"Where Courage Calls" by Janette Oke

Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke is about Beth, a young woman who shows courage by leaving her nice home in the east to move west to teach in a school in a mining town.  Thinking she will be free from Edward, the man her parents would like her to marry, is disappointed to see him on the same train and hear he will be stationed out west too!  Beth soon makes friends with the townspeople, teaches school at the pool hall, starts a Bible club for the children and then even adds teaching English to some miners!  When one of her students almost dies from drinking some hooch, she even becomes involved in the investigation and finds a new love interest in Jack.

This Christian fiction book moved slowly and I got bored by the end, really looking forward to finishing it so I could start another.  Beth was like super woman.  She did quite a bit of praying and the whole point of the book was that God is in control as Beth surrendered to Him to show her what he wanted her to do.  It was okay but Beth just seemed a little too perfect. 
(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!

Teasers

Gerard's:

We should have done more, and we should have done it sooner.  It ate at me every day, and I knew it ate at Donna, too.

From page 34 of A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay.


Karen's:

"We don't have the luxury of playing at an occupation for a while and then having someone else support us as soon as we're tired of it all.  Men work hard their whole lives."

 From page 47 of Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke.

I asked myself a hundred times why I ignored your note.  Everything might have been different if I'd just taken two minutes to answer you.

From page 17 of The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson.

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!

"Bascomville" by Mark A. Calde

Bascomville by Mark A. Calde centers on a young teen boy named Max.  He lives with his parents and two sisters.  He is attracted to the girl next door, Janice.  The point of view is from Max who tells his story.  He has plenty to deal with involving his family, Janice and his future plans.  It is told well and I enjoyed reading it.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)  (We got a copy of this book free in return for an honest 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Holding Up the Universe" by Jennifer Niven

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven is told by Libby Strout and Jack Masselin.  They both go to the same high school, but they are very different on the status scale.  The one thing they do have in common is that they each have a health problem to deal with.

This book is much better than I expected it would be.  I really rooted for Libby and Jack.  The story flowed along well and I was always anxious to get back into it!  The ending was perfect!  If you want a feel good story, this is it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen read this one too--here's her review:
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Nivan is a teen romance novel. Libby, an overweight girl with panic attacks, gets bullied but stands up for herself and has a big heart. Jack has Prosopagnosia, a condition that keeps him from being able to recognize faces. Libby loves to dance and Jack likes building things. Jack keeps his disability a secret and copes the best he can until one day he confides in Libby. Libby and Jack start off on rocky ground but as they get to know each other, their relationship changes.

Although this book is very predictable, it is a good story that has a good message for teens and clearly shows how bullied people feel. I never heard of “face-blindness” before reading this so it was interesting to learn about it through Jack’s experiences. Lilly was an interesting character too with the ability to forgive. The story was told by both Lilly and Jack in alternating chapters. (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!

"The Woman in Cabin 10" by Ruth Ware is One You Have to Think About

In The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, Lo Blacklock works for a travel magazine.  When she gets a chance to go on a cruise liner maiden voyage, she goes in hope that this will be her big break to move up at her job.  Once on board, things start to happen and she tries to make sense of it. 

There is not a lot of action until the end when it really picks up, but you are inside Lo's mind wondering just what is going on?  I loved it!  It really got me thinking trying to figure it out.  If you think you have it figured out, trust me, you don't!  I enjoyed her other book too--Dark Dark Wood.  This is a very good thinking book!
(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!

Teasers

Gerard's:

His eyes crinkled in a way that made me think he might be smiling beneath the bandanna, and I felt the blood drain from my head and my fingers, pooling in the core of my body, ready to fight or flee, whichever it had to be.
     He took a step forwards.

From page 5 of The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

But the only one who stands out from the staring, jabbering crowd of them isn't my own brother or the woman who's wrecking my parents' marriage.  It's a girl I don't even know, the largest girl here.

From page 84 of Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven.

Karen's:

I tell myself to give Mick a chance, give these girls a chance, give this day a chance, give myself a chance most of all.  The way I see it, I've lost my mom, eaten myself nearly to death, been cut out of my house while the whole country watched, endured exercise regimes and diets and the nation's disappointment, and I've received hate mail from total strangers.

 From page 24 of Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven.


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!

"Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult is Thought Provoking--A Must Read! (UPDATED)

 Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is a contemporary fiction about racism that is absolutely very thought provoking and educational.  It is about Ruth, a black nurse, who is charged with murder and negligence because the newborn, the son of white supremacist parents, that she was watching over dies.  Ruth is a widow with a son who is a high school honor-student.  

There are so many good scenes in this book!  It started a little slow for me with all the baby deliveries at the beginning, but that just was a small part and soon moved along.  That was just to show what a good nurse Ruth was and that she really loved her job.

This is such a remarkable story that helped me look at blacks in a whole different light.  I never realized before reading this how it really is to be black.  I would love to hear a black person's views about this book!  I really did not enjoy the chapters about Turk and Brit, the parents of the baby who died because they were horrible people!  I really liked the chapters about Ruth's public defender, Kennedy and the chapters about Ruth.  In typical Picoult style, chapters are written from different characters' points of view.  I felt the characters were well developed and the plot had an unexpected twist that shocked me!  I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone--must read.  It has lots of great lines and the author used the experiences of some real people that she interviewed to get a feel for what it's really like to be black in the United States.  I loved the surprise ending!  Must Read! 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

My husband and I both loved this one, here's his review:

In Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, Ruth Jefferson is a delivery nurse in a small hospital.  She has been one for 20 years and is very good at it.  One night a newborn baby is having serious problems and Ruth is left alone with the baby.  The baby is white, and Ruth is black, with orders not to touch this baby.  When the baby dies, the parents blame Ruth!  Did she do something to the baby or did she try to save it?

WOW!  This book is GOOD!  This story is true to life and the characters are well developed.  The trial part alone is worth reading for sure but I enjoyed the whole book!  A must Read!!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Shared this with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop - the prompt was share a book review.  I was pleased to see she is reading many of the books we have recommended and loved!

"Susie's Senior Dogs" by Erin Stanton

Susie's Senior Dogs by Erin Stanton tells the true story of senior dogs that have been given forever homes by people.  I loved reading all the joy the dogs brought the people and the people gave their dogs.  The pictures in the book are really good too!  You can follow Erin and the Senior Dogs on Facebook and Instagram at "Susie's Senior Dogs."
(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 Diabolic" by S. J. Kincaid - Loved It!

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid has plenty of action and so many twists my head was spinning!  Nemesis is a Diabolic.  It will kill to protect the one that it is pledged to.  But now, the emperor summons Sidonia, the owner of Nemesis, to his court to be held as hostage for the doings of her father.  To protect her, Nemesis goes instead.  Can she pull this off though?  And if not, then what will happen?  LOVED THIS BOOK!
(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!

"Three Weeks with My Brother" by Nicholas and Micah Sparks

Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks is one of the best memoirs I have read. It has humor, interesting adventures and touching moments. I loved how these guys gave us a look at their family dynamics from childhood. I think they did a fantastic job of weaving their memories into their time together as they traveled around the world in three weeks. It is a story of persevering through tragedy and life’s bumps. Throughout the book, they kept repeating the mother’s standard sayings: It’s your life. No one ever promised that life would be fair. What you want and what you get are usually two entirely different things. 

I enjoyed reading this more than I expected and found the inspiration for Nicholas Sparks' books very interesting. I think anyone who enjoys Nicholas Sparks' books would enjoy this as well even though it is non-fiction. It even includes discussion questions in the back for book clubs!
(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:

Even as I spoke, I visualized the blow I'd use to kill her.  A single strike to the back of the head....No need to risk her screaming.

