"The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise" by Colleen Oakley

In The Mostly true Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, we meet Louise, an old woman who takes a fall in her home and her family insists she get someone to look after her.  We meet Tanner, a 21-yr.-old girl who the last thing she wants to do is look after an old woman.  She would rather wear sweatpants and play video games!  Sound like a match to you? 

I thought this book was really good.  Louise and Tanner are both good characters and the byplay between them is entertaining.  There are some twists and turns.  I thought I knew how it would play out, but I was surprised!  I recommend this book if you are looking for something light and entertaining to read.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Backgammon of Today" by John Longacre

Backgammon of Today by John Longacre is a concise book on how to play Backgammon.  Terms are listed in the back but should have been in the front instead.  However, it is a helpful book because it gives the odds for the different rolls, suggested opening moves based on the various rolls of the dice and four strategies.  It also has a chapter on doubling.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their game.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Her Darkest Nightmare" by Brenda Novak

In Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak, Evellyn survived what no 16-yr.-old girl should have to go through.  Now, she is a psychiatrist trying to figure out what goes on in men who do bad things to women.  She works at a maximum security prison. When women turn up dead, things soon take a turn for the worse.  

This book had a good storyline and Evelyn was a good lead character; however, there were too many parts that dragged along with no action.  That being said, I was glad I read it.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Flamefall" by Rosaria Munda (Book 2 of Fireborne Series)

Flamefall by Rosaria Munda is the follow-up book to Fireborne.  This story is told by Annie, Lee and Griff.  They each have to deal with problems of loyalty and honor to their homeland.  When the battle takes place, can they all survive?  Good stuff.  This is better than Fireborne!  There is more action and the stage is set for the final book of the series.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Fireborne" by Rosaria Munda

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda is told by Annie and Lee.  They have been friends since childhood, but now war is coming and their friendship will be tested like never before.  Can they lead a revolution?  This is good stuff.  Annie is a great character and drives this book.  This is book 1 of 3 and I look forward to reading the next two.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a very strangely written book that kept my attention throughout.  It is filled with humor and yet deals with suicide, love, a bank robber, a hostage situation, two policemen who are father and son and a group of strangers who become friends through a crazy situation.  According to the author, this book is about idiots! 

It reminded me of a Seinfeld-type episode.  The writing was unusual.  It jumped around a lot, there are lots of characters each with their own storylines and often the reader is first exposed to new facts and then followed by an explanation about how it came to be.  I think this is a book I won't soon forget.  I loved the ending!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 4/8/23:
In Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, a bank robbery turns into a hostage situation.  What I liked most in this book was the interaction among all the characters.  I actually laughed out loud at some parts, it was that funny!  The storyline is good and so is the ending.  I love this one!  (5++ stars)

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"Finale" by Stephanie Garber (Book 3 in Caraval Series)

Finale by Stephanie Garber is the third and last book in the Caraval series.  In this one, Tella and Scarlett both get into trouble when they let their hearts over rule their heads.  Jacks is up to his usual trouble making ways.  All three books were outstanding and this has a great finish to the series!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Ballad of Never After" by Stephanie Garber

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber is the sequel to A Broken Heart.  In this, Evangeline tries to find a cure for her husband, Apollo.  It will not be easy!  People are willing to stop her.  Can she turn to Jacks for help?  Can she trust him?  This book is even better than the first one with lots more action, new characters, and lots of twists and turns.  What an ending!  Can't wait for book 3 coming out in October.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Once Upon a Broken Heart" by Stephanie Garber

In Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber,  Evangeline learns the love of her life will marry her stepsister, Marisol!  To stop this from happening, Evangeline turns to the wicked Prince of Hearts for help.  She makes a deal with him in exchange for his help and how it all plays out makes up this novel.  I thought this book was really good!  I liked the storyline which was unique as well as the characters, especially Evangeline and Jacks.  The ending was perfect!  I enjoyed the Caraval series by this author and this one is good as well.  On to book two of this three-part series.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Reminders of Him" by Colleen Hoover

In Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover, Kenna has spent five years in prison for a tragic mistake!  She had her newborn daughter taken from her.  Now she is out and wants to see her daughter, but in this case time does not heal.  Except for one man, the whole town does not want her around.  Do they have a future together and does she get to see her daughter?  This is good stuff, good characters well developed, good storyline and good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Fairy Tale" by Stephen King

In Fairy Tale by Stephen King, Charlie, a young teen boy, becomes the caretaker to an old man when he falls from a ladder.  Charlie and the man's dog, Radar, get along great.  Before the old man dies, he tells Charlie to listen to a tape under his bed.  What is on the tape is what this book is about.  I thought this book was really good--vintage King.  It has great characters and a good storyline.  I also loved Radar and the ending!  The dog was in it a lot!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Last Invitation" by Darby Kane

The Last Invitation by Darby Kane centers on two women, Gabby and Jessa.  They both have secrets.  Jessa joins a secret group of women who make it their business to take care of  abusive men.  When Gabby gets involved too, they both realize that this is not the group for them.  However, they soon learn that once you are in, there is no turning back.  This is good stuff.  I enjoyed both of the main characters and the storyline moved along well.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)         

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"Forging Silver Into Stars" by Brigid Kemmerer

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer is a fantasy book about two kingdoms, loyalty and magic.  Emberfall is led by Rhen and Harper, Syhl Shallow led by Grey and Lia Mara.  Rhen and Grey are brothers, Grey is a magesmith and the people of Syhl Shallow are afraid of his magic so a faction called the Truthbringers is plotting to kill him.  Most of the story is about Jax and Callyn, friends from childhood, who live near woods in Briarlock which is part of Syhl Shallow but a good distance from the palace.  Callyn and her younger sister run a bakery and Jax, a cripple, is a blacksmith who works for his father in a forge near the bakery.  They both owe lots of taxes and are pretty delighted to find an easy way to earn more silvers.  Are they committing treason though?  Can they trust Alek, the one who pays silvers.  Is Tycho, the king's courier, telling the truth?  Does Tycho really care about Jax and does Alek really care about Callyn?  

This seemed slow to me at the start because I was just finished Defend the Dawn which I loved so much I hated to see it end.  This is a story about trust as was Defend the Dawn.  Decisions must be made about which side to take.  Can Jax and Callyn maintain their friendship if they take different sides?  Most of this book is about inner struggles and choosing sides, determining who to trust.  The characters are all interesting and I loved the action in the last quarter of the book.  It was fast-paced and fun seeing how everything was coming to a head.  I could have done without the gay relationship, but enjoyed the book other than that.  I also loved the ending!  I recommend this one to any Brigid Kemmerer fan.  I'm sure there will be more in this series and look forward to them.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"Before and After" by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate

Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate is the sequel to Before We Were Yours.  From 1920 to 1950 Georgia Tann ran a black market baby business at the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis.  This book tells the true stories of some of those people who want to have a reunion of sorts and get connected to their real birth parents and siblings.  The stories these people tell are heart breaking and very interesting.  If you read Before We Were Yours, you have to read this one as well!  It is so good and full of hope!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Winter of the Witch" by Katherine Arden (Book 3 of Winternight Trilogy)

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is the last book in the Winternight trilogy.  This is a fantastic series!  Vasya must use all her power to save Russia from the wicked Demon.  Vasya is a great character and so was the Bear in this book with good action.  I LOVED it!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Look Closer" by David Ellis

In Look Closer by David Ellis, Simon and Vicky’s secrets start to emerge when a woman is found dead on Halloween in a gated community. The thing is, they are both very good lying con artists! I thought this book was really good! Simon and Vicky were great and I never knew what was going to happen next. Loved the ending! (Gerard’s review, 5+ stars)

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Loved "Defend the Dawn" by Brigid Kemmerer -- Full of Adventure

1.    

In Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer, Tessa and Corrick set out on a journey to get much needed medicine for their kingdom.  This story is told by Corrick and Tessa.  I like them both.  The author does a great job of character development!  The interaction among the characters if fantastic!  The action comes near the end and is really good.  I would have liked more action earlier on as well.  All in all, I give this one 5 stars.  (Gerard's review) 

Karen's review 3/9/23:
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer is Book 2 in the Defy the Night series and I LOVED it!  It has adventure, lots of fighting, great banter among the characters, politics, and some romance.  This one focuses on both King Harriston and his chief justice, Corrick.  About half way through, each gets their own storyline and both are very good.  Tessa and Quint are both great supporting characters too.  This one is hard to put down and I hated that it ended with two cliffhangers.  It definitely makes me anxious to read the next book in this series, Destroy the Day.  (5 stars)

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"The Finalists" by David Bell

In The Finalists by David Bell, six college students show up to try to win a scholarship to Hyde.  They must stay in the building for eight hours.  If they leave, they cannot win.  When one of the six is found dead , is anyone safe?  People are also protesting outside and tension is real high.  This was pretty good though I would have liked more character development.  The storyline was just okay but the ending was good!  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Notes on an Execution" by Danya Kukafka

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka was not an easy read but was interesting.  This book covers the last 12 hours before a serial killer is to be put to death.  The author takes us through some of the women in the killer's life.  The author does a good job of telling the story.  This unique storyline makes the book go fast.  I never read a book like this one before!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)  

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"Then She Was Gone" by Lisa Jewell

1.    

In Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, Ellie is 15, pretty, smart, the youngest of three and her mom’s favorite.  Then one day she was gone!  Her mother, Laurel, sees her life fall apart.  Ten years later, she meets a man and he has a daughter who looks just like Ellie!  Could it be?  This was really good.  Liked the storyline and the characters but the ending was just okay.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Hidden Pictures" by Jason Rekulak is a Creepy Thriller!

In Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak, Mallory really needs a job.  So when a job comes up to look after a 5-yr.-old boy for a nice couple in a real nice neighborhood, she jumps at the chance to take it.  How hard could it be to look after a 5-yr.-old boy?  You'll have to read it to find out.  This thriller is very good!  I had a hard time putting it down.  It has a great storyline and the characters were developed really well too with a heck of an ending!  I highly recommend this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Wife Upstairs" by Rachel Hawkins Is One We Both Liked

In The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, Jane is trying to make her life better so she takes a job as a dog walker in a rich neighborhood.  By chance she meets Eddie who is rich, charming and good looking.  Things are looking up for Jane and when they decide to get married, Jane is on Easy Street, or is she?  This is a wild read with a good storyline that kept me interested.  The characters were good too with a make-up-your-own ending.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Karen's review 2/22/23:
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a strange murder mystery/romance.  Jane, a broke dog walker with wealthy clients steals from them and falls for Eddie, a rich widower who expresses interest in her as well.  His wife was presumed dead but he has his wife stashed away in an upstairs hidden panic room!  Jane works to be accepted by the bored housewives in the neighborhood and finally is once she gets engaged to Eddie. 

This one is a crazy read, with a strange storyline and deceptive characters.  I enjoyed this book because it had an unusual storyline that kept my interest with no idea how it would end.  The people were pretty creepy.  As usual with these mysteries, the police don't do a very good job.  This book did make me want to keep reading and get back to it.  The only thing I didn't care for was the ending--I would have liked some more details.  (4 stars)     

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"The Lies I Tell" by Julie Clark

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark centers around Meg and Kat.  Ten years ago, Meg just about destroyed Kat's life.  Kat wants to even the score and now, ten years later, Meg is back.  Does Kat even the score or does Meg win Round 2?  This is a great read!  Meg and Kat were both great characters and the storyline is very good too!  It was better than I expected and liked the ending.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Swell" by Allie Reynolds

In The Swell by Allie Reynolds, Kenna and Mikki are childhood friends.  Fast forward the years and Mikki is going to get married.  Kenna shows up and finds the Mikki she knew has changed.  Kenna is with a bunch of people and will not leave an Australian beach they have found to be the best for surfing and want to keep secret.  Odd thing is, people go missing.  Can Kenna get Mikki to leave for her own good?  

I didn't care for any of the characters in this book; however, the storyline and action were good enough to keep my interest.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Dog Friendly" by Victoria Schade

In Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade, Morgan is a veterinarian who really needs a vacation.  She gets a chance to go to Nantucket and become a dog sitter for a special-needs senior dog.  When she meets a guy, she is torn between going back to her old job or staying put where she is.  This book reminded me of a Hallmark movie--happy and predictable which provided me with a nice change of pace from my usual thriller mysteries.  The characters were okay and I enjoyed the dogs in the book.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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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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