"Save Me" by Lisa Scottoline (UPDATED)

This book starts out good but goes downhill fast at about page 200 or so.  The lead character turns into Nancy Drew.  The story line goes from good to bad and then the main plot is absolutely ridiculous!  Save yourself the trouble, don’t bother reading this one!

(Gerard's review)

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is a contemporary novel about the strong bond between mothers and daughters.  It looks at the issues of bullying, community, volunteering and ethics.  It is the story of a mom that I think any mother would find interesting and enjoy.  Rose rescues several children from a fire at the school while volunteering as a lunch mom, including her own daughter, is proclaimed to be a mom hero and then later is portrayed as a villain when one girl she thought was safe goes back in and ends up in a coma.  When Rose’s attorneys advise her to sue the school, she fires them and begins her own investigation to find out what really happened that day.  What she finds out was quite a shock! 

I liked Save Me because it made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen.  Hunting for her daughter in the fire and then being in another fire trying to save the mother who was so mean to her was gripping.  My favorite line of the book is “Every mom is an action hero.”  Although the story is a bit farfetched, it certainly is a good read.  I recommend this to any mother. 
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Want To Go Private" by Sarah Darer Littman

Want To Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman tells the story about Abby, a young girl just starting high school.  She is not exactly Miss Popular and goes online to chat with her one true friend and meets someone who calls himself Luke.  She gets way too caught up with this guy and trouble starts.  

WOW!  Did I love this book!  I read it in just a day and a half even though I work full-time.  I especially liked the way the author gets the views across of the other people in Abby’s life.  It’s a definite page turner and a must read for teen girls and their parents!    A double-Wow book for sure!  I LOVED IT and highly recommend it!

(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
Want To Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman is a fantastic book for parents and teens. Even though I am neither, I liked it too! It is a fast read that shows how teenage girls are easily manipulated by online predators through the story of Abby, a 14-yr.-old girl just starting high school, who willingly ran away with a guy she met in an online chat.

I liked Abby at the beginning, but then thought, “How can she be so stupid?” Through the therapist, the author explains that there is a difference between academic intelligence and emotional intelligence. The predators act like they care by listening and agreeing with whatever the girls say as they “blow off steam” and thus get their trust which they take their time building for months. Then, when the girl has a fight with her parents, the predator suggests that they meet and boom! Emotional intelligence develops with maturity so young teens can easily be deceived.

By reading this book, teens should be able to spot some “red flags” that could prevent them from becoming a victim like Abby did. Parents can get some tips that could help them monitor what their children are doing online, such as not letting them have access to a computer or laptop in their bedrooms for one thing. I agree with Gerard, this is a “must read” for teens . . . and their parents!


Tips Found In This Book:

1) Only chat with people you actually know.

2) Parents should not allow kids to have a computer/laptop in their bedrooms.

3) Parents should have a list of the websites and log-ins/passwords their children use.

4) If someone asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it!

5) To overcome stage fright, focus on only one person in the audience and talk to them.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

For more internet safety tips visit http://wanttogoprivate.com and http://chezteen.com

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: 3 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
• 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:

All of us are both people in need of help and people who have been positioned by God to provide his help to others. We always carry both identities.

From page 2 of Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands--How To Help Others Change (Study Guide) by Paul David Tripp.  (This is a study I am just starting on Sunday mornings.  I am very excited about this and will be posting things I am learning from it over at my other blog--Right Where We Belong.

I keep thinking about the picture I sent to Luke.  I keep hearing the words he used to describe how excited it made him.

Taken from page 97 of Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman (YA)

Gerard's:

"Can you see to it that someone stays with the children until we get this settled?"  Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't ask."

Taken from page 63 of Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo.

