"The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken (Updated)

If you enjoyed "Hunger Games", "Divergent" and "Starters," then I'm pretty sure you would like The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. The story is about young teens on the run from the U.S. government. It moves along really well and the lead character, a young teen girl is FANTASTIC! There are lots of "wow" factors for me in this book and the last 100 pages or so were page turners to the max! I hope there will be a sequel! LOVED IT! Do yourself a favor and read this one!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

On Gerard's recommendation, I read this one too (Updated 1/30/13):

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a page turner that is about loyalty, friendship, isolation, survival and manipulation. This book is about Ruby, Liam, Chubbs and Zu, four friends who try to keep their freedom and remain true to themselves but who have “special” powers of different kinds. The plot was a bit confusing to me at times, but I liked this book because of the characters. Ruby is able to see into people’s minds to not only see their memories but also is able to erase memories and plant thoughts into people’s heads. The only problem is that she can’t control it until she gets lessons from another kid with the same abilities whose practiced his whole life! If you like YA fiction with adventure and fantasy, this is a great book for you! “The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.” Pg. 456.
(Karen's Review)

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ne of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop prompts this week is "What are you reading?" so I linked up. You can too!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Tuesday Teasers: "Mighty Inspiration" and "Teaching In The Terrordome"

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

Every person is connected to every other person in a very short period of time because what moves are ideas, feelings, reactions, and decisions. It is an ever ebbing and flowing tide of motion in the spiritual world, and it is beautiful to see.

From page 26 of Mighty Inspiration--Love Letters From God by Barbara Bernard Miller.
(visit Barbara's blog, Mighty Inspiration)

Gerard's:

Other stood up and talked. Malika wandered around, laughing, cracking jokes to other Kids. Nine students. That's all I had. Why couldn't I get them under control?

From page 29 of Teaching In The Terrordome by Heather Kirn Lanier.

Happy Reading!

"The Black Box" by Michael Connelly

The Black Box by Michael Connelly is not one of his better books, but I got through it. It’s about a 20-yr-old murder case that people gave up on except not Harry Bosch. I almost stopped reading this but went back to it because I didn’t have anything else to read. I the best part is where all the pieces come together and the case is solved which was very good; however, getting there took persistence and determination.
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Chicken Soup For The Volunteer's Soul"

Chicken Soup For The Volunteer's Soul is a collection of short touching, uplifting and inspirational accounts of volunteers serving in a variety of organizations. I especially liked the one about the old lady in the nursing home who was depressed because she couldn’t see her grandchildren but cheered up when a kid came to visit her who reminded him of her grandson. He appreciated her because he she was like a grandmother that he didn’t have. Another favorite of mine was the busy lawyer who took time out of her day to visit an animal shelter and helped find a home for a mother cat before all her kittens got adopted! She was one determined lady! There are many good stories about all different volunteers. It is an easy book to read a little at a time; I enjoyed it! Read it and I bet you will feel like volunteering!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Never Coming Back" by Hans Koppel

Never Coming Back, International bestseller, by Hans Koppel tells the story of a couple who hold a woman hostage that they feel was responsible for their daughter's suicide 20 years ago. She was a member of "The Gang of Four" who terrorized a school. The other three are dead; will she meet the same fate? You talk about a page turner, this is it! Plenty of "wow" factors and the ending is not to be missed! I give it 5 stars plus-plus!!! A must read for anyone who likes a good story.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Buddy (How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man)" by Brian McGrory

Buddy (How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man) by Brian McGrory is a really good true story of a man who comes into a family that includes his wife, two young girls, a dog, and a rooster! This is a family book. Kids would enjoy reading it as well as parents. Brian, who tells the story, learns about life from his dog and the rooster. I LOVED it!
(Gerard's review, 5+)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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

The other kids started screaming. One girl, Tess, was crying so hard she couldn't breathe.

From page 5 of The Darkest Minds by Alexander Bracken. (YA fiction--click link to see Gerard's review)

Ultimately, the only way to experience the richness of life is to live in an attitude of gratitude: to appreciate what you have and what you can give. The best way to ensure your happiness is to assist others in experiencing their own.--Anthony Robbins

From page 129 of Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul--Stories to Celebrate the Spirit of Courage, Caring and Community (Non-fiction, inspirational)


Gerard's:

     The story of this rooster actually begins with a dog.
     His name was Harry, and if it's true that you get just one truly wonderful animal in your time on this earth, then without a flicker of a doubt, he was mine.

From page 10 of Buddy (How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man) by Brian McGrory. (fun read)

If you like inspirational non-fiction, be sure to check out my review of The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd that I posted yesterday.  It is the best inspirational non-fiction book I've ever read!

Happy Reading!

"The Power of a Positive Woman" by Karol Ladd

LOVED IT!  A MUST READ FOR WOMEN!

The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd is the best inspirational non-fiction book I ever read and plan to read it again! I absolutely LOVE this book and can't say enough good about it! It is Biblical, has scriptures included throughout it right in the text, interesting facts about people used as examples of putting the principles into action and is uplifting, encouraging and challenging! Topics include: faith, wisdom, prayer, joy, love, courage, hope and the main theme is making a difference.

I used it as a devotional book the first time I read it and highlighted lots of things. It is divided into chapters with subdivisions so provides short thought-provoking passages easily used as devotionals. At the end of each chapter is a a short application section called “Power Point” which includes further scripture with some questions to think about, a prayer, a main point to remember and some activity to do. If you are looking for a practical book that will encourage spiritual growth, this is it!

The Power of a Positive Woman is a wonderful book to use for a women's Bible study group which is how I came to read it. I highly recommend this book to all women, but I think men could certainly benefit from it as well.
(Karen's review, rating 10 stars!)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Dear Sparkle: Advice From One Cat to Another" by Sparkle

Image source:  Amazon

Dear Sparkle: Advice From One Cat to Another (No Humans!) by Sparkle the Designer Cat is not only a fun read but also insightful and informative. There are all kinds of different problems that cats have, most involving their humans. The advice is given in such a way that humans can benefit from it as well. I highly recommend this cute book to any cat owner. The cat letters may be fictional; however, the tip part for humans is really non-fiction. Sparkle says what a smart cat owner should do. I found it both amusing and interesting.  Visit Sparkle's blog too, it's very cat friendly and interesting!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

You HAVE to read this one!

This is a very good book for all cats.  We LOVED it as much as Sparkle's other book:  Dear Sparkle:  Cat to Cat Advice From the World's Most Foremost Feline Columnist by Sparkle the Designer Cat.  It's a must read!
(Spunky Doodle and Manny Boy's review)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Shiver" by Karen Robards

Shiver by Karen Robards is a novel about a young single mom and her 4-yr.-old son who get mixed up with an undercover FBI agent.  The byplay between the two main characters kept my interest throughout the book.  I would have liked more action, but there is tons of romance throughout!  It only took me two days to finish it.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Tuesday Teasers: One Fiction and One Non-Fiction

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

As she stared down in shock at the man he groaned.
Sam felt a cold shiver of fear run down her spine.

From pg. 16 of Shiver by Karen Robards. (Gerard's review will be posted tomorrow.)

Karen's

I bet your human is one of those people who disappears every day for hours and looks really tired and annoyed when she comes home. This place that occupies so much of a human's time is called a 'job,' and I think it's one of the things that destroys the play instinct.

From pg. 11, Location 172 on Kindle of Dear Sparkle: Advice From One Cat to Another by Sparkle.

Happy Reading!

Which Blog Header Picture Do You Like Best?

Just trying to liven things up a bit

Here is what our mom called an outtake.  We think she should have used this for the header picture this week.  Which one do you like best?  We are also reading Dear Sparkle:  Advice From One Cat to Another but it is on the Kindle so isn't pictured in the header.  We did borrow an image from Amazon though and posted it on the side bar.  It's a great book for us cats!  Meow! 

Find more pet posts at the Camera Critters  and Pet Pride blog hops.

"Gun Church" by Reed Farrel Coleman

Gun Church by Reed Farrel Coleman is about a writer down on his luck. When he moves into a new town and meets up with some new people, he starts to "live again." However, when his new book and his real life start to interact, trouble is brewing. Because of the good twist and the ending, I give it 5 stars. It's not a "must read" for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Comet's Tale--How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life" by Steven D. Wolf

Amazing, heartwarming read!

What an amazing true story Comet's Tale by Steven D. Wolf is!  Steven Wolf saved Comet from a bad fate, then Steve's health took a turn for the worse and Comet came through for him.  Comet became the first ever Greyhound service dog.  Find out by reading the book why Comet was named the "Service Dog of the Year."  If you like feel-good stories, start off the new year with this one!


Thanks for sharing your story, Mr. Wolf, and give Comet a treat for me and my dog, Abby.  LOVED this book!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++) 

Comet's Tale by Steven D. Wolf  is about a man with deteriorating back problems who gets a greyhound dog named Comet and trains the dog to help with every day tasks to make his life easier.  He got the dog a service dog jacket and the dog accompanied him everywhere he went.  The amazing thing about this book is that greyhounds are not service dogs.  This one was quite special and was very loyal and dedicated to Wolf.  I did  not like this book as much as Gerard did, but it has interesting information about greyhounds but Wolf's story was sad.
(Karen's review, rating 2 stars)
  
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Godsent" by Richard Burton

Godsent by Richard Burton is fantastic! Imagine the Son of Man coming down to Earth to live among us today. What would he find? Would people listen to Him and believe? Would people try to use Him to further their own good? or would people plot against Him and claim He is a false God? and last of all, would He perform miracles? This is an outstanding religious thriller with plenty of "wow" moments. I couldn't wait to see how it would play out and LOVED IT! The ending to this book added another plus! It is going to be made into a movie too!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Tuesday Teasers: 1 thriller and 2 non-fiction

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 (well, we cheat and choose specific ones)
• 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:

Laura ignored this display, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. Later on someone told her that at that pivotal moment she'd played a good game of something called "negotiation jujitsu"; but she knew that she was just doing what you learn to do naturally as a quiet person in a loudmouth world.

From pg. 28 of Quiet--The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. (non-fiction)

     Unless, of course he was a prisoner himself . . .
     But if that were so, then, in some way beyond her understanding, it was by his own choice, for there was no cell in the world that could hold her son against his will.

From page 6 of Godsent by Richard Burton. (a thriller)

Karen's:

I gently lifted Comet's ears, displaying the numbered tattoos that still made my stomach lurch a little.  The girls' expressions had been solemn as I talked about Comet's early life and how racing greyhounds were routinely mistreated, then abandoned or destroyed. 

From page 65 of Comet's Tale--How The Dog I Rescued Saved My Life by Steven D. Wolf with Lynette Padwa. (non-fiction)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Short-Straw Bride" by Karen Witemeyer

Slow moving but with an exciting ending

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer is a historical western romance between Travis Archer and Meredith.  He was the oldest of four brothers who made a death-bed promise to his dad to protect the ranch and his brothers by staying on it.  He felt guilty breaking his promise to see Meredith home after hurting her leg in one of his traps.  Then years later, she came back into his life to warn him of a scheme to burn his barn.  It’s a good Christian fiction story with a happy ending but moved kind of slow.  I liked Travis but didn’t care for Meredith.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Fire in the Ashes" by Jonathan Kozol

Fire in the Ashes--25 Years Among The Poorest Children in America by Jonathan

Kozol tells the story of kids growing up homeless in New York City and the trials they and their families go through. Some of the stories are heartbreaking; however, some give you hope. Some have a "wow" factor but they are all interesting. This non-fiction book is well worth your time.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis"

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis is a children's historical fiction book. George, age 10, and his sister, age 8, are both on the Titanic with their Aunt Daisy when it sinks. It gives some interesting facts about the ship, emphasizing that everyone thought it to be unsinkable. I didn't realize how big it was until I read this book--did you know it was 11 stories tall? I liked it as a children's book.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Ninth Step" by Grant Jerkins

The Ninth Step by Grant Jerkins is a quick read about Helen, an alcoholic who vows to stop drinking after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. What makes this book so good is that just when you think you have it figured out, you don't. There are lots of "wows" in this book; well worth your time.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!