Scariest Books We Ever Read

image:  Amazon.com

The scariest book I  (Karen) ever read was my first ghost story in 2003, Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul. A girl, Amanda, was blind and was forced of a cliff, died and now haunts other 12-year-old girls. Michelle, an adopted girl, moved from Boston to Paradise Point and found an old doll in her house that she name Amanda. Amanda’s ghost came to visit her and they became friends. When someone teased Michelle, the ghost would come and arrange some sort of “accident” so they would die. Only mother figured something was very wrong but father ignored everything connected with Michelle once Jennifer was born.

Gerard's was the Tommyknockers by Stephen King.  Here is an excerpt from the dust cover (558 pages):

Late last night and the night before,
Tommyknockers, Tommyknockers,
knocking at the door.
I want to go out, don't know if I can,
'cause I'm so afraid
of the Tommyknocker man.

It begins with nothing more frightening than a nursery rhyme; yet in Stephen King's hands it becomes an unforgettable parable of dread, a threat from an unimaginable darkness that drags the practical inhabitants of a New England village into a hell worse than their own most horrible nightmares...and yours.

It begins with Bobbi's discovery of the ship in the earth, a ship buried for millions of years, but still vibrating faintly, still humming with some sort of life...faint...weak...but still better left alone.

The townspeople of Haven are "becoming"--being welded into one organic, homicidal, and fearsomely brilliant entity in fatal thrall to the Tommyknockers.

In this riveting, nightmarish story, Stephen King has given us his tautest, most terrifying novel to date.  And the next time someone raps at your door, you may want to keep the chain on.  It just might be the Tommyknocker Man.

Have you these? What did you think of them? What was the scariest book you ever read?

"The Circle" by Dave Eggers is an Enjoyable Read

The Circle by Dave Eggers is about Mae Holland who lands her dream job working at "The Circle," the most powerful Internet company around.  At first, she loves it and quickly rises up in the company, but not everything is as it seems.  Mae is in for the adventure of her life!

I loved this book because Mae was a believable and likable character and the plot moved right along.  I think it would make a good Lifetime movie. 
(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

Gerard's:

"Well, it's not like he's in security-security.  He's not Mossad.  But did I interrupt something you definitely shouldn't be doing on your first night here you idiot?"

From page 38 of The Circle by Dave Eggers.  (My review will be up Wednesday.)

The possibility that the floodwaters could reach the first floor raised fears for the ten patients in the emergency room and the Noah's ark of pets in the medical records department.  For now, the emergency patients stayed put.

From page 58 of Five Days At Memorial by Sherl Fink.

Karen's:

Trish didn't want help any more than our mother did.  She was only permitting us in her house under threat of losing the only thing that might matter more to her than stuff, little Jack.

From page 52 of Keepsake by Kristina Riggle.

Forgiveness may be excruciating for a moment.  Anger and bitterness are excruciating for a lifetime.

From page 181 of David--Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

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 Edge of Normal" by Carla Norton

The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton is about a young girl named Reeve who was kidnapped and escaped.  She is trying to deal with that when her doctor tells her of another young girl who had the same ordeal she did and needs someone to talk to.  Soon trouble comes and Reeve finds herself in danger again.

This is a very good action book.  The suspense builds up throughout the book that made me love 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!

"To Sing Frogs" by John M. Simmons (UPDATED)

A Happy Memoir

Updated 10/25/13:

To Sing Frogs by John M. Simmons is an interesting read on so many levels.  First of all, it is a true story of a Mormon couple who had three boys of their own, but who adopt a special needs boy (Jack) and later three girls and one boy from Russia.  It was amazing at how many hoops they had to jump through and all the delays.  In spite of the author being a cynic who really doesn't believe God cares or is involved in our lives, the answered prayers of the three little orphans from Russia seems to at least make him wonder.

