"The Forgetting Time" by Sharon Guskin is Unforgettable!

I liked The Forgetting Time a debut novel by Sharon Guskin.  Janie knows that nothing comes easy for her with her 4-yr.-old son, Noah, but when his preschool calls her again, she knows it's time to get him some professional help.  Enter Dr. Jerome Anderson, who just received some bad news and knows his time of normal functioning is fading.  When Noah's mom comes to him for help with her son, he sees a last chance to finish his life's work.

I thought this book was very well done.  It kept my interest throughout and had some twists I did not see coming.  Congrats to the author on a great first novel!
 Gerard's review (5 stars)
 
(Karen's review, 4 stars): 
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin will probably prove to be unforgettable for me! When 4-yr.-old Noah screams his head off if his mother tries to bathe him, has nightmares, says he wants to go home and wants his other mama, and talks about things such as shooting a rifle, going to their beach house, Lord Voldemort and all kinds of lizards he has no way of knowing about, she is at her wits end. She and the psychologists she has taken him to don’t have a clue what is wrong with him or how he knows these things.

Finally, she discovers a psychiatrist who is looking for one more American case to complete his book about the possibility of living more than one life.  Noah becomes his last case before he loses speech altogether as he has just been diagnosed with Aphasia--a rare type of Dementia that affects the language center.  The story is told from different points of view.

This book was interesting but kind of like a contemporary science fiction story about boys and two mothers. It starts off pretty slow but builds along the way to a great ending. I initially thought Noah was just a bratty kid, but liked him as the story opened my understanding as to maybe why he acted as he did.


SPOILER ALERT--STOP IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET! 
I got a bit bored when the author inserted the “cases” for reincarnation from other countries that were not directly related to the main story line; however, when I did an online search for "life before life" I found it to be an actual book that several of the cases were quoted from by Jim B. Tucker.  I was just curious about that.  The Doctor's story runs along with the main story in this book.  I did not like the ending to his story line though.  Although I personally do not believe in reincarnation, I still enjoyed 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Shaker" by Scott Frank

In Shaker by Scott Frank, Roy Cooper is a paid hitman.  He arrives in L.A. to put out a hit on Martin Shine.  He does not know the man, but he does his job.  Later on, he tries to play hero and help a man who is being beat up by some street thugs.  All of a sudden, he goes from being the hunter to being the hunted--a LOT of people want Roy Cooper gone!

I enjoyed this book because it kept my interest, liked all the different characters and a good ending.  It's 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Ghost Boy" by Martin Pistorius is a True Story!

Ghost Boy--the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body by Martin Pistorius is a true story!   It tells the story of Martin's life so far and what a story it is!  One day he went to school but never went back.  He spent his 14th birthday as a mute quadriplegic but then his mind came alive.  Thought to be brain dead, he was really aware of what was happening all around him but couldn't communicate it.  He knew it, but no one else did.  He refused to give up!  I also found it very interesting how people acted around him.  Give this book a try--I loved the ending!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Chrisie--A Creepy and Baffling Mystery!

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a baffling murder mystery. Ten people voluntarily go to a mansion on Soldiers Island where they soon figure out that the end of their life is coming soon. They suspiciously die one by one and no one can figure out who is behind the killing, including the reader. It is a genius murder mystery! I am so glad the author included the epilogue which explains who was behind everything and how it was done because otherwise I still wouldn't know who the murder was. It is a fascinating psychological thriller that plays on the power of suggestion and manipulation.

This book had me turning the pages right from the start, not only trying to figure out who the murderer was, but also who would be the next victim and how they would die. I didn’t do very well at that either. This is the first book I’ve read by Agatha Christie but plan to read more! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries or thrillers!
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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

I couldn't make a sign or a sound to let anyone know I'd become aware again.  I was invisible--the ghost boy.

From page x of Ghost Boy--the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body by Martin Pistorius.

Suddenly, the Honda's back end skidded, kicking the car onto the slightest angle.  The skid lasted no more than a second or two, but it was enough time for Billy to watch his entire life pass before the rain-smudged windshield.

From page 11 of The Changing Season by Steven Manchester.

Karen's:

Into that silence came The Voice.  Without warning, inhuman, penetrating. . . ."Ladies and gentlemen!  Silence please!"

Everyone was startled.  They looked round--at each other, at the walls.  Who was speaking?

From page 46 of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.  (Review up tomorrow)

If you're in a period of calm tiredness, the easiest way to return to the peak efficiency of calm energy may be to take a brisk walk.  According to Thayer, walking for about ten minutes boosts energy levels and keeps them at a heightened state for at least an hour.

