"The Best of Me" by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks is the sad love story of Dawson and Amanda, two high school sweethearts who went separate ways.  Dawson was from an abusive family and had bullies for brothers but was not like them.  Amanda was from a well-to-do family who did not want her seeing Dawson.  They had a common friend, Tuck who was an old widower but who could see their love for each other so made arrangements for them to cross paths years later through his will,  Over the years, they still thought about each other and wondered what would have happened if they stayed together.  Dawson never married, but Amanda did, although she never had the passion with her husband that she had experienced with Dawson. 

The mixture of some fighting, a couple of ghosts and Tuck’s sweet memories all work to make this an interesting read.  I liked this one because it didn’t drag along.  I think it would have been better though if the author let the reader know Amanda’s family better.  It seemed he just threw them in at the end to wrap up the book with a neat little ending. 

 (Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Hope you will visit our other blog, "Right Where We Belong" to see our Happy Easter Everyone post!

 We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Kill Switch" by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene

In Kill Switch by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene, Claire Waters, a forensic psychiatrist, has to deal with a serial killer and then has to face a danger that she faced years ago as a child. This book is awesome, a page turner for sure with an ending I did not see coming.  This one is a winner!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Downfall" by Terri Blackstock

Downfall by Terri Blackstock is the final book in the Emily Covington saga and it's a good one!  It had my interest from page one and only took me a day to read.  As usual with Terri's books, this has a strong Christian flavor which is not bad at all!  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and look forward to her next novel.
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this too:
Downfall by Terri Blackstock is a Christian suspense novel that is the third book of the Emily Covington series.  The first two are Intervention and Vicious Cycle.  This is about Emily’s struggle to stay clean and figure out who is framing her.  She has been clean for two years, attends college, and works at a drug rehab facility. One day as she leaves for class, she finds a bomb attached to her car when it causes a fire.  The same morning, the wife of one of the addicts from the rehab place is killed while asleep in her bed.   This is a quick read about family, murder, revenge and love that is predictable but still pretty good.  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We linked up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop to respond to this prompt:  Book review time! Some people STILL read books…share one of your more recent reads and tell us what you thought!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Tuesday Teasers: "The One and Only Ivan"; "Downfall"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

"I don't want a zoo," Ruby says. "I want you and Bob and Julia. This is my home."
"No, Ruby," I say, "This is your prison."

From page 240 of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

Karen's:

And she and her family would be terrorized. He'd make them homeless by making them fear their home, and that would just be the beginning.

From page 13 of Downfall by Terri Blackstock.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"The Vow" by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter (UPDATED)

The Vow by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter is an amazing story--WOW! The true story of this couple is really good. From their meeting through their courtship is something. After a horrible accident that through the grace of God they survived, they have to start all over again discovering who they are. Here's a teaser from the book for you from page 88:

The most agonizing question of all was: Would one of those things be me? I quickly put that thought from my mind. I couldn't bear to contemplate the fact that my wife might never remember me.

I loved this book and think it is a must read for all married couples. Thanks for sharing, Carpenters, and God bless your family!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
The Vow by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter is a true love story. They share how the Lord helped them keep their commitment to each other through a tragic accident that resulted in memory loss and months of rehab. It is an inspirational true story to encourage all married couples to value their marriage, keep their marriage vows and look to God for help through the hard times. This is a quick read that drew me in right away. I could sympathize with both Kim and Krickett who were both seriously injured. Although much of the book is sad, I knew it had a happy ending so kept reading and am glad I did!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"One Dog Night" by David Rosenfelt

One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt is better than I thought it would be and I enjoyed it very much.  Andy Carpenter is a defense lawyer who takes on a very tough case.  Noah Galloway is being accused of arson that killed 26 people.  He has lived with this fact for six years and is ready to plead guilty and be sent away for good.  When Andy takes this case, he thinks his client did not do it.  It's a quick read, give it a chance.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah

Home Front by Kristin Hannah is an outstanding book! Jolene and Michael have two little girls. Their marriage is rocky at best, and then when things are at their worst, Jolene gets a call to be deployed and is off to join the war! Great writing to be sure. You will care deeply about Jolene and Michael and Betsy and Lulu. Will their marriage survive? Will Jolene be all right in the war? I really enjoyed this book a lot! Definitely a MUST READ!
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this one too:
Home Front by Kristin Hannah is a fantastic book about an ordinary family affected by war when the wife and mother of two girls gets deployed to Iraq.  This is a fascinating and emotional read that opened my eyes to the sacrifices soldiers and their families make to serve this country of ours.  At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like Michael, the husband, at all but he changed when he realized his family was what mattered most and stepped up when his wife went off to war.  Home Front gives insight into what war is really like and the struggles soldiers face in adjusting to civilian life when they come back. We both highly recommend this one!

Here's the trailer for this book:




If you would like to hear an audio clip from the book, click on this link:  http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/homefrontclip.mp3



Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Gone" by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant has lots of conflict and mystery in it which made for an interesting read; however, the ending was a huge let down.  I felt like I lots of questions were left unanswered and nothing was really resolved in the end.  Just to give you a taste of how far out this book is, some normal kids had super powers but not all, two brothers (one evil and one good) were against each other throughout the book, coyotes talked, there was a hot wall all around a 10-mile radius of a power plant, and nothing made any sense.  One day out of the blue all 15-yr.-olds and older just went poof and disappeared.  I liked Albert, the kid who took over McDonalds and cooked.  It certainly had some funny parts and lots of action, it just didn’t make any sense.  It even had a cat that could teleport itself!  I must say though, that it kept my interest and found it hard to put down. 
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday Teasers: "Home Front" and "Gone"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

Betsy looked up at him, her gaze sharp and assessing. "Maybe it's because of that fight you had. When you said you didn't love her anymore."

From page 247 of Home Front by Kristin Hannah.

Karen's:

"Something weird is happening. My math study group . . . there were just three of us, plus the teacher. They all just disappeared."

From page 3 of Gone by Michael Grant.


Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

The Hunger Games Movie Does Not Disapppoint

source:  Amazon.com

We went to see "The Hunger Games" movie today and both of us thought it was very good!  It followed the book really closely and my favorite scenes in the book were all in the movie too.  It cut out a bit of the beginning so the relationship between Katniss and Gale didn't seem as close as it was in the book.  Other than that, it moved along as I pictured it and was captivated throughout.  Gerard was on the edge of his seat and didn't get bored for 2 1/2 hours!


I couldn't imagine how the movie was going to capture the awesomeness of the fire costumes for District 12 but it did!  It really was fun to watch the book actually come to life. I felt sorry for him when he said he had no chance to win it.  The actors and actresses were all excellent!  We absolutely LOVED watching this!

I don't know if it would be better to see the movie before reading the book or not.  I'd love to hear from someone's thoughts on the movie who hasn't read the book.


The biggest plus for the books I think over the movie is that in the movie, we don't really know Katniss's thoughts like we do in the book, but the movie is GREAT!  If you want a peek, here is the link to the Official Hunger Games Movie Trailer.  We, of course, look forward to seeing the next movie of this series based on Catching Fire.

Please share your thoughts about the movie in the comments; we'd like to know what you thought about it.

Our review of the book.

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Deceit" by Brandilyn Collins

Deceit by Brandilyn Collins starts out good and gets better and better as it goes!  Baxter Jackson, a widower who lost both his wives in "accidents," is highly respected and a great guy in the community with some dark secrets.

 The story goes back and forth between the present and the past when his foster daughter lived with him and his wife. Melissa is a 15-yr.-old daughter of alcoholic parents who goes into foster care when her mom dies, leaving her all alone.  She feels like she hit the jackpot when she first sees her new home that looks like a mansion and the two nice people, the Jacksons, who are taking her in.  The church friends of the Jacksons are eager to meet her but she has very low self-esteem and doesn't think anyone would ever want to be her friend.  All the main characters in this book, Jackson and his wife, Linda, her friend Joanne, and Melissa are all deceitful, but Melissa is the only one of them who does not profess to be a Christian. 