I'm glad I took the time to read To Sing Frogs in spite of the dumb title.  This book is so well written that I felt the father's frustrations and the joy of the girls who were adopted.  I loved the author's sarcasm throughout the book and how the orphans' prayers were answered in spite of the odds.  I think anyone considering an international adoption or interested in orphanages or Russia would enjoy this book.  It's different from any other book I've read.     
(Karen's review)

To Sing Frogs by John M. Simmons is a memoir about family, friends, life, and other things that don't make sense.   It is about a couple who adopt four children from Russia.  The best parts of the book were: 

(1)  all the red tape and the various hurdles the couple had to go through to get the children to be part of their family;

(2)  the kids, the joy they felt that somebody wanted them and then the trials of coming to America and not knowing the language and the customs; and

(3)  how the couple wished that they were able to take a lot more kids in.

This is a feel good book that I think you would enjoy reading!  There is no big "wow" factor, but a happy, heartwarming ending.  I liked the pictures in the book too!
(Gerard's review, rating 5 stars)

Note:  We received an advance review copy of this book but that did not affect our reviews.
All proceeds from the sale of To Sing Frogs will benefit the Ele Lembra Foundation charity and with your assistance, we'll be raising awareness on the benefits of adoption.

Happy Reading!

"Boy Nobody" by Allen Zadoff (UPDATED 11-5-13)

Boy Nobody is a YA book about a teen who actually gets to do the kinds of things one does in playing a video game.  Zach’s life is not his own, he becomes a boy assassin working for “the Program.”  He completes an assignment, killing someone, then moves away and onto the next assignment.  His choice is to complete assignments or die.  He chose to live and most of the book is about his most unusual assignment yet—a very short timeline and a girl. 

 

This book is a very quick read with very short chapters.  I like how the author created suspense with action which made me keep reading.  At first, I didn’t like the main character but by the end of the book, I did.  This book is written in the first person of Boy Nobody, the assassin, which is a different twist.  The best part of the book for me was getting to know Boy Nobody’s thoughts, especially when he was in danger.  I enjoyed the book but was hoping for a different ending.  

(Karen's review, 4 stars)

 
Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff is about a young teen boy who is in "The Program."  He gets assignments to kill and does them very well but this time he runs into problems.  I loved this book from cover to cover.  I was really into it!  There is plenty of action and the ending is spell binding!  
(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 Tuesday: Four for You

Gerard's:

Gloria lurched out of the bathroom, a matching hole in her stomach, a bloody hunting knife in her hand, a knife she noticed as if for the first time and then threw against the wall with what must have been her last burst of strength, because in the same motion her legs gave out.  When they did, it was Jule's neck she slung her slippery arms around and Jule's shuddering body she dragged to the floor.

From page 12 of The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman. Loved this!

I am equally effective with girls and guys, but girls create another level of difficulty.  More emotion, more problems.

From page 55 of Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff.

Karen's:

Katya didn't know what to do any more than I did.  I felt like my wife, sent on an errand to the auto parts store to choose a high performance carburetor for a '68 Camaro.

From page 49 of To Sing Frogs--A memoir by John M. Simmons (Advance Review Copy, Uncorrected Proof)

Confessing wrong thoughts stops sin in the first stages, before it comes out of our mouths and then directs our actions.  If I allow God to halt sin before it takes one step out of my mind into word or deed, the only person hurt will be me.

From page 153 of DAVID--Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

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 Waking Dark" by Robin Wasserman

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman is about a small town where evil takes over and people do what they would not normally do.  A group of people who have nothing in common must come together to stop the evil from spreading.  This book reminds me of the old Stephen King books that I loved.  Loved this one too--a great Halloween 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!

"The Program" by Suzanne Young (UPDATED)--We Both Liked This One!

In The Program by Suzanne Young, teen suicide is on the rise so the government starts "The Program" designed to help teens, but at what cost?  The story is told by a young teen girl and does it very well.  It had my interest from page 1 all the way to the end.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Updated 10/18/13:
The Program by Suzanne Young is a combination of teen romance and adventure.  The premise is to prevent teen suicide by capturing high risk teens that show signs of depression or loneliness and by using drugs, erase their memories that led to their depression.  They are institutionalized for 6-8 weeks and then released under the watchful eye of handlers. 

I really liked this book because Sloane, the main character, is strong and tries to keep her memories.  It's an interesting novel that I had trouble putting down.  It's a book I was eager to get back to reading. 
(Karen'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!