If you like our Tuxedo cat who poses with our books on here, you might enjoy her post on our other blog that she wrote: "Feast Day" by Spunky Doodle.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Blood Feud" by David Robbins (UPDATED)

Blood Feud by David Robbins moved along at a good pace and kept my interest because Chace was such an interesting character.  It is is full of killing, a shoot-em up book about family loyalty, revenge, and hate. My favorite part was when Chace fled to Galveston, Texas and took over the hawking business from Tunk to help the kids which showed he was kind-hearted in spite of being a killer.  I did like the ending!
(Karen's review 9/12/11)

Blood Feud by David Robbins is about a feud between the Harkey clan and the Shannon clan. Chase Shannon sets out for revenge after the brutal rape of his older sister by the Harkeys. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement--I loved it! Blood Feud is a double wow, which means it's as good as it gets! The good news is that there is going to be two more books in this series. Can't wait!! Read and enjoy!
(Gerard's review 9/8/11)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Recommended Books About September 11

Three books we would like to recommend you read about 9/11 are Let's Roll!--Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage, Homer's Odyssey and Thunder Dog.

Let's Roll--Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage by Lisa Beamer

We read Let's Roll!  Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage by Lisa Beamer one a long time ago around the time it first came out and liked it. It was before we even started writing reviews but here is the book description:

2003 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner!  Let's Roll!—the moving, behind-the-scenes story of United Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer and his widow, Lisa—is so much more than a tribute. A message of character, courage, and undeniable faith in the face of horrifying tragedy, it encourages anyone who reads it to live real life right now . . . and to have confidence and hope for the future.

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

One book about September 11 that both of us really enjoyed is Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper (this link will take you to our reviews of it.)  It's about a New Yorker who was separated for days when the terrorist attack happened on 9/11 from her three cats, one of which was Homer--an eyeless kitten with a big brave heart. You can visit www.gwencooper.com to hear the author and actually see Homer in action!

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson

We have not read Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson but have requested it from the library based on reviews I've seen about it. Here is the book trailer for it:







Here are several links to bloggers who have reviewed it: Life With Katie, Ramblings of a Christian Mom and Army Wife.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

The International Children's Bible Packs A Punch!

For my personal devotions this year, I have been using the International Children's Bible. It is especially helpful when reading through the Old Testament books.

I was brought up using the King James Version of the Bible and so memorized my scripture from that. I was always hesitant to read other versions but over time, I have come to accept the New International Version (NIV). I just think part of the charm and uniqueness of the Bible is the old English. It reminds me how old the scriptures really are and how God has protected his word throughout time.

However, here is an example of how some verses can really be more powerful when put into plain English.  This particular verse jumped out at me and then I looked it up in my KJV Bible to see if I had it marked. I did, but oh, how much plainer is the International Childrens Bible.

Here are three examples of Proverbs 18:15 so you can see how much easier the Childrens version is to understand:

KJV:

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

NIV:

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent--the LORD detests them both.

International Children's Bible:

The Lord hates both these things: letting guilty people go free and punishing those who are not guilty.

If you have children, I recommend getting them The International Children's Bible and use it yourself too for a better understanding of the scripture!

Have you seen this before? Which translation of the Bible do you prefer?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"You're Next" by Greg Hurwitz (UPDATED)

You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz is a complex and mysterious novel about a family man who goes to great lengths to protect his wife and little girl from being killed by the bad men who are after him because of who he is. Mike was abandoned at the age of 4 and grew up in foster care waiting for his dad to come back for him. He made a good life for himself but when he found out he and his family were in danger and couldn’t go to the cops for help because there was an alert out that he was a suspected terrorist, he turned to a friend from his childhood.

I liked this book because it had lots of suspense, action and mystery to keep me reading. Although I was confused at the beginning because it jumped around a bit, I stuck with it and the second half really took off. I felt the pressure Mike was under and really liked the Casino caper when Mike tore the safe out of the wall of the office with the help of his friend, Shep. It has a great ending and emphasizes the importance of stamina and loyalty. Never give up!  I read this because Gerard said it was so good.  Now I recommend it to you--you're next!
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review:
Wow, oh WOW!  You're Next by Greg Hurwitz is a page turner!  The novel is about Mike, who is left on his own at age 4 so his childhood is not so great.  He overcomes that though and things go well until one day people start coming after him, his wife, and even his daughter!  He turns to his one true friend from childhood for help.  I really enjoyed the ride this book gave me.  Make the time to enjoy it for yourself!


