"Family Affair" by Debbie Macomber is a fun read!

Family Affair by Debbie Macomber is a light romantic comedy that would be a good beach read.  It’s about Lacey, a woman whose lost her self-confidence after a divorce but with the assistance of her cat, finds love again with her neighbor, Jack.  Having been through a divorce, Lacey was able to comfort Sarah, Jack’s sister, when she was betrayed by her live-in boyfriend.  It finishes with a cute touch:  recipes for cat treats you can make for your cat!

This is a cute short book that is a fun read, only 99 pages.  I thought it was funny how Lacey talked to her cat and how she compared Jack to his tomcat that was named Dog.  Entertaining with a happy ending.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

Tuesday Teasers

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:

Lacey wasn't comfortable thinking of Jack in those terms, but she let her friend's comment pass.  "Yeah.  He owns Dog, the cat who had his way with Cleo.  And before you ask, I did get the name of his cat right.

From pg. 18 of Family Affair by Debbie Macomber. (A romantic comedy)

. . . They're huge, and they look like they've been standing here for a thousand years."  And the idea of those walls closing and trapping him inside this place they called the Glade was downright terrifying.

From pg. 25 of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. (science fiction, YA)

Gerard's:

Viktor was surprised at himself. He had come very close to believing Anna's story. In fact, he had almost hoped that her delusions were somehow connected to the truth.

From pg. 57 of Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek. (Psychological thriller)  See Karen's review of Therapy.

You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"A Rope And A Prayer" by David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill

A Rope And A Prayer by David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill is the true story about a husband being abducted and what both he and his wife faced. This non-fiction book is my pick for my March book of the month and here are the reasons why:

(1) It is the true story of David being kidnapped and held for over six months!

(2) It’s the story as told by Kristen, newly married, sharing her feelings as her husband was being held.

(3) It gives really wonderful insight into the Taliban and what they think and believe.

(4) The writing is so very good that I got the sense of what David and Kristen went through.

(5) Has a great ending too!

I highly recommend this book!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Therapy" by Sebastian Fitzek

Wow, how crazy!  That’s all I could say when I finished reading Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek.  It is such a wild story that held my attention all the way through to the end.  It is a psychological thriller mystery that is baffling and kept me guessing.  It’s the story about a 12-yr-old girl who is missing and her father’s quest to find out what happened to her.  I don’t want to say any more about it and ruin it for you.  This is one you’ll have to read for yourself!  It’s a quick read because it’s so hard to put down! 

(Karen's review)

Gerard's review:
I read this whole book and I'm still not sure of what I read.  What I do know is that this book is a real page turner!  It is the story of a psychiatrist who thinks his daughter is missing.  It's been four years, then he begins seeing Anna Glass and this book really takes off.  If you want a great read, one that you will remember, this is it.  I liked it a lot!  I'm curious to see what others think of it.

Thanks to Everything Distils Into Reading
 for recommending this book on Teaser Tuesday.  Click the link if you want to find out more details about the story.
 
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Vicious Cycle" by Terri Blackstock

Vicious Cycle just might be Terri Blackstock’s best book yet!  It held my interest from the first page to the last.  It is the story of a young teenage girl with a drug problem who delivers her own baby.  When her man, also a drug addict, wants to sell the baby for money, she dumps it into a car of a friend of hers and takes off.  This is a great story with characters I cared about and a really good ending!  I enjoyed it very much!
(Gerard's review)

I was hooked into Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock from beginning to end!  It is actually about two families, one Christian family with a teenage daughter (Emily) who is just getting out of rehab after being in for a year and the other who is addicted to meth and wants to sell the teenage daughter’s baby for $45,000.  The only glitch is that the girl, Jordan, does not want to sell her baby but wants to give it up for adoption instead, and gets Emily’s brother (Lance) to help her get it away from her mother and brother. 

Vicious Cycle is a good Christian fiction suspense novel that I couldn’t put down.  I cared about the characters and was anxious to see how things would turn out.  It shows how drugs can ruin lives and how hard it is to get off them, but that it is possible.  I especially liked Lance because he’s a good teen who really cares about others which got him into some dangerous situations.  I liked how the author shows the contrast between the two different families and yet the fact that anyone could get hooked on drugs.  Every day we need to do the next right thing. 

