"Predator" by Terri Blackstock

Predator by Terri Blackstock is a contemporary fiction page-turner about online security.  When Krista’s 14-yr-old younger sister, Ella, is murdered, Krista is horrified to find discover that Ella gave up-to-the-minute details about her whereabouts on the social media GrapeVyne (similar to Facebook).  Krista is determined to find her killer and warn others about posting so much personal stuff online, especially one’s whereabouts.  The killer continues going after more girls and the suspense builds as Krista becomes his next target. 

I enjoyed this book because it moved along and addressed an important issue in an interesting way.  The ending wasn’t very believable but overall it is a good read.  It shows the importance of not posting things on-line that you wouldn’t want a predator to see.  Don’t think only your friends see what you post!  

(Karen's review 2/26/13)

Predator by Terri Blackstock should serve as a warning to people, especially young girls who put way too much information online.  Bad guys are out there and this book tells the story of one of them.  This book is a real page turner.  You can quickly identify with all the characters in the story.  The writing is very good and there are a lot of interesting twists and turns.  It goes fast--a very good read!
(Gerard's review 6/19/10)

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

"The Fifth Assassin" by Brad Meltzer

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer is on the "Best Sellers" list for a reason--it is that good!  Someone is re-creating down to the last detail the four assassinations of the four presidents that were in office.  Now, there is going to be a fifth one.  The question is who is doing this and will the fifth attempt be successful?  It is hard to know the bad guys from the good guys in this one and the plot twists are eye popping!

At 654 pages (large print) this is no light read.  The book took four years to finish and it shows.  This one kept me turning pages and the ending is the best of all!  I loved it and recommend 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!

Tuesday Teasers: "Predator" and "The Fifth Assassin"

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 killer had access to this information, and he was somewhere here, hidden among her GrapeVyne friends. Krista clicked on Ella's Friends and saw a list with pictures of over eleven hundred people.

From page 20 of Predator by Terri Blackstock.

Gerard's

Almost on cue, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking down, President Wallace pulled it out just enough to read the newest text onscreen:
How's my funeral going? Dr. Stewart Palmiotti asked.

From page 5 of The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer.

Happy Reading!

"In Need of a Good Wife" by Kelly O'Connor McNees

Light and Entertaining

In Need of a Good Wife by Kelly O'Connor McNees is a post-civil war historical fiction novel about mail-order brides seeking a new start. When Clara sees an ad for wives needed in Nebraska, she sees it as a business opportunity and becomes matchmaker for women in Manhattan who want a new start and are willing to go to Nebraska. She contacts the mayor of the Nebraska town, Destination, and when the gentlemen seeking wives write, she tells the women about them and they correspond for months before their trip. The story focuses on Clara, Elsa, an older lady who was a laundress most of her life who never married and Rowena, the prettiest in town who is a broke widow with a father in an asylum in need of money to take care of him.

I loved this book because it is unpredictable and filled with interesting characters. Some of the marriages panned out nicely while others did not, but the plot thickens when Clara was unable to deliver what she promised and the gentlemen without brides want their money back and charge her with fraud! My favorite character was Elsa. This one has discussion questions in the back and would make for a good book club selection.

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!

Francona--The Red Sox Years - A Must Read For Sox Fans!

A must read for all Red Sox Fans!

Francona--The Red Sox Years by Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy is a really really good book about the years Francona managed the Red Sox.  It was so much fun going back over the two years that they won the world championships!  There is interesting inside stuff too on ownership, players and the things that go on that the average fan knows nothing about.  I have yelled a lot at Francona while watching the Red Sox games when he was manager; but after reading this book, I've gained respect for him.  I wish him luck with Cleveland this year except when they play the Sox.  This one is a must read for all Red Sox fans!
(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!

"Brain On Fire--My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan GIVEAWAY (Updated)

Here's a non-fiction Must Read!

UPDATED 2/20/13:
Brain On Fire--My Month Of Madness by Susannah Cahalan is her true story about how a rare, mysterious disease almost took her life.  It is a contemporary medical thriller and very scary because it really happened!  It was only because her parents and boyfriend persevered at getting her the help she needed that she survived.  I felt sorry for her and her family as I read her account.  It's really scary that one of the best neurologists in the country just thought she was a drunk having withdrawal symptoms and never even heard of anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis which is what she was finally diagnosed with and treated for. 

This is a fascinating read and I was glad that this journalist recovered enough to write this book about her experience.  The key lesson is to get a second opinion!  I found it interesting for the most part but she lost me when she tried explaining the medical details of how the immune system actually attacks the brain.
(Karen's review, rating 4 stars)

Brain On Fire--My Month Of Madness by Susannah Cahalan is the true story of Susannah who started to have medical problems.  She was misdiagnosed so often that one day she woke up in a hospital and didn't know how she got there.  Wow, what a great read!  

This is a page turner for sure with lots of "wow" factors for me.  The biggest wow is that I got this one to review for free--it's a must read!  I highly recommend it.  I'm so glad you are all better now, Susannah.  Thanks for telling your story and God bless!

(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

We received this book free to review but that did not affect our reviews in any way.  