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  


You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Teaser Tuesday: "You're Next" and "Blood Feud"

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:

Annabel was shouting for him to get into the truck, and he thought of her and Kat behind him, watching through the movie screen of the windshield.  Everything he stood to lose seemed summed up in the countless glares pointed in his direction, all those well-dresed folks who'd watched him knock down a cripple.

From page 92 of You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz. Gerard loved this book, check out his review by clicking the link.

Gerard's:

Scarlet looked at each of them.  She saw no pity, no mercy, only resentment of who she was or, rather, what she was.  The only exception was the young one.

Taken from page 17 of Blood Feud by David Robbins.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Emory's Gift" by W. Bruce Cameron

Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron is a real good story about a young boy named Charlie Hall. His mom died and he lives with his dad. He is also dealing with Junior High, which is not being good to him at all! Then his whole life changes when he befriends a grizzly bear. I enjoyed this book a lot. I identified with Charlie and think you will like it too! (Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo (UPDATED)

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is a double wow book for me! Joey, the war horse, tells about his adventures during World War 1 and the special bond he has with a young boy named Albert. At only 160 pages or so, it goes very fast. I loved it! I look forward to seeing the movie which is coming out on Christmas.
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this one too:
War Horse is a touching book that kept my interest all through.  Although it is a children's book, I enjoyed it but must admit I got teary-eyed reading it.  Parts were very sad but I loved the ending!  Joey, the horse, tells his story about living on a farm with a boy named Albert and then being sold to the army because Albert's dad needed money to save his farm.  The horse goes through a lot but Albert never gives up looking for him. 

The MOVIE:
We went to see the movie the day after Christmas and it is as good as the book!  It's really fantastic and we both cried, it was so moving.  You see the horrors of war but yet also the sacrifice for others, love, determination and some funny scenes too!  Great book, great movie!  We highly recommend it.  For more detail, see War Horse at Plugged in Online.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Growing Up Colt" by Colt and Brad McCoy

I am a Cleveland Browns fan so when I heard our Quarterback is a Christian and wrote a book about his life, I wanted to read it. I was surprised to find that his dad wrote some of it as well. This was an interesting read because Colt and his dad share very personal experiences from Colt's childhood and also how his training growing up helped him to become the leader and the role model that he is today. Brad, his dad, shared four main principles of parenting while balancing discipline and love:


 1. Prepare the kid for the path, not the path for the kid.
2. Prepare your children to do their best.
3. Prepare your children to be leaders.
4. Prepare your children for open and closed doors.

I also thought the lessons Colt said he learned were very good, such as always finish what you start, treat everyone with respect, listen to advice from those more experienced than you and relax because "the hay is in the barn."  He used this phrase in his first NFL start as a Cleveland Brown and the guys asked him what it meant.  It means they practiced and put in the work, so now they can relax and go out and play.  (He grew up on a farm in Texas.)

It was nice to read about someone who walks with God and didn't make a lot of bad choices that messed up their life. I think the book balances his childhood training, football games, and his walk with the Lord well. I enjoyed learning so much about Colt through this book. He's definitely a leader with character and I am happy he is our Quarterback! I recommend it to parents, all Browns fans and anyone who is interested in football.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Manny Picks The Winner of our Audio Book Giveaway

Congratulations to our blogging buddies at Beaded Tail who won our audio book giveaway for IRON HOUSE by John Hart.  To enter the giveaway, all you had to do was comment on any of our blogs between Aug. 20 and Aug. 30.  I actually did an elimination round first by rolling dice to choose 16 finalists.  I counted the comments back starting with Aug. 20 and wrote down the commenter's name on a piece of paper according to the roll of the dice.  Obviously, the more you commented, the better your chances.  After I got through all 90 some comments, I threw them on the floor and let my cat, Manny pick one.  As you can see in the video, he was very contemplative but clearly had his paw on just one of them.  Both Gerard and I liked Iron House by John Hart very much and hope the gang at Beaded Tail enjoys the audio book!

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teaser: "Ready Player One" and "Growing Up Colt"

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:

Then I made a silent vow not to go outside again until I had completed my quest. I would abandon the real world altogether until I found the egg.