I recommend Vicious Cycle to anyone who likes stories about family, suspense or teens.  This book is about the same Christian family that is in Intervention, the story of the mother getting Emily into rehab for her drug addiction.  It’s very good too! 
(Karen's review)

Here's the book trailer:


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Townie" by Andre Dubus III

Townie by Andre Dubus III tells the true story of the author growing up with his family and friends.  His mom and dad split up and this book tells of his life that took a lot of twists and turns.  I could never really get into it 100 percent.  Parts were very good while other parts I could have done without.  This is not one I can recommend.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Wanted" by Shelley Shephard Gray

Wanted by Shelley Shephard Gray is a happy little story of Jonathan, a brokenhearted widower with two little girls and an Amish woman, Katie, who faces her past in order to move on with her life and make her dream a reality.  When Jonathan asks Katie to help him live at his home and help him care for his girls, she sets out to show him what a good wife she would be.  I found it interesting to see how Katie struggled to connect with the girls and also gradually got Jonathan’s attention.  It focused on inner struggles and faith in God to work things out. 

Shelly Shephard Gray’s books have clean language and no sex scenes—a rare find in the romance genre.  This is a light, quick read that I finished in one day.   If you like Christian romance or stories about the Amish, I recommend this one.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

Teaser Tuesday: "The Bird House," "Wanted," "Vicious Cycle"

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:

This conversation was getting worse and worse. It was so uncomfortable that Katie no longer minded that they were speaking about her as if she wasn't there. She didn't want to be there.

From pg. 4 of Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray

My heart skipped a beat; we'd never discussed the origins of that bird house. She couldn't know what it meant to me.

From pg. 75 of The Bird House by Kelly Simmons

Gerard's:

Finally, the door came open, and she saw her son standing with a tiny, screaming baby in his arms.
"Mom, I know you're gonna freak out, but I need you to chill. Something's wrong with her, and I don't know what to do!"

From pg. 57 of Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock.

You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"The Bird House" by Kelly Simmons

The Bird House by Kelly Simmons is a story about a grandmother who shares and discovers family secrets with her granddaughter.  It’s about tension between the mother and her daughter-in-law.  I didn’t care for this book much although the relationship between the grandmother and Ellie, her granddaughter was endearing.  I liked the cover but the characters didn’t seem very well developed and I didn’t like how it kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present.  I was pretty bored with it, although I finished in two days. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"The Horses Of Proud Spirit" by Melanie Sue Bowles

The Horses Of Proud Spirit by Melanie Sue Bowles is a remarkable non-fiction book!  It tells the story of Melanie who one day wanted to get a horse.  She knew next to nothing about caring for a horse and now her husband and her run a no-kill farm for horses.  The short stories in The Horses Of Proud Spirit range from happy, sad and funny.  All will touch your heart.  There is a sequel to this book that I plan to get one day.  You do not have to own a horse to enjoy this book--an animal lover will do just fine!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua

I read Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chua just to find out what all the hype and controversy was about and I liked it. It is a true story about a Chinese mom, two daughters and two adorable dogs with superb writing and a great ending. I didn't want to put this one down and highly recommend it! Read and enjoy!
(Gerard's review)

Karen read it too:
The Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chua is a non-fiction book points out the differences between parenting styles of Western culture and Chinese culture through the eyes of a Chinese mother living in the United States with a Jewish husband and two daughters. Amy, the determined, mother is a law professor at Yale who raised her two daughters the Chinese way to give her children skills that will open doors for a bright future. She wrote this book to show the Chinese way to be the best way to raise kids but discovered that the best way is a combination of the two.

Amy Chua raised two amazingly talented daughters: Sophia the obedient, well-behaved one who was good enough on the piano to get to play at Carnegie Hall at 14, and Lulu, the one proficient on the violin but more rebellious and willful. I liked both daughters and thought the mother was obsessed with success and too driven. At times, I thought her methods were crazy! I found myself cheering for Lulu, the younger daughter who finally was able to choose tennis while not being so focused on the violin. Thanks to her mother, she developed a great work ethic that she applies to tennis without her mother’s help.

I think Tiger Mother is interesting and enjoyed the pictures and touches of humor throughout. Their dogs are really beautiful and I liked how the mother’s attitude about dogs changed for the better once they got one. I thought it was interesting to see how children in the same family, raised the same can be so different. It proves that children are individuals and should be treated as such. What works for one, doesn’t always work for the other.