From page 175 of BRAIN--The Complete Mind:  How id develops, How it works, and How to keep it sharp by Michael S. Sweeney.

"Well, as a general rule, most women, before they've got 'em, present to their men smiling, agreeing faces.  They hide their thoughts.  You now, when you're feeling hateful, honey, you are hateful."

From page 15 of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!

"Glass Sword" by Victoria Aveyard (We Both Liked This)

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is the second book in the Red Queen series that I was anxiously looking forward to reading.  In this book, Mare and Cal join with the Red Guard to round up more Reds like Mare (red bloods with extra powers) to try to overthrow the silvers who are in power.  There is a lot of fighting in this book and many different super powers come into play.

I was somewhat disappointed with this book because I didn't get wowed by it like I did the first.  There were not as many surprises in this one for me and although it kept my interest, it didn't really grip me.  There is a lot of action but I would have liked a map to have a better idea of where all the places were that they were going to recruit Newbloods.   The ending left me feeling sad.  It was good but I was expecting better.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Glass Sword is the follow up to Red Queen.  In Glass Sword, Mare is trying to get an army together to take down the king and Elara.  As she does, she begins to question the cost and other people begin to question her actions.  I thought this book was really good.  I loved all the action and the super powers of some of the people called Newbloods that Mare finds.  This book may not be quite as good as the first, but it's close!  I look forward to book 3 of the series.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

See our review of RED QUEEN, the first in this series.

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Changing Season" by Steven Manchester

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester is about a teen boy named Billy who just graduated from High School and plans a fun, relaxing summer spending a lot of time with his dog, Jimmy, before he heads off to college.   He is not sure what he plans to study, but will think about it.  Little did he know his summer will include some life-changing episodes.

I thought this book was very good.  All the characters were believable and well drawn out.  I especially enjoyed his unbreakable bond with Jimmy.  I received this book for an honest review and liked it a whole lot!  I 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"PAX" by Sara Pennypacker - A Book for Children that We Enjoyed

PAX by Sara Pennypacker is told from two points of view:  Pax, a fox and a young boy named Peter.  Peter's father is going off to war and decides that it is time to send Pax into the woods.  After a while, Peter and Pax know that this is not right and set out to do something about it!

Wow!  This book was so good!  I LOVED Pax.  His story was so good I hung on every word.  Give this book a chance and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I too enjoyed PAX by Sara Pennypacker about the bond between Peter, a 12-yr.-old boy, and a fox and the cost of war.  Peter's mother had died and so when his father went to war, the boy had to go live with his grandpa 300 hundred miles away.  The father made the boy release the fox into the woods on the way to the grandfather's house.   The chapters alternate between the boy's journey and the fox's journey which I found very interesting.  When Peter decides to go back for his fox, he breaks a bone in his foot and is befriended by Vola, a lady who lives on a farm alone who is a very interesting character.  Peter and her help each other.  This is a touching story with adventure and suspense.  I also liked the artwork by Jon Klassen.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

But Dobby's eyes were wide and seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint.  Harry, however, was completely lost.

From page 17 of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling.

There was no scent of blood.  He squirmed out of the boy's arms to inspect his human more carefully, alarmed that he could have failed to notice an injury, although his sense of smell was never wrong.

From page 2 of PAX by Sara Pennypacker.

Karen's:

Any sensible person would call them my enemies.  Strange, my enemies know me best, and my family doesn't know me at all.

From page 60 of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard.  (Sequel to RED QUEEN--fantasy)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling--Both of Us Loved it!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling is the second book of this series which is about Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. I loved the action in this book and the relationships with Harry, Ron and Hermione. The ending had me on the edge. This was a page turner to the very end.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling.  It's about Harry's second year at Hogwarts and is quite the mystery with adventures of an elf named Dobby, a flying car, changing into other people, attacking trees and huge spiders, and an attack on Harry's life!  Harry proves to be very brave and very nice once again in this book.

I don't understand though why he just didn't keep that invisible cloak on when he went into the forbidden forest.  It would save him a lot of trouble.  Anyhow, I really like Hermione and felt sorry for her when her magic potion didn't work so well for her and when she got petrified.  This is a very fun read and I plan to continue on with more of this series.
(Karen's review 6-1-15, 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Stuck Together-Trouble in Texas Book 3" by Mary Connealy

For Valentine's Day, I am reviewing the historical romance novel I just finished.

Stuck Together—Trouble in Texas, book 3 by Mary Connealy Is about the romance between Vince and Tina, Jonas’ sister. When Vince’s parents and half-sister arrive in town, he gets all shook up and fears that he will become like his tyrannical father or his mother who has dementia. He gets stuck at being sheriff of the town (with no pay) and has to deal with tracking down some drunk who shot at Luke, an escaped prisoner, taking care of his mother and falling in love with Tina, the most beautiful woman he ever saw.

I enjoyed this quick western romance because the women were pretty feisty and it was cute how the Jonas and Vince both liked each other’s sister. Vince’s mother, Mrs. Yates, was a sweet old lady who kept trying to go out when no one was paying attention to her and was quite successful. I thought it was really nice how the townspeople all joined together to take turns keeping watch over Mrs. Yates. This book had more romance than the first two which I liked better, but still had a little action and excitement at the end.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Fallen Land" by Taylor Brown

Fallen Land by Taylor Brown takes place during the last year of the Civil War.  Due to the war, a young boy, Callum, and a young girl, Ava, band together with a horse named Reiver.  Bounty hunters are after Callum and will stop at nothing to find him. 

I enjoyed the relationship between Callum and Ava, two great characters.  The horse was awesome!  This book has action and a great ending!   My wife thought it started off too slow and gave up on it early on, but I liked 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"A Cold War" by Alan Russell is about Survival in Alaska

In A Cold War by Alan Russell, Nina Granville goes on a business trip to Alaska. She is soon to be married and needs some place to sort out things. She gets anything but that! Soon she is in a situation where her life is at stake! What a fantastic book this is! Right from the start I was into it and lost myself in this amazing story. It had my attention all the way. Some people had a problem with the ending, but I did not. I thought it was really, really good! This is a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
A Cold War by Alan Russell is about Nina Granville, a recently engaged woman to Terrance Donnelly, a politician, but she is not sure she wants to marry him. She goes on a trip to Alaska to get away for a while and winds up being abducted and treated like an animal by a really mean man called Baer in the Alaskan wilderness. He is crazy! He thinks the world is ending soon and being a survivalist in the Alaskan wilderness is the best place to be. Nina is very brave and very strong. She is determined to escape and get back to civilization. She discovers she is not the first woman Baer has had, but the third. The second one left some notes that encouraged Nina to kill Baer and escape, but can she make it? Nina decides to do whatever it takes to survive and finds herself learning all about survival tactics from Baer.

This is a thriller that kept my attention and confirmed that I never want to go to Alaska!  It is a good winter read. Not everything is as it appears. I liked Nina and couldn’t help but pull for her to get back with Terrance. While reading this book, I felt sorry for Greg Martin, whose wife disappeared on his honeymoon, for Nina and Terrance.  Baer really made me made because of his cruelty.  I gave it 4 stars because it kept my interest and had a twist I did not see coming and although it made me hate Baer, the writing did not make me feel as though I were right there with Nina nor did it touch me the way other books did.  I was surprised by the ending and would recommend this to anyone who likes suspense, adventure, and dark minds.

Here's a short video I made outside in the snow when the temperature was 8 degrees reviewing it:

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Gun" by Fumi Nori Naka Mura

The Gun by Fumi Nori Naka Mura is about a man who comes into possession of a gun. His whole life changes as the gun consumes his every thought. This book is short and reminded me of the show “Twilight Zone” so I enjoyed it.
 (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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Baby Please Don't Go" by Frank Freudberg

Image from Amazon

Baby Please Don’t Go by Frank Freudberg is about Lock, a recovering alcoholic who gets a job as a social worker but made a huge mistake when he got personally involved with Natalie, a mother under investigation in one of his cases. Lock is a decent guy that wants his own family and really likes kids. Natalie is a greedy liar, a slut and master manipulator who got Lock to help her frame her husband Witt so that she could keep full custody of her two little girls.

I liked Lock for the most part but Natalie really was a piece of work. I was really disappointed when Lock’s friend died because he was my favorite character. Witt, Natalie and her sleezy attorney, Jeremy Freel were unbelievable! This was just a heartbreaking story because Lock really was trying so hard to go straight and be a good family man, but Natalie didn’t want any part of that. I did not understand why Natalie didn’t love her little boy and why she treated Lock so cruelly. The ending was just slapped on with no logical build up to it at all so I felt a bit cheated. The people in this book were so different from anyone I know that I couldn’t relate to them at all.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

Anna knew that.  She knew she was going mad, but she didn't know how to stop it any more than she knew how to stop crying or breathing.

From page 16 of The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer.

We are proof that you can go out and have a good time without doing drugs and getting into trouble.  We are proof that you can play hard to the whistle and then stop before drawing a penalty.

From page 24 of It's Good to Be Gronk by Rob Gronkowski with Jason Rosenhaus.

My heart started beating fiercely again, ringing in my ears.  It felt like my heart was pounding even more wildly now than when I first saw him.

From page 7 of The Gun by Fumi Nori Naka Mura.

Karen's:

That explained why she'd fallen.  Somehow her leg had gotten snared.  She reached for the wire just as a figure loomed over her.

From page 24 of A Cold War by Alan Russell.

He simply and finally realized there was no difference between cocaine, alcohol, and the green felt of a craps table.  In AA, he remembered, someone once said switching vices was like being on the titanic and demanding a different deck chair.

From loc. 1118-20 on Kindle from Baby Please Don't Go by Frank Freudberg.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!

"It's Good to Be Gronk" by Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski with Jason Rosenhaus

It's Good to Be Gronk is a non-fiction book that tells the story of how Rob Gronkowski turned into "Gronk."  (For those who do not know who he is, he is a professional football player for the New England Patriots.)  I enjoyed how he told about growing up and rough housing with his brothers as well as the big influence his parents played in his life.  I also liked how he gave us insight into how hard he works and his thought on parts of his football games to this time.  If you are a Pats fan like me, you will love it!  I know I did.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Shut Eye" by Belinda Bauer is Pretty Good

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer tells the story of a little 4-yr.-old boy named Pantel Buck.  One day he wander off and is gone.  Only his footprints are left.  Anna, his mom, is devastated and is desperate for hope to find her son.  One day she comes across something she believes to be the answer.  So, was her son found?  What was that hope she latched on to?  Read it to find the answers!

I thought this book was pretty good.  Anna was a great character and John Maguel, a detective trusted in the case was very good.  
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"God's Vitamin "C" for the Spirit--Tug-at-Your Heart Stories" compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller

God's Vitamin "C" for the Spirit  is a compilation of 133 short inspirational stories on these various topics:  Christian Living, Faith & Trust, Family Life, God's Guidance, Grief, Love, Marriage, Perseverance, Prayer, Relationships and Spiritual Life.  I enjoyed reading a few stories at a time.  There is very little scripture in it though so I wouldn't call it a devotional book, but it is a good supplement to your devotion time.  Most of the stories show God's love and faithfulness through personal testimonies.  I would recommend this to adults.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Some Kind of Courage" by Dan Gemeinhart is a Gripping Read!

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is about an 12-yr.-old orphan boy, Joseph Johnson. He has lost just about everything he loved, but the one thing he can get back is his horse, Sarah, that was sold without his knowledge. Joseph is a great character and his adventures had me holding my breath! I so wanted him to get his horse back. I loved this book! It goes fast because it’s hard to put down. We also loved this author’s first book, The Honest Truth.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is a gripping story about a boy who goes on his own to track down his horse that was sold without his knowledge to a crooked horse trader.  He has a strong sense to do his dead parents proud and do the right thing.  Even though his parents and sister died, he still keeps their memory alive.  The story is about how important family is.  Joseph is very likable and I couldn't help but pull for him.  He met a Chinese boy along the way so had a friend on part of his journey who was also on a mission.  Both boys were very brave!

I loved this book and was surprised it was just as good as the first book by this author.  It has lots of action and kept me turning pages.  The recurring theme in the book was what Joseph's papa always said and what drove Joseph:

But Papa had said that when there's something that's got to be done, the thing to do is just to buckle down and do it the best you can.

(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

"For Now," Iseult said quietly, "let's worry about getting into the city unseen--and let's pray, too, that the Bloodwitch didn't actually smell your blood."  Or your magic.

From page 25 of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.

That explained why she'd fallen.  Somehow her leg had gotten snared.  She reached for the wire just as a figure loomed over her.

From page 24 of A Cold War by Alan Russell.

Both:

My heart burned with a fierce kind of anger.  I kicked at the rocks in the ruts, spitting mad just thinking about it.

From pg. 10 of Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart.

Karen's:

He simply and finally realized there was no difference between cocaine, alcohol, and the green felt of a craps table.  In AA, he remembered, someone once said switching vices was like being on the titanic and demanding a different deck chair.

From loc. 1118-20 on Kindle from Baby Please Don't Go by Frank Freudberg.

Wobbly, for sure, but it stood.  Then we were struck silent when she kicked it off its fee again.

From page 267 of God's Vitamin "C" For The Spirit compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!