomed through! This is a good who dunnit story with a surprise ending and cops that aren’t made out to be stupid. I liked the investigation part of this book because it seemed to ring true to life. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery. I look forward to reading more by this author.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
In Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena, Tom comes home from work.  He expects his wife to be home, but she is not there.  It turns out she left while preparing dinner and got into a car accident--wrapping her car around a pole.  Now she cannot remember a thing about that night.  The police do some digging and soon a simple accident is anything but. 

Good pacing in this book will have you turning pages.  All the characters were true to life I thought.  (5 stars)

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"The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black (Updated)

In The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Jude was only 7 when she saw her parents killed and was taken to the High Court of Faerie  .  Ten years later, Jude wants to belong, but being a mortal, she is looked down on.  Jude has seen a lot of killing, but know she wants power.  However, the risk is great, can she do it?

Teaser from page 6:  "You were stolen from me," he told her.  "I have come to take you to your true home, in Elfhame beneath the hill."

I thought this book was very good.  It kept me engaged throughout.  I really enjoyed watching Jude grow up through the book.  I was going to give it a 5 star rating, but the ending pushed it to 5++ stars!  I look forward to book 2.  (Gerard's review)

Karen's review 1/30/18:
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. There is a lot of bullying of Jude, a mortal who was stolen along with her twin and older Faerie sister from our world by her mother’s former husband, a general in Faerie land. Jude really wants to fit in to Faerie land and desires to be a knight, but General Madoc, the guy who killed her parents and brought her to live with him, puts the kibosh on that. Jude becomes a killer and a spy for Dain, one of Cardan’s brothers. Carden and his friends are the ones bullying Jude, but Jude gets revenge. There is a lot of political betrayal and intrigue in this first book.

My teaser from page 83:  "It's shocking," he says, as though he's giving me some great compliment.  "I know humans can lie, but to watch you do it is incredible.  Do it again."

I have mixed feelings about Jude. I liked her in the beginning, but by the end, I really don’t like her much. She has become manipulative, mean and bloodthirsty like the general who she hated for killing her parents. I must admit, it is an interesting novel. The ending was not exactly like I expected, but came close. I probably will continue with this series. (3 stars)

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"This Adventure Ends" by Emma Mills is about Teen Friendship

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills is about a group of friends and how they help each other. Vera and Gabe are twins whose mother painted until she died. Remy is Gabe’s best friend, Tash and Aubrey are Vera’s best friends Frank is a wealthy friend who likes to party. Sloane is a new friend who gets attention when she embarrasses the bully who was picking on Gabe at a party. Sloane’s dad is a teen romance writer who has writer’s block but gets inspiration from his daughter’s life. When one of the paintings gets sold that Gabe wanted to keep, Sloane decides to track it down for him and get it back.

This is an okay read if you like a bit of teen drama with a bit of romance. Of course, one of the relationships tossed in were a couple lesbians, but that was just a small part of the book. Overall, I thought the dialogue was done well but would have preferred less foul language. I liked how it ended and enjoyed the main characters. (Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"The Day I Died" by Lori Rader-Day

In The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day, Anna is a handwriting expert.  She can tell a lot from one's writing.  When she is called in to help on a criminal case, the sheriff wants no part of this!  However, Anna finds out plenty and she wants to solve the mystery!  But can she and at what cost?

Teaser from page 29:  His name, even written by his own hand, was false.  It was built of sticks, each letter strategically rendered and apart, lonely and stripped.

This book started out a bit slow but picked up about a quarter of the way through!  The story was believable and had good action.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"WONDER" by R. J. Palacio is a must read for Children

Wonder by R. J. Palacio is about Auggie’s fifth grade year, a boy with a deformed face who was homeschooled through 4th grade. Auggie has a rough start at the beginning of middle school, but shows courage and determination by not quitting. This is an emotional read that includes perspectives from several different characters. Themes in this are bullying, friendship and family. This book has photos from the movie, comments from those involved in making the movie and discussion questions in the back.

Teaser from page 227 after Auggie’s dog just died: And I wondered how it would feel to be in heaven someday and not have my face matter anymore. Just like it never, ever mattered to Daisy.