From page 166 of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Karen's:

A few days later, after the dust had settled, I actually thanked Dad for making me ride that steer. I also told him how scared I was to ride that night, and then we talked about how you sometimes have to do things even whey you're scared.

Taken from page 74 of Growing Up Colt--A Father, a Son, a Life in Football by Colt and Brad McCoy.  (For those you don't know, Colt McCoy is the Cleveland Browns Quarterback so that's why I'm reading this one--I'm a Browns fan!)

CHECK OUT OUR GIVEAWAY:
This is the last day to enter our giveaway for the audio book, IRON HOUSE by John Hart.  

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

JESUS: 90 Days With The One And Only by Beth Moore (Giveaway)

JESUS: 90 Days With The One And Only by Beth Moore is a devotional book with her insights into scriptures that all relate to Jesus. It has 1-3 pages on each passage of scripture with questions for reflection, space to write notes and her thoughts about the verses. I used it as a devotional book and liked it. I only wrote it in a little bit because I realized it would be a good book to pass along. Also, I found many of the thought questions required too much thought for me. It is a great book for focusing on Jesus and she made some very interesting points. It was like having her in a Bible discussion with me.

If you don't mind having some of my answers, live in the U.S. and would like this book, just let me know in the comments. It does no good just sitting on my shelf. To keep it simple, the first to comment gets it if you give me your email so I can contact you for your address. It has 436 pages.

Beth Moore is a well-known Bible teacher who speaks at conferences and has written many Bible Studies.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Thin Rich Pretty" by Beth Harbison

Thin rich Pretty by Beth Harbison is a book I read to participate in Katherines Corner Book Club this month. I thought it was a fun read, humorous, entertaining, with believable characters. The message is to be yourself. It's about how three girls met at a camp when they were 13 and how the problems they struggled with such as Holly being too fat, Nicola thinking she was ugly and Lexi, the lonely rich girl carried with them into adulthood. It deals with bullying, friendship, and restitution. I thought it was a cute story and finished it in two days. I recommend it to women, don't think men would care for it.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  

Check out our audio book giveaway for IRON HOUSE by John Hart!

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Midwife's Confession" by Diane Chamberlain

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain is full of surprises and mother-daughter moments.  When Emerson and Tara start searching for answers to why their best friend, Noelle the midwife, committed suicide, they are shocked to find out things they never knew about her.  Noelle had many secrets that were kept for many years but eventually came out after she died.

I liked this book but it does have quite a few characters to keep straight and jumps from the present to the past all through it which sometimes was hard to follow.  I think women would enjoy this book much more than men, just because it focuses on relationships rather than action.  It's a great read about friendship, betrayal and mothers and daughters.  It has discussion questions in the back which makes it very conducive to a book club selection.

I also liked another book by this author:  The Secret Life Of Cee Cee Wilkes which has more action in it.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Enclave" by Ann Aguirre

For Fans Of The Hunger Games--Publishers Weekly

The start of Enclave by Ann Aguirre was good but then it went flat in my opinion until the last 160 plus pages when I was gripped by it so much that I could not put it down. Wow! It was so good; glad I did not give up on this dystopian novel. There is a teen romance in this like in Hunger Games. One thing I do know for sure, I'll be reading the second book in this trilogy!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Teaser Tuesday: "The Midwife's Confession" and "Enclave" by Ann Aguirre

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:

What I have to tell you is difficult to write, but I know it will be far more difficult for you to bear, and I'm so sorry. I'm a midwife, or at least I used to be.

From page 123 of The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain.



Gerard's:

Most of them died before we got old enough to recognize their faces, and it wasn't like it mattered. All Breeders looked after us until we were old enough to take basic brat schooling.

From page 58 of Enclave by Ann Aguirre. (Review will be posted tomorrow evening.)