I loved this book because of the suspense, the interesting story line of Joanne trying to get justice for her friend, Linda, who she believed was killed by her own husband, the elder in her church.  Melissa was the biggest surprise to me and actually was the biggest deceiver of all who I at first felt sorry for.  This book certainly doesn't show Christians in a positive light, but is thought-provoking and shows actions speak louder than words and non-believers do watch the way Christians live their lives.  This is a page turner I won't soon forget and had a hard time putting down.  See my teaser from this one.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Animals and the Kids Who Love Them"

Animals and The Kids Who Love Them by Allen and Linda Anderson shares many stories of special needs children and the animals who gave them hope and comfort, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and even a turtle! If this book doesn't put a smile on your face and touch your heart, I don't know what will! Read it and you'll feel better about life!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Down The Darkest Road" by Tami Hoag

We both liked Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag!  A killer is loose; who and when will he strike next? This is an awesome book--Tami has done it again! Although there is not much action in this book, the suspense keeps building resulting in a fantastic ending! The writing is very good! Great job, Tami! Can't wait for her next book!
(Gerard's review)

Down The Darkest Road by Tami Hoag is about how the criminals’ rights are protected to the extent they actually walk around freely because there is no evidence that they did anything wrong.  In this book you know who the criminal is up front and what a pervert he is, yet the police can’t do anything about it because of the laws.  After a fight with her dad, 16-yr-old Leslie turns up missing.  Her younger sister, Leah, who never caused her parents any trouble grows resentful when she feels neglected.  The dad can’t handle the grief and gets killed in an “accident” leaving just the mother and Leah to deal with the incident.  When the cops can’t come up with any evidence to make an arrest, the mother goes off on her own with Leah to seek justice in her mind. 

 

I thought this was an interesting read but didn’t approve of the mother going off on her own being a vigilante and putting Leah in danger.  I liked the ending and enjoyed the trip though.  My favorite characters were Leah and Mendez and cop. 

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Through a Dog's Eyes" by Jennifer Arnold

What a wonderful book Through a Dog's Eyes by Jennifer Arnold is!  Jennifer is the founder and Executive Director of Canine Assistants, a service dog school.  She knows dogs and shares great stories about great people and their dogs.  You will find out why dogs have wet noses--bet you don't know!  I loved this book!  "A good dog is a tired dog!"  So, go out there and walk your dog and especially, love your dog--they love us!  Visit www.canineassistants.org for more information about companion dogs for the disabled.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

 We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday Teasers: "The Crown" and "Deceit"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

A grim laugh from Bishop Gardiner. "With Cromwell's spies everywhere, watching everything I do? I think not."
His eyes settled on me.
"No, Sister Joanna, I'm not going to find the Athelstan crown. You are."

From page 10 of The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau.

Karen's:

New fear surged. How could I even think of looking for a strange man in a mask after dark? All alone out here?

From page 27 of Deceit by Brandilyn Collins.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"The Crown" by Nancy Bilyeau

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau tells the story of a nun, Joanna, who must find a relic crown to save her father who is being held captive.  I thought the first part of this book was really good with lots of action and was into it.  From part two on is when I had a problem with it.  This book is far from bad, don't get the wrong idea.  I just enjoyed the first part much more.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Lone Wolf" by Jodi Picoult (Updated)

 Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult tells the story of Luke Warren who has two families.  A wolf one and a human one.  Both are very entertaining and you will learn a lot from both.  I loved this book very much!  The characters of Luke and his daughter, Cara, were my favorites.  There is not a lot of twists and turns in this one, but the main story is so gripping that you don't need all that.
(Gerard's review)

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult is an interesting read and also thought provoking about Luke, a family man who is also a naturalist who chooses to join a pack of wolves in the wild for two years.  He is divorced and shares custody of his 17-yr.-old daughter.  His gay son left at age 18 to live in Thailand after he and his dad had a falling out.  The dad and daughter were in a car accident which left the dad in a vegetable state hooked up to a ventilator to stay alive.  The brother came right home when he heard and insists that Luke would not want to be kept alive in that condition but the daughter holds out hope that he will get better and they need to give him more time. 

