PAX by Sara Pennypacker is told from two points of view: Pax, a fox and a young boy named Peter. Peter's father is going off to war and decides that it is time to send Pax into the woods. After a while, Peter and Pax know that this is not right and set out to do something about it!
Wow! This book was so good! I LOVED Pax. His story was so good I hung on every word. Give this book a chance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
I too enjoyed PAX by Sara Pennypacker about the bond between Peter, a 12-yr.-old boy, and a fox and the cost of war. Peter's mother had died and so when his father went to war, the boy had to go live with his grandpa 300 hundred miles away. The father made the boy release the fox into the woods on the way to the grandfather's house. The chapters alternate between the boy's journey and the fox's journey which I found very interesting. When Peter decides to go back for his fox, he breaks a bone in his foot and is befriended by Vola, a lady who lives on a farm alone who is a very interesting character. Peter and her help each other. This is a touching story with adventure and suspense. I also liked the artwork by Jon Klassen.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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But Dobby's eyes were wide and seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.
From page 17 of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling.
There was no scent of blood. He squirmed out of the boy's arms to inspect his human more carefully, alarmed that he could have failed to notice an injury, although his sense of smell was never wrong.
From page 2 of PAX by Sara Pennypacker.
Karen's:
Any sensible person would call them my enemies. Strange, my enemies know me best, and my family doesn't know me at all.
From page 60 of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. (Sequel to RED QUEEN--fantasy)
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling is the second book of this series which is about Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. I loved the action in this book and the relationships with Harry, Ron and Hermione. The ending had me on the edge. This was a page turner to the very end.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling. It's about Harry's second year at Hogwarts and is quite the mystery with adventures of an elf named Dobby, a flying car, changing into other people, attacking trees and huge spiders, and an attack on Harry's life! Harry proves to be very brave and very nice once again in this book.
I don't understand though why he just didn't keep that invisible cloak on when he went into the forbidden forest. It would save him a lot of trouble. Anyhow, I really like Hermione and felt sorry for her when her magic potion didn't work so well for her and when she got petrified. This is a very fun read and I plan to continue on with more of this series.
(Karen's review 6-1-15, 5 stars)
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For Valentine's Day, I am reviewing the historical romance novel I just finished.
Stuck Together—Trouble in Texas, book 3 by Mary Connealy Is about the romance between Vince and Tina, Jonas’ sister. When Vince’s parents and half-sister arrive in town, he gets all shook up and fears that he will become like his tyrannical father or his mother who has dementia. He gets stuck at being sheriff of the town (with no pay) and has to deal with tracking down some drunk who shot at Luke, an escaped prisoner, taking care of his mother and falling in love with Tina, the most beautiful woman he ever saw.
I enjoyed this quick western romance because the women were pretty feisty and it was cute how the Jonas and Vince both liked each other’s sister. Vince’s mother, Mrs. Yates, was a sweet old lady who kept trying to go out when no one was paying attention to her and was quite successful. I thought it was really nice how the townspeople all joined together to take turns keeping watch over Mrs. Yates. This book had more romance than the first two which I liked better, but still had a little action and excitement at the end.
(Karen's review, 3 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Fallen Land by Taylor Brown takes place during the last year of the Civil War. Due to the war, a young boy, Callum, and a young girl, Ava, band together with a horse named Reiver. Bounty hunters are after Callum and will stop at nothing to find him.
I enjoyed the relationship between Callum and Ava, two great characters. The horse was awesome! This book has action and a great ending! My wife thought it started off too slow and gave up on it early on, but I liked it!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
In A Cold War by Alan Russell, Nina Granville goes on a business trip to Alaska. She is soon to be married and needs some place to sort out things. She gets anything but that! Soon she is in a situation where her life is at stake! What a fantastic book this is! Right from the start I was into it and lost myself in this amazing story. It had my attention all the way. Some people had a problem with the ending, but I did not. I thought it was really, really good! This is a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen's review, 4 stars: A Cold War by Alan Russell is about Nina Granville, a recently engaged woman to Terrance Donnelly, a politician, but she is not sure she wants to marry him. She goes on a trip to Alaska to get away for a while and winds up being abducted and treated like an animal by a really mean man called Baer in the Alaskan wilderness. He is crazy! He thinks the world is ending soon and being a survivalist in the Alaskan wilderness is the best place to be. Nina is very brave and very strong. She is determined to escape and get back to civilization. She discovers she is not the first woman Baer has had, but the third. The second one left some notes that encouraged Nina to kill Baer and escape, but can she make it? Nina decides to do whatever it takes to survive and finds herself learning all about survival tactics from Baer.
This is a thriller that kept my attention and confirmed that I never want to go to Alaska! It is a good winter read. Not everything is as it appears. I liked Nina and couldn’t help but pull for her to get back with Terrance. While reading this book, I felt sorry for Greg Martin, whose wife disappeared on his honeymoon, for Nina and Terrance. Baer really made me made because of his cruelty. I gave it 4 stars because it kept my interest and had a twist I did not see coming and although it made me hate Baer, the writing did not make me feel as though I were right there with Nina nor did it touch me the way other books did. I was surprised by the ending and would recommend this to anyone who likes suspense, adventure, and dark minds.
Here's a short video I made outside in the snow when the temperature was 8 degrees reviewing it:
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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The Gun by Fumi Nori Naka Mura is about a man who comes into possession of a gun. His whole life changes as the gun consumes his every thought. This book is short and reminded me of the show “Twilight Zone” so I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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Baby Please Don’t Go by Frank Freudberg is about Lock, a recovering alcoholic who gets a job as a social worker but made a huge mistake when he got personally involved with Natalie, a mother under investigation in one of his cases. Lock is a decent guy that wants his own family and really likes kids. Natalie is a greedy liar, a slut and master manipulator who got Lock to help her frame her husband Witt so that she could keep full custody of her two little girls.
I liked Lock for the most part but Natalie really was a piece of work. I was really disappointed when Lock’s friend died because he was my favorite character. Witt, Natalie and her sleezy attorney, Jeremy Freel were unbelievable! This was just a heartbreaking story because Lock really was trying so hard to go straight and be a good family man, but Natalie didn’t want any part of that. I did not understand why Natalie didn’t love her little boy and why she treated Lock so cruelly. The ending was just slapped on with no logical build up to it at all so I felt a bit cheated. The people in this book were so different from anyone I know that I couldn’t relate to them at all.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)
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We are proof that you can go out and have a good time without doing drugs and getting into trouble. We are proof that you can play hard to the whistle and then stop before drawing a penalty.
My heart started beating fiercely again, ringing in my ears. It felt like my heart was pounding even more wildly now than when I first saw him.
From page 7 of The Gun by Fumi Nori Naka Mura.
Karen's:
That explained why she'd fallen. Somehow her leg had gotten snared. She reached for the wire just as a figure loomed over her.
From page 24 of A Cold War by Alan Russell.
He simply and finally realized there was no difference between cocaine, alcohol, and the green felt of a craps table. In AA, he remembered, someone once said switching vices was like being on the titanic and demanding a different deck chair.
From loc. 1118-20 on Kindle from Baby Please Don't Go by Frank Freudberg.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
It's Good to Be Gronk is a non-fiction book that tells the story of how Rob Gronkowski turned into "Gronk." (For those who do not know who he is, he is a professional football player for the New England Patriots.) I enjoyed how he told about growing up and rough housing with his brothers as well as the big influence his parents played in his life. I also liked how he gave us insight into how hard he works and his thought on parts of his football games to this time. If you are a Pats fan like me, you will love it! I know I did.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer tells the story of a little 4-yr.-old boy named Pantel Buck. One day he wander off and is gone. Only his footprints are left. Anna, his mom, is devastated and is desperate for hope to find her son. One day she comes across something she believes to be the answer. So, was her son found? What was that hope she latched on to? Read it to find the answers!
I thought this book was pretty good. Anna was a great character and John Maguel, a detective trusted in the case was very good.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
God's Vitamin "C" for the Spirit is a compilation of 133 short inspirational stories on these various topics: Christian Living, Faith & Trust, Family Life, God's Guidance, Grief, Love, Marriage, Perseverance, Prayer, Relationships and Spiritual Life. I enjoyed reading a few stories at a time. There is very little scripture in it though so I wouldn't call it a devotional book, but it is a good supplement to your devotion time. Most of the stories show God's love and faithfulness through personal testimonies. I would recommend this to adults.
(Karen's review, 4 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is about an 12-yr.-old orphan boy, Joseph Johnson. He has lost just about everything he loved, but the one thing he can get back is his horse, Sarah, that was sold without his knowledge. Joseph is a great character and his adventures had me holding my breath! I so wanted him to get his horse back. I loved this book! It goes fast because it’s hard to put down. We also loved this author’s first book, The Honest Truth.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is a gripping story about a boy who goes on his own to track down his horse that was sold without his knowledge to a crooked horse trader. He has a strong sense to do his dead parents proud and do the right thing. Even though his parents and sister died, he still keeps their memory alive. The story is about how important family is. Joseph is very likable and I couldn't help but pull for him. He met a Chinese boy along the way so had a friend on part of his journey who was also on a mission. Both boys were very brave!
I loved this book and was surprised it was just as good as the first book by this author. It has lots of action and kept me turning pages. The recurring theme in the book was what Joseph's papa always said and what drove Joseph:
But Papa had said that when there's something that's got to be done, the thing to do is just to buckle down and do it the best you can.
(Karen'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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
"For Now," Iseult said quietly, "let's worry about getting into the city unseen--and let's pray, too, that the Bloodwitch didn't actually smell your blood." Or your magic.
That explained why she'd fallen. Somehow her leg had gotten snared. She reached for the wire just as a figure loomed over her.
From page 24 of A Cold War by Alan Russell.
Both:
My heart burned with a fierce kind of anger. I kicked at the rocks in the ruts, spitting mad just thinking about it.
From pg. 10 of Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart.
Karen's:
He simply and finally realized there was no difference between cocaine, alcohol, and the green felt of a craps table. In AA, he remembered, someone once said switching vices was like being on the titanic and demanding a different deck chair.
From loc. 1118-20 on Kindle from Baby Please Don't Go by Frank Freudberg.
Wobbly, for sure, but it stood. Then we were struck silent when she kicked it off its fee again.
From page 267 of God's Vitamin "C" For The Spirit compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is about two young witches: Safiya and Isevlt. Safiya is a truthwitch who has very strong magic that many people would kill to have on their side. Isevlt is a threadwitch who is a very close friend to Safiya. War is coming to their land and Safiya is in great danger and needs all the friends she can get!
There is great action in this book from page one. As the book goes on, more characters are brought in and the action picks up. The last part of the book I rushed through to see how it played out. The good news is that there will be a book two that I will be reading as well! Sarah J. Mass said "Do not miss this one" and she is right!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
This Is Where It Ends
by Marieke Nijkamp kept my attention throughout with the suspense and
various points of view explaining what was happening during a school
shooting in a little town. It focused on a few best friends and some
brothers and sisters. Practically the entire book covers one hour, the
time in which the whole
school is in the auditorium at the beginning of the semester with the
shooter who has locked them in. Only a few kids were not in the
assembly.
I had no sympathy whatsoever for the
shooter in this story. I lot of people got shot which was sad; however,
since I didn't feel any strong connection to the characters, I didn't
shed any tears. This was good, but I liked Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and Columbine by Dave Cullen better which are also about school shootings.
(Karen's review, 1/25/16, 3 stars) This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is about a shooting at a high school. It is told by four teens who go to that school. I thought this book was really, really good! I felt like I was in the school when the shooting started. The emotions of the four teens seem very real. Once you start reading this book, it is almost impossible to put down. With all the shootings going on, this could be right out of the real news. This is the best book I've read so far this month!
(Gerard’s review 1/22/16, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
The Crooked House by Christobel Kent centers on a young lady named Allison. One night something happened to her family that left her alone. She moved, changed her name and lived her life. But her boyfriend becomes involved in a wedding and wants her to come with him and return to her hometown. She does and feels like everyone is watching her. She still thinks that all the answers from that horrible night have not come out.
This is a page turner for sure! Allison is a great character with tension building up to the end. It held my interest and I enjoyed it a lot!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
No one will ever pull us apart. That means keeping things as normal as possible. Faking it.
From page 2 of This Raging Light by Estelle Laure.
If he'd known. What did they think? That he could hold a gun in her mother's face, murder Joe on the sofa, dreaming with some band still playing in his ears, he could pull the trigger on the live small bodies of her sisters, but not her?
From page 26 of The Crooked House by Christobel Kent.
Karen's:
Unfortunately, the church with its undersized parking lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard.
From page 55 of God's Vitamin "C" For The Spirit compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
This Raging Light by Estelle Laure is about a young teen girl named Lucille. Her dad is in a home trying to get his act together. Her mom left for a while and told her and her sister (Wren) that she would be back. That was a long time ago though. So Lucille had to do it all and hope that her secret does not get out. Will her parents come back? Does her secret get out?
I loved this book! Lucille and Wren are really good characters and the book flows along with action here and there with a real good ending! I look forward to reading book 2.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!
