Not Impressed With "Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are" by Kathryn Foxfield

In Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are by Kathryn Foxfield, five teens go on a reality show.  They need to survive a night in haunted caves, but should they be afraid of each other?  This book was okay.  The storyline was pretty good, but not great.  I never connected with the characters and wasn't impressed with the ending.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"Five Survive" by Holly Jackson is so Good It's a Must Read!

Five Survive by Holly Jackson is a teen thriller than kept my interest.  Six friends head to spring break in an RV and end up in a deserted area with a shooter shooting out their tires and gas tank!  He says one of them has a secret and he'll only let them go if they tell him what he wants to know.  What does he want to know?  He doesn't say!  He just says they know who they are.  They can't call for help because there is no cell service.  How will they get out?    

This has lots of suspense in it as the friends try to figure out ways to escape and send for help.  This is a really good book because all through it, I was trying to figure out who was the one going to die (based on the title), how they would get out of this predicament and what the secret was and who had it.  I agree with my husband about this one--it's a page-turner and a must read if you enjoy mysteries and thrillers.  Even the ending is a shocker!    (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 1/23/23:
In Five Survive by Holly Jackson, six friends pile into an RV for a fun weekend at a camp.  They get lost in the dark and go into the woods where their RV breaks down!  Just when they are about to go, someone makes sure that they are not going anywhere until they give him what he wants.

This was SO GOOD from the writing, to lots of action, the storyline, the believable characters, and a great ending!  This went really fast because I couldn't stop turning the pages!  Do not miss this one!  (5++ stars)

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"Curfew" by Jayne Cowie

In Curfew, by Jayne Cowie, men and young boys have a curfew.  They cannot be outside after 7:00 p.m. to protect the women.  But does everyone agree that this is the best way?  And, as they say, "rules are meant to be broken."  I thought this book was very good!  It has a great storyline and the author did a great job of developing the characters!  I loved it!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"Stay Awake" by Megan Goldin

In Stay Awake by Megan Goldin, Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with no memory of where she is or how she got there.  Every time Liv falls asleep and wakes up, her head is a blank.  Someone wants to make sure she does not remember committing a crime.  This is a very good thriller.  The last 20 or so pages are just fantastic!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Prisoner" by B. A. Paris

In The Prisoner by B. A. Paris, Amelie, wife of billionaire Jed, is kidnapped and held in a dark room.  She does not know why or by whom.  What she does know is that she feels safer than being with her husband.  You will have to read the book to find out why.  

B. A. Paris's books always have good storylines and good characters; this is no exception.  This book goes back and forth in time, but I didn't mind that.  The ending is unbelievable!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Nine Liars" by Maureen Johnson--A YA Contemporary Thriller

In Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson, nine friends are on a sightseeing trip to London.  They decide to play a night time game of hide and seek at an England country home.  The next morning, two of the nine are found dead, killed by an axe.  The other seven say they know nothing about it.  See if you can figure out who killed the two people.  I thought this was really good because of the characters and storyline.  It kept me turning pages.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"For the Throne" by Hannah Whitten (teen fantasy)

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten is the sequel book to For the Wolf.  In this book, Red has contained the threat of the five kings, but at a cost.  Her sister, Neve, must give herself up to the Shadow Lands for life.  But Red wants to save her sister.  Can she?  

It was so good being back with Red and Neve again.  It did not take me long to get into this.  This book has a good storyline and action so I enjoyed this two-book series very much.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)     

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"The Christmas Spirit" by Debbie Macomber is An Enjoyable Read!

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is a wonderful story any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.  I wish I had managed to read this last month, but am very glad I did not skip it just because it's no longer Christmas.  It's the story about a pastor of a small church exchanging places with his bartender friend the week before Christmas.  They were debating who had the harder job and they both learned some things.  This was such an enjoyable, fun read with humor and a great message.  I loved it and finished it quickly.  I highly recommend this one to anyone who wants to read something uplifting and light.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)  

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"Do Not Disturb" by Claire Douglas is Scary!

In Do Not Disturb, Kristy decides to turn an old rectory into a guesthouse.  She is the only one of the family in favor of that because it needs a lot of work!  Her mom comes to help, but they do not get along.  Later, her cousin comes whom she hates so it goes from bad to worse.  Now someone dies there!  Now what?

The storyline and characters in this book were very good with lots of action!  My advice is to not try to figure out how it all ends, just enjoy the journey!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"No Bad Deed" by Heather Chavez is Quite the Thriller With Lots of Bad Guys!

1.    