Here are a few of my Favorite funny quotes:

Thank God we live in America, I thought to myself, where no doubt because of the American Revolution rebelliousness is valued. In China, they’d have sent Lulu to a labor camp. (p. 38)

. . . there’s nothing I hate more than all these festivals and projects that private schools specialize in. Instead of making kids study from books, private schools are constantly trying to make learning fun by having parents do all the work. (p. 64)

Lulu: “I wish I had a pet.”
mom: “You already have a pet,” I snapped. “Your violin is your pet.” (p. 65)

Once, when I came back from a “walk” with my elbows scraped and my knees grass-stained, Jed said, “It’s her Samoyed nature. She thinks you’re a sled, and she wants to pull you. Let’s forget about teaching her to walk. Why don’t we just get a cart that you can sit in and have Coco pull you around?

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Midwives" by Chris Bohjalian is a good read

What a good read Midwives by Chris Bohjalian is!  It tells the story of a midwife helping with a birth.  The baby is saved, but the mother is dead.  The question is did the mother die of natural causes or did the midwife cause her death.  The story is told by the midwife and her young daughter.  The trial was my favorite part of the book.  That’s when it was almost impossible to put down!  I’m glad I read it!  Give it a chance and I think you will be glad you did. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"The Cat In The Hat" by Dr. Seuss

One of my first books that I owned was "The Cat In The Hat" by Dr. Seuss. I was trying to remember the other day what it was about. I don't know what happened to it. I have other books from when I was a kid but couldn't find this one. All I remembered about it was that it was about a cat with a big hat and it rhymed.

I was surprised to see it sitting on the coat rack at church last Sunday. Our church also runs a school and apparently one of the children set it up there and forgot about it. I removed my coat and read the book there in the hallway! It is about two kids being bored sitting in the house on a rainy day with nothing to do until the cat in the hat came in. Basically, he balanced things, including the fish bowl, and brought in two things that ran through the house flying a kite inside making a huge mess. The talking fish kept saying he didn't like that game and the cat had leave because the children were not supposed to have anyone in the house when the mother wasn't home. Then the mother came home and the cat cleaned the whole house up before she got inside because the kids were worried they would get in trouble. When the mom came in, she asked them what they did all day. The kids had a decision to make whether they should tell her or not and ended with the question, what would you do?

It was fun reading this again and refreshing my memory. It repeats a lot of the words so that children can read it themselves. I completely forgot it dealt with integrity. I wonder how many children would tell what really happened while mom was away. I doubt very many. This is a fun kid's book with illustrations on each page.

What was one of your earliest books you remember? Did you read any by Dr. Seuss?

A few years ago I found a Rookie Biography series by Dana Meachen Rau which included one about Dr. Seuss. This is a biography about Dr. Seuss that is written for the beginning reader but still contains some interesting facts and has colorful pictures every other page. The point is reading can be fun. I was surprised to learn that Dr. Seuss wrote a book for adults as well called "You're Only Young Once." It's a very quick read--only takes five minutes!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

Tuesday Teasers: "Heartwood" and "Tiger Mother"

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:

"Robby, we're a couple.  There's no competition between us."  But that was a lie, and they both knew it.

From page 141 of Heartwood by Belva Plain.  (I finished this book Friday but wanted to share a teaser from it.  It was really hard to pick just one, there were so many good lines.  I posted my review of this yesterday.)

Gerard's:

Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem.  But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up.  On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

From page 62 of Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chua.  (The true story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs.)

You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Heartwood" by Belva Plain

Heartwood is Belva Plain’s last novel, a sequel to Harvest actually.  Belva Plain is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint me with this contemporary fiction novel about love, marriage, life’s challenges, family relationships, forgiveness, infidelity and secrets.  I enjoyed reading this book very much because it delves into the inner workings of marriage and family.  It continues the saga of a Jewish family that Belva Plain first writes about in Evergreen.  This is about Laura, who tries to be a good wife out of duty but becomes more interested in her catering business than her husband who feels like a failure for being unable to achieve his dream.  I highly recommend Heartwood to women.  (I'm taking a teaser from it tomorrow.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

A Couple Childrens Books

The two childrens books we read this week were Snow!  Snow!  Snow! by Lee Harper and Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit--A Book of Changing Seasons by II Sung Na.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by II Sung Na appealed more to Gerard than me.  It's about different animals and how the handle the snow and what happens in spring.  There are pictures on every page but not particularly cute.

Snow! Snow! Snow! by Lee Harper is a short, fun childrens book with very little writing and big pictures on every page.  Gerard and I both liked it because it was a cute story about dogs going sledding and having a good time like we did as kids and even not to long ago.  We thought you might enjoy a video of us sledding to bring this to life!

This sure beats shoveling!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Black Hearts" by Jim Frederick is An Outstanding Read!

