"The Kansas City Cowboys" by Johnny D. Boggs (Updated)

The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs tells the story of 17-yr.-old Silver King.  He wants to be a working cowboy.  His mom wants him to be a baseball pitcher.  Who do you think won?  This novel takes place in the late 1800s.  I thought this was a fun read!  The characters were brought out very well.  I did not have to think too much with this one, just relaxed and enjoyed the read.
(Gerard's review, 8-4-17, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs is an historical fiction account of pro baseball in 1886. The story is told in the first person from Silver, a young pitcher who was pushed by his mother to be a baseball player. I found it interesting that a batter could tell the pitcher if he wanted high or low pitches and got 7 balls instead of 4 like it is today. The crowds were rowdy and crazy and the umpires were in danger! I thought this got off to a slow start but because I like baseball, stuck with it. Things picked up in the second half of the book so I’m glad I read it. (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!

"Down a Dark Road" by Linda Castillo--An Amish Murder Mystery We Both Liked

In Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo, Joseph King is spending life in prison for a horrible crime he committed, but escaped and is on the run. Chief Kate Burkholder is on it! She was a close childhood friend of Joseph. Could he really have done this? Will Kate let her feelings get in the way of doing her job? I thought this book was very good! The characters were well developed and the situations were true to life. Don’t miss this one! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is about a cop, Katie Burkholder, who finds herself in a hostage situation with a childhood Amish friend who was convicted of murdering his wife and escaped from jail. She has a hard time believing he is guilty and agrees to look into his case even though it is outside her jurisdiction. She finds some disturbing things that make her more determined to investigate to discover the truth for herself which puts her in great danger.

This is a very good book that got my interest right from the start and kept it all the way to the end. It has action, some tender scenes, and suspense. The theme throughout is to seek the truth and fight for justice no matter what. If you like a good mystery that is not boring with ties to the Amish community, you should read this one! (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 Secrets She Keeps" by Michael Robotham

The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham is told by Meghan and Agatha.  Agatha is envious of Meghan who has two children and a loving husband, beautiful house, friends and a popular parenting blog.  It's everything Agatha wants but Agatha has secrets that had better stay hidden.  Little does she know that Meghan's life is far from perfect and has secrets of her own.  Soon one act will bring these two ladies together and there is no going back!

I loved this book!  The pacing is really good and the suspense built up nicely.  It would make a good Lifetime movie!
(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!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

A bus is coming.  I raise my arm and step on board, sliding down into a seat, below the windowsill.  I edge upwards and glimpse the police car still parked outside the hospital.

From page 101 of The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham.

Karen's:

The case was high-profile not only because King was Amish but because of the level of brutality--and the fact that the children were in the house at the time of the murder.  It brought to light the reality that domestic violence transcends culture and religion.

From page 18 of Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo.
 
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty (We Both Liked This!)

In What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, Alice is 29, loves her husband and is expecting a baby--life is good!  She has a fall at the gym though and has to go to the hospital.  At the hospital, she finds out she is 39 and has three kids but is getting a divorce!  What is going on?  Has she really lost the last ten years?

I enjoyed this book very much!  Alice was interesting and for sure funny!  It kept my interest throughout.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is a thought provoking contemporary fiction book about amnesia.  At age 39, Alice hit her head hard on the handlebars when she fell in her spin class and lost the last ten years of memory.  She forgot she had three children, forgot she was very involved in their school, forgot all the changes her and her husband made to their home, forgot her best friend, and forgot she and her husband were now separated!   Her husband, Nick, loves his kids and was a good husband but what happened?  Alice forgot and is anxious to reconcile and have Nick come back home.  What happens when she finally remembers?  Will their family reunite or will Alice and Nick go their separate ways?

This is a very interesting, thought provoking and fun read.  Makes you think what has changed in your own life in the past ten years.  This book mostly covers the week after Alice's fall but then jumps ahead at the end about ten years into the future.  I loved the humor in this and would have given it 5 stars except I did not care about the sister's infertility story line and all her miscarriages.  I thought that part was quite boring and the book would have been better if it just focused on Alice and her family.  I really enjoyed Nick and her children!  This book actually looks at love from several different perspectives:  lost love, dating love, marriage love through the ups and downs, late-in-life love, and unexpected love.  We both think this would be a great book for a book club.  It has some questions in the back.  (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!