No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez is a thriller filled with twists that so much so I got confused at one point. This is about a family of four being stalked, harassed and set up to be murdered.  Once again, the police and detectives are pretty useless in helping this family.  Cassie, the mom, is the heroin who never gives up looking for her missing husband and later her teenage son.  This book has lots of action in it and lots of terrible people!  It certainly kept my attention all through it and if you like puzzles, this is a good one!  Eventually all the pieces fall into place except for the title.  I still don't understand that!  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Gerard's review 1/6/23:
In No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez, Cassie sees a man and woman fighting in the dark.  She calls 911 to report it and is told to stay in the car.  However, she cannot just sit in her car and decides to go help the woman.  Turns out that was a huge mistake!  This is my first book of 2023 and I’m off to a good start.  This has good action with an interesting storyline that kept me reading as well as Cassie being a very good character.  (5+ stars)  

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"The Therapist" by B. A. Paris is a Favorite!

In The Therapist by B. A. Paris, things are looking up for Alice.  She and her boyfriend, Leo, move into a beautiful home in a gated community; however, things change when she discovers a woman was killed in that house which Leo neglected to mention.  She turns to her new neighbors for help, but she is not sure she can trust them.  She wants out of the house and to end things with Leo.  Her life is falling apart!  I thought this book was really good with a very good storyline and very believable characters.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Road of Bones" by Christopher Golden

In Road of Bones by Christopher Golden, Felix is fascinated by a road called "The Highway of Bones" 1,200 miles near the Arctic Circle.  It is known as being a massive graveyard of prisoners of the U.S.S.R. who worked on the highway where bodies were paved over.  It is said to be haunted by their ghosts.  Felix gets the ride of his life.  Do NOT read this book at night!  This one was hard to put down!  It's a really good ghost story!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Perfect Marriage" by Jeneva Rose

In The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, Sarah and Adam have been married for ten years.  Being a No. 1 lawyer for a high price law firm leaves little time for Sarah to spend with Adam; however, when Adam gets into big trouble, he has to turn to Sarah for help.  Should she or will she defend him on a murder charge of killing his mistress? 

I thought this book was really good.  Sarah and Adam were fantastic characters.  If you think you know how this plays out, I am betting that you don't!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Arctic Fury" by Greer Macallister is Outstanding!

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister is historical fiction at its best!  It is about 12 women who come together to go on a secret rescue mission to the Arctic and the trial when not all 12 return.  I thought this book was outstanding!  I was into it from page 1.  The writing is good and the characters were very believable.  It switches between the mission and the trial with a very good ending!  Do not miss this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)    

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"Wrong Place Wrong Time" by Gillian McAllister Is a Page Turner!

In Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, Jen sees her son, Todd, kill a man.  He is going to get caught.  All his plans and all of Jen's plans for her son are about to go to waste.  When the sun comes up the next day, Jen gets a chance to stop this from happening.  

I thought this book was very good!  I enjoyed seeing how it all played out before and after.  Jen was a great character and would do anything to help her son.  It has a wonderful ending too.  I found it hard to put down.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Game Can't Love You Back" by Karole Cozzo is a Fun Read!

1.    

The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo is a fun read about a high school girl, Eve, pitching on a boys’ baseball team, where Jaimie is the Ace pitcher.  They start out on very rocky ground, but Eve gets Jaimie’s respect which develops into deeper feelings.  I enjoyed it very much.  I think girls, especially tom boys, would like this one more than guys.  It’s more about relationships than it is baseball.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Paws from Heaven--True Stories of God's Amazing Animal Angels" (Guidepost Contributors)

Paws from Heaven is a collection of short stories about cats and dogs that do remarkable things to help us through life.  All the stories are really good and if you have a pet, you will sometimes see yourself in them.  If you do not have a pet, you will want one after you finish this book!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Alias Anna" by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is Hard to Put Down!

Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is the true story about two young sisters with special talent for playing the piano.  They live in Russia during World War II and flee when the Germans move in to take over.  They manage to escape on the way to being killed.  This is a quick read that is very hard to put down.  I liked it and found it easy to read because it is written in verse and the chapters were very short!   It is pretty fascinating and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical non-fiction stories.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 12/22/22:
Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson tells a true story about two young Jewish sisters who were able to outwit the Nazis and survive during Hitler's reign.  This is a really good book told in verse so is a quick read.  This is worth the read for sure.  I found it hard to put down.  (5++ stars)

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Beware of "The Perfect Child" by Lucinda Berry which is WILD and Extremely Sad!

