"Perfect" by Rachel Joyce

Perfect by Rachel Joyce tells two stories in the same book. Story one is told by an eleven-year-old boy whose mother got into a car accident and the consequences. The second is about a grown man who is slow learning and how he wants a relationship, but something is holding him back. I enjoyed both! It kept my interest as the story lines alternated.
(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!

"Pivot Point" by Kasie West (YA Paranormal Contemporary Fiction)--UPDATED 2/25/14

A Fun YA Read

Pivot Point by Kasie West is a YA novel about a group of young teens with special abilities.  One of them is able to see into the future and see what the outcome of choices would be.  I enjoyed the young girl who was the main character very much.  The first part of the book was very teenish but the second part that dealt with the main story about her dad I enjoyed.  Worth your time, glad I stuck with it.
(Gerard's review 2/25/14, 4 stars)

Pivot Point by Kasie West is a fun teen read that combines normal and paranormal in our modern world. Ever think it would be cool when you had a big decision to make, to be able to see into the future to see what would happen for both choices? That is exactly the super “ability” Addie has and uses when her parents announce they are getting a divorce and it’s up to her to choose which one she wants to live with. Her mom is staying in the compound where other people live who have some paranormal abilities, but her dad is going to live with the “normal” and work for the FBI using his amazing power of lie detection. After doing a search of both possible choices, Addie finds she is screwed (having to choose a bad path to avoid a worse one).

This is a light, fun teen romance with super powers involved. Although the book is a lot of nonsense, it is an entertaining and somewhat amusing read. I especially liked Trevor, Addie’s “boyfriend” in the normal world but liked the high school football parts as well. I found it especially interesting that the normal football was much more interesting than the parafootball. This book goes to show that we are better off without the super powers and that nothing is wrong with being normal.
(Karen's review 4/4/13)


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

Gerard's:

Eleven-year-old Jonathan Steingraber opened his eyes.  Some kind of loud noise had jolted him awake.  Definitely screams, a woman's screams, and they sounded close, as if they were coming from the living room, or the kitchen.

From page 50 of The Death Class--A True Story About Life by Erika Hayasaki.  Click link for Gerard's review that went up yesterday.

There was no way I could make this decision.  It would've been better had they just told me what needed to happen, left me no choice in the matter.

From page 14 of Pivot Point by Kasie West.  (Click link for Karen's review.)


Karen's: 

I am so seized by fear I cannot think of a prayer to say, so I do what I do every day, I talk to my Father, and as I sit there, hands trembling, heart racing, rifle in my view, I ask one simple question:  "God, what are we going to do now?"

From page 13 of Prepared for a Purpose  by Antoinette Tuff. (Click link for Gerard's 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!

"The Death Class--A True Story About Life" by Erika Hayasaki

The Death Class--A True Story About Life by Erika Hayasaki tells about an actual class called "The Death Class" taught by Norma Bowe.  The author of this book took the class for four years and there is a three-year waiting list to get into it.  The author tells the true stories of four of the students which are fantastic!  This is a real page turner for sure.  Norma is an excellent teacher who goes above and beyond for her students.  Erika tells the stories very well.  Put this on your TBR list--it's worth 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!

"Daughter of Twin Oaks" by Lauraine Snelling

 Daughter of Twin Oaks by Lauraine Snelling is the first book in her Secret Refuge Series that I enjoyed.  It is at the time of the Civil War and Jesselynn is the daughter left to run the family's tobacco plantation called Twin Oaks.  Her brother is off at war, her parents are both dead and her two sisters are living with an Aunt in Virginia.  Twin Oakes is in Kentucky and she is trying to keep her few horses from being taken for use in the war.  After giving all her slaves their freedom, they decide to stay and keep working at Twin Oaks anyhow.  She proceeds to take the horses to her Uncle's farm in Missouri until the war is over, thinking they will be safe there.  She takes a few of her former slaves along, a wagon, a mule and her little brother Thaddeus.  Dressing like man, she and her group start their trek, trying to keep from soldiers seeing them along the way.  The other story line was about Jesselynn's sister in Virginia who volunteered at the wounded soldiers hospital.  The faith of the daughters is challenged by all the bad things that happen.

This book is full of action and adventure.  I was beginning to wonder if they ever would make it.  It is a quick read and left me wanting more.  Interesting characters and it made me more aware of the obstacles families in the south had to deal with during the Civil War.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
(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!

"Prepared for a Purpose" by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski--an Amazing Story!

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski is an amazing true story about how Antoinette stood up to a gunman who came into her school where she works and her own personal story.  Both are really good because this woman has been through a lot!  I enjoyed reading it and believe it will keep your interest as it did mine.  
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowskiis mostly about Antoinette's personal life and very little about the gunman at the school who she confronted.  She is definitely a strong woman, coping with many problems while praying for God's help which is mostly what this book is about.  I liked it all right but it didn't really grab me.  I did feel sorry for her though having to deal with so many issues.  It's worth your time.
(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!

"The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd is GREAT! (Updated)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd set in the early 1800s tells the story of Sarah, a young white Quaker girl and Handful, a young black slave girl given to Sarah for her 11th birthday.  The story concentrates on both of them as they grow up and face their own adventures.  It is a great read right from the start.  I loved both girls.  This is the number 1 fiction book right now and I am not surprised.  I think it would make a fantastic movie and highly recommend it!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd is about slavery in Charleston during the early 1800s.  The story is told by Sarah, the daughter of a Judge, and Handful, the slave Sarah was given for her eleventh birthday.  It is the story of the lives of both these girls and their families.  Not only does it point out the injustice and brutality of slavery, but also addresses the women’s rights issue.  From a young girl, Sarah’s desire was to be a lawyer but no one encouraged her because she was a girl.  She gave Handful back to her mother but later offered to buy her back several times so she could set Handful free, but her mother would not give in.  Sarah searches for purpose and meaning to her life while Handful seeks to fulfill her mother’s dream of one day being free.

Although this book is very sad, it held my interest because I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Handful and her mother.  This is  great historical fiction novel about slavery and the abolition movement.  If I hadn't recently read the Sisters of Shenandoah series by Michael Phillips, I would have given this book 5 stars, but since I liked that series a bit better, I have to give this one 4 stars.

(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!

Joining in with the Feline Friday hop.  It's easy, just post a picture of a cat.

Teaser Tuesday: Four Today

Gerard's:

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the haemanthus I gave her.  It is smashed and flat.  Then loudly she screams to all those gathered, "Break the chains!"

From page 3 of Red Rising by Pierce Brown.  (Review up tomorrow.)



But now I am not sure what is real or what the consequences of a wrong answer will be.  While my classmates are concerned about the test affecting the years ahead, I worry I will not survive the day.

From page 1 of Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau.  (Click link for Karen's review.)

Karen's: 

Well, so much for propriety.  She'd practiced lying, gone on a political tirade, and deeply offended her pastor, all in a few short minutes.

From page 25 (Loc. 404) of Daughter of Twin Oaks  by Lauraine Snelling.

Still, I felt that same urgency to play Luke's game that I had when we were playing chess.  Maybe, like in the chess games we played, he was way ahead of me--his moves already planned, and my demise already assured.

From page 112 of In the Blood by Lisa Unger.

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!

"Independent Study" by Joelle Charbonneau (Updated)

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau is the second book in this Dystopian series about revitalizing the United States after it became devastated by wars.  It is now called the Commonwealth and a University is set up for training leaders.  Cia, at 17, is very smart and is eager to continue on with her studies after passing the initial testing because she wants to make a difference.  She has a good heart and helps others even though it puts herself in greater danger.

I really liked this book a lot because it's about leadership and what qualities make good leaders.  It was a page turner for me and I like that Cia, the main character, has so much integrity.  I'm hoping she can keep it intact throughout the next book titled Graduation Day.  I highly recommend this but only after you read The Testing.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau picks up where The Testing left off.  We continue to follow Cia who has moved on to the University.  The first part of this book sets the stage for the second half which I found much more interesting.  I'll have to read the third book (Graduation Day) to see how this all plays out. 
(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 Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau is all About Choices

The Testing is the first of a series of three books by Joelle Charbonneau and a young girl, Cia.  By orders of her government, she must go through a testing to move on to the University.  I thought the lead character was made to be a bit too smart compared to the other people, but near the end, an unexpected twist got my interest.  The last 100 pages or so were really good and it ended with a promise of a surprise in book two--Independent Study. 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is a Dystopian teen thriller that starts slow but gets better and better as it goes on.  About half way through, things really pick up.  Cia, age 17, is chosen for "The Testing" to see if she can attend the University and become one of the leaders of the United Commonwealth to restore the country.  However, she soon finds out that the tests are not easy and have dire consequences if she fails.  It has been years since anyone has been chose from her Five Lakes Colony, but several others from her colony are also going with her to Tosu City to be tested, including her childhood friend, Tomas.  Cia is pretty smart, mechanically inclined, compassionate and very knowledgeable about plants. 

I enjoyed this first book of a series and had trouble putting it down when Cia and her friend, Tomas were struggling to survive the fourth test.  The relationship between Cia and Tomas was interesting to me as well.  This book is all about choices and consequences and the pressure of getting into college.  Basically, Cia's father's advice about trusting no one serves her well during the testing, but unfortunately, she didn't always follow it.  I look forward to reading the sequel:  The Testing:  Independent Study coming out this fall.
(Karen's review of June 23, 2013, 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!

"In The Blood" by Lisa Unger (Updated)

In The Blood by Lisa Unger is about a page-turning thriller about a young girl who takes a job of caring for a young troubled boy during the week for a few hours.  That is only one of the story lines though, there is a lot more to this book than that!  I finished it in two days because it was hard to put down.  The ending is fantastic but didn't see it coming.  Lisa Unger's books are always good, but she outdid herself this time!  I have not been "wowed" by a book in a while, but was with this one because the ending is so incredible.  This is a must read.  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

In The Blood by Lisa Unger is a psychological thriller that gets you hooked right from the start.  It is about family secrets and some bizarre behaviors.  This book has some very strange characters to say the least who kept me guessing.  Luke is an 11-yr-old boy genius psycho finds pleasure in manipulating and tricking people into doing what he wants.  Lana, a college student, is hired to be his “companion” after school to keep him out of trouble.  They play chess a lot and Luke keeps winning.  They change the game to a scavenger hunt which turns out to be much more than just a game.  I loved the ending!  If you enjoy a puzzle and intrigue with some mystery, this is a must read for you!  Although I was a bit confused at the diary entries, everything is explained in the end so stick with it and just see how the puzzle pieces fall into place. 
(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!

Joining in on Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today with the book review prompt.

"Snowblind" by Christopher Golden

Snowblind by Christopher Golden is about a small town that a blizzard hit and people died with some other strange things occurring.  Twelve years later, another blizzard is about to hit and the town braces for what this storm will bring while remembering the last one.

This is a great read with tons of story lines and very believable characters.  I liked this page turner a lot!
(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 This Week

Gerard's:

When you stood outside my cage and my deep brown eyes met yours and I heard you say, "That's our dog," I could hardly believe it.  I was thrilled when you crouched down and reached in to pat me.

From page 3 of letters from Angel-In her own words, a true story of adventure, love and loss as told to Martin P. Levin.  (Reviewed this yesterday)

"You know," she said as she unlocked the door and then pulled it inward, snow flying in her face, "I really can take care of myself."

But, in truth, she could not.

And it was not her son at the door.

From page 26 of Snowblind by Christopher Golden. (My review up tomorrow.)

Karen's: 

After reading their letter, each Red panicked in her own unique way.  Each Red mistakenly thought she was maintaining control over emotions that seemed suddenly explosive.

From page 26 of RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach (We both reviewed this one.)

As I watch Will reach for the lid and pull it down, I hope Enzo is right.  Metal closes over me.  Everything goes black.

From page 119 of Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau.

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!

"Letters from Angel" as told to Martin P. Levin

4 paws up!

"Letters from Angel" is told by Angel, a senior dog who tells about his life with Mr. Levin and his aid, Paula.  It's a great story that Angel tells very well.  It is short but well worth reading.  Any dog love will love it just like I did!  Have some tissues handy, just in case.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

"Letters from Angel" is a cute book written from the dog's point of view.  It is about the bond between a Sr. dog that was adopted from a shelter by a 90-yr-old man for companionship after his wife died.  It is a very quick read and even though it has a sad ending, the author shares his experience of having to put down his dog in a sweet way.  The dog is a Golden Retriever/Chow mix that won my heart.
(Karen's review, 3 stars) 

Similar Books that are good:  A Dog's Life--Autobiography of a stray by Ann M. Martin

Our dog Abby wrote a book too using Blurb -
See post about it:  Father's Day Gift Was a Hit--a Blurb 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!

"RED 1-2-3" by John Katzenbach

RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach is about three women who have been targeted to be killed by a man who calls himself the Big Bad Wolf.  They are called RED 1, RED 2, and RED 3.  Just an outstanding read!  The Big Bad Wolf is fascinating in how he plots the killings and the three REDS are good in how they try to keep from getting killed.  This is a real page turner with just enough twists to keep you guessing.  LOVED IT!  The ending was priceless!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach is probably the most unusual thriller I've read about an author/journalist who writes thrillers but isn't satisfied just to write them--he actually wants to live them!  He stalks three red-haired women with the intent to kill them all on the same day but when they find out they are not alone and join forces, the table is turned.  Throughout the book he refers to himself as The Big Bad Wolf and his wife as Mrs. Bad Wolf.  Other than his secret stalking, they appear to be an ordinary couple.  I felt sorry for the wife.  My favorite of the three Reds was Karen, the doctor, referred to as Red 1.  Red 2 was Sarah, a middle-aged woman who lost her husband and little girl in a car accident, and Red 3 was Jordan, a student who played basketball at a private school. 

I liked this one which had a surprise ending.  I liked all three women but felt sorry for Mrs. Bad Wolf, realizing she's been married to a killer!  I didn't care for all the detail, but suppose it was meant to show how ordinary their lives were.  It just seemed to drag along sometimes, but it had built up enough suspense along the way to keep me turning the pages and anxious to see how it was going to end.  It's quite a story!

WARNING--Spoiler Alert, Stop now if you haven't read this yet but plan to:
This is an odd thriller because no one gets killed except for Karen's two cats which really got me angry at the Big Bad Wolf.  But then, when I thought about it I realized that he would not have been able to kill the cats in the short amount of time he had been in the house because if they were anything like my cats, they would have hid when they heard the window breaking and for sure would have stayed hiding somewhere when the strange man came into the house.  He would not know their hiding places and cats hide very well.  Also, he killed them with a knife which means he would have had to hold them down which is not easy to do to an strange cat.  They run really fast!   

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!

"Miracles and Massacres" by Glenn Beck

Miracles and Massacres--True and Untold Stories of the Making of America by Glenn Beck is fascinating.  It is broken up into twelve really good stories that deal with American history over the years.   You might think you know some of these, but you read about people that I'm sure you never heard of before.  I enjoyed it a lot!
(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: 3 Today

Gerard's:

Give Hetty back.  As if she was mine after all.  As if owning people was as natural as breathing.

From page 16 of The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.

His life a mess, he was ready to drown himself in the river's muddy waters but something made him pause.  It was a noise, distant but steady:  the beating of a drum.

From page 64 of Miracles and Massacres by Glenn Beck.

Karen's: 

After reading their letter, each Red panicked in her own unique way.  Each Red mistakenly thought she was maintaining control over emotions that seemed suddenly explosive.

From page 26 of RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach


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 January

Karen's Favorite:  The whole series by Michael Phillips (Christian Historical Fiction)

This Shenandoah Sisters Series was definitely my favorite for January.  It is a series of four books about the friendship between a slave girl and a daughter of a big plantation owner who both became orphans during the Civil War era.  The series is by Michael Phillips who did a fantastic job on it!  It could easily have been written as one big novel.  

Gerard's January Favorite:  Innocence by Dean Koontz

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!

"Last of the Blue and Gray--Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived The Civil War" by Richard A. Serrano

Last of the Blue and Gray--Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived The Civil War by Richard A. Serrano is a fascinating look at the lives of some of the men who fought in the Civil War.  Most of these men lived to be over 100 years old--wow!  This book centers on one man who said he fought in the war but he really didn't.  I enjoyed hearing these stories!
(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!

"Together Is All We Need" by Michael Phillips (Book 4 of Shenandoah Sisters series)

Together Is All We Need by Michael Phillips is a wonderful book about friendship and family sticking together and sacrificing to help each other out.  This is a very enjoyable coming of age series with a marvelous ending.  Kathleen and Mayme not only became friends and together worked to save Kathleen's plantation and made it productive again after the Civil War, but also built a very unusual household with both blacks and whites living together under the same roof in harmony.  The girls also learn from a good friend, Henry, how to trust the good Lord. 

I highly recommend you read the first three books of this series before this last one to fully appreciate it.  I absolutely LOVED this historical Christian fiction series and zipped through all four books.  They were enlightening, giving insight into how things were after the civil war for both whites and blacks and how even though the slaves were set free, they were still looked down upon by most.  This series shows how much people can accomplish when they work together unselfishly.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.
(Karen's review, 5++ stars)

The first three books in this series are:
Angels Watching Over Me
A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton
The Color of Your Skin Ain't The Color of Your Heart

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!