"Claire of the Sea Light" by Edwide Danticat-Awesome Fiction Set in Haiti

A Runaway Child in Haiti

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat is an awesome read about a young girl named Claire who lives in Haiti.  She runs away on her seventh birthday.  As the search goes on for her, you meet other people who have connections to her and her family and learn about life in Haiti.  This was an eye opener for me that I won't soon forget!  
(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!

"Necessary Lies" by Diane Chamberlain--Good Book Club Read!

This is my favorite of hers yet!

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain is an interesting read about Jane, a good person, but not so good a social worker. Recently married to a pediatrician, Jane insists on becoming a social worker against her husband’s wishes and soon discovers they should not have gotten married. She constantly is at odds with her supervisor over the rules and procedures that conflict with what she believes is the right thing to do. Jane is so dedicated to helping her clients that she puts her marriage and her job at risk. This book addresses several issues: marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty, sterilization, and can social work.

I loved this book! I felt bad for Robert, Jane’s husband. I enjoyed getting to know Jane’s clients and trying to figure out who the fathers were, and where and when “Ivy and Mary was here” was carved into a closet. This book tugged at my heart but I was relieved when it had a happy ending.  I thought it was really cool how the author included the epilogue as part of the story! This book is both thought provoking and gripping. I highly recommend this one and think it would be a great read for a book club.

Other books I liked by this author:
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
The Midwife's Confession

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!

Loved "The Highway" by C. J. Box

The Highway proves why C. J. Box is one of the best authors around. Two girls are missing and the hunt is on to find out where they are and who did it. There is lots of action in this book and I really enjoyed all the characters! The ending was unexpected and oh so good! I LOVED 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!

Teaser Tuesdays: 3 This week

Karen's:

It was an odd request--visit a stranger's house and peer inside a closet--and as I drove through the neighborhood searching for the address, I felt my anxiety mounting.

From page 1 of Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain.

Gerard's:

When there is a new story about a woman killing her child, there is almost always some reference to my mother. Her story is that famous.

From page 8 of Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington.

Then she flipped him of with dismissive contempt.  That's all it took.  Rage blasted through him and orange spangles erupted in front of his eyes.

From page 34 of The Highway by C. J. Box.



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.   

Happy Reading!

"Sure Signs of Crazy" by Karen Harrington

In Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington, you will meet 12-yr.-old Sarah Nelson. She collects troubled words and her best friend is a plant! This girl is something else, but no wonder!

I loved this book. The writing is really good and I got so caught up in it that the pages flew by. It has a very good ending too! This is the author's first book, can't wait for her next one!
(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!

"Heart Song" by V. C. Andrews - Loving This Series!

Heart Song by V. C. Andrews is the second book of the Logan Family series which I am enjoying.  This second book is about Melody's search for her natural father, her romance with Cary, modeling for Kenneth and meeting her real grandmother that does not sit well with Olivia.  Melody learns more family secrets and stands up to Olivia.  It has a shocking ending that left me hanging, eager to read the next book of the series. 

This series sort of reminds of Belva Plain's family sagas.  There is a lot of interaction among the characters which makes for an interesting read.  I liked this book as well as the first, Melody.   

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 9th Girl" by Tami Hoag Kept Me Turning Pages

You can never go wrong with a Tami Hoag novel and The 9th Girl is no exception.  There is a serial killer on the loose that has to be stopped, and Detective Nikki also has to deal with her son who is having issues in high school.  Both are real good story lines that I enjoyed very much.  This novel has good action in it that kept me turning pages.  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!

Other Tami Hoag books we've read:
Down the Darkest Road
Secrets to the Grave (Fantastic!)
The Last White Knight (romance)
Deeper than the Dead (awesome)

"Braced For Murder" by Sue Owens Wright

I LOVED Braced For Murder--a Beanie and Cruiser Mystery by Sue Owens Wright!  This is a good mystery that I did not figure out with no dirty words or bad plot lines.  Dogs, dogs, dogs--loved the story line.  This is a must read for any dog lover!
(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: Four For You

Karen's:

"What nonsense did she tell you? I'm sure she rambled on and on about something silly."

From page 93 of Heart Song by V. C. Andrews.

Today we've seen that love is more powerful than jealousy, godliness is more powerful than wickedness, and the Spirit of God is more powerful than anything. The best laid plans of kings and queens crumble under the mighty Spirit of God.

From page 46 of David - Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

Gerard's:

I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was--that I couldn't stick around--and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

From page 5 of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick. (Karen plans on reading this one too.)

The dogs barked and lunged at the cage doors as we ran past them. Several fights broke out.

From page 23 of Braced for Murder by Sue Owens Wright.


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.   

Happy Reading!

"Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock" by Matthew Quick

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick is a really good quick read YA novel! It's Leonard Peacock's 18th birthday and he has something special in mind. He plans to kill his former best friend, and then himself!

I enjoyed this book very much, it has a good story line that kept me turning the pages. I finished it in just two days! I liked the ending too. If you are looking for a good quick read, this is 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!

"Tell No Lies" by Gregg Hurwitz

Tell No Lies by Gregg Hurwitz is a novel about a man who is a counselor of paroled violent offenders.  By mistake, he gets an envelope intended for a murder victim in the making.  I found this pretty good; enjoyed the plot and action.  It's well worth your time reading.  (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!

"The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty is So Good! (Updated 9/13/13)

Just gets better and better as it goes along!

updated 9/13/13:
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty reminded me of a soap opera with so many characters.  Cecelia accidentally finds a sealed envelope addressed to her with clear instructions not to open it unless her husband is dead.   Of course, the wife cannot resist opening it, and can't believe what she is reading.  It puts her in a very awkward position and doesn't know what to do. 


I did not guess what the husband's secret was until I started reading the book and then I had an idea of what it might be. There is some bad language which I did not care for and the infidelity between Tess and her husband turned me off, but overall it was a very good plot and an interesting read.  I was puzzled though that it was around Good Friday and Easter when this took place, but the season was autumn.  Easter is in the spring!  I think this would make for a good book club read.
(Karen's review)

I found out the reason The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is No. 5 on the New York Times best seller list--it is because this book is so good!  I finished it in two days.  

The beginning part of the book sets the stage and when the husband's secret is revealed in a letter marked not to open until he dies, his wife opens it anyway.  The novel really takes off as the tension builds about if the secret which has the potential to destroy lives will be revealed to the outside world or not.  

The characters in this book are believable and I loved how all the plot lines came together at the end.  And get this:  the epilogue is very good and ends the book just right!  Put this on your TBR list, you will be glad you did!  
(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!

"Etched in Sand" by Regina Calcaterra

Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra is a story about five siblings who have to deal with a very rough childhood and a mom who would never win a "Mother of the Year" award. I enjoyed the parts of the book that dealt with the mom. You will not believe her actions and words! This would make a very good Lifetime movie for sure; well worth reading. (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!

"A Street Cat Named Bob and How He Saved My Life" by James Bowen

A Street Cat Named Bob and How He Saved My Life by James Bowen is a true story the bond that developed between him and a street cat he named Bob that helps them both.  The second part of the book focuses more on James than it does on the cat.  This book is nowhere near as good as Dewey, the Library Cat which is one of the best books I ever read!  In my opinion, this is still a book well worth reading because the parts that have Bob, the cat, in it are really good!  Glad it has a happy ending!  (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: Four Today

Gerard's:

We know better than to expect much--to us, running water and a few old mattresses is good living. We've managed with a lot less.

From page 7 of Etched in Sand--The Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island by Regina Caterra.

They were just kids on a trip to London, but they were fascinated.  Almost immediately other people were stopping to see what the fuss was about.

From page 67 of A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen.

Karen's:

"It's not a big deal, but Cecilia, please, I'm asking you not to open it."  He sounded desperate.

From page 48 of The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.

"It doesn't matter if we have many people, or just a few.  Nothing can keep the Lord from giving us victory."

From I Samuel 14:6 of the Holy Bible (ICB).



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.   

Happy Reading!

"The Eagle Christian" by Kenneth Price

The Eagle Christian by Kenneth Price is a short read all about Eagles and how Christians are like them.  I enjoyed the photographs of eagles the most.  It contains many interesting facts about eagles as well, the king of birds.  There are 16 chapters each talking about one characteristic. 

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 Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman was Disappointing

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (New York Times Bestselling Author), is about a man who comes back to his boyhood home and remembers the summer when he was seven when a girl befriended him.  It's a pretty good read with some good parts but also some parts that didn't interest me much.  
(Gerard's review, 3.5 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, II, II John and Jude are Short but Powerful Books!

I read all these books in one week because they are all short, some in fact are only 1 chapter!  I John is the longest with five chapters, and has a lot of good things in it with the primary theme of loving God and others.  I marked a lot of verses in this book and highly recommend it!  

II John is about truth and love and that we must believe Jesus was truly human.  Verse 10 says not to welcome people into your home or even greet them if they do not believe Jesus was truly human! 

III John is about working together and support people who leave to tell others about the Lord. 

The book of Jude is about false teachers being evil and that God will punish them.  I really like the greeting in verse two which says, "I pray that God will greatly bless you with kindness, peace, and love."  What a good thing to pray for my family and friends. 

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!

"Justice for Sara" by Erica Spindler

Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler is about sisters, Kat and Sara.  After a bad fight between them, Kat found Sara dead.  At the trial, everyone assumes Kat did it, but she is found "not guilty" and the real killer is still at large.  Kat returns ten years later in hopes of finding the real killer but is not welcomed in the small town. I enjoyed this book a lot.  If you can guess the killer, you are better than me!  There is good action and a surprise ending.  
(Gerard's review, 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!

"Variant" by Robison Wells is Unpredictable!

Variant by Robison Wells is about Benson Fisher, a foster kid, who chooses to enroll in Maxfield Academy, a boarding school.  As soon as he arrives though, it seems more like a prison and finds that very strange things happen there.  It is surrounded by a high fence and wall with cameras everywhere but no teachers or grades!  The student body of only 75 students is split into three gangs:  Variant, Havoc and Society.  The gangs have made a truce and divided up the work contracts.  Benson wants out from the time he gets there and cannot understand the complacency of everyone else!  This is not what he expected!!

This is a page turner that I really liked because of the characters. The plot really doesn't make much sense, but it makes for a fun read and I enjoyed it right up until the very end which I did not like.  The interaction among the characters kept my interest and I especially liked the paintball parts.
(Karen's review, 4 stars--it would have been 5 except for the dumb ending)   

In Variant by Robison Wells, Benson Fisher thinks that his life is on the upswing now that he is going to be enrolled at Maxfield Academy; however, 24 hours later all he can think about is how to escape! Why the change? You will have to read the book to find the answer. There is just enough action to keep me going and the build up to the ending is really good! It has a twist that I did not see coming. Enjoyed it and now am going to start the next book in this series, Feedback.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

NOTE: I read 200 pages of Feedback and thought it was stupid so finally quit on it. Wells should have stopped after his first one!

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: Four Today

Karen's:

"We don't have a principal" she said.  "We don't have teachers, and we don't have counselors."

From page 14 of Variant by Robison Wells. (See Gerard's review here.)

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

From I John 4:15-16 of The Holy Bible (KJV)

Gerard's:

The scene of the crime.  The place her life had come to a bloody, screeching halt.

From page 2 of Justice For Sara by Erica Spindler.

I'm having a nervous breakdown, she thought with relief.  I'm about to lose my mind, and that's just as well, because this cannot be fixed.

From page 169 of The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. (click the link to read my review.)


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.   

Happy Reading!

Our Favorite Reads For August

 Gerard's favorite:

The Boys In the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Karen's favorite:

Melody (Logan family saga) by V. C. Andrews

Abby's (Gerard liked it too) Favorite:

Kara's Gift by Annemarie O'Brien

Books we both liked but not our favorites:
The Clock of Life, In the After, The Never List


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!