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry is a very sad and depressing read.  If I had known that before, I would not have read this one, but once I started it I got invested in the Hannah, the mother.  This is the story of the family who adopted an abused 6-yr.-old child and the struggles that they encountered.  This book got me riled up and even angry at times.  It's an emotional read with a child far from perfect.  I really don't understand the title.  I would not recommend this one.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)

Gerard's review 11/30/22:
In The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry, a young girl is found who has been mistreated and needs help in the worst way.  Christopher, a surgeon, fixes her up.  He wants to adopt her since the girl has no relatives.  His wife, Hannah, agrees and they take her in.  Is it happy ever after? or the worst decision they ever made?  This book is wild!  The storyline kept my interest.  (4 stars)

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"A Midwinter's Tail" by Bethany Blake is a Cozy Mystery

In A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake, there is a murder in a small town and Daphne is out to solve it with a little help from her dogs.  This book was okay, but needed more action for me.  I enjoyed how the dogs were used in the story though and liked the storyline.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"All Good People Here" by Ashley Flowers Does Not Live up to the Hype

In All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers, Margot goes back to her home town.  It has been 20 years since a young girl was found killed there and now it has happened again.  Was it the same person both times who did the killing and if so, why?  Margot's job depends on her getting answers.  Somebody wants her to leave it alone, or else!  This book needed more action.  It did pick up at the end at least.  I liked the storyline, but the characters were just so-so.  I don't get what all the hype was about for this one.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Winners" by Fredrik Backman

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the last of the three books about Beartown and its hockey team.  Beartown and their rival, Hed, still hate each other.  Beartown is really good and plans to shut down Hed from playing hockey again.  There is so much stuff that goes on in this that it would take too long to explain it all.  I will just say I got to know the characters very well.  I think this is a great series and this book is as good as the first two--Beartown and Us Against You.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" by Lisa Unger is Fantastic!

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger is a thriller about six people who go to a cabin for relaxation and to unplug, but encounter foul play that they totally did not expect.  This storyline converges with a second storyline about Henry, who discovers his father was a sperm donor and a very bad man!   

This book was pretty good, but there are a lot of characters and I didn't like how it jumped back and forth between the two storylines.  I liked the first storyline better.  The theme of the book is that our DNA does not have to control us.  We can choose who we want to be.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 11/18/22:
In Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger, six couples rent a cabin in the woods for a weekend.  It is away from everyone, very secluded.  They look forward to a week of fun, relaxation and making happy memories.  One person wants these people to remember this weekend too for all the wrong reasons.   This is a fantastic book that kept me turning pages.  (5++ stars)

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"The IT GIRL" by Ruth Ware is Fantastic!

In The IT GIRL by Ruth Ware, Hannah is a girl from a small town who is a hard worker and finds herself at Oxford College.  Her roommate is April, who is different from Hannah in every way.  They become close friends.  Hannah finds April dead in her bed and wonders why and who would do that.  This book is fantastic with good writing, storyline and characters.  LOVED IT!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Foster" by Claire Keegan

In Foster by Claire Keegan, a little girl is sent to a neighbor's house because her mom is going to have a baby and cannot look after her.  She likes the people who look after her but finds out that there are secrets to be kept.  This is a short 92-page book that is okay.  I thought it was pretty good.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"What Happened to the Bennets" by Lisa Scottoline

What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline is the story of a family whose daughter is fatally shot when two thugs hijack their car.  The family is put into the FBI's witness protection program because Milo, the thug is after the father, who is a court reporter.  The family grieves and two FBI agents live in a house next to where they are staying.  Their friends and co-workers all wonder what happened to them and rumors begin to fly.  The father, Jason, makes a shocking discovery and chooses to go get justice for his daughter on his own.  

I liked this book a lot because it centered on a normal family who had their lives uprooted.  A lot went on in this book which is filled with action and suspense.  It even had a family dog in it which I thought was a nice touch.   (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"This Time Tomorrow" by Emma Straub

In This Time Tomorrow, Alice's dad is very sick with tubes in him as she is on the verge of turning 40.  She remembers the fun times she had with her dad.  On her birthday, she wakes up back in time when she was 16 and her dad was healthy.  This book could have been so much better if it was about Alice and her dad instead of time travel!  (Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"The House Across the Lake" by Riley Sager

In The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager, Casey Fletcher goes to a lake to relax.  She takes an interest in the house across the lake.  She becomes friends with the woman who lives there.  When that woman goes missing, Casey investigates.  

Wow!  This book was good because of the characters and great storyline.  I thought I knew how this would all play out, but I was wrong.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

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"Fantasy League" by Mike Lupica is a Fun Football Read!