Be sure to check out our audio book giveaway of the thriller IRON HOUSE by John Hart.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Never Knowing" by Chevy Stevens is GREAT! (Updated)

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens kept me turning pages and not wanting to put this down.  It is a suspenseful story about an adopted woman, Sara, who tells her psychiatrist about finding her biological parents.  Sara is a single mom who refinishes furniture, has a 6-yr.-old daughter and lives with her fiancee, Evan.  Neither Sara’s mother nor father are at all what she had hoped for or expected.  Her mother, a college professor, was not happy she tracked her down at all and then Sara found out her biological father is a serial killer still on the loose!  Her world gets crazy when he calls her and says he’d like to get to know her.  He never knew he had a daughter!  This book is gripping, emotional and puzzling.  I finished it in just two days and think it would be a great read for a book club.  I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review 8/22/11)

Chevy Stevens has done it again.  Just when I thought she couldn't do better than Still Missing along comes Never Knowing.  I loved her first book but think this one is actually way better!  There is lots of action and once I started it, I did not want to put it down.  I thought the ending was incredible!  I give this book a triple WOW factor--it's that good!  For sure this will be my book of the month and possibly my best book of this year!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? Feel free to share your link to your review in the comments.

Related Post:  See also a different opinion by Julie of Knitting and Sundries who is having a giveaway for "Never Knowing" through Sept. 10.

(Be sure to enter our audio book giveaway for IRON HOUSE by John Hart.  Just comment on any of our blogs between Aug. 20 and Aug. 30.) 

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Buried Prey" by John Sandford

I expected Buried Prey by John Sandford to be a lot better than it was.  The plot is good enough:  two missing girls found years later in a building being torn down with lots of suspects to choose from.  For me, there was just not enough action.  The first half of the book plods along and the second half picked up a bit, but not enough to make it good.  I do not recommend this one.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

GIVEAWAY: Audio book of IRON HOUSE by John Hart

Audio Book Giveaway of Iron House (12 CDs $39.99 value)

Iron House by John Hart is a great read and we are excited to have the audio book containing 12 CDS to give away including a bonus interview with the author. Who wants it? Both Gerard and I read this and it was his favorite book for July and so far is my favorite for August. It is a thriller about Michael who is trying to leave the mobsters who were like family to him and start a normal life with a woman he loves. However, he also has a younger mentally ill brother who he feels obligated to protect and in the process, makes some surprising discoveries. It all goes back to when they were orphans living at the Iron House orphanage.  Here is the link to our review of Iron House by John Hart.

We will choose a winner by random draw from all who leave comments on any of our blogs from now until August 30 (our 14th wedding anniversary) and announce the winner on August 31. Please leave an email so we have a way to contact you if you win and mention specifically that you would like to win this giveaway for an extra entry. The more you comment, the better your chances. We hope this will motivate you to visit our other blogs as well: Right Where We Belong, My Funny Dad, Harry and Always Looking Up! Feel free to comment on old posts too! (Note: Nasty or spam comments will disqualify you, just sayin’)!

Thanks to Macmillan audio for providing this audio book for this giveaway.

You will also help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Devils In Exile" by Chuck Hogan

Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan is a real good novel about an Iraq war vet who comes home and cannot find a job. By chance he joins up with some men who intercept drug deals, taking the money and destroying the product. As you would suspect, the drug lords are none too happy and go after these guys they call the "Sugar Bandits."

I liked this book because it kept moving along at a pretty good pace. It's a quick read. The best part is that it looks like there could be a sequel; I hope so! I give this a Wow and a half!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline is the second book I have read by her.  It’s about a Ellen, a journalist and single mother who thinks her adopted son looks a lot like the face of a missing child on a postcard she received in the mail.  She becomes paranoid that neighbors may think she kidnapped him and is afraid she may lose him.  Nevertheless, she can’t ignore the fact that her 3-yr.-old son, Will, looks like the missing kid, Timothy.  She goes on a search for the truth to hopefully prove Will is not the same child that turns deadly.  This is a book that starts slowly and an ending that did not surprise me.  My favorite characters were Marcelo, Ellen’s boss and Will’s cat, Oreo Figaro.  I didn’t care much for Ellen at the beginning but did get to like her by the end of the book.  She was smart and courageous. 

