We Both Liked "Dinner With the Smileys" by Sarah Smiley (Updated)

USA TODAY had "Dinner with the Smileys--One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime" by Sarah Smiley on its list of top books for the month of May.  I just finished it and it truly is a fantastic read!

When Sarah's husband has to be deployed, she does not want to see the empty chair at the table where he used to sit, so she decides to invite people of various backgrounds to have dinner with her and her three boys.  I enjoyed the whole book, it's very good!

Sarah, your writing is so good, you told it great and the pictures are really good too!  Dustin, I thank you for your service!  As for the boys, you were great too!  Keep following the Red Sox and listen to your parents.  Love your dog!!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Dinner with the Smileys by Sarah Smiley is about how a military wife and her three young boys made it through the year her husband was deployed.  Sarah came up with an idea to invite different dinner guests every week to fill the empty chair where her husband used to sit at the dinner table.  It gave them all something to look forward to every week and provided a diversion in a way.  I enjoyed reading about the special “Dinners with the Smileys” but also the family dynamics, her single parenting struggles, the baseball games, the boys’ interactions with one another and with the guests.  This is a heartwarming family documentary that is a very enjoyable read!  It gives the reader a peek into unique pressures that military families (or single parents) face.
(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!

"The Outsider--a Memoir" by Jimmy Connors

I always enjoyed watching Jimmy Connors play tennis, so it was a no brainer that I would read his memoir called The Outsider. I especially liked reading about his young teen years and found his comments on his fellow players interesting. The part with his on-again, off-again relationship with Chris Evert was very good also.
(Gerard's review, 4 1/2 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!

Tuesday Teasers: Three Non-Fiction Ones Today

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

When I was old enough to play her, Mom didn't take it easy on me, either--she'd hit that ball right down my throat.
"See," she'd say. "If your own mother can do that, imagine what others will do to you."

From page 17 of The Outsider, a Memoir by Jimmy Connors.

Karen's

He said things like, "Dad does this better," and "Dad would never do that," and "I wish Dad was here." But I kept my eyes forward and never let on that I was hurt.

From page 44 of Dinner With the Smileys--One Military Family, One Year of Heroes, and Lessons for a Lifetime by Sarah Smiley.

When the jailor woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped.  He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself.

From Acts 16:27 of The Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version.

Happy Reading!

Two Different Takes On "A Dog Named Leaf" by Allen and Linda Anderson (UPDATED)

I like Leaf, Woof!  Woof!

A Dog Named Leaf by Allen and Linda Anderson tells the true story of a man facing life-threatening brain surgery and the love and life lessons learns from his dog, Leaf. Leaf is an awesome dog! My dog, Abby, and Leaf would be good friends.

I found out about Leaf in my current issue of BEST FRIENDS magazine and LOVED it. If you have a dog, had a dog or are between dogs, you will be able to relate well to this book. For you it is a must read! God’s blessing to your wife and you, Mr. Anderson, and give Leaf a treat and a belly rub for me!
(Gerard’s review, 5++ stars)

A Dog Named Leaf--The Hero from Heaven Who Saved My Life is one of the books my husband and I differ on. He loved it but I found myself having to plow through. The majority of the book is about Allen and his brain surgery and the special bond he has with his dog, Leaf. It does contain some issues that the dog had when they first got it from the shelter and how the dog improved in time. The dog inspired Allen to persevere, not give up and to face his fears. I was bored with it and enjoyed other dog books much more, especially the other book they wrote called Angel Dogs.
(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!

"Touch & Go" by Lisa Gardner

Touch And Go by Lisa Gardner is the best mystery/thriller that I've read in quite a while!  I really looked forward to reading it and had a hard time putting it down.  It's about a construction company run by Justin who is a hands-on, well-respected boss and quite wealthy who has a wife and 15-yr.-old daughter.  Three thugs bust into their home and abduct the whole family without any neighbors even noticing.

This book deals with family secrets, embezzling, betrayal, infidelity and the police/FBI investigation with interesting characters.  I recommend this one if you like suspense and a good mystery with a great ending!  
(Karen's review)

You can never go wrong with a Lisa Gardner book and Touch and Go has to be her best one yet!   A wealthy family is kidnapped,  husband, wife and a 15-yr. old daughter.  What is so good about this book is you get the two stories:  (1)  They are held by three guys in a prison that the husband built and (2) you get the three stories about the family members which is the best yet!  At over 600 large print pages, this is not a quick read, but don't let that scare you off.  It is worth it!  This is a must read!  The ending is not to be missed--it's a jaw dropper!
(Gerard's review, 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!