"Help for the Haunted" by John Searles

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is about a family that consists of a mom, dad and two girls.  The one daughter goes against what their parents are teaching as they do a show on the road.  She leaves, but one night she calls and tells them to come to the church to talk.  They go and bring the other daughter along but she waits in the car.  Mom and dad go into the church but don't come out.  They are found dead.  The rest of the book tells what led up to that night, who killed the parents and what becomes of the daughters.  It's pretty good.
(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!

"The Price of Victory" by Sandra Leesmith

The Price of Victory by Sandra Leesmith is a love story about two cyclists, Debra and Sterling.  Debra is not good at studying so decides to try to make her father proud by winning major cycling races.  Her dream is to get on a professional team and race in Europe.  Sterling is bored until he meets Debra at a race and it’s pretty much love at first sight.  Throughout the book, he seeks Debra’s love by becoming her “knight in shining armor.”  The big question is will Debra follow her dream and make her dad proud or will she choose Sterling instead.    

 

This book started off a bit slow but got more interesting as it went along, finishing strong.  It gives insight into competitive cycling with a good romance.  I really liked the happy ending.  (Karen'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!

Teaser Tuesday--4 For You

Gerard's:

He wants her to remember him, what they built together. Both Miller and James think The Program is a fate worse than death.

From page 24 of The Program by Suzanne Young. (My review went up yesterday.)

"This one's going to be an easy target," Rose said as we watched the woman lumber up the walkway. "I almost feel bad for her."

From page 25 of Help for the Haunted by John Searles.

Karen's:

"That's why I'm sitting here. You understand how difficult it is to be involved on the road."

From page 51 of The Price of Victory by Sandra Leesmith.

"Mephibosheth was obviously humiliated. "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

From page 141 of David--Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

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!

"Alex" by Pierre Lemaitre - Favorite Read For September (Updated)

In Alex by Pierre Lemaitre, a woman is kidnapped but that just touches the surface in this captivating novel.  It is filled with twists and turns that I never saw coming which caused me to really enjoy this book a lot!  I can certainly see why it won a CWA International Dagger Award for the Best Crime Novel of 2013!  I highly recommend this one if you want a good thriller.  It's my favorite read for September!  Read and enjoy!  
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)  

Alex by Pierre Lemaitre is a dark crime novel that is also a psychological thriller which takes place in Paris is all about revenge.  Although the serial killer is revealed early on, the police take a long time drawing a connection between the victims.  They appear to be random killings, but all gruesome in the same way.   Alex, the main character is a complicated person to say the least.  My favorite part was when the rats were crawling all over the crate Alex was trapped in!  The author did an excellent job in evoking a wide range of feelings toward Alex.  This novel is certainly a page turner and one that is so creepy that I couldn’t help thinking about even when I wasn’t reading it.   I highly recommend this to anyone who likes murder mysteries and police investigation novels. 
(Karen'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!

"Building Your Mate's Self-Esteem" by Dennis & Barbara Rainey

Building Your Mate’s Self Esteem by Dennis and Barbara Rainey is for both husbands and wives and provides some practical suggestions based on scripture for building self-esteem in your mate with familiar quotes tossed in. At the end of each chapter is a suggested thought provoking activity to do that helps you put into practice the principles given in the chapter.

There is a lot more “meat” in this book than I thought there would be and several things really stood out to me such as (1) accepting our mates unconditionally as God’s gift to us; (2) be generous with heartfelt praise; (3) encourage mate to develop close friendship with same gender and find another couple you and your spouse can become friends with; (4) seek to do specific things that please your mate; (5) encourage mate’s positive talk about himself and encourage him to avoid even thinking negative thoughts.

This book served as a good reminder to me on how to be good wife. It’s easy to let day-to-day responsibilities take over in a marriage to the extent romance and fun is neglected. Married couples should still act as though they are competing for their mate or familiarity can lead to boredom that can cause a marriage to fall apart should one of the couple choose to search elsewhere for something better. I recommend this book to any couple!
(Karen'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!

"Enon" by Paul Harding Plods Along

Enon by Paul Harding deals with a man following the tragic death of his daughter, an only child.  It also goes back in time when he was a young boy.  Some of the stories he tells and was involved in got my attention.  Some did not.  There is not much action so it kind of plods along.  
(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!