Fantasy League by Mike Lupica is about Charlie, a 12-yr.-old who loves football and is so good at fantasy football that he gives tips to others via a podcast he does with his best friend, Anna. Anna is the granddaughter of the owner of Charlie's favorite pro team.  When Anna introduces them, they immediately connect over football and become friends.  Charlie also plays on a team as a player-coach.  He has a knack for seeing things others don't notice that helps his team.  

This is a great story about football and friendship.  The kid gets to feel like he owns a pro football team.  I loved it!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Speckled Beauty...A Dog and His People" by Rick Bragg

The speckled Beauty...a Dog and His People by Rick Bragg is the true story about the heartwarming relationship between Rick and his dog.  When Rick comes across a dog that is barely alive, he does what he can for him and then takes it to the vet.  In time the dog gets better and he is a handful to take care of.  No matter how many things the dog destroys and gets loose, Rick will not give up on him regardless of what his brother and mother say.  If you have a dog or simply just like dogs, you will enjoy this book which contains lots of funny stories that Rick tells very well.  I loved it, especially since the dog does not die!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Lost Girls of Willowbrook" by Ellen Marie Wiseman is Based on True Events

In The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman, Sage is an identical twin.  Her sister that she thought died six years ago is actually missing.  She escaped from Willowbrook and Sage sets out to find her.  Sage assumes Willowbrook is a school but finds out how wrong she is.  At Willowbrook, Sage is mistaken for her sister and must use all her smarts to find her.  

I thought this book was really good because of the writing and storyline.  I felt like I got to know Willowbrook very well.  What an awesome and eye-opening road it was for me!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Family Game" by Catherine Steadman

In The Family Game by Catherine Steadman, life is good for Harriet.  Her new book is flying off the shelves!  She is engaged to a very handsome rich man and is about to have a baby.  One thing left to do is meet her future husband's family.  There are a lot of them who are also very rich.  When she meets her future father-in-law, he gives her a tape of a book he's been working on to listen to.  Then it's game time!  

I think this book is outstanding with good characters and storyline.  I loved the ending!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up!" by Dan Gutman is about a Field Trip

1.    

Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up! By Dan Gutman (My Weird School Book 21) is a children’s book about the class going to an overnight field trip to a natural history museum.  They see dioramas, learn about dinosaurs and poop mostly.  It was okay but not as funny as others.  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"Confessions on the 7:45" by Lisa Unger is Unpredictable!

In Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger, Selena is on a subway train thinking of the problems she is having with her husband.  The train is not moving because the rail is blocked.  So Selena gets to talking with another woman and tells her about the problems she has.  She feels better when she lets it out.  Little does she know that by talking, her problems are about to get a whole lot worse!  

I thought this book was really good.  The characters were interesting to say the least.  The storyline was such that I never knew what or who was going to come into the picture and the ending was outstanding!  I loved this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The First to Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

In The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera, two young men meet in Times Square on New Year's Eve.  It is the beginning of a new year and the start of death cast.  Death cast calls people on the day they are supposed to die.  Can they really do that?  One of the young men gets a call.  It could be a very short friendship.  This book is the prequel to They Both Die At the End.  I enjoyed this book just as much as the other one.  I liked that this book has more characters.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Mrs. Patty Is Batty!" by Dan Gutman (My Weird School Series Book 13)

Mrs. Patty Is Batty! by Dan Gutman is a children's Halloween story that is about trick-or-treating.  I thought it was pretty good because it had some humor and suspense to it.  I think young children would like it.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"Back to School, Weird Kids Rule!" by Dan Gutman (Weird School Special)

Back to School, Weird Kids Rule! by Dan Gutman is a bit different from other books I read in this series because instead of AJ being the narrator, it's Andrea!  Andrea explains why she loves school so much and focuses on the week before school starts.  She and AJ are thrown together by their parents (the mothers are best friends), and spend their time arguing.  It includes some history of school supplies and some puzzles in the back.  I liked this one all right.  The interaction between Andrea and AJ was funny.   (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"What Comes After" by Joanne Tompkins

In What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins, two young teen boys are found dead in the woods of a small town.  They were friend.  A few weeks later, a young teen girl comes out of the woods but who is she and why is she here now?  She gets involved in the lives of both of the dead boys' families.  What are her secrets?  This book is really good.  I enjoyed all the characters and the good story line.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Miss Suki is Kooky!" by Dan Gutman (Book 17 in My Weird School Series)

In Miss Suki is Kooky! by Dan Gutman, the students read The Fearless Falcon by Suki Kabuki and then the author visits their school with a falcon!  I liked this book because it gives some interesting information about falcons and is humorous.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green!" by Dan Gutman