Black Hearts by Jim Frederick is an outstanding read!  I loved it!  It is the story of 1st platoon, a group of men known as the “Black Heart” brigade, and what led up to the horrific murder of an Iraqi family and the rape and subsequent burning to death of their daughter by members of this group.  However, there are lots of other true stories too.  The writing is so good I felt like I was right there with them!  I really got to know better what our soldiers and the people who lead them go through.  This is for sure my book of the month and it has a good chance of making my top ten books of this year!  If you really want to know what our troops face day-to-day, read this book!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova Gives Great Insight Into Alzheimer's

We both liked Still Alice!

Karen's review:

Ever know someone with Alzheimer’s and wonder what they are thinking?  Still Alice by Lisa Genova is a brilliant novel that shares what it is like to have Alzheimer’s from the point of view of one who actually has it!  Most stories about people with Alzheimer’s are told from the caretaker’s point of view.  Still Alice lets the reader inside the mind of the person afflicted with this degenerative disease which has no cure.  Alice is only 50 and already has some symptoms of Dementia.  She is a college professor at Harvard, the wife of a scientist and mother of three grown children.  This is a story about a family and how the mother with Alzheimer’s feels as she discovers she is losing her memory, becoming confused and is sometimes disoriented. 

Reading this is a great way to learn about Alzheimer’s and become aware of the symptoms.  It was a bit scary for me to read this and find that my “senior moments” of forgetting words and names happened to Alice who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 50!   The author actually interviewed people who had early onset of Alzheimer’s.  Questions for discussion are included in the back along with an interview by the author. 

This is a good read and did not drag at all.  Some parts were even humorous.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about families, relationships or wants to know more about Alzheimer’s.  I think it would be a good book for a book club to discuss.

Another book Gerard and I highly recommend by Lisa Genova is Left Neglected.  To learn more about Still Alice or get in touch with Lisa Genova, visit www.StillAlice.com.  To learn more about Alzheimer’s or help those suffering from the disease, visit www.actionalz.org or www.alz.org.

Gerard's review 3/2/09:
Still Alice by Lisa Genova is a book I saw on Amazon and saw it got a good review so thought it would be worth reading. It sure is. This is just a fantastic book! It is a story about Alice Howland who gets early Alzheimer's disease. It's funny, sad, powerful and tells how she and her family handled having it. This, I think, is the definitive book on Alzheimer's. Hard to put down. I'm not surprised if people could read it in one sitting. It's that good. Do not miss reading this. It will stay with you for a long time!



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

You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March.  We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Strength Training For Seniors" by Michael Fekete, CSCS, ACE

I liked Strength Training For Seniors by Michael Fekete because it gave some really good information about exercising in general, about how the muscles, tendons and ligaments all work in addition to some good exercises and instructions for developing a personal exercise program.  Blank worksheets are included to help the reader set specific goals, manage stress, and record progress in workouts.  This is a short book but packed with helpful and interesting information on strength training specifically for people over 50.  It also includes several different scenarios from real clients he worked with who had different problems so the reader can see how to tailor a personal workout program. 

To answer the excuse of having no time, Michael Fekete says on pg. 122:

Put your priorities in order.  Eliminate the useless, the unproductive, and the nonsensical.  You will be surprised at the amount of time freed up for training.  The time you allot to exercise is your best investment.  If you think that you cannot make time for exercise now, then be sure to make plenty of time for illnesses and hospitals later.

I highly recommend Strength Training For Seniors by Michael Fekete!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen was pretty good but not great.  I was not “wowed” by it. 

Reasons to read this book:
(1)  great characters; (2) animals are part of the story; (3) Jacob Jankowski at 93 or so yrs. old, he’s not sure.  The part of the story when he is in the nursing home is hilarious!! (4) it has a very good ending; (5) it is going to be made into a movie.

Reasons not to read this book:
(1)  The plot of the story was a little confusing to me; (2) The prologue gives away the story.  I suggest you skip it if you decide to read this book; (3) some swearing in it.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the 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. 

I'm back in the gym again!

Karen's Two:

I have found that strength training brings about the widest range of immediate, maintainable, and long-lasting physical and mental/emotional benefits.  Recent research proves that even with the very elderly and the very weak, effective strength training increases independent function skills and produces significant improvements in stair climbing, getting up from the floor, rising from the chair, and walking speed.

From p. 7 of Strength Training For Seniors--How to Rewind Your Biological Clock by Michael Fekete, CSCS, ACE (See "It Feels Great To See Progress" on our other blog about my gym experience.