If you like books about fierce mothers who fight for their kids or books that address moral dilemmas, this is a good one for you.  I liked Save Me by Lisa Scottoline better though.  My husband starting this one but said it was a woman’s book and gave up on it.  I agree with him—it is geared more to women.

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Teaser Tuesdays: "Never Knowing" by Chevy Stevens

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.
 
We are both reading the same book so only have one teaser for you today:

"Why didn't you tell me you found her?"  He sounded confused.
"Because I also found out my real father is the Campsite Killer."

Taken from page 32 of Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens, author of Still Missing which we both liked.


You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Silent Land" by Graham Joyce

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce is a small book about a couple who survive a snow avalanche . . . or do they? They think there are no other living things around, but then you wonder if they are not alone at all.  This book got me thinking, which is good!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you have read it, feel free to add your link to your review in the comments.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard

Thanks to the Best of 2011 Blog Hop over at "A Pause on the Path," I discovered that this is our most viewed post of 2011 with 106.

As I read A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a novel but it actually happened. It's a remarkable story of how Jaycee was kidnapped and lived in a backyard shack for 18 years. It will have you turning pages quickly because it is riveting. Thanks for telling your story so well, Jaycee! Hope your daughters and you can enjoy a normal life. I'm glad you finally have a dog too!
(Gerard's review)

After seeing the news story about Jaycee Dugard being kidnapped at age 11 and held captive for 18 years, I wasn't sure I wanted to read her book, A Stolen Life, because the abductor was such a slimeball but I am glad I did.  This is a fascinating book. I was pleasantly surprised that although she did not have freedom, she was not tortured too much. She cooperated so he would not get mad and so she could survive. It did surprise me though that she didn’t even think about ways to escape. I was so happy that she had kittens and a bird to keep her company. Phillip raped her and she became a 14-yr.-old mother of a healthy baby girl and had another later too. These girls brightened her life. This is a heartbreaking story while she was in captivity, but fortunately it has a happy ending.
(Karen's Review)

Here is a video that summarizes what she went through.  After we saw the show, we wanted to read her book!





Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Have To Join In Sugar's Pawty!

Our friend Sugar is having a Happy 10th Barkday  and all Sugar's doggie friends are joining the party by showing big smiles like Sugar shares.

Abby and Karen

Happy Birthday, Sugar!

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

Tuesday Teasers: "Look Again" and "A Stolen Life"

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:

Ellen couldn't stop looking at the white card, which read HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHILD? The resemblance between the boy in the photo and her son was uncanny.

Taken from page 1 of Look Again by Lisa Scottoline.

Gerard's:
I do not want comfort from this awful man, but there is no one else here and I reluctantly lean into what comfort he gives.  Up until now I have not cried one time.  Only on the inside.  Now I feel like a rabbit being comforted by a lion.  I am so scared.



Taken from Page 19 of A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard (non-fiction).


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Before I Go To Sleep" by S. J. Watson

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson is No. 2 on Parade Magazine Books Of The Year!  (No. 1 is Faith which I read and loved.)  Amazon.com gives this book rave reviews and it is going to be made into a movie!  I'm here to tell you that this book lives up to the hype and more!  I am not sure I'll read another book that I was so into as I was this one.  I read it in two days.  It has a fantastic plot which makes it a real page turner.  I did not want to put it down and the ending is very good too!  No, make that great!  Read both "Faith" and "Before I Go To Sleep"--you will be glad you did!  I know I am. (Gerard's Review)

Karen's review:
Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson started off slow to me, then got creepy and then a bit confusing.  It is about Chrissy, a woman who has a strange kind of amnesia.  When she sleeps, she forgets everything but when she is awake, she can function normally except for remembering her past or even what happened the day before.  It is written from her perspective and her doctor advised her to keep a secret journal and write in it each day before going to sleep what happened that day and what things she was able to remember or things she learned about.  That way she could read it the next day to refresh her memory.  I thought this book moved kind of slow for about the first 90 pages, but then things picked up.  I was completely wrong in what I thought about things.  The happy ending was a bit like a fairy tale but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it.  It's a good read, an unusual story line.   I liked Iron House better.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.