It's Halloween, I'm Turning Green! by Dan Gutman is part of My Weird School series.  It's a special because it includes games and puzzles in the back.  AJ and his friends go trick or treating, but run into the Halloween monster who takes their candy!  I think kids would enjoy this book simply because it is a Halloween story.  For me, it was okay.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)  

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"We're Red, Weird, and Blue! What Can We Do?" by Dan Gutman

We're Red, Weird, and Blue!  What Can We Do? by Dan Gutman is a children's book that teaches some facts about presidents in a fun way.  A.J. and Andrea are chosen to represent their school in a President's Day Challenge against Dirk School.  This is both educational and funny with a surprise ending.  This book also includes some puzzles and review questions in the back.  I enjoyed this book because I learned some things and it made me laugh.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Killers of a Certain Age" by Deanna Raybourn

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is about how four retired women assassins scheme, plot and fight for their survival against the very organization that hired and trained them to be killers.  This book moved slow for me, but had me interested right from the start.  It had a bit of humor but not enough to say it was humorous.  It is narrated from the point of view of Billie, one of the old women assassins.  The characters seemed shallow.  I felt they could have been developed more.  I'm glad I stuck with it though because the last few chapters were very good!  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"For the Wolf" by Hannah Whitten (a fantasy debut)

In For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, Red has one purpose in life:  give herself up to the woods and hope the gods will return.  I thought this book was pretty good because Red was a good character, had enough action and the ending chapters were very good!  There will be a sequel.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill

In The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, there is a scream in the library.  Four people sit at a table and talk about it.  Three of the four do not realize the murder is sitting at their table with them!  I thought this book was very good.  I enjoyed the characters and the unusual story line.  Although the book started slow, it made up for it as it went along and I didn't figure out who the murderer was until the last page.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

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"Mr. Macky Is Wacky!" by Dan Gutman is about President's Day (Book 15 in My Weird School Series)

Mr. Macky Is Wacky! by Dan Gutman is Book 15 in My Weird School series.  It is a funny book about a school celebrating President's Day.  I enjoyed this one because it made me laugh.  It is actually somewhat informative because teachers and students share facts about some of the presidents.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Replacement Wife" by Darby Kane

In The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane, Elisa does not trust her brother-in-law, Josh, at all with good reason.  Women seem to come to a bad end when they are with Josh.  Now he has a new girlfriend.  Elisa wants to know the truth about Josh.  This book is really good, wild in a good way!  It has a good story line, a great ending, and does not go back and forth in time.  (Gerard's review, 5++ Stars)

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My Weird School FAST FACTS Series by Dan Gutman

Explorers, Presidents, and Toilets by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I found extremely interesting and filled with fun facts about U.S. history.  I learned new things in an enjoyable way and highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about U.S. history, including the history of toilets!  (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Dogs, Cats, and Dung Beetles by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book I found to be informative and funny!  It is filled with interesting fun facts about all sorts of animals as well as some jokes throughout the book.  I especially enjoyed the chapter on presidents’ pets.  Arlo and Amanda both alternate sharing facts in a fun way.  I highly recommend this book to any animal lover.  (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Sports by Dan Gutman if a FAST FACTS series book I found to be interesting and funny.  Arlo and Amanda both alternate sharing facts as in the other books in this series.  Most sports are covered, but I noticed pickleball was not included. I especially liked the baseball and basketball facts, but enjoyed the whole book.  I liked that at the end it encourages kids to search the internet for their own weird facts about a subject that interest them.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Dinosaurs, Dodos, and Woolly Mammoths by Dan Gutman is a FAST FACTS series book that I skipped because I just am not interesting in reading about dinosaurs and other extinct animals.  I included it here because it is part of this series.

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"Wish You Were Gone" by Kieran Scott

In Wish You Were Gone by Kieran Scott, Emma's husband, James, died in an accident.  This novel goes into the time before and after James' death.  This book is very good!  It is told by many people which I enjoyed very much.  The ending was just fantastic!  I highly recommend this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Mr. Granite If from Another Planet!" by Dan Gutman

Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet! by Dan Gutman is the first book in the My Weird School Daze series that I didn't enjoy at all.  It was about going green but things in it made no sense at all and it wasn't as funny as the others either.  It was just stupid.  The only good thing about this one is that it's a quick read!  I would recommend skipping this one!  (Karen's review, 1 star)

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"Babysitter" by Joyce Carol Oates Is Based on a True Story

In Babysitter by Joyce Carol Oates, Hannah and Wes live in an upscale neighborhood with their two small children.  Hannah makes a decision that puts her marriage at the breaking point and children are being taken!  Are Wes and Hannah's kids in danger?  I thought this book was very good!  The story line is great and the writing was really good too.  Hannah was a wonderful character!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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