I liked this book pretty well but thought it dragged out more than necessary.  There was a lot about wolves that I found quite interesting, but thought Luke was nuts for living with them.  My favorite part was when Cara got her brother to bring in one of her dad's wolves into the hospital to try to get him to wake up when only the ventilator was keeping him alive.  I also like the brother-sister relationship.  Jodi Picoult tackled yet another controversial topic, euthanasia, in an interesting way.  
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

How Fast Do Your Read?

At Living, Learning and Loving Life I found this cool test to tell me how fast I read. I knew I was a slow reader, but didn't think I was this slow: 192 wpm (23% slower than the national avg., about a 5th gr. level!) Gerard beat me with 195 wpm which surprised me--I thought he'd beat by more than that.

Click on the image below to go take the quiz and see if you beat us--I bet you will.  Share your results in the comments here.

Source: Staples eReader Department

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Walk a Hound Lose a Pound" by Zeltzman and Johnson

Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound by Phil Zeltzman and Rebecca Johnson gives you the do's and dont's of dog walking. It's pretty basic stuff but I liked reading how other people enjoy walking their dogs.  I so look forward to retiring from work so I can do more dog walking.  The bottom line is that you and your dog both benefit from walking, so just do it!
(Gerard's review)

Walking at the Park

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Southern Comfort" by Fern Michaels

Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels is a good read loaded with humor.  Tick is a good cop, loyal and loving family man, but when he gets home from work one day to find his wife and children murdered, he turns to booze and becomes a beach bum in Mango Key.  He sobers up but likes living on the beach with just his talking parrot that chose to live with him.  It’s pretty deserted except for down about a mile is a building called “that place” by the villagers.  He’s lived there for eight years in peace and quiet until he sees a fabricated building on “his” beach.  The DEA suspects there may be a drug operation going on at “that place” and sends two former female agents, Kate and Sandy, to just keep an eye on the place and report any activity, as well as on Tick.  Tick’s twin brother comes to visit him to try to get Tick back into living.  To make things interesting, Lawrence Tyler, Kate’s former supervisor, is pretty much hated by his colleagues who are trying to get him kicked out of the DEA because he mistreats people and is a glory hound, taking credit for the successes of others.  The dialogue between Lawrence and Kate is entertaining.

I enjoyed this book because of the humor, the intriguing storyline with the investigation into the crime, and the dynamics between Lawrence and his colleagues.  The parrot was funny and the romance helped balance out the intensity of the blackmail and human trafficking.  This would be a great beach read!

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Don't Put Me In, Coach" by Mark Titus

Mark was a walk-on player who played the whole four years at Ohio State.  He only got to play at the end of games if at all for those four years.  What he is though, is a very funny guy!  He gives the reader insights on behind the scene stuff that fans don't get to see.  I enjoyed this book a lot because it made me laugh!  Go Bucks!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Twice" by Lisa Unger

Twice is another winner by Lisa Unger writing as Lisa Miscione! Two times a woman's husband is killed in the same bed the woman is also sleeping in, and she claims she did not do it! There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. It took me two days to read and well worth your while!
(Gerard's review)

Twice by Lisa Unger a/k/a Lisa Miscione is a complex murder mystery and a thriller all in one.  It takes place in New York City, both above and below ground, and in a little town called “Haunted.”  There are basically two plots going on at the same time in this book.  One is about Lydia, a private eye, who is being stalked by her mother’s killer and Jeff, her partner who tries to protect her.  The other is the murder investigation of Julian Ross’s first and second husbands who were both killed while in bed next to her.  This is a chilling read involving insanity, murder, family curses and fugitives.  If you like wild stories, this is a good one!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday Teaser: "Twice"; "Invention of Hugo Cabret"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Karen's:

Every generation, every woman thinks that she will be the one to escape it. Every time, she's wrong. I need you to find out what's happening to our family . . . and stop it.

From page 89 of Twice by Lisa Unger writing as Lisa Miscione

Gerard's:

"We wound it up and the machine drew a picture, and then we found out everything. . . ."
     Her grandfather smiled. "Not everything, I'm sure."

From page 393 of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Threats" by Amelia Gray

Threats by Amelia Gray is a bizarre book!  David's wife is dead.  As he goes about his life at home, he finds threats on paper.  From who?  I read this whole book and I still don't know!  I also don't know what the author was trying to get across.  If you read this book and can figure it out, please tell me.  I would like to know!

 (Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

Take the "Catching Fire" Trivia Quiz

It's been awhile since we read Catching Fire (the sequel to The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins but we took this quiz yesterday.  See if you can beat our results:  Karen missed two, Gerard missed three.  Here's the link for the quiz:  Catching Fire Trivia Quiz.

Please come back and let us know how you did!  If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

 We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"As Good As She Imagined--The Angel of Tucson" by Roxanna Green

I can not say that I enjoyed this book; after all, it is a story about a young girl whose life was tragically ended at only 9 years old. However, the telling of the story is really good by her mom and dad and some other people of her family. I really felt sad for their loss. The mother tells most of the story and is a wonderful tribute to her daughter. My prayers go out to this family. May God bless all of you in a special way I encourage you to read this book!
(Gerard's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Defending Jacob" by William Landay

Oh WOW I thought after reading Defending Jacob by William Landay!  Abdy Barber is a D.A. But he is on the case of his life when his son is charged with first degree murder!!  This book could have been taken out of the real news headlines.  That being said, this book is flat out awesome!  It kept me riveted from page one!  The absolute best part, when you think it is over, it is only just getting started with a fantastic ending!  This is a double WOW for sure—you have to read this!
(Gerard's review)

Defending Jacob by William Landay, a former District Attorney, is a gripping read that combines a parents struggles to protect their son, Jacob, and the quest for truth in a murder of their son’s 14-yr.-old classmate.  They are actually afraid of the truth because they think Jacob may be the murderer, but do not want to admit it—not even to each other.  To complicate things further, the father is the assistant District Attorney who is on the case, until he is replaced because the District Attorney believes he is too close to the case and may have a conflict of interest.  Between the family drama and the court drama, this book is hard to put down.  When Jacob is arrested, the mother feels guilty and second guesses their parenting skills while the father chooses to protect his son and defend him to the end no matter what.  Even though the kid is on trial, the parents lose most of their friends too.  The story is told in first person from the father’s point of view which helps the reader understand his thinking and gives insight into the struggles he faces.  The ending is shocking and I did not see that coming! 

I liked this contemporary murder suspense very much because of the way it was written.  I was never certain as I read if Jacob was really the killer or not, which is what the dad felt.  At first, I thought he wasn’t and as the evidence piled up, I thought he was.  I’m not telling you if I was right or wrong because you really need to read it and see for yourself.  This book is thought-provoking because as you see a well-respected, man of integrity tamper with evidence and obstruct justice to protect his son, you can’t help but wonder what you would do in that situation.  This is a great read that I highly recommend to both adults and teens! (Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

See another review for this at Bloggin' About Books

During March we are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to the American Cancer Society.

"Fairy Tale Interrupted" by Rosemarie Terenzio

Fairy Tale Interrupted--A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by Rosemarie Terenzio is the story of the author, who was JFK Jr.'s executive assistant while he was trying to get his magazine, "George," up and going.  I enjoyed it because I was able to see what JFK, Jr. really was like.  I'm not too surprised that I found I liked him a lot!  Rosemarie holds nothing back.  Of course, it was sad about his and his wife's early death.  A very good read, indeed!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday Teasers: "Lone Wolf" and "Defending Jacob"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

I knew the answer, of course. I just needed to hear him say it out loud: he was risking everything for a bunch of animals. He was choosing them, over us.

From p. 97 of Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.

Karen's:

I bolted up the stairs, into Jacob's room, where I yanked open drawers, the closet, tossed up the laundry piles on the floor, desperate to find anything remotely incriminating and get rid of it.
Does that sound awful to you? I hear the little voice in your head: Destruction of evidence! Obstruction of justice! You are naive.

From page 96 of Defending Jacob by William Landay.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Gone to Ground" by Brandilyn Collins (UPDATED)

Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins is the mystery of a serial killer in the small town of Amaryllis, Mississippi.  There were five women killed in three years, all unsolved and all called “closet killings” because they were killed with a knife to the neck in exactly the same way and found in their closet.  Cherrie Mae, Deena and Tully all think they know the killer of the sixth murder victim but all have different  people in mind.  Cherrie thinks it’s the mayor, Tully thinks it’s her husband and Deena thinks it’s her brother.  This makes for an interesting novel when they all share their information with each other to try to fit the pieces together and find the killer.

This is an interesting read with each lady alternately telling the story through their actions and thought processes, similar to The Help.  Although it is a murder mystery, it leaves out the gore and keeps the language clean.  I did not guess who the serial killer was until he was revealed at the end.  I think the title is dumb but don't let that keep you from reading this one--it's good!
(Karen's review)

Gerard read this too:
Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins is told by three women who each make a very good case as to why the man they think is the serial killer in their town.  This is a quick read I enjoyed very much with a great ending!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Under the Never Sky" by Veronica Rossi

In Under the Never Sky  by Veronica Rossi, Aria and Perry come from two different worlds but when circumstances have them both come together, the fireworks develop!  I loved the interaction between the two main characters.  There are more books in this series to come that I will be reading too!  This is going to be made into a movie when it's all done so you know it must be pretty good; in my opinion, it is!
(Gerard's review)

Karen plans on reading this one too and will add her review later.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs begins pretty normal but then spirals into an adventure involving time travel, monsters, children with unusual "talents" and a woman who can change into a bird!  I liked it because it was different but not so far out that I couldn't follow it.  It's definitely an interesting and fun read. 

Jacob has a special connection with his grandfather who seems to be suffering from Dementia.  His grandfather tells him stories about kids he once knew who had unusual talents and as Jake gets older, he begins to wonder if the stories were just made up.  The grandfather is killed by a monster in the woods one day and Jacob is the only one who saw the monster, but everyone thinks he's crazy.  His psychiatrist convinces his parents to let Jacob go visit the island his grandfather told the stories about so he can see for himself that there is nothing magical about it.  Jacob finds himself with a huge decision to make.

This is a book I won't soon forget and highly recommend!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Check out another review of someone who loved this book: Freda's Voice

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green tells the story of a young teen girl who has Cancer.  At her weekly Cancer support group session that she is reluctant to go to, she meets a young teen boy who takes a special interest in her.  I don't think I'm giving up too much if I tell you that a romance develops.

This book lives up to all the hype in my opinion.  I flat out LOVED IT!  It is a beautiful love story that I was into from page one to the end.  If this story doesn't tear at your heart strings, then I don't know what will.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried.  Please give this book a chance!
(Gerard's review)

Related Post:  Read another review of this at Bloggin' 'bout Books:  Green Is My Favorite

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

Tuesday Teasers: 3 This Week!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

I shrugged and looked over at Lida. "I'll give you my strength if I can have your remission."

From page 131 of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

Karen's:

Isn't interesting that the person who doubts, waffles, and wavers "should not expect to receive anything from the Lord"? Anything? Wow. That means that doubt not only robs us of the wisdom we requested but other priceless provisions as well.

From page 51 of James--Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore.

More fantastic still were his stories about life in the Welsh children's home. It was an enchanted place, he said, designed to keep kids safe from the monsters, on an island where the sun shined every day and nobody ever got sick or died.