Here's another I'm reading:

She looked up at John, his eyes patient, waiting for an answer.  How could she tell him she had Alzheimer's disease?  He loved her mind.

From p. 78 of Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

Gerard's:

"The Disaster March," he said, wrestling the apron over his head.  "Means something's gone bad--real bad."

From 13 of Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.  (contains lots of swearing)

You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"The Horse Boy" by Ruper Isaacson

Amazing Journey (30 stars)
The Horse Boy by Ruper Isaacson is the story of Rowan, a special needs child, and his father, Rupert.  Rowan forms a friendship with a testy horse named Betsy.  Rupert sees this and gets the idea to take Rowan to Outer Mongolia to attempt to be cured by the Shamans and what a journey it is!  You will fall in love with Rowan and admire Rupert who will do anything to find a cure for his son.  You will be tempted to skip some pages because at times it moves slow, but stick with it.  It has a happy ending.  I enjoyed this book and hope you do too.
(Gerard 5/30/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"The Girl In The Gatehouse" by Julie Klassen

I really liked the cover!

The Girl In The Gatehouse by Julie Klassen is historical fiction about Mariah who was sent away from her home for inappropriate behavior to live in a gatehouse on her aunt’s property.   This takes place in the 1800s when it was considered unladylike to be an author so Mariah wrote a couple books under a pseudonym.

There were quotes before each chapter but the harshest I think was this one by Nathaniel Hawthorne in a letter to his publisher, 1852:  All women as authors, are feeble and tiresome.  I wish they were forbidden to write. 

I found the historical quotes interesting and also the book cover.  There is mystery, romance and the insight into the 1800s in this story.  I enjoyed the interaction with the people in the poor house across the street from the estate, especially when Mariah got her friends to put on a little play for those at the poor house.  There are a lot of characters, but they were introduced slowly enough to be able to get to know them. 

I had to laugh when I came to the part of Captain Bryant discussing Mariah’s novel with her and his lieutenant, Mr. Hart, when he did not know she was the author because it summed up how I was feeling about this book:

He snapped the book shut.  “It is all so much gentlewoman gibberish to me.” . . .. In any case, I am afraid I find the book frightfully dull.
“Let me guess,” Hart said.  “No swordplay, no gunfire, and no horse races.”
“Exactly.  Lots of long looks and deep discussions.”
Hart raised one finger high.  “And therein lies the void between the sexes.  Women want long looks and deep discussions, and men want to ride and shoot.”

There was so little action and it moved so slow, several times I had trouble keeping my eyes open!  I plowed through it though because I have seen several good reviews for it and I got to liking the characters.  I loved the ending--and not just because it was over!  The theme is forgiveness and to move on even if you make mistakes, don't dwell in the past.

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

If you want to see other bloggers thoughts on this book, visit Christian Fiction Book Club over at Edgy Inspirational Romance.

"JESUS--90 Days With The One And Only" by Beth Moore

I discovered JESUS-90 Days With The One And Only by Beth Moore through a blog (unfortunately, I don't recall which one it was but think it was Reading and Life).   It's actually a devotional book by Beth Moore.  I've done some of her Bible Studies and always came away with a better understanding and a fresh perspective so was very excited to find this book.  I had a Barnes & Noble Gift Card so bought it with that.  It is a beautiful book!  I look forward to using it in my devotions and may perhaps share some things from it as I go through it on my other blog, Always Looking Up.  This is a 90-day journey so I will not keep showing this in our header here for three months even though I will be reading it.  I'm sure it will be very good!  (If it was your blog where I saw this, please let me know so I can include a link to your post--I know I left a comment that I would be using my gift card to get it.)




Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Twin" by Allen Shawn

Twin by Allen Shawn tells the true story of Mary, Allen Shawn's twin sister who had autism.  Her parents sent her away to "summer camp" for good.  That's how it was handled back in those days.  Allen shares his feelings about that and his relationship with his brother, parents and Mary.  Some of the book is like a text book; I would have liked a little more action.  It was okay, not really a bad read but not riveting either.
(Gerard's review)   

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb is Incredible!

From God To You: 66 Love Letters (A Conversation With God That Invites You Into His Story) by Dr. Larry Crabb is one of the most unique books and profound books I have come across. I loved it! I am so happy I won this book in a giveaway because I found myself underlining something in just about every chapter. It is like a summary and commentary on the Bible but is written in such a way that held my attention and made me eager to read more. The writing is incredible because the whole book is written as a conversation between God and a man about each of the books of the Bible. So often, the man is asking the same questions I have about the different books. Through “God’s” part of the conversation, the author shows how all the books come together to point to Jesus and God’s plan to get people to His “big party (heaven).”