There are a lot of feelings brought out in this book, but the movie really brought it to life for me. In this case, I liked the movie better than the book. It changed just a few minor things and emphasized the teacher’s role more than the book did. I liked the changes that were made in the movie. The theme I carried away from reading the book is to be kinder than necessary and make the world a better place. I recommend this book to kids and the movie to everyone!  (4 stars)

See my movie review: Must See Movie:  Wonder

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"Perfect" by Cecelia Ahern

Perfect by Cecelia Ahern is the follow-up to Flawed.  Celestine is on the run.  She wants to get her verdict overturned, but Crevan is after her and will stop at nothing to get her for a reason that only he knows!   This was a good book to start the year.  I was engaged from page 1!  Celestine was a great character and I was rooting for her all the way!

Teaser from page 10:  Each time, the Whistleblowers come to close to my hiding place I can barely breathe.  I hear their footsteps, sometimes their breaths, as I'm crammed, jammed, into spaces, above and below, sometimes in places so obvious they don't even look, sometimes so dangerous they wouldn't dare to look.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)


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Our 12 Favorite Books for 2017

Out of all the books Gerard and I have read this year, there were only 12 that we both absolutely loved.  We highly recommend all of these to you!  To see our reviews of these, you can use the search box on our blog.  I also did some video reviews for:  The Great Pursuit, Scythe, The Reluctant Queen, Undivided (all mentioned in this video below) and The Selection Series that Gerard did not read and Scar Island.



There are also books I read and loved but that Gerard did not read, and some he read and loved that I did not read.  A separate video will be coming soon showing each of our top 12 favorites for the year  (Karen's add'l 12 Favorites link to video).  Visit my YouTube channel here.

Happy Reading in the new year!

"Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins (UPDATED)

In Into the Water by Paula Hawkins (author of The Girl on the Train which I loved), a single mother is found dead in a river.  Earlier, a young teen girl was found in the same river--dead.  Lena, the 15-yr.-old daughter of the single mom, is alone until her aunt Jules comes to look after her.  This town is the last place Jules wants to be.  The law is looking for answers.  Will the secrets people in this town are hiding come out?

Teaser from page 50:  "So two women have did in that river this year?" I said.  "Two women who knew each other, who were connected . . ."

In the Water is just as good, if not better than The Girl on the Train! There are lots of characters in this which make for tons of story lines.  I enjoyed all of them and as I read along, I tried to put the pieces together.  It took me to the very end to figure it out!  I LOVED IT!  What a great book to end with in 2017!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins is a mystery surrounding several deaths in a river running through a small town.  When Lena's mother. Nell, dies in the river, her aunt Jules comes to take care of her.  There is a lot of tension between them since the aunt hadn't talked to Lena's mother in years. 

This book has lots of characters to keep straight, including dead ones.  Much of the book hops back to the past and some of the past is told through a manuscript Lena's mother was writing.  There was enough interesting relationship drama to keep my interest but didn't really care for all the deaths which kind of creeped me out.  I admit, I did not know what really happened to Lena's mom until the very end.  I didn't like that there were some loose ends either so I give this one 3 stars.  If you are a fan of creepy things, you would probably like this book more than I did.

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"Before I Let Go" by Marie Nijkamp

Before I Let Go by Marie Nijkamp is about two young girls named Corey and Kyra.  They are best friends living in a small town.  Corey has to move away but promises to come back.  Days before she is supposed to come back, she learns Kyra is dead.  How?  Corey wants answers but when she returns to the small town she thought she knew, it is not the same and answers will be hard to come by.

Teaser from page 12:  Except that flower petals lie scattered across the floor, and her voice still swirls around me, singing the song that Kyra sang to me first.  Endless night, endless day, come to steal your soul away.

I thought this book was good even though it went back and forth in time, but I was okay with it.  I would have loved more action but I still give this book 5 stars because the message is important and needs to be heard!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Merry and Bright" by Debbie Macomber

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber is a Christmas romance comedy that reminded me of a Christmas Hallmark movie. It is about two busy lonely people who find each other on a dating website. The funny thing is that they already knew each other. I enjoyed this light, quick read and highly recommend it to anyone who likes watching Hallmark movies that always have happy endings.

Teaser from page 16:  "Well, if it isn't me, then whose photo did you use?"  Patrick's glee couldn't be contained.  "We used Bogie's."
 (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

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"Day-Day" by L.N. Cronk is About a Couple Who Works at an Orphanage in Mexico

Day-Day (Chop Chop Series Book 2) by L.N. Cronk is a Christian fiction love story about a couple who go to Mexico to work at an orphanage and supervise youth groups who come to help as a short-term mission trip.  The wife, Lacy, has a miscarriage and discover she has Cancer.  After several miscarriages, they plan to adopt from the orphanage they work at in Mexico, but then God takes them on a little detour.

This book was narrated from the husband's point of view and was pretty interesting.  For the type of story it is, it was good.  It was a break from the type of action-packed fun reads that I have read lately.  For Christian fiction, it was not as predictable as most and it moved along pretty well.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Poison" by Galt Niederhoffer is a Wow!

In Poison by Galt Niederhoffer, Cass has her hands full.  She has a young daughter, a young boy, a baby and a cat.  She also has a teaching job and now she has a husband who (a) cheated on her, (b) tried to kill her or (c) she just thinks that is happening!

Teaser from page 34:  "Hey, what are you doing?" she said.  She stared at him, defiant.

WOW!  This book is good!  I really liked the character of Cass a lot and only wanted the best for her.  The pacing of the book is very good too and I enjoyed the ending very much!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"Undivided" by Neal Shusterman (4th Book of Unwind Series) - Fantastic! (UPDATED)

Undivided by Neal Shusterman is the 4th and last book in the Unwind series.  The author saved the best for last!  Conner, Lev and Risa all have action-packed chapters in this book.  The pacing is really good in that you were on the edge of your seat for sure.  The last part of this book is pretty much unputdownable!  Well done, Mr. Shusterman!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

(Karen's review 12/18/17, 5 stars:)
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman did not disappoint at all!  I LOVED it and what a fantastic finish to a thrilling series with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns!  This story is about friendship, betrayal, teamwork, sacrifice and making a difference.  It has humor, a bit of romance, lots of adventure, some very creepy things, revenge, some fighting, justice, lots of escaping and just extremely interesting characters.  The teens in this series are very brave, smart and creative!  The ending is great!

WOW!  I loved this book.  After the last one, UnSouled, I didn't think this series could get any better, but it did!  This book had my emotions covering the spectrum, from humor, to sadness, to happiness, to relief, to shock to tears of joy!  I liked how I felt the characters were real and got drawn into their story lines.  This would be a great series for a book club because there is so much to discuss and so many characters to analyze.  It was a very thought-provoking series that I wanted to read straight through.

Teaser from page 14:  "There isn't one single thing that will end unwinding," she tells them.  "It will take a hodgpodge of random events that come together in just the right way and at just the right time to remind society it's got a conscience." 



SPOILER ALERT--skip this unless you have read this book:  In this book, Connor and Grace make it to Sonia's where he and Risa are reunited and discover an invention that Sonia's husband had been working on that can manufacture human parts!  It gives them all hope that an end to unwinding is possible!  Lev does what he can to get the Indian reservation to publicly announce that it is a sanctuary for AWOLS.  Hayden, Bam and Jeeves team up to overthrow Starkey and Hayden begins podcasting again against unwinding.  Argent is betrayed by Nelson and switches sides to help Connor and Risa.  Cam brings down Roberta and the Proactive Citizenry operation all by himself.  The ending was so touching when Conner was finally reunited with his family!


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"Being Fishkill" by Ruth Lehrer (Updated)

Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a young girl who makes her first name Fishkill because it sounds tough.  She feels she has to be tough because her mom is gone, and there is no one else!  This book was way better than I thought it would be.  I really wanted only the best for Fishkill.  The pacing of this book was very good and I was always glad to get back into it!  I liked that it had twists and turns that I did not see coming.  Pick it up, you will be glad you did!

Teaser from page7:  "I'm not in your gang."  I said.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to be or not, even if it was a real gang.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Karen's review, 12/22/17:
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer is about a 12-yr.-old girl who is poor and lives in a shack with her drunk/druggie mother and her abusive grandfather. Her father is unknown. She finally built a friendship with a girl who called herself Duk-Duk and moved in with her and her lesbian mother who was very nice to Fishkill. After the mean grandfather died, Fishkill’s mother tried to sober up so she could get back custody of her daughter. Most of this story is sad.

I liked this book all right but could have done without the Lesbian angle. I felt bad for Fishkill and her biological mother. My favorite character was Duk-Duk because I liked how she wanted to be a lawyer and tried to view everything logically. This book had some interesting situations and really addressed the emotions one feels when a loved one dies. It also had a bit of humor when Fishkill and Duk-Duk came up with their secret mission to get revenge on the girl who bullied them—that was very cool and my favorite part of the book! (4 stars)

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"UnSouled" (Book 3 in Unwind Series) by Neal Shusterman (UPDATED)

UnSouled is book 3 in the Unwind series.  Conner and Lev are on the run and new characters are introduced.  There is plenty of action for sure!  I enjoyed the characters of Cam, Risa and Starkey in this book.  One more book to go to finish this exciting series.
(Gerard's Review, 5 stars)

Karen's review 12/8/17, 5 stars:
Unsouled by Neal Shusterman (book 3 in the Unwind series) is fantastic! There is so much action and interaction among very cool characters that makes it go very fast. There are so many different parts to this novel that my mind is spinning! Connor and Lev are on their way to Ohio to find Sonia for answers to help end unwinding, but get in an accident. Cam, the rewind, escapes from Roberta to go find Risa but finds Conner instead. Meanwhile, Starky and his storks take over more harvest camps and Hayden was one scheduled to be rewound. Once he is freed, he becomes part of Starky’s gang even though he does not agree with Starky’s methods and tries to get Bam as an ally. Archer holds Cam hostage but when the Juvie authorities hunt down Conner, Archer’s sister, Grace, helps him escape in genius fashion. Grace appears to be kind of off, but is an amazing strategist and a great character who sees what most people do not.

Teaser from pg. 64: “You’re crazy! Why would I do that?” “Because,” says Grace, “if you don’t keep this secret, everyone in Heartsdale is gonna know you were outsmarted by dumb old Grace Skinner, and you’ll be a laughingstock till the cows come home, and they ain’t comin’ home anytime soon!”

This book was so good I hated to see it end and can’t wait to read the next one. I love that there are such interesting characters and how they interact with each other. This book has a lot of humor in it as well. I especially liked how Archer fooled the parts pirate, taking him on a wild goose chase in the opposite direction of where Conner was headed. My favorite character is . . . . Grace! She is awesome! This is one thrilling series for sure!



See our reviews of other books in this series:  Book 2 - UnWholly Book 1 - Unwind

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"The Reluctant Queen" by Sarah Beth Durst -- We Both Loved It!

The Reluctant Queen (Queens of Renthia) by Sarah Beth Durst is the follow-up to The Queen of Blood. Daleina is now the queen and protects her kingdom from the spirits. She has a secret though, and when it is revealed, trouble is not far behind. Only one thing can save her kingdom, but time is not on her side! I thought this book was just as good as the first one. I was lost in this book many times, and that is a good thing! Daleina is a fantastic character and her protector, Bayn the wolf, is always close by. I’m glad there is going to be a Book 3 in this series—long live the Queen!
(Gerard’s review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review (5 stars):
The Reluctant Queen (Book 2 of Queens of Renthia) by Sarah Beth Durst is about getting an heir ready to take over for the dying Queen Daleina who has the false death disease. Ven and Alet find Naelin, a housewife that has lots of raw power over spirits but needs to be trained in how to control it. She is married with two young children. After much persuasion, she reluctantly agrees to be trained and eventually becomes a candidate. Will a cure be found in time for Queen Daleina? Who is killing the candidates and why? Will Naelin ever agree to be queen?

I loved this book and did not want to put it down, even though the ending was strange! In fact, I got so lost in it on the bus that I passed up my bus stop by several stops going to work! There is a lot of action in this book and some mystery. I loved the two kids and the wolf, Bayn.



See our review of the first book in this series:  Queen of Blood

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"This Mortal Coil" by Emily Suvada

In This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada, Catarina is very good at what she does.  In her world, people can recode their DNA allowing them to change their bodies any way they want, but she can hack into again.  Her father and best friend are on the run.  They must find a way to end the plague or all is lost!

Teaser from page 21:  "I know that, but you can't come, darling.  It's not safe."

This book was a bit too hi-tech for my taste.  The story line was good enough, just did not feel a connection to the characters.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Welcome to My World" by Curtis Bunn

In Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn, Brenda’s life is on a downturn. She goes to McDonald’s daily and sees a homeless man every day. She tries to do good by him. One day the homeless guy, Rodney, gives her some life advice! What? This book was so much better than I thought it would be! I enjoyed Brenda and Rodney very much. The story line kept me engaged throughout. (Gerard’s review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  "I was so . . . so . . . shocked and appalled that I couldn't even move, much less respond."  "I'm not trying to be mean," he added. 

Karen's review (4 stars):
Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn is the story about Brenda, a depressed woman, who becomes friends with Rodney, a homeless man with a bipolar disorder. They help each other as their friendship develops. This is a heartwarming story about how simple words between strangers can bring about great change. This book gives insight into the world of homelessness, those with bipolar disorder and how people sometimes use food to deal with depression that can lead to destroying their self-esteem.

I enjoyed this book even though it moved pretty slow since there is very little action in it. It definitely addresses some major social issues and is inspirational I loved the ending!


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"Keep You Safe" by Melissa Hill - To Vaccinate or Not?

In Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill, Madeleine and her husband chose not to have their two children, Clara and Conner, vaccinated.  One day though, Madeleine has an appointment she can't miss so sends Clara to school even though she was not feeling well.  Then Rosie, one of Clara's classmates, becomes very sick and that is trouble for Madeleine.  Social opinion turns against her and the next thing she knows, her and her husband are in court!  Who saw that coming?

Teaser from page 65:  For all these years, she and Tom had played them, and now that horrible realization, albeit distant and buried, rose once again to the fore. Oh, God...what have we done...

I thought this book was really good!  The pacing of the book was quick and I loved the back and forth between the two mothers.  I was into this from page 1.  Don't miss it--a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"UnWholly" by Neal Shusterman (Unwind Series Book 2)

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman is the second book in the Unwind series. This book follows Connor, Risa and Lev after going their separate ways after their escape from the Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Several more interesting characters are added: Cam (a teen built from all unwind parts), Miracolina (a tithe who gets “rescued” against her will) and Starky (an unwanted stork who was signed over to be unwound but escaped). Some romantic interests start to develop in this book and several organizations play big parts – both those against unwinding and for unwinding as well as the black market parts pirate, Nelson.

Teaser from page 21: Within seconds, the drunk is there, not so drunk after all, with three others whose faces he can't make out.  They lift him up and shove him into the back of a waiting van.

This book started out kind of slow, but that may be because it was so long since I read the first book, it took me a while to “catch up” again. This book seems to be a lot of foundational work for setting up the next in this series. I really like all the characters except for Starky and Nelson. Lev and Miracolina’s relationship was very interesting for me and also Risa’s and Cam’s growing friendship. The second half of this book really picked up with lots of adventure and excitement. I look forward to continuing with this series.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (4 stars):
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman is the sequel to UnWind.  It was good to team up with Conner, Lev and Risa again.  Conner is trying to help kids like himself who escaped being unwound.  Lev is caught up in an underground movement, and Risa, now in a wheelchair, feels she might be a burden.  There is tons of action in this book to say the least.  I did not know what was going to happen next!  Looking forward to continuing on with Book 3 of this series.


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"The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater is the true story of two teens and the crime that changed their lives.  Sasha and Richard are two teens who lead separate lives.  The only time they are connected is when they are both on the No. 57 bus after school, and only for eight minutes tops!  One day an incident happens between the two that will change both of their lives forever!

Teaser from page 5:  Surely it's not too late to stop things from going wrong.  There must be some way to wake Sasha.

This book is divided into three parts:  Sasha, Richard, the incident.  The incident part is by far the best!  On the strength of that, I give this book 4 stars.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds

In Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, Will's older brother is shot dead and Will wants revenge but has to follow "the rules."  He is more than ready to do Rule No. 3.  You may be wondering what that is, but you will have to read the book for the answer.  Before Will can do Rule 3, he has to take the elevator to the last floor, and this ride he experiences something he never has before!

Teaser from page 48:  I yanked and pulled and snatched and tugged at the drawer until it opened just more than an inch.  Just wide enough for my fifteen-year-old fingers to slither in and touch cold steel.

This book is written in verse so it is a very quick read.  It kept my interest for the most part.  I thought the story line rang true as it would play out in real life.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Last Girl" by Nadia Murad

The Last Girl--My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad is a true story!   Nadia was born and raised in Kucho, a small village in Iraq.  Life was okay and she enjoyed her large family.  She had plans for her future, but that all changed when Isis moved in and took over.  Her life became a nightmare! 

Teaser from page 60:  I couldn't see them as people.  Like the guns they carried and the tanks they drove, the men themselves were just weapons to me, and they were aimed at my village.

This is not an easy book to read.  Nadia went through unspeakable horror!  This book opened my eyes to what these people had to deal with.  I give her so much credit for telling her story!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"I Know You’ll Find Me (Dangerous Attractions Series) by Jennifer Youngblood

image from Amazon.com

I Know You’ll Find Me (Dangerous Attractions Series) by Jennifer Youngblood is a fast-paced book with romance and danger. Victoria, a dance instructor, discovers her boyfriend is not the nice guy she thought he was when she goes to tell him she will go with him to the Bahamas but sees something that makes her run away instead! She takes her teenage son and younger daughter with her to Utah and her best friend, Zoe flees to Florida. In Utah she begins to fall in love with a cop named Hudson but can she trust her judgment after a bad marriage and then the criminal boyfriend? She is also afraid her ex-boyfriend will try to find her and kill her so is reluctant to share too much with Hudson.

This was a good book. I liked Victoria and Hudson. It was also a nice touch to include a dog, Coco in this story. It only had a little bit of suspense near the end of the book with the majority of it centering around Victoria and Hudson’s budding romance. (Karen's review, 4 stars)


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"Relentless" by Julian Edelman

Relentless by Julian Edelman is a memoir about a football player on the New England Patriots. It is all about football and all the hard work demanded for professional NFL players to be successful. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Edelman’s journey and found his early start in football very interesting. Throughout the book there are small excerpts written by others regarding Julian Edelman that I found interesting as well. I never realized he had so many injuries during his career! There are a lot of game highlights that he shares too that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Patriots fan or who likes playing football and has dreams of becoming a pro.

Teaser from page 9:   If you're focused on that distant goal, you're missing what's right in front of you, and that's what you can control.  If you're doing everything else in your life fundamentally sound, and you're identifying weaknesses and you're working consistently hard to improve those, you're on the right path.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 11/15/17, (5 stars):
If you are a Patriots fan, you will enjoy Relentless by Julian Edelman. Julian shares about his life, including how his dad showed him tough love!  I enjoyed him telling about playing in pee-wee football and high school.  Julian Edelman is a great player, and I miss seeing him play now that he is hurt.  Go Patriots!

Teaser from page 45:  For a long time, being small didn't make a difference.  I was one of the best players on the field so I never thought of it as a disadvantage. 

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"Fire on the Track" by Rosenne Montillo

Some of my favorite books to read are non-fiction books about events that I am not up to speed on.  Fire on the Track by Roseanne Montillo is one of them!  It centers on women running track in the late 2's, early 30s.   Most people did not even think women should be running at all!  Three women are the main focus:  Betty Robinson, Babe Dickerson and Stella Walsh.  I enjoyed this whole book, especially the part that is about the Olympic games in Germany with Hitler watching!

Teaser from page 12:  Had she ever been timed?  Price asked.  Had anyone ever used a stopwatch to see how fast she could run?
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Empress" by S. J. Kincaid (Sequel to The Diabolic)

The Empress by S. J. Kincaid is the sequel to The Diabolic which I loved!   Tyrus is on the throne now and Nemesis is at his side.  Nemesis is really a great character.  I am glad it was told through her point of view.  There is good action again that had me tuned in from page 1.  The twists and turns in this book were very good leading up to a surprise ending.  I look forward to reading book 3 in this series.

Teaser from pg. 28:  Then I determined to go find the reasons for his weakness for myself.  There was one man in this superstructure who had the answers.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Will's Red Coat--The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again" by Tom Ryan (UPDATED)

Will's Red Coat by Tom Ryan is a true story about Tom who lives a simple life in the mountains of New Hampshire with his two Schnauzers, Atticus and Will.  It is the story of how his dogs helped him become a better person and how he helped his dogs, especially Will who was an older rescue dog in bad shape with biting and incontinence issues that no one else wanted.  

This book has a wonderful theme:  old age is not a disease and it's never too late to love or receive love.  I enjoyed the parts about his dogs and the wildlife, especially the bear who became their friend.  I really liked the nature parts of this book where he included the reader on his hikes through the forests and mountains.  Sometimes though, he went off on tangents about his beliefs and philosophy which I found boring and thought distracted from the story.  Of course, I cried when one of his dogs had to be put down.  It just brought back the feelings I felt when I had to put down several cats.  That is why I gave this book only 3 stars.
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review 11/13/17, 5 stars:

Will's Red Coat by Tom Ryan is a true story which makes it that much better!  Will is an old dog.  Most people think it does not have much time left, but Tom decides to take him in.  His friends did not think this was a wise choice.

This book is a story of love!  If you are a dog lover, this book is one you will love reading.  I give credit to Tom for writing this book about his dog!

Teaser from page 17:  "No.  I meant what would you have me do if you were the one who was old, in pain, alone, and had no place to call home?"

This is the second book I read by this author.  The first one was Following Atticus, which I also loved.

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"Warcross" by Marie Lu (UPDATED)

Warcross by Mari Lu is teen science fiction that had my head spinning trying to figure out how everything worked.  This is about a worldwide, popular virtual reality game with tournaments that people actually attend!  Emika Chen is what is referred to as a bounty hunter who helps the cops capture bad guys, primarily ones who illegally bet on Warcross games.  She is a hacker who got an offer to work for the creator of Warcross, Hideo Tanaka, to figure out who was sabotaging his security system for the games.  Emie lives in NYC, travels by skateboard, has a big debt and is being kicked out of her apartment for not paying rent when she gets his offer.  She accepts and her life changes completely!

I liked this book, but there is a lot of things I really don't understand about how all this advanced technology works.  Sometimes it seems as though the players are physically in the game and other times as though it is their avatar playing.  This is fast-paced and very interesting, but a lot of things just didn't make sense to me.  I like Hideo and think Emie should stick with him, but have a feeling she is going to defect to the other side.  I like his big invention too!
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review, 11/8/17, 5++ stars:
Warcross by Marie Lu is about the game played worldwide called Warcross.  It is an obsession to most people.  When one young down on her luck girl, Emika, hacks into the opening game of the tournament, she becomes known to all.  When she gets a call from the game's creator, she does not know what will happen to her.

Teaser from page 10:  I fire the stun gun once more, this time at close range.  It hits true.  His body goes rigid, and he collapses on the pavement, trembling.

Marie Lu knows how to write and it is on full display with this book!  I was engaged from the get go!  Emika is a great character and it was a joy to follow her.  There is good action and an ending that leaves everything up in the air!  Do not miss it!!

See our review of the sequel:  Wildcard

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"Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

In Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, Aza is a young 16-yr.-old girl who is consumed by her own thoughts.  She and her best friend, Daisy, decide to investigate the disappearance of a billionaire.  There is a reward if you find him!

It took me a while to get into this because at first it was kind of girlish!  That being said, Aza and Daisy were fun to follow!  The story line was so-so, but the writing kept me wanting to keep reading.  I liked it and think it is well worth reading. 
(Gerard's review, 4+ stars)

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"Caroline--Little House, Revisited" by Sarah Miller

Caroline by Sarah Miller is about the Ingalls family and their move from Wisconsin to Kansas and their time in Kansas during the late 1800s. This book is told from Caroline’s point of view. She is the mother of two girls, Mary who is 5 and Laura who is 3. She is pregnant with a third during her trip to Kansas and has Carrie while in Kansas on the prairie. This book is closer to the actual historical account than the Little House on the Prairie books. In this book, the only characters that appear besides the Ingalls family is Mr. Edwards.

This book is historical fiction that gives a very clear picture of what pioneer life was like. It is slow moving but has lots of emotional scenes. I think women would definitely enjoy it more than men. I thought it was nice revisiting the Ingalls family again and learning more about Carolyn.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)


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"Deep Freeze" by John Sandford

In Deep Freeze by John Sandford, a local woman has been found dead, frozen in a block of ice!  The town is small and everybody knows everybody's business.  Virgil, a detective, is familiar with this town and is back again to try to find the killer.

Teaser from page 9:  "Come on, Gina, get up"--but the fact was, Gina Hemming was deader than the aforesaid deer, looking up at him with half-open blank gray eyes.

I thought this book was just okay.  The story line was good enough; however, some parts of the book dragged.  The ending was a bit anti-climactic.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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