"A Difficult Boy" by M. P. Barker

A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker is a good story about two young boys working for a shopkeeper. This book kept my interest from page 1. It's funny at times and heartbreaking too! Give it a chance, you will be glad you did!

(Gerard's Review 11/10/11)


I loved reading A Difficult Boy by M. P. Barker even though it is a teen historical fiction book set in Massachusetts in 1839.  It is the story of two indentured servants, Ethan (9 yrs. old) and an orphan named Daniel aka Paddy, a few years older (who become friends and worked together to get their freedom.  This book kept my interest all the way through and I felt sorry for the boys and anger towards their abusive master, Mr. Lyman, the town's well respected storekeeper.  What a creep he was!  My favorite part of the book though was when Daniel taught Ethan how to ride Ivy, Mr. Lyman's horse.  I also liked the ending!

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories about friendship.  I think this would make a very good movie!  It is interesting that the author worked as a costumed historical guide in Massachusetts for nearly ten years and this is her first novel!  It won the 2003 PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award.  To learn more and view the book trailer, visit her website:  www.mpbarker.net. 
(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.

"Now and Then" by Jacqueline Sheehan

Now and Then by Jacqueline Sheehan is a nice easy-to-read story about Anna and her nephew, Joseph. After Anna picks up Joseph at a juvenile detention center, that next day they wake up to find themselves in Ireland in the 1800s, back in time! How they cope and what they discover about themselves is the story. My favorite character in the book was Madigan, the dog, who is outstanding! If you are looking for a good story with a happy ending, this book has both.

I also read Lost and Found by this author and liked that one too!
(Gerard's review)

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

Hurry and check out our audio book giveaway of "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta. Winner will be chosen Sunday, Oct. 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.

"Sorry" by Zoran Druenkar

Sorry by Zoran Druenkar is about four people who start an agency that will tell people that you are sorry for you. Everything is going along great until one day they get a job and when they arrive at the apartment, a woman is dead and nailed to the wall! This is a very good read! It's filled with a lot of twists and turns; I didn't know what was going to happen next but was anxious to find out. I loved it and finished it in just two days! You will be sorry if you don't read Sorry!
(Gerard's review)

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

Check out our giveaway for an audio book:  "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta 

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 Sword" by Gilbert Morris

"The Sword" by Gilbert Morris is a Historical romance that is a good read. It has a mix of action, humor, romance and Christianity. It takes place during the Civil War and is a fascinating read. Chantel, the main character decides to leave home when her mother dies, leaving her alone with her step father who tries to rape her. She finds an elderly Christian Jew peddler who is hurt and saves his life. They become partners and together bring supplies to the soldiers and help a lot of people. The Christian theme is that God brings people together and loves everyone, forgiving and giving peace to all those who trust in Jesus. It's a good story, I enjoyed it!
(Karen's review)

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

Check out our audio book giveaway for "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta. All you need do to enter is leave a comment!

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: "Wildwood," "Night Strangers," "The Sword"

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:

Nothing her parents had told her, nothing she'd ever learned in school, could possibly have prepared her for this thing that was happening. Or really, what was to follow.

I finished reading Wildwood by Colin Melot but loved it so much that I wanted to do a teaser from it, so here it is from page 8:

"You really don't hear it?" Hallie asked in a small but intense voice. "You really don't hear them?"

There was that word again: them.

From page 64 of The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian.

Karen's:

"God knows you and has known you since before you were born. And He chose you to help a poor old man that was dying."

From page 108 of The Sword--The Last Cavaliers: Two by Gilbert Morris

Check out our giveaway for an audio book:  "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta

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 Night Strangers" by Chris Bohjalian

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian is about Chip, an airline pilot. One day, through no fault of his, he has to make an emergency landing on water. Unlike the “miracle on the Hudson” landing, lots of people die. Chip and his family decide to move to a new town and buy a new house. As you would expect, this does not go well at all! Talk about a page turner, I had trouble putting this down. It's a perfect spooky read for Halloween season!
(Gerard's review)

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

Be sure to check out our audio book giveaway for "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta.

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.

Audio Book Giveaway: "The Leftovers": by Tom Perrotta

We have an audio book of "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta to giveaway to someone who leaves a comment on this post saying they would like it.  This is a fiction book on 8 CDs including a bonus interview with the author.  Here is the summary of what it is about:

WHAT IF--WHOOSH, RIGHT NOW, with no explanation--a number of us simply vanished?  Would we think it was the Rapture?  Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?

That's what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends, and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out.  Because nothing has been the same since it happened.

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community.  Kevin's own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster:  His wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence.  His son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne.  Only Kevin's teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she's definitely not the sweet A-student she used to be.  Kevin wants to help her, but he's distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

TO ENTER:  If you live in the U.S. and want to enter this giveaway, just leave a comment with your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner.  The winner will be randomly chosen on October 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.

"Wildwood" by Colin Meloy

WOW! Wildwood by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis, is an outstanding read! Prue's baby brother is carried off by crows to Wildwood--a place you are not supposed to enter. But, enter she does joined by her friend, Curtis, who offers to help.

This is a fantastic fantasy read with kings, queens, talking animals, and action galore! It has 530+ pages and I finished it in just two days! That's how much I enjoyed it. Give it a read, you will be glad you did! I highly recommend it if you are looking for some fantasy.

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 Most Dangerous Thing" by Laura Lippman

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman is about growing up, keeping secrets, death, friendship, jealousy, and marriage. Three brothers and two girls form a close friendship but when an incident occurs in the woods where they go exploring, it affects them and their parents for years to come. The novel jumps around a lot with flashbacks and hopping from one family to the next. The reader gets to know the parents and their struggles as well as the kids who grow up into adults with struggles of their own. Sometimes I found it hard to follow. This is a mystery with complex characters. It kept me reading to discover exactly what the most dangerous thing was; not telling you. You’ll just have to read this to find out!

I liked the flashbacks to the kids hanging out together but overall this is a sad story with a dark view of marriage. Only one out of 6 marriages were really happy which I found kind of sad. This is slow moving and depressing. If you enjoy family sagas and lots of interpersonal relationship dynamics, then you may like this one.

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 Fatal Gift of Beauty--the Trials of Amanda Knox"

I must confess that I did not read The Fatal Gift of Beauty--the Trials of Amanda Knox by Nina Burleigh cover to cover. The first 179 pages or so were background stuff, which is necessary, I know; but I found it rather boring and uninteresting after awhile. I just skimmed most of that. When I finally got up to the murder, the investigation and the trial, it was very, very good and I was caught up in it. Can't say this is a must read, but sort of good overall.  If you are interested in this case, I recommend it.
(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.

Tuesday Teasers: Books by Burleigh and Lippman

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:

Some might say the pentagon was Chicken George, but it was our talent for secrecy, our sense of ourselves as a single community.  Once we five joined, truly joined, it was never boys against girls, or Hallorans against the other two families.  No, it was Sean and Gwen who destroyed us.

From page 141 of The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman.

Gerard's:

It was a perfect, heart-shaped face but with a mysterious expression, one that viewers could only subjectively read. One American who went on to start a website devoted to Amanda Knox's guilt said she took one look at it and thought, "That girl's a killer."

From page 212 of The Fatal Gift of Beauty--The Trials of Amanda Knox by Nina Burleigh. (Non-fiction)

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 Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is about a town where a rapture takes place. People who were on Earth are suddenly gone and the people who are left have to come to grips with that. I enjoyed how the different characters dealt with it. This is not a "wow" book by any means, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
(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.

"The Dog Who Knew Too Much" by Spencer Quinn (UPDATED)

I enjoyed The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn. Bernie and Chet, his 100 lb. dog, are partners in the Little Detective Agency and specialize in finding missing persons. Chet is the narrator of the story and it’s so funny when he gets distracted by smells or off the track with random thoughts. At first, it was even kind of annoying when I was trying to follow what was going on, but then I got used to it. I liked that the dog acted like a dog would and wasn’t like a person. He couldn’t actually talk and it wasn’t like he had any supernatural ability. One of the lines he kept repeating was: “Our cases closed just about every time with me grabbing the perp by the pant leg.”

I think you should read this one too!

This is a real fun read with both action and mystery. I think anyone who likes dogs would like this book. Visit www.ChetTheDog.com to see what else he’s up to.
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review posted 10/14/11:
You can never go wrong with a Bernie and Chet book.  I love Chet, he steals the show like he always does.  This is a good quick, enjoyable read with a happy ending! 

Gerard also read Dog On It by this author and liked it even better, but this book is well worth your time.  We both recommend 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.

"The Eighty-Dollar Champion" by Elizabeth Letts

This non-fiction book is about a horse named Snowman, a plow horse, who with his owner, Harry, went on to become a world champion show jumper! The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts has it all. The story is so good and the writing made me feel as though I was right there cheering on Snowman! I hated to see this book end; I loved it so much! I hope a movie comes out on this book. If you don't read The Eighty-Dollar Champion, you are missing out on a great story! For sure, it is in my top ten or even five for my books of the year.
(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.

Tuesday Teasers: "The Dog Who Knew Too Much" & "The $80 Champion"

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:

Something huge and strong knocked me down. I rolled over, bumped against rocks that wouldn't give, bumped against more and more and more rock in every direction, solid rock but on the move at the same time, and started clawing, clawing, clawing, seeing nothing, smelling nothing, hearing nothing--except my heart, pounding like crazy--and feeling nothing but rock, closing in from all around.

Taken from page 87 of The dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn.

Gerard's:

Snowman was a puzzle. If the horse could jump big sturdy paddock fences, why had he not shown any particular skill with a rider on his back?

Taken from page 87 of The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts

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.

"No Distance Too Far" by Lauraine Snelling

Didn't care much for this one--too slow.

No Distance Too Far by Lauraine Snelling is Christian fiction set in 1904. Astrid, the main character, is a woman doctor who desires to follow God's will; she's just not sure what that is. She is not sure if God wants her to be a medical missionary in Africa, to work with her mentor or stay in Blessing to assist in her sister-in-laws medical practice or work on an Indian reservation with Red Hawk. She also wonders if Joshua is the man for her.

I liked the part where she was at the mission school, but it moved slowly and I didn't much care for 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.

"Rin Tin Tin" by Susan Orlean

Our dog, Abby, thinks you should read this one!

Rin Tin Tin—The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean is one of the most interesting dog books I have read. For those who may now know, Rin Tin Tin was a dog in a TV show years ago. First of all, let me tell you that Susan Orlean did a ton, and I mean a ton of research on this book. It took a decade to write it and second of all, this is a wonderful book!!! You're going to find things about the owner, Lee Duncan, and Rin Tin Tin (a German Shepherd) that is simply going to dazzle you! I got so caught up in it that I had a hard time putting it down. The few pictures in the book are very good too. Thanks for all your hard work, Susan, I LOVED IT!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from it since I'm not reading it on Tuesday for a Tuesday Teaser from page 85:

He scrambles up a tree--a stunt so startling that I had to replay it a few times to believe it. Can dogs climb trees? Evidently. At least certain dogs can.

(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.

"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

WOW!! This book is good, really really good! It's about a college baseball team, the president of the college, and his daughter. The good news is that you do not really have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book. There is plenty of action off the field, trust me. Did I tell you that the ending is fantastic? It is! Read and enjoy. They hype about this book is true!

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.

"Sarah's Daughter" by Ruth Bass

I enjoyed Sarah’s Daughter by Ruth Bass more than I thought I would.  It’s about a grieving family in the 1880’s and how the husband and his three children cope with the death of Sarah, the wife and mother.  Rose, the oldest daughter, is 14 and becomes overwhelmed with taking on all that the mother did while still going to school.  The father turns to alcohol to drown his troubles.

Here is a quote I thought was very good:

Sarah always said when the problem was very big, you just started at the very beginning and went along a bit at a time, the way you read a new book.

"Read only the first line," she'd say, "and understand that.  Don't go skimming through or try to see the end before you have absorbed all the lines between.  Problems are like books.  You work your way through them, and sometimes the ending is quite a surprise."

I liked the humor in this book and found the historical look at daily living in the 1800s very interesting.  The main character is likeable and well developed.  The author told most of the story from Rose’s point of view, even sharing her funny thoughts with the reader.  It is very well written and character driven.  This novel is about friendship, dysfunctional families, grief, suicide, dreams and some romance.  I recommend it to anyone who likes books teens or historical 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.

"Thunder Dog" by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory (Updated)

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory is a must read!  It is a true story about Michael and his guide dog, Roselle.  It tells how they managed to escape the morning the towers fell and also his life story of being blind.  You get two stories in one book--both remarkable to say the least.  I enjoyed it very much!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:

I was surprised when I read Thunder dog by Michael Hingson because most of the book is not about his escape from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 which is what I expected.  Instead, the book focuses on the author’s life showing how he didn’t let his blindness hold him back.  He is an ordinary person who happens to be blind.  He was blind from birth but still rode a bike, drove a car, flew a plane, graduated with a Master’s degree in physics (with honors), held several high pressure jobs!  Yes, he and Roselle, his guide dog, were among many people who walked down 1,463 stairs to get out safely when the plane flew into the building, but the book explains more about the special relationship between guide dogs and their owners.  I learned a lot about what it’s like to be blind—it was fascinating to me how he could “hear” inanimate objects in front of him kind of like bats do based on the echo of sound waves. 

Thunder dog is inspirational, enlightening and educational—a good read!  Michael set up a foundation in memory of his beloved guide dog, Roselle which provides technology to blind children and adults to assist them in living normal lives.  Check it out at www.rosellefoundation.org. 

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.

Tuesday Teasers: "Thunder Dog," "Art of Fielding" and "Sarah's Daughter"

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:

. . . "Get out of here!  It's coming down!"  The South Tower emits a deep rumble that becomes a deafening roar. I hear glass breaking and metal tearing, accompanied by a chorus of shrill and terrified screams.

From page. 108 of Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory (Review will be up tomorrow)

     And then all Affenlight saw were faces, Mike Schwartz's big and nearby and twisted in a suffering grimace, Henry's beyond it round and distant and blank, revealing nothing, as there came, from that corner of the dugout, a muffled but nonetheless sickening crunch, followed by a thud.

     Owen.

From page 101 of The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach.

Karen's:

The date was on the back.  October 27, 1871, ten years after the Civil War began.  She didn't want to look like that.  She didn't want to be her mother.

Taken from page 6 of Sarah's Daughter by Ruth Bass.

 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 Library Test

Gerard is a Strong Thinker

Gerard with our dog, Abby You tend to have an opinion on everything. You are the opposite of wishy-washy. You like to consider yourself informed, and you're more than happy to read up on anything you don't know about. You've got an intensity that draws people to you. You provoke strong emotional reactions. There isn't a lot of middle ground or gray area with you. You rarely feel conflicted about anything.

This is true for my hubby, Gerard, all the way through.  I like that he is a strong thinker and well informed.  People do like him but sometimes he does feel conflicted when two of his sports team play at the same time, he struggles with which one to watch. 

Karen is a Concrete Thinker

See the cats? When it comes down to it, you're a practical person. You're only concerned with what works in life. You like to build your skills and knowledge about the world. You like to know lots of things. You are career-focused. You get a lot of satisfaction from working hard. You are always looking for ways to improve yourself and strengthen your ambition in life. You study a lot.

I agree I am very practical and do have a desire for knowledge, although not necessarily current events.  Being career-focused is a joke.  I really can't say I am although I do get lots of satisfaction from working hard.  At this time, my most satisfaction comes through blogging.  I do enjoy my Bible studies and seek to improve at becoming more like Jesus.

Take The Library Test

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate $1.00 per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is famine relief through Samaritan's Purse.