I took my time reading this one since I own it, and because there is so much to comprehend and chew on. It is very thought provoking and will be treasured as a great reference book in my library. I plan to re-read the chapters that relate to the book of the Bible I am currently reading. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in spiritual things or who has questions concerning things in the Bible.

Here's my teaser.
(Karen’s review)

About the Author:

Dr. Larry Crabb is a well-known psychologist, seminar speaker, Bible teacher, author, and founder/director of New Way Ministries (www.newwayministries.org). He serves as Spiritual Director for the American Association of Christian Counselors.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle With Faith And Love" by Father Albert Cutie

For me Dilemma by Father Albert Cutie was an eye-opening look at just what it means to be a Catholic Priest.  Father Cutie became one but then fell in love and had to make a choice.  Dilemma gives very good inside accounts of how he made his decision and what other people thought of it and him.  I enjoyed reading his story.

Here's my teaser from p. 144: 

"But I also very much felt called to be a married man, even a family man. I was a priest in love and contemplating marriage; I no longer believed the two things to be incompatible as I had been taught."

(Gerard's review)

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

"Rose In A Storm" by Jon Katz is a WOWIE!-Updated 3/2/11

We Loved This Book!

UPDATED 3/2/11: Karen's Review:
I agree with Gerard, Rose in the Storm by Jon Katz is really good! It’s a touching fiction story about the life of a farm working dog, Rose. I really liked learning about farm life through this book and seeing how the animals connected and interacted with each other. When Sam, the only human on his farm gets injured during a 5-day blizzard with temperatures -30 degrees and is air-lifted to a hospital, his border collie, Rose, takes care of the farm without him. I especially identified with Rose’s memory of her special connection with Sam’s wife Katie, who died. I’m sure anyone who lives on a farm or likes animals would love this book! I am a city girl and enjoyed it very much. I kept thinking about our blogging buddy, Mountain Woman at Red Pine Mountain, who blogs about her farm in Vermont as I read this book.  We both highly recommend this book!


The author has also written a non-fiction book, The Dogs Of Bedlam Farm, about his farm in upstate New York. Gerard liked that book too and now I’m going to read it too! The author’s website is www.bedlamfarm.com.

Gerard's Review:

WOW!  What a book!  Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz is about Rose, a working dog on a farm and her owner, Sam.  Rose has a lot of work to do as there are a lot of animals on the farm to look after.  Rose tells the story which is very cool.  One day a huge storm comes and Rose is put into a situation she has never been in before.

I felt a lot of emotion while reading this book which to me says that is a really good book! Rose is a wonderful dog that the reader can't help but love. I think anyone would enjoy this book, especially dog lovers. The best part is that it has a good ending--the dog lives! I cried when I read Dewey, The Library Cat and cried at the end of this book too--yes, it's that good! Karen is going to read it as well.

We saw Faye's write up about Rose In A Storm by Jon Katz over at Summit Musings and ordered it from the library.  I'm so glad I did! 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March.  We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

Comment For Charity

We are very happy to report that we received 224 comments on our all our blogs during February so will donate $112 to The National Children's Cancer Society (50 cents per comment).

The day we first met Abby! (6/20/09)

For March we will again donate 50 cents per comment on all of our blogs but to Canine Lifeline--the organization that rescues dogs from shelters that are scheduled to be put down. They use foster homes to take in the dogs to give them longer to find them good homes. They have saved over 300 dogs throughout Ohio and Kentucky since it started in 2009. This is how we got Abby! She was scheduled to be put down because she was in an overcrowded shelter. She is a wonderful dog and it would have been so sad had Barb, one of the founders of Canine Lifeline, had not rescued her to give her extra time for us to find her.

Visit their website at www.caninelifeline.org to donate, see what other dogs are available or provide a foster home. We hope you will comment on all our blogs to help out this charity that is so wonderful!

Tuesday Teaser: "Dilemma" and "Girl In The Gatehouse"

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:

But I also very much felt called to be a married man, even a family man. I was a priest in love and contemplating marriage; I no longer believed the two things to be incompatible as I had been taught.

From pg. 144 of Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle With Faith and Love by Father Albert Cutie

Karen's:

Had she not promised herself she was finished with men and their untrustworthy ways? Even as she thought this, she knew the promise was a poor shield against the truth. For she felt certain no honorable man would ever love her now.

From pg. 77 of The Girl In the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen