Loved "End of Watch" by Stephen King

End of Watch by Stephen King is the final book in the series that started with Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. In this book Brady Hartsfield is in a hospital. He is in a vegetative state, or is he? Turns out that he has special powers now and the two detectives, Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney better watch out or else!

This book was vintage King! I just never knew where this was going to turn. I enjoyed this book as much as the other two—LOVED IT! What a great series!
(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!

"Stay Where You Are and Then Leave" by John Boyne

In Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne, as the first World War rages on, Alfie thinks that his father died to the war. As the war continues, Alfie learns something that changes everything. Even though Alfie is a very young boy, he must take on a man's job.

I thought this book was very good!  I enjoyed the character of Alfie very much and the story moved along well. 

(Gerard's review 6/25/16, 5 stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
This is a sweet story about a boy's love for his dad during World War I.  The boy, Alfie, lives in London and is only five years old, wanting to join his dad on the milk run.  The father volunteers to fight in the war but writes regularly.   The mother keeps telling the boy his dad is on a secret mission and can't write home which makes Alfie think his father may be dead.  One day when Alfie is making money shining shoes, he discovers that his father is actually in a hospital.  Alfie takes on a secret mission of his own for love.

This is a good read and I enjoyed it.  It goes very fast because it is a children's book, but Alfie is a very brave and loving, caring boy who I liked very much.  Although this book takes place during the war, the focus is on those who are not fighting and so there is hardly any violence at all. 

We have enjoyed two other books by this author too and recommend them all:  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Boy at the Top of the Mountain. 

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:
She glances around at the door to make sure it's shut, then removes her left hand from her knee and reaches out with it.  "All those people you hurt, some of them still suffering.

From page 94 of End of Watch by Stephen King. (book 3 of Mr. Mercedes series)



Karen's:

He was nine years old now and hadn't had any birthday parties in the years in between.  But when he was going to sleep at night, he did this best to put together all the things he could remember about his family before they'd changed.

From page 9 of Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne.

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

"Every Last One" by Anna Quindlen

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen is about the Latham family, comprised of Mary Beth and Glen, parents of three teenagers:  Ruthie and fraternal twin boys, Alex and Max.  Ruthie is into academics and loves to write, Alex is into sports and Max is into his drums and their dog.  While focusing on their depressed son, Max, the parents are caught completely off guard when Ruthie's boyfriend becomes obsessed with her and continues stalking her after she breaks up with him.  When tragedy strikes, can Mary Beth keep it together?

There is a lot of interpersonal relationships in this book and the mother is the main character who tells the story.  This book gives insight into parenting, teen issues and sibling rivalry.  For me, this book moved very slow but it is a good story and I'm glad I stuck with it to finish it.  It is contemporary fiction that reminded me a bit of Little Big Lies by Liane Moriarty which was way better.  I read this because it was a library recommendation based on my like for What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross, but I saw very little similarity other than the mother being the main character telling the story.  If you like family stories about teens and are good with no suspense, no mystery and slow moving, then I recommend this one.
(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!

"With Malice" by Eileen Cook

With Malice by Eileen Cook centers on 18-yr.-old Jill Charron.  Jill has it all--smart, pretty and a very rich dad.  One day she wakes up and does not know where she is.  I turns out she is in a hospital and has been for some time.  She was in an accident and is in bad shape.  Then Jill finds out her best friend is dead and all signs point to Jill as being the one who killed her!  Jill doesn't think she did it but cannot remember what happened. 

I thought this book was really good because it kept me turning the pages eager to see what would happen.  I was hooked early and enjoyed the ride.  The writing 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!

"Highly Illogical Behavior" by John Corey Whaley

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley centers on three teens:  (1) Solomon who has not left his house in three years and sees no reason to; (2) Lisa who has big plans to get into an exclusive school; and (3) Clark, who is Lisa's boyfriend but would like to be more.

Lisa's plans include Solomon, but she does not let him know that.  When she decides to get Clark's help, things get really interesting.

I enjoyed this book.  I thought the story line was good and I enjoyed all three characters.  I also had an unexpected ending I was glad to see.
(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!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:
Then one day trying wasn't enough, so he stripped down to his boxers and sat in the fountain in front of his junior high school.  Then And right there, with his classmates and teachers watching, with the morning sun blinding him, he slowly leaned back until his entire body was underwater.
From page 4of Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley.


Falling, with wind whistling and roaring past my head for a short eternity, only to bounce my head against the seat in front of me.  I coughed, spit, and strained for a breath.

From page 33 of Mayday by Karen Harrington.


Karen's:

I want to run upstairs and get into the shower, but I like to watch my children when they don't know I'm there, convinced that they'll reveal themselves to me in some essential way.  They're so different when it's just the three of them, together.

From page 56 of Every Last One by Anna Quindlen.


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

"Mayday" by Karen Harrington

In Mayday by Karen Harrington, a young boy named Wayne is the main character.  Wayne has a lot going on in his life.  He lives with his mom, who is separated from his dad and his grandpa who was in the army.  Wayne's uncle dies while fighting in the army, and on the plane ride back from the service, Wayne and his mom service a horrible plane crash.  Now Wayne cannot talk and his face does not look too good.

I liked this children's book because it had humor and made me think. The characters were brought out really well and the ending surprised me which is a good thing!
(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!

"The Boy at the Top of the Mountain" by John Boyne

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is about a young boy named Pierrot who becomes an orphan around the time of World War II.  When he is 7 years old, rides three trains by himself to go live with his aunt whom he never even met.  While living with her, he is influenced by the people he meets and soon he sees things far different than he used to.

I thought the second part of this book was better than the first part and the ending was very well done.  However, I do not think this was as good as this author's first book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) but still is a very good read.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

(Karen's review 6/17/16, 5 stars) 
I was eager to read The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author who also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an amazing story!  The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is also set during World War II.  It shows how a nice, innocent 7-yr.-old boy, Pierrot, with German and French background is faced with a whole new life when his aunt takes him in to live with her after his parents both die. 

This story kept my interest all the way through and didn't have any boring part.  I finished it in just two days and liked how the author made Pierrot's struggles so clear.  This too is a sad book but thought provoking.  As Pierrot gets a new identity, he fights to keep his memories of "the good old days" and is torn apart when he realizes what he did was really wrong.  I thought the ending was great and recommend this one!  I hesitate saying any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Just read it and be shocked like I was!  I don't think I'll easily forget this book, just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is lodged in my memory.


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--4 This Week

Gerard's:

And between my skin and bones, something thrummed and pounded, rising and pushing, lashing through my blood--

So many eyes, too many eyes, pressed on me, witnesses to every crime I'd committed, every humiliation--

I don't know why I'd even bothered to wear gloves, why I'd let Ianthe convince me.
From page 41 of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.


And when Thurman growled in reply, Wilson tried not to pay attention to him.  But if asked, he would have said that Thurman had said that he shouldn't worry about things like that, since other things were going to happen to make all of it make sense.

From page 25 of The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus.


Karen's:

Then the crashing began again.  It sounded as though it was over the living room now.  How did I wind up here? Rebecca thought.

From page 10 of Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen.

Against his father's wishes, Hans had joined the Hitler Youth movement when he was fourteen.  His father, Robert, was opposed to Germany's new leader, Adolf Hitler, and his National Socialist, or Nazi, political party.  "Don't believe them," he warned his children.

 From page 1 of We Will Not Be Silent--The White Rose Student Resistance Movement that Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. 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 Problem With Forever" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Problem With Forever by Jennifer Armentrout is a beautiful, inspirational story about Mallory a/k/a "Mouse" and Rider, two kids who were in an abusive foster home together accepting their past but looking to the future.  After being split up for four years, Mallory getting adopted while Rider was in a group home and foster home, they wind up in the same high school for senior year and reconnect.

I liked both the main characters who were well developed and grew throughout the book.  There are many references to The Velveteen Rabbit book that is closely related to the main theme of this book so I would recommend reading that as well.  It is the book Rider used to read to Mallory when they were kids and that was her favorite.  There is a lot of relationships that make this a very realistic, contemporary fiction novel.  I really liked Carl and Rosa too, doctors who adopted Mallory.  I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it, especially to teens.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In The Problem With Forever by Jennifer Armentrout, Mallory is a young teen girl who spent time in a foster home that was not a good situation, but could always count on a young boy named Rider.  After years of being home schooled when she was taken in by a nice couple, she is ready to go to a regular high school for her senior year.  She thinks she can do this.  On the first day of school, she sees someone she recognizes--Rider!

I really enjoyed this book a lot!  Mallory was a fantastic character as was Rider.  The writing was very good too.  It had me from page 1.  I think you should read this one.  I can't imagine anyone not liking this!
(Gerard's review 6-1-16, 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!

"We Will Not Be Silent" by Russell Freedman

We Will Not Be Silent--The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman is a true story about a group of young teens who turned against Hitler.   This is a very short story, but I am glad that it was told.  These teens were very brave and paid for what they believed in with their lives.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman is about the White Rose student resistance movement against Adolf Hitler during World War II. Specifically, this focuses on the Scholl family, whose eldest son, Hans began it.  At first, he was excited to join the Hitler Youth movement against his father's advice; however, when his creativity was frowned upon and he realized they took away some freedom and wanted to keep everyone the same, he became doubtful.  Slowly and carefully, Hans got others to help him distribute leaflets against Hitler and pointing out things that were happening that were not right in several different cities and also do some graffiti.

This was a quick read but very informative about something I did not know much about.  I thought it was interesting and am glad I happened to see at the library and picked it up.  It shows that many people were not on board with Hitler's policies and some were brave enough to put their lives on the line to fight back.  I think it is definitely worth the time to read.

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 Wolf Wilder" by Katherine Rundell

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell is about a young girl named Feo.  She and her mom train wolves to fend for themselves.  When her mom is taken away by a general who wants to rule the land, Feo has to count on all the things her mom taught her and wolves to save her mom.  I thought this was pretty good.  I really enjoyed Feo and the story moved along well.
(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!

"Ruined" by Amy Tintera

Ruined by Amy Tintera is a quick read because there is action right from the start and it is hard to put down.  This YA fantasy is about Emelina Flores, a ruined, who comes up with quite an elaborate and dangerous plan to free her sister who was captured by Lera after they killed her mother, the Queen.  Her father was killed by the princess of Vallos so Em is out for revenge as well.  She impersonates Princess Mary after killing her off, planning to marry Prince Casimer and take down the royal family of Lera from the inside.  Em is viewed as useless by the Ruineds because she has no magic ability, even though she is very good with a sword.

I loved the humor in this book and the romance that developed between Em and Prince Cas.  I also enjoyed the writing style very much which let the reader know what both Cas and Em were thinking.  There is not a lot of description in this book which is why I think it moves along so quickly.  I liked both Em and Cas and hope they will rule together one day.  I look forward to reading book 2 in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In Ruined by Amy Tintera, Emelina Flores has nothing.  Her home has been ravaged by war.  Her parents are both dead and her sister has been taken by the enemy.  With nothing to lose but her own life, Emelina comes up with a plan to find and save her sister.  For this plan to work, Em will have to become part of the enemy.  Can she pull it off?

WOW!  This is good stuff!  The first part of the book put the plan in motion and the second part is when the action starts.  I really liked the character of Em.  This story moved along well and the end had me flipping pages to see how it was going to turn out!  Sign me up for book 2!
(Gerard's review 6/4/16, 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:

Wolves made sense to her; wolves were one of the few things worth dying for.  It seemed unlikely, though, that anyone would ask her to:  After all, wolves were, in general, on the other side of the equation.

From page 14 of The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell.


But then at the end of the morning something happens, something abnormal, making this day different than all the days before.

From page 26 of Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica.


Karen's:

She'd still been awake when the sun started peeking through the curans, unable to sleep in a castle full of her enemies.  She'd spent almost a year planning to infiltrate the castle, but the reality of being surrounded by people who would kill her if they discovered her true identity was more unsettling than anticipated.

From page 21 of Ruined by Amy Tintera.

Against his father's wishes, Hans had joined the Hitler Youth movement when he was fourteen.  His father, Robert, was opposed to Germany's new leader, Adolf Hitler, and his National Socialist, or Nazi, political party.  "Don't believe them," he warned his children.

 From page 1 of We Will Not Be Silent--The White Rose Student Resistance Movement that Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman.

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

Happy Reading!

"Don't You Cry" by Mary Kubica

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica is told from two points of view.  Quinn is Esther's roommate.  One day Quinn wakes up and Esther is not to be found.  Where did she go?  As days go by, Quinn discovers that maybe she did not really know Esther at all.

Alex is a young teen boy who sees a girl that he is drawn to and becomes more involved with her finding himself involved in something he never expected.  The tension mounts as both story lines play out until a totally unexpected ending that I did not see coming.

Mary Kubica knows how to keep you reading. I enjoyed all three books I've read by her.  The other two were The Good Girl and Pretty Baby.
(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!

"Fly Away" by Kristin Hannah

Fly Away by Kristin Hannah is about how Kate's death affects her husband, her three children and her long time best friend, Tully.  When Kate dies of Cancer, her husband is overwhelmed, the 8-yr.-old boys handle their grief differently and Marah, her teenage daughter flips out and makes some really bad choices that lead to trouble.  Through memories and flashbacks the reader gets to know about Kate's and Tully's friendship.

I liked this well-written book because the characters were so vulnerable and although it dealt with grief, depression, addiction and domestic violence, it gives a person hope showing that the past is the past and we can make good choices to give us a better future.  Loved the ending!  I've enjoyed several of Kristin Hannah's books and this is no exception--I recommend it.

This book is sort of the opposite of Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson in which it was the father who was dying of Cancer and the focus was on the months before he died.  However, in Fly Away, it is the mother who dies of Cancer and the focus is on what happens to those who love her after her death.  Both have teen daughters who are main characters in the books.
(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!