"Midnight" by Kevin Egan (How Long Can You Hide a Death?)

When a judge dies on New Year's Eve, Tom and Carol fear they might lose their jobs so come up with a plan to keep the judge's death quiet.  But for how long?  Soon they find themselves in more trouble than just that!

I liked this book more than I thought I would.  It kept me entertained and the ending part was really good!  You should read it.
(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!

Teaser Tuesdays: Four for You

Gerard's:

I was walking in the woods when Kate died. I'd asked her the day before if she wanted to pack a lunch and go to the Enon River to hike around and feed the birds and maybe rent a canoe.

From page 3 of Enon by Paul Harding. 

They set about executing the plan they had hashed out during the afternoon and then rehashed during the drive. Carol pulled the bedcovers down while Tom unrolled the rug and dragged the judge into the bedroom.

From page 72 of Midnight--How Long Can You Hide a Death? by Kevin Egan.

Karen's:

Earlier this evening a medium-sized rat, trying to scrabble over the others, fell through the slats and landed on her back. Nauseated by the physical contact, she let out a scream--there was a brief uncertainty among the other rats, but the disturbance didn't last long.

From page 97 of Alex by Pierre Lemaitre.(click link to see our reviews--both read this one)

When we sift His apparent activity through the standard of who He is, the fog begins to clear. Basing our faith on who God is rather than what He appears to be doing is crucial to our spiritual health.

From page 120 of David--Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.


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!

"Unfinished Symphony" by V. C. Andrews

Unfinished Symphony by V. C. Andrews is the third book of the Logan Family series focusing on Melody actually discovering who her real father is and tracking down her mother in Hollywood.  More and more family secrets come to light as Melody continues to snoop around and ask lots of questions.  This book has some humor, adventure and romance as her love for Cary grows.  I liked being exposed to all kinds of lifestyles through Melody’s experiences of living with all different people in different places.  She posed nude for an artist, had pre-marital sex with her boyfriend but drew the line when it came time to be in a porn film and was embarrassed when she discovered she was wearing a see-through swim suit at the pool.  Melody and Grandma Olivia’s relationship gets even more interesting in this book with Melody’s lessons on etiquette providing some humor into the story.  As the Olivia tries to groom Melody to take over the running of the family, Melody humors her and they form a sort of truce, until the shocking ending.

 

I am enjoying this family saga series very much and will continue to the next sequel, Music in the Night.  This book raises issues of identity, destiny, grief and if one can rise above their past and the sins of their parents.  I highly recommend this series.

(Karen's review)

Previous reviews of books in this series:  Melody and Heart Song

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!

"Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent is an Outstanding Read!

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is an outstanding read based on a true story. Agnus was the last woman to be publicly beheaded in Iceland for murder.  While waiting her execution, she is at an isolated farm where the family avoids her.  Only a priest seeks to understand her. 

Even though I knew how it would end, it does not take away from the story.  Believe me, it doesn't!  This book pulled me in the first few pages and the characters in it are all really good.  I hear there is talk of a movie deal--if that is true, it would be a good 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!

Our Favorite September Reads

Gerard's Favorite:  Alex

(Click link to see my review)

Karen's favorite:  Necessary Lies (click link to see my review)

 Please tell us what your favorite read for September was in a comment.

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: 4 Today

Gerard's:

He lets go, and Alex holds her breast, eyes bulging, gasping for breath, hopping from one foot to the other, blind with pain.  The tears come in spite of herself as she says:  "Wh-- wh-- what are you going to do?"

From page 33 of Alex by Pierre Lemaitre.  (My review of this will be up tomorrow (my favorite read for September).

Margret drew the covers up to her chin as the officer's snores continued their unceasing rumble.  One would think an avalanche was approaching, she thought, annoyed.

From page 71 of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

Karen's:

"It was my mother, but she pretended she didn't know me.  She said she couldn't be old enough to have had a daughter my age and she laughed at me."

From page 84 of Unfinished Symphony by V. C. Andrews.

Someone can treat our child unfairly and we're ready to pounce.  We almost can't help living by the philosophy:  If you want to make an enemy out of me, just mess with my kid.

From page 92 of David--Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore.


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!