If you would like this book and live in the USA, just be the first to say so in a comment on this post including your email address so we can contact you for your mailing address.

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!

"Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes is a Must Read!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes centers on two people: Will--an outgoing young man who had it all going on until an accident put him in a wheelchair; and Louisa--a young woman who does not have many skills becomes the caretaker of Will because she needs a job. The interaction between these two is just fantastic! When Louisa finds out about a death pact between Will and his parents, she has a short time to convince Will that life is worth living. How does she go about it and does she succeed? You will have to read the book to find out!

This book had me from page 1. You talk about a page turner, this is it.  You will keep turning pages quickly to see how it ends. The books I really remember are ones I cried over--this is one of them! I highly recommend this as a must read!
(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!

Tuesday Teasers: "Brain on Fire" and "Me Before You"

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

The last thing he sees is a leather glove, a face under a helmet the shock in the man's eyes mirroring his own. There is an explosion as everything fragments.

From page 15 of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

Karen's:

There's something wrong with me. This is how a crazy person acts.

From page 32 of Brain on Fire--My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. (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!

"Ecclesiastes" written by King Solomon, Inspired by God

"A Wise Man Believes in God"

I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes from the International Children's Bible and enjoyed it very much!  Although it gets a bit depressing at times, it is a very interesting read.  It talks about how a lot of life is useless, like chasing the wind. Some common phrases that we hear today like "Ignorance is bliss," "A little bird told me," "Follow your heart," and "Where there's life, there's hope" seem to find their start in the book of Ecclesiastes.  For example, one I thought was funny is Eccl. 9:4 for the phrase "Where there's life, there's hope" which says:  But anyone still alive has hope.  Even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

The main point of the book is to enjoy your short life while here on earth but know that God will judge you for your actions.  After a detailed description of old age in chapter 11, it closes with the admonition to remember thy creator in the days of your youth.  The most important thing people can do is to honor God and obey his commands.  It is only twelve chapters, but very thought provoking and at sometimes funny. 
(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!

"Winterling" by Sarah Prineas

Loved it!

Winterling by Sarah Prineas is about a young girl who goes into a strange land to find out about her parents and who she really is. This one is full of adventure and has lots of action with a really good ending. Even though this is classed as juvenile fantasy, I loved it! Give it a shot!
(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!

"Suspect" by Robert Crais - NYT BESTSELLER (updated)

The dog has a big role in this book!  Woof!  Woof!

UPDATED 2/14/13:
Suspect by Robert Crais got my attention right from page 1 and kept me turning pages all the way through.  This is so much more than just a mystery.  Maggie is a German Shepherd that got shot in Afghanistan and became a partner to Scott James who is a cop recently transferred to the K-9 unit after his partner was killed.  Both Maggie and Scott suffer from PTSD and are trying to recover to return to active duty.  I liked how Maggie developed a strong bond with Scott and how Scott really became attached to Maggie and trusted her.  Scott and Maggie work together to find out who the men were that killed his partner and shot him.   The story moved quickly and suspense built up as it went along.  I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who likes dogs.
(Karen's review)

Suspect by Robert Crais is a novel about a cop and a dog. The cop lost his partner in a shootout and nine months later is still having nightmares. The killer is still out there too! The dog lost his master during the war in Afghanistan and was shot at.

The cop joins the K-9 unit at the meet up and becomes a pack of two with the dog to go after the bad guys. This book has lots of action so it goes fast. I especially liked the parts where the dog tells the story. It is currently No. 5 on the New York Times best sellers list! I recommend it--read and enjoy!
(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!

"Mischief Master Class" by Dogs, 2 Cats and a Turtle

Inspirational,a 'Must Read" for dogs

Mischief Master Class by dogs, two cats and a turtle assisted by Annette Vivian is a really fun book about mischief real pets get into.  It has lots of great short stories and pictures!  I LOVED it!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)--UPDATED 2/13/13

Mischief Master Class by Dogs (two cats and a Turtle!)...assisted by Annette Vivian is a must read for all dogs!  It is a great reference book giving 20 rules that dogs (and any pet really) should know for getting away with mischief by becoming a "Master of Mischief."  It is a collaborative effort spearheaded by Snoopy (visit his blog by clicking the link), a dog blogger who is a bearded collie therapy dog but that doesn't mean he can't get into mischief.  In fact, he even hosts a "Monday Mischief" blog hop every week.  Various pets on the Internet contributed their mischief stories which Snoopy cleverly used as case studies to illustrate how the rules work.  By the way, our pets have rule #1 down pat:  "Look Cute."

It has lots of colored photos and URLs for videos to watch of the contributors too (with their blog URLs) as well as many of Snoopy himself, of course.  It is a quick, fun, light read that I enjoyed in spite of the overuse of a couple words:  "doh" and "Tee Hee."  My favorite mischief was the two dogs who ate the cookies that were hidden inside the oven and then left the empty tray inside and closed the door when they were done!  I must admit, I've never seen any other book quite like this one although "Dear Sparkle:  Cat-to-Cat advice" which is written by a cat for cats comes close.   

Mischief Master Class is available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon with 50% of the proceeds donated to Therapy Pet Support charities which we think is awesome! 

Good job, Snoopy and your buddies!
(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!

"Revolution 19" by Gregg Rosenblum

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Robots have taken over in Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum. When a family gets separated, the children enter the city to rescue their parents. I enjoyed this book very much! There is lots of action and I found myself cheering on the kids. It goes fast and there is almost certain to be a sequel which I will definitely want to read.
(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!

Tuesday Teaser: "Revolution 19" and "Suspect"

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

Nick, shaking with adrenaline and anger, threw Kevin down onto his bed, hard, bouncing him off the mattress and onto the floor. "You idiot, you may have just gotten us killed!"

From page 23 of Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum (review will be posted tomorrow)

Karen's:

They are suspect.  That dog will help him realize he is not right for this job.

From page 60 of Suspect by Robert Crais.

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 Wrath Of Angels" by John Connolly

I give The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly 5 stars plus! A plane crashes in a dense forest and the race is on to get to the plane because somebody or something is on it that everybody wants. Which is it? You will have to read the book. There is lots of action, many characters and a very good ending! I liked it and recommend it.
(Gerard'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 Tragedy Paper" by Elizabeth Laban (YA)

Every year at a boarding school, the outgoing seniors leave a "treasure" behind in their rooms for the next senior occupying that room to find. Duncan finds a stack of CDs left for him that he doesn't think much of until he listens to the first one. Then he can't stop until he hears them all! What's on the CDs? You will have to read The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban.

Like the CDs, The Tragedy Paper is hard to put down. I finished it in two days! I got to really care about the characters, the writing is superb and the ending is shocking! Do I have your interest yet? All that being said, I give this book 5++ stars!  Excellent work, Ms. Laban!
(Gerard's review)

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban is about a teen love triangle and a high school assignment at a prestigious private boarding school steeped in tradition.  It is written in a unique way with two narrators, Tim who lacks self-confidence and Duncan who is pre-occupied with his tragedy paper and has trouble letting go of the past.  The book kept my interest to discover what the tragedy was.  I liked both Tim and Duncan and I also like the English teacher, Mr. Simon.
(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!

Tuesday Teaser: "Suspect" by Robert Crais

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

Maggie limped to him, and frantically licked his face. She tasted the blood running from his nose and ears and neck, and flushed with the need to soothe and heal him.

From page 9 of Suspect by Robert Crais.

Karen's:
The book I just finished, (Teaching in the Terrordome) and the one I am currently reading (The Tragedy Paper) Gerard already used teasers from so I have nothing for you this week.

Happy Reading!

"Teaching In The Terrordome" by Heather Kirn Lanie (UPDATED)

Teaching In The Terrordome--Two Years in West Baltimore With Teach For America by Heather Kirn Lanier is the true story of a young teacher's first time teaching in an inner city school in Baltimore called "The Terrordome." As I read this book, I quickly learned why! I enjoyed this book very much because Heather told it as it was and pulled no punches. It is funny, sad, eye opening and real. I think the best pat is the epilogue when she tells you there is no magic wand that can fix the problem, but to her credit, she still wants to try. If you liked this kind of book about real teaching experiences, you will enjoy this one!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaching in the Terrordome by Heather Kirn Lanier tells about her two-year experience of teaching 9th grade English for Teach For America in a Baltimore inner-city school at risk of being taken over by the state. She shares about the 6-week training she received to prepare her to teach and her feelings and thoughts about the inequality of education between the middle class and lower income kids. It had my interest at the beginning but by the second year, it dragged along for me. This is a realistic account of how the norm of teaching in an inner city school for Teach For America is. She felt like a failure because the majority of her students were still barely passing and nothing much changed from when she started except for being made aware of how bad off some schools really are.
I liked other ones much better. Guess I just like happier endings and more inspirational ones like I'd Like To Apologize To Every Teacher I Ever Had by Tony Danza, and Nobody Don't Love Nobody by Stacey Bess.
(Karen's review, 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!

"The Stonecutter" by Camilla Lackberg - Giveaway

The main story in The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackberg is about a killing of a 7-yr.-old girl who a fisherman brings up out of the water.  However, there are a ton of other subplots which are all good too!  There is a lot of deception in this book.  It is a 500+ page novel that doesn't feel that long because I got caught up in the story.  I loved the wild ending and that is why I give it 5 stars plus!  I enjoyed it a lot!  It also has discussion questions in the back if you wish to use it for a book club read.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

We will give this one away to whomever comments first saying they would like it with an email address so we can contact you for a mailing address.  

(We received a complimentary copy from the publicist, Simon and Shuster but this did not affect my thoughts about this book.)


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!

"Road Trip" by Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen

In Road Trip by Gary and Jim Paulsen, a father and a son go on a road trip to rescue a dog from a shelter but they find a whole lot more than they expected—adventure that is. This is a small book but packed with interesting people. I especially enjoyed the dog’s side of the story. Kids and older people would enjoy this book.

(Gerard’s review, rating 4.5 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!