"The Diamond Eye" by Kate Quinn

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is based on a true story.  Mila Pavlichenko lives a quiet life.  She works at the library and looks after her son.  The war changes that and she turns into a deadly sniper!  This is good stuff!!  I enjoyed the story line and Mila is a great character!  This has good action and and exciting ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Love of My Life" by Rosie Walsh

In The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh, Leo is married to Emma.  They have a daughter, a dog and a good life.  Leo writes obituaries for a local paper.  When Emma has health problems, Leo looks into Emma's life.  It turns out Leo does not know his wife as well as he thought!  This book was okay because the storyline and ending were good and I enjoyed the characters; however, it needed more action or at least some twists and turns. (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Verity" by Colleen Hoover is So Good!

In Verity by Colleen Hoover, Lowen is on the brink of financial ruin when she gets a big break.  he is picked to finish a book series with a huge money upside started by Verity.  Verity cannot finish it because of health issues.  While at Verity's house, Lowen comes across a manuscript not meant for publication, but cannot put it down.  

Wow!  This book was so good!  It has a great story line and really good characters.  I found it hard to put down and the ending was fantastic!  Did not see it ending this way at all!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional"

The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional contains 365 inspiring ideas to reveal, give, and find God's love written by three women:  Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl and Kristin Demery.  I enjoyed this book very much for several reasons.  Each devotional is just one page so it didn't take much time to read so was easy to keep up doing.  I also liked the different examples each author shared from their personal lives showing a specific kind act.  Each devotional had a verse to go with it as well as an action step to take.  This was a very practical devotional book focusing on being kind to others.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Wives" by Tarryn Fisher is a Wild One!

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is about a woman who only sees her husband one day a week.  Why?  Because he has two other women to whom he is married.  This book is told by Thursday because that is the day her husband shares with her.  I liked the main character and the story line that kept me engaged and guessing what would happen next.  I also liked the ending of this wild story!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Younger Wife" by Sally Hepworth

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is told by three women:  Heather, who is going to marry a man in his 60s and Jully and Rachel, the daughters of the 60-yr.-old man.  I thought this book was really good.  The pacing is great!  You do not know what is going to happen next.  I loved how the women tell this story that has a very good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"No Ordinary Dog" by Will Chesney, U.S. Navy Seal

No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  When I first decided to read this book, my plan was to just skim the first part to get to the dog part of it, but I ended up reading every word because the writing was so good and it was so interesting!  I liked how the author shared his personal feelings about what he went through trying to become a Navy Seal and how he wound up being a dog handler for the Seals.  Cairo was the dog Will was matched with and what a great dog Cairo was!  It was exciting to read about the battles they fought together, especially the one where Bin Laden was finally killed.  I enjoyed reading about Will and Cairo's wonderful relationship and of course cried at the end when Cairo had cancer and had to be put down.  I just brought back the memory of when we had to let Abby go and how we were so selfish, letting her be in such pain for so long.  I also felt bad for Will who suffered injuries and had to wait for so long to get a medical retirement.  This is a book I won't soon forget!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review March 25, 2022:
No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  What a great read!  The first part tells how Will became a Seal and soon after he was matched up with Cairo, a very special dog!  What they have the dogs trained to do is amazing!  It makes me glad to know these people and their dogs are defending us.  (5+ stars)

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"The Reading List" by Sara Nisha Adams is About the Power of Books

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams shows how books can play a big part in your life.  I really enjoyed the two main characters:  an old man discovering the library for the first time, and a young girl who works at the library.  It is humorous and the story line kept me interested all the way.  I think this is a wonderful book that all ages would enjoy.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Cage" by Bonnie Kistler is a Page Turner!

In The Cage by Bonnie Kistler, two women enter an elevator lost in their own thoughts.  When it reaches the ground floor, one woman is dead from a gun shot!  Was it murder or suicide?  I thought this novel was really good.  Just the Prologue will get you hooked and the writing will keep you engaged right to the great ending!  The main character, Shay Lambert, was very enjoyable.  I highly recommend this one!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)  

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"One Two Three" by Laurie Frankel is Enjoyable

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel is told by three female triplets.  They live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and nothing much goes on.  When a moving van comes to town, it is big news!  This story is told very well.  I enjoyed the three girls who narrated it very much.  I was into it from page 1.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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We Both Loved "The Overnight Guest" by Heather Gudenkauf

Wow!  The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf is action packed from beginning to end!  True crime writer, Wylie Lark, finds a farmhouse out in the woods where she can finish her new book in peace and quiet, so she thinks.  When she finds a child buried in the snow near her farmhouse, she has her hands full!  

I Loved this book because it had non-stop action and the characters were true to life.  It was really good!  I highly recommend it!  (Gerard's review 3/29/22, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:

I agree with my husband's review on The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.  Although I was confused and a bit frustrated with the first half of the book because three story lines were going on at once, I stuck with it and am glad I did.  The three story lines are:  (1) Wylie returning home to write a true-crime novel about her life and finding a child and a woman out in a blizzard who she helps, (2) Josie, a girl who lives with her grandparents after her family is murdered, and (3) a woman and child who are held captive in a basement for years.   I actually felt like reading all the chapters that were dated August 2000 first and then going back to read the ones from the present.  I was relieved when I finally reached the point where everything was connected and it made sense.  This is a murder mystery full of action.  There are even discussion questions in the back for book clubs to use.  (5 stars) 

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"The Club" by Ellery Lloyd

In The Club by Ellery Lloyd, there is a huge party on Home Isle.  If you are rich or famous, you are invited.  When people start to be killed, something is going on but what is it and who is doing it?  This book is told by a wide variety of people.  I did not really care about any of the main characters so was not affected by them being killed off.  The storyline was good by the ending was just okay.  This book needed more action in my opinion.  (Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"Once" by Morris Gleitzman

Once by Morris Gleitzman is inspired by true events.  It takes place during World War II.  Felix is a young boy who is in an orphanage to be protected from the Nazis.  When he sees books being burned, he knows he must break out and tell his mom and dad.  They run a bookstore.  

This book is short but told very well.  Felix was a great character so I enjoyed it!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)  

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"Billy Summers" by Stephen King

Billy Summers by Stephen King is a long book, 1,042 pages of large print but worth it.  Billy Summers gets paid, and paid very well to take out bad men for good.  He wants to get out, but decides to take one more job.  The pay is too much to turn down.  Can he pull it off again without getting caught?  

I think this book could have been shorter and just as good.  Billy was a great character and he drives the book.  The story line was also good and kept me interested, but could have had more action.  That being said, I still give it 5 stars because the character of Billy was that good!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Funny Farm--Life with 600 Rescue Animals" by Laurie Zaleski

Funny Farm by Lauri Zaleski is the true story of her childhood and her mom who had a love for animals.  Throughout the book we learn about some of the animals she had on her farm.  I really enjoyed reading this one very much.  What a story Laurie tells so well.  If you are looking for a "feel good" story, this is it!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Here is a funny video of animals at Funny Farm (guaranteed to make you laugh!):

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"The Lady's Mine" by Francine Rivers is a Great Read!

The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers is an excellent read about a Boston woman being sent to a little mining town out west to claim her uncle's inheritance.  She causes quite the stir when she restarts publishing the newspaper her uncle wrote in spite of being old she was a woman and shouldn't do it.  Just like she pursued starting up a mining operation at the mine she inherited.  Although she is determined never to marry, several men would like to change her mind about that!  

I enjoyed this book very much!  It is well written and moves along with a good mix of action, interesting characters, humor, mystery and romance.  Some lines made me laugh out loud!  It addresses the issue of women's rights and shows how people can bring about change to a community.  I had a hard time putting it down and always looked forward to getting back to it.  This has clean language and no raunchy love scenes.  It even has questions at the end for book club discussions.  I highly recommend this one! (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Violin Conspiracy" by Brendan Slocumb

In The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb, Ray McMillian has a dream of becoming a world-class professional violinist against the odds which do not favor him.  He is a poor black man, but thinks he can do it even though it is a white-dominated position he seeks.  I enjoyed this book.  The characters were true-to-life and the story line kept me engaged.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

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"Unmissing" by Minka Kent is a Shocker!

Unmissing by Minka Kent is a fast-moving mystery that I enjoyed.  I has two big twists I didn't see coming and my opinion of the characters changed as the book moved along.  It kept my attention from the very first page and had no boring parts.  It's about Lydia, who is kidnapped right at the beginning of the book and is declared dead.  After missing for 10 years, she returns to find her husband who has remarried, owns several restaurants and has clearly moved on.  (Karen's review 3/24/22, 5 stars)

Gerard's review:

Unmissing by Minka Kent tells the story of a woman missing for ten years and comes back.  She comes back to a married couple to settle the score with the husband.  This is good stuff!  It is told by two women and goes back and forth so you do not expect what is coming.  The ending is really, really good!  (5 stars)

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"The Night Shift" by Alex Finlay

In The Night Shift by Alex Finlay, two crimes take place 15 years apart.  Three teenagers are killed but one is able to survive.  This has a good story line that kept me turning pages.  The characters were okay, but I would have liked a bit more action.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"Coach K--The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski" by Ian O'Connor

I thought Coach K by Ian O'Connor is really good because it includes lots of inside stuff about Coach K and the players who played for him.  I think anyone who likes college basketball would enjoy this book.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Rock Paper Scissors" by Alice Feeney

In Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney, Adam and Amelia win a weekend get-a-way in Scotland which makes them very happy!  They both need it.    I enjoyed this book a lot but the less you know about it, the better.  I don't want to spoil it for you.  The story line is great.  What I thought I knew, I really didn't!  I LOVED it and highly recommend this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Karen's review:

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney was just annoying to me.  First off, it was very slow moving and although it did create suspense and was somewhat creepy, I didn't care for any of the characters except the dog, Bob.  Half of the story was in the form of letters.  It was definitely full of secrets and had an unpredictable ending.  (2 stars)  

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"A Flicker in the Dark" by Stacy Willingham

In A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, Chloe was 12 when six teenage girls went missing in her town.  Later, her own father confessed to being a serial killer and was put in prison.  Twenty years later, it happens again!  Why and who is behind this?  

I found this book to be very good.  The story line kept me engaged all the way and was surprised by the ending.  I was surprised how good this book was by a first-time author.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"It's Better to Be Feared" by Seth Wickersham (Patriots Dynasty)

It's Better to Be Feared by Seth Wickersham covers the 20-year run of the Patriots dynasty.  I really enjoyed this book!  It brought back so many great games and so many great players that made it all happen with lots of inside insights as well.  If you are a Patriots fan, this is a must read.  If you're not a fan, then you wouldn't want to read this book anyway.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Crime Scene Connection" by Deena Alexander

Crime Scene Connection by Deena Alexander is about Addison who witnessed her mother's murder as a 3-yr-old hiding in a kitchen cabinet.  She wrote a murder mystery and now is trying to figure out who is doing real murders based on those in her book before other get killed, including herself!  She thinks it might be her ex-husband who is a dirty cop and who was abusive to her.  Jace, Addison's ex-husband's ex-partner, and his dog, Phoenix, try to protect Addison and in the process fall in love.  Although the romance part between Jace and Addison was predictable, I was surprised at who the killer was.  

This was a pretty good murder mystery with the personal journey of Addison and Jace learning to forgive and being drawn to each other.  It has suspense, mystery and romance all wrapped up together.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"City of Champions" by Hank Gola

I was not surprised that I enjoyed City of Champions by Hank Gola because it is a true story that I knew little or nothing about.  It is about a high school world championship football game in 1939.  Who knew?  Not me!  I liked reading about both teams and the coaches.  It shares good insights into both teams.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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Our Favorite Books We Read in 2021

I'm a bit late posting my favorites from last year, but here they are.  You can easily find our reviews by searching for the title in the upper left search box.  It was a slow reading year for me with only a total of 24 books so I only had 8 that I loved (the first four below were my husband's favorites as well):

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction

Fantasy (part of series)

Fantasy

 

Historical Romance

Mystery

Autism & Sisters

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction (artists during depression)

Next are my husbands favorites (he read 62 books in 2021):

Romance

Psychological Thriller

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction

Memoir

Memoir

Mystery/Thriller

Fantasy

Middle Grade/Children's Book, survival

Family Relationships

Mystery/Thriller

Thriller

How many books did you read last year?  What were your favorites?

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"From the Ashes" by Jesse Thistle - A memoir of a life surviving the streets

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle is a true story, and what a story it is!  Jesse tells how he grew up and it was far from the ideal childhood.  In his teen years and beyond, he made some wrong choices and suffered the consequences.  It is inspirational because he turned his life around.  This was a very honest book and I enjoyed it.  He told his story very well and I think anyone would like this book!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Heaven, My Home" by Attica Locke (a Highway 59 novel)

In Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke, Levi is a 9-yr.-old alone in the dark in a boat where the motor just died.  Not good.  Darren is called in to find out what is going on because Levi has been missing for days.  This book is okay, but needs more action.  The story line was good though.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)   

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"The Last House on the Street" by Diane Chamberlain

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain is about Ellie, a teenager during the 60s when civil rights was a very hot topic and the KKK was very active.  Ellie joins SCOPE against her parents' will which is an organization the canvasses Blacks to encourage them to register to vote.  In 2010, Ellie returns home from moving to California to take care of her sick brother and mother.  She meets Kayla, Ellie's ex-boyfriend's daughter and old memories come back.  The truth of what really happened to a Black guy named Win that Ellie fell in love with while working with SCOPE comes out.

This is a heartbreaking story about racial tension in the 60s.  It starts out pretty slow and goes back in forth in time alternately focusing on Ellie and Kayla.  It certainly has some surprising turn of events and shows a very dark part of U.S. history.  I was deeply engrossed in this book, but liked others by this author better.  This is a sad read, but interesting nonetheless.  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

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"Fox & I--An Uncommon Friendship" by Catherine Raven

Fox & I by Catherine Raven is about her friendship with a fox!  Catherine is a park ranger who begins a friendship with a red fox when their paths crossed.  I learned a lot about foxes and also some other animals when I read this book.  The best part of this book is her interactions with the red fox.  I especially enjoyed the part where she reads Dr. Suess books to the fox!  This is a good, happy non-fiction read.  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)  

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