"All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is told by Finch, a young boy and Violet, a young girl.  They have something in common and to find out what that is, you will have to read the book.  I'm not saying.  They form a relationship and that is the basis for this YA novel.  I LOVED IT!  It was something to read as these two kids got to know each other.  It goes quick; I finished it in just two days.  Give it a chance, 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!

"Wings of a Dream" by Anne Mateer

Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer is about Rebekah, a young woman in Oklahoma who desires adventure and is determined to get out of the small town in which she lives with her mother and father.  She is a bit jealous of Will, her older brother who is a soldier during WW II because he gets to travel.  She is attracted to a pilot who she dreams of marrying one day.  When her aunt becomes ill and Rebekah goes to nurse her, she gets her adventure, just not the one she dreamed of.  She discovers her aunt was helping raise four little children while their widowed father served his country overseas. 

This is a good Christian historical fiction book that I enjoyed reading.  It is based on a real situation that actually happened and focuses on Rebekah’s search for God’s will for her life.  It is a clean romance that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 

(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!

"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is about a young lady named Rachel.  She takes a train to work every day, the same way back and forth.  She sees a couple most days and watches them.  Then one day she sees something from the train that changes her whole outlook on them.

WOW!  This book is so good!  I got into all the characters really fast.  It is great writing and the twists in the story are very good with a fantastic ending!  I LOVED IT!  Once I got into this, it was hard to put down.  It will be hard to find a better book than this 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!

"Stepping Down" by Michelle Stimpson (Christian Fiction with Strong Message)

Stepping Down by Michelle Stimpson is about a Pastor's struggles to balance his ministry, family and stay true to God in the face of scandal and the pressure from his board of advisors.  Their adopted 13-yr.-old son, Amani, is becoming disrespectful and heading for trouble.  Sharla, the Pastor's wife, is at the end of her rope and desperately wants her husband to get home earlier and spend time with his family.  When the Pastor is involved in a car accident on his way home from church with Bria in the car, rumors start to fly.  God uses it to bring their family closer together, the Pastor finds his passion for preaching the truth again, and Amani gets to meet his birth mom.

This is very believable Christian fiction that includes some scripture and an invitation to trust in Jesus.  Through the characters, the reader sees an example of common struggles and how it's not always easy to let go and let God work, but that when we do, God really does work all things together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

I liked this one because the characters were very believable and it dealt with the issue that many churches face when they strategize ways to grow. 
(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!

Teaser Tuesday--Four For You

Gerard's:
  
As their voices blend into a chorus of rising agitation, I can't help noticing that the vultures overhead are tracing tighter and tighter circles, as if homing in on our distress.

From page 52 of Die Again by Tess Gerritsen.

Who was it said that following your heart is a good thing?  It is pure egotism, a selfishness to conquer all.  Hatred floods me.

From page 31 of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Karen's: 

You need to have a man-to-man with him, Mark.  I'm serious.  I sat there and actually thought through what it would feel like to choke our son.

From Loc. 315-16 on Kindle of Stepping Down by Michelle Stimpson.

My stomach somersaulted.  "Maybe you could teach me to drive a motorcar before I attempt a plane."

From page 13 of Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer.

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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.

Happy Reading!

"Die Again" by Tess Gerritsen - Loved it!

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen finds Jane and Maura being summoned to a crime scene.  It looks like a killing by a large cat, but that cannot be, or can it?  Six years earlier, a group of tourists in Africa were killed except for one.  Now they need that one to bring the killer out in Boston.

This book is a real page turner with lots of action and a good ending.  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!

"Hidden Agenda" by Lisa Harris is both Suspenseful and Action-Packed!

Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris is about Michael, an undercover cop whose cover is blown and is scheduled to be killed but is rescued by the son (Ivan) and daughter (Olivia) of the man who wants him dead.  They barely escape from the island and then are on the run for pretty much the rest of the book!  Ivan is deaf but good with computers and pretty smart but his older sister, Olivia, a reporter, feels responsible for keeping him safe.

This is a good read with a lot of suspense and action that kept my interest.  The relationships are all interesting too.  It deals with family relationships, secrets, betrayal, fear and romance between an unlikely couple from two different worlds. 
(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!

"The Sweetness of Life" by Paulus Hochgatterer Needs More Action

The Sweetness of Life by Paulus Hochgatterer is about an old man who is killed in a most gruesome way and the only witness is a mute girl.  A detective and psychiatrist are trying to find out who did it and why.  I found the story interesting but very little action dooms this book in my mind.  It is short and moves along pretty good.
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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

"All The Things You Are" by Declan Hughes - a Mystery

All the Things You Are by Declan Hughes kept me interested all the way.  Imagine coming home from a trip and finding your husband, children and most of your furniture gone!  This is what Clare, the female lead in this novel, comes home to find.  Is her family safe, and who did this and why?  Where did they go?

This is a good book that went back in time to set the scene.  It skips around some, which many people on Amazon had a problem with, but I did not.  I enjoyed this book and liked the ending too!
(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

Gerard's:
  
If she had known that nothing would ever be the same again from this moment on, maybe she would have chosen her words with less irony.  But change so often comes without warning, like the secret policeman's dawn knock, and we rarely have our faces fixed or our stories straight to greet it.

From page 17 of All the Things You Are by Declan Hughes.

Karen's: 

Undercover work had always come natural to him, but he'd missed something today.  Something that could end up costing both of them everything.

From page 11 of Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris.

The Game would be every child's new school.  At the age of five, each student would enter the Game free of charge for their first five plays.  A credit system was created so that students would accumulate credits as they moved through their virtual lifetimes.

From page 17 (Loc. 266-68 on Kindle) of The Game (The Game is Life Book 1) by Terry Schott.

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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.

Happy Reading!

"The Game" by Terry Schott is Mind Boggling

The Game by Terry Schott is science fiction that is a fun read and also thought provoking.   I loved the concept of being able to live life in a virtual simulation world and play again and again.   Zach is down to his last play and has a big fan base, but will he be able to finish ranked #1 or will he lose everything? 

It definitely held my interest through most of the book, but then I lost interest towards the end.  I became a little confused at certain things that really didn't make sense to me.  This is just the first book in this series, but I doubt if I will continue reading because I was very disappointed by the ending of this one and did not connect with the characters enough to really care what happens next.
(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!

"Gray Mountain" by John Grisham

Gray Mountain by John Grisham is about a lawyer, Samantha, who loses her cushy job in New York City at a big firm and goes to Brady, Virginia to work as an intern at a legal aid clinic with no pay for a year.  Her job in New York mainly involved proofreading documents for business transactions but when she joins the Legal Aid Clinic, she feels like a real lawyer, actually making a difference in people’s lives.  When she meets the Gray brothers, nephews of Mattie, the owner of the legal aid clinic, she finds herself unknowing pulled into a dangerous situation as Donovan Gray, an attorney who likes big cases against coal mining companies, takes a personal interest in her.  Samantha eventually must choose what world she wants to work in.  Will she remain to follow-up on her meaningful cases and continue to become a litigator fighting for the poor people who really need her help or go back to the corporate scene where she is paid the big bucks and given a cushy office? 

I liked this book and learned a lot about strip mining and the plight of coal miners who contract black lung disease.  It paints a pretty dark picture of how hard it is for the miners to get the benefits they deserve.  I found the cases Samantha was involved in during her time at the legal aid clinic interesting because they made her feel more like a social worker than a lawyer.  This novel has very little court scenes because it focuses more on the leg work involved in preparing for trial.  

(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!

:When Books Went To War" by Molly Guptill Manning is Fascinating

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning tells the true story about our soldiers in World War II and the effort that was made to get them books to read.  I found this book fascinating.  The people who lead the drive are true behind-the-scenes heroes.  I enjoyed finding out what books our men and women fighters in the war liked best.  If you are looking for a good true historical book, 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!

"The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone" by Adele Griffin is Riveting

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin tells the story of part of Addison Stone's life.  She was a young girl who was a very talented painter whose life was way too short.  It is told by her family, her friends and other people with whom she came in contact.  I was "wowed" by it and found it to be a riveting page turner! 
(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: Four Today

Gerard's:
  
Scared the daylights out of me, if you want to know the truth.  I thought I couldn't be spooked by anything.  Turns out I was wrong.

From page 9 of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin.

What the army needed was some form of recreation that was small, popular, and affordable.  It needed books.

From page 24 of When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning.

Karen's: 

"Well, we've never had an intern from one of the big New York firms, but we could always use some help around here.  There's no shortage of poor folk and their problems.

From page 26 of Gray Mountain by John Grisham.

Papers were scattered between two rows of filing cabinets.  She knew she should call the police, although that would mean interacting with a stranger.

From page 13 of Fractured Legacy by Charles B. Neff.  (Let me know in the comments if you would like this one--neither Gerard or me could get into it, too slow moving.)


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 pick two sentences from the book you are reading.

Happy Reading!

"Justice For Hire" by Rayven T. Hill

Kindle read

Justice for Hire by Raven T. Hill is a wild crime investigation in Canada by the police and a married couple who are private investigators.  This is fiction based on the American and Canadian involvement in trauma-based mind control techniques during the 1950s and 1960s ( MK-Ultra Project Monarch).  The teen shooters are abducted and become under the control of evil men who use them to kill.

The writing in this is very simplistic and the plot is just hard to believe.  I don’t want to say too much to give away the ending, but this book reads like a superman comic book.  I can't even say it's a good mystery because the reader is let in on what is behind the murders practically from the beginning!  Totally unrealistic when it comes to the work of the private investigators who somehow get all the leads and solve the mystery.

(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!