From page 9 of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"The Poison Tree" by Erin Kelly

 The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly tells the story of a young girl in London whose summer romance turns into something she could never have dreamed would happen.  The ending is really, really good!  It took me awhile to get into this book, but from page 200 or so (large print version) to the end, I really, really enjoyed it!  This is the second book by Erin Kelly that I read and I enjoyed both of them.
(Gerard's review)

The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly is a novel that shows how crucial it is to choose friends wisely.  The main character, Karen, certainly didn’t when she became friends with Biba.  They were from two different worlds but Karen for some reason was bored and found Biba’s world more exciting.  The book is filled with druggies, alcoholics and promiscuity.  Biba’s brother, Rex, although seems to be the most sensible doesn’t work or attend college.  He and his sister live in a huge house owned by their father rent free and invite in friends to live with them.  This book has so many complicated relationships that I don’t even know how to write about it without giving too much away.  I felt most sorry for Karen’s parents because she messed up her life so badly with one poor decision after another.  All she had to do was focus on her college studies and stick with her roommates, but no—she didn’t.  Biba was very selfish and Rex and Karen both loved her and tried to help and protect her.  When two guys are shot and killed at their house, Rex takes charge of things out of his love for both Biba and Karen.     

This is a good read if you like dark books that do not have predictable endings.  It is not inspirational or heartwarming at all!  After reading The Dark Rose which I didn’t care for, I decided to give the author another chance and go ahead and read this one and am glad I did.  This may make for a good book club read because it certainly has a lot of characters that would make for good discussion.
(Karen's review, My rating is 3 out of 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Artemis Fowl--The Time Paradox" by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is a fun read!  This children's book is about a young boy who has to go back in time to find a cure for his mother, who has a life threatening illness.  The author indeed has a sense of humor, which I loved!  Artemis is one smart boy!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Sophie--The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog" (Updated)

"Sophie:  The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog" by Emma Pearse tells the true story of Sophie, a dog who was lost at sea but managed to survive for over two months on her own! I almost lost my dog so I could really identify with what the owners were going through. This is a heartwarming, feel good story for sure!

(Gerard's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 stars)

Sophie—the Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog by Emma Pearse is an amazing true story about a cattle dog, Sophie, who fell overboard and survived for five months on her own living on remote islands.  The most amazing and heartwarming part though is when she is re-united with her family.  This story demonstrates the bond of loyalty and love between a dog and its owners.  Having almost lost our dog and observing her remarkable recovery from being attacked by two big dogs, I could certainly identify with the owners of Sophie.  This book shows how resilient dogs can be.  If you like dogs, this is a very interesting book that gives hope if something ever happens and you lose your dog.
(Karen's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 stars)

Here's how I almost Lost Our Dog:  Our Sweet Dog, Abby, Is Fighting For Her Life

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Incarnate" by Jodi Meadows

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows is a fantasy book about Ana, a nosoul.  She lives where if you die, you keep coming back.  She has only the one life.  When Ana gets away from Li, who was bringing her up and was very mean to her, a fellow named Sam helps her.

I enjoyed this book very much--it kept me turning pages for sure!  I hope there is a second book.  If so, I'll be sure to read it too!
(Gerard's review:  My rating 5 stars out of 5)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Front and Center" by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a refreshing coming of age story about D.J., a high school girl who lives on a Dairy farm. This is the third book of the series and deals with D.J. starting her junior year of high school on the girls basketball team. She discovers that she is no longer in the background but rather has become popular and isn’t quite sure she likes all the attention because of all the pressure she feels to be what everyone else wants her to be. She has a new boyfriend but still longs to be with her ex-boyfriend and must decide who she really wants most. Then there’s the pressure of looking into colleges to get a college scholarship for basketball. She feels like she’d rather just play for a Division I school with less pressure but knows everyone would feel let down if she did. It has a good ending too!

I liked this whole series and especially this last book because there was quite a bit about basketball and what goes through the players’ minds as they play. D.J. is a normal, somewhat Tom boyish teen girl who tries to do what’s right. It gives good insight into the pressures that teens face but without being vulgar or depressing. I recommend this series to anyone who likes books about teens coming of age.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

First book in this series:  Dairy Queen
Second book in this series:  The Off Season

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Every Day a Friday" by Joel Osteen tells How To Be Happy

Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen gives advice on how to choose to be happy every day and not let circumstances steal your joy.  It is an inspirational book that I think anyone could benefit by reading.  There are a lot of good ideas in this book involving our relationship to others.  One of the topics that spoke to me most was to Make sure you see people through eyes of love, not eyes of judgment. (P. 190)  His illustration about the rude checkout clerk really stood out to me.

I found this book to be a challenge to live as God intends us to live—full of joy and seeking to help and encourage others.  As a result of reading this book, I am going to make it a point to smile more, laugh often, and encourage others.  The seven major sections are broken down into small chapters that make it easy to read a little at a time instead of it being a page-turner that you don’t want to put down.  I would recommend this to anyone.  If people would put these principles into practice, the world would be a better place.
(Karen's review)

In Every Day A Friday Joel Osteen describes how you can be happy every day of the week, not just on Friday at 4:00 p.m. for me.  The bad news for me is that I fall far short of this.  The good news is that I'm not the only one.  Through stories, which I thought was the best part of the book, and Bible teachings, he tells you how.  I am going to try to find some middle ground.  I just don't think I can be that happy all the time, but I liked this book a lot!
(Gerard's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

Tuesday Teasers: "Incarnate" and "Front and Center"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

"You have no idea what it's like to be surrounded by people more than two hundred times your age, all judging and deciding whether or not you're worthy enough to live in the city they just found lying around one day. None of you can understand."

Taken from page 162 of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows.

Karen's:

But that girl, whoever she is and however bad she plays, is always a better number one than I am because she can do the one thing I can't. The most important thing of all for a point guard. That girl can speak.

From page 16 of Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Heaven is for Real for kids" as told by Colton Burpo

 

Heaven is for Real for Kids--A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back as told by Colton Burpo to his parents is a short non-fiction book about a child's trip to heaven and what he saw. It includes color pictures as well. It is written by a kid for kids. I liked the part about animals being there and how the kids all played but no one ever got hurt and that his older sister and grandpa whom he didn't know on earth came and introduced themselves to him. It's interesting and makes you want to go to heaven.  Sometimes kids think heaven will be boring, but this book shows it is wonderful and Jesus really loves children!

Here is a video of an interview with Colton and his parents:

Visit www.heavenisforreal.net.  This is the children's book, but there is also an adult version which my husband read and liked.  You can read his review of it:  Heaven is for Real.

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Show Dog" by Josh Dean

Show Dog by Josh Dean tells the true story of Jack, an Australian Shepard dog, that Josh follows for a year from show to show.  This is a double WOW book for me because now I know the ins and outs of a dog show.  It's an awesome read!  The writing is very good and Jack's handlers and the other dogs in the book are good too! 

If you love dogs, declaring this a "must read" is a no-brainer.  I hated to see it end, LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

Tuesday Teasers: "Sophie" and "Every Day A Friday"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's: Finished reading Sophie: The Castaway Dog and just had to share to teaser with you from it!

Now, washed up on a barely inhabited island with very little meaty wildlife for her to live off--even if she was able to work out how to hunt for her own food--her dog mettle was about to be truly tested. How would her suburban upbringing as a civilized pet and her attachment to the Griffiths fare out here?

From page 146 of Sohpie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog by Emma Pearse.

Karen's:

     By having a cheerful countenance, being friendly and fun to be around, you are giving praise to God.
     Too many people drag through the day with long faces. Some don't smile for months. Then they'll come up with those same sour faces after a service and say to me, "I've got the joy of the Lord."
     I'll think: You should notify your face!
     The Bible says to be sober-minded, not sober-faced.

From page 31 of Every Day A Friday by Joel Osteen.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.