From page 15 of The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid.

Karen's:

Night after night, my mom had us name three nice things our siblings had done for us, and each night we wre somehow able to come up with something.

And to my surprise, my brother and I began to argue less and less.

 From page 71 of Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks.

"I'm Ruth," she announces.  "I'm going to be your nurse today."

All I can think is:  Over my dead body.

From page 35 of Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.

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!

"A Night Divided" by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a Good Read We Both Enjoyed! (Updated)

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen is an interesting historical fiction story about a family divided by the Berlin Wall. Gerta is 12 and lives in East Berlin with her parents and two brothers . . . until the night her father and one of her brothers left and never came back because a fence went up during the night separating East and West Berlin. Her father and brother were stuck on the other side! Then, before very long, the fence became a wall to keep the Eastern Berliners under Russia rule from leaving. Gerta is bold and determined to somehow get the rest of her family reunited with her father and brother on the other side of the wall but time is running out because Fritz, her oldest brother, is about to be inducted into the military in just a few weeks!

This is a very good story of bravery, courage, staying true to one’s beliefs and adventure that moves quickly. I couldn’t help but pull for Gerta to succeed and liked the ups and downs with her friendship with Anna.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


In A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Gerta lives with her mom and dad and two brothers.  They have heard talk of something soon to happen so the father and young brother go on a scouting mission, but when the Berlin Wall goes up, they cannot get back!  Greta wants to be together again but how to make that happen and who to trust?

This book was very good!  The writing is excellent and the tension builds throughout.  I loved all the characters and the book reads true to life.  A must read!  I highly recommend 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday--4 Today

Gerard's:

For a moment, I honestly don't understand.  And then it hits me with the force of a blow:  they don't have a problem with what I've done.

From page 21 of Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.

We walked on in silence for a couple of minutes longer, until my anger had entirely faded and I could no longer remember exactly why I'd chased after her in the first place.

From page 13 of Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.

Karen's:

I awoke to sirens screaming throughout my city of East Berlin.  Instantly, I flew from my bed.  Something must be terribly wrong.

From page 1 of A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen.

And all of a sudden
I'm blinking back tears.
Because seeing him
lying there like that makes me . . .

From page 11 of Saving Red by Sonya Sones. 


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!

"Our Chemical Hearts" by Krystal Sutherland, A Good Debut Novel

In Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland, Henry Page is sitting in class one day when a new girl enters dressed in boys clothes, her hair undone, and walks with a cane.  Henry needs a female relationship in his life, is Grace Town the girl for him?   I thought this book was really good.  I enjoyed both Henry and Grace as they got to know each other.  The last part of the book is very good!  For a first book by the author, she set a high bar for herself.
(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!

"Saving Red" by Sonya Sones is a "Feel-Good" Book (UPDATED)

Saving Red, by Sonya Sones is about Molly, a teen girl with a service dog, Pixel, who helps her cope with her panic attacks.  She becomes friends with a homeless girl, Red, who  has some mental issues of her own.  Molly decides to help reunite her with her family before Christmas. 

I enjoyed this unique teen fiction book written in verse.  It goes very quick and I liked the story line.  It touches on PTSD, suicide in addition to homelessness, mental illness and guilt.  It was interesting to see her make friends with Red and also Cristo and his cat!  Although this book deals with some heavy subjects, it is not dark at all but pretty uplifting.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In Saving Red, by Sonya Sones, Molly is a young teen girl who has a dog named Pixel.  You will love Pixel!  One night, Red is out doing community service and she sees a young red-headed girl who she becomes friends with.  She wants to get Red back to her family in time for the holidays but can she?

This book is told in verse with ongoing action so it goes very fast.  I enjoyed all the characters.  If you are looking for a feel-good book, this is it!  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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Call" by Peadar O'Guilin

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin takes place in Ireland.  The Sidhe have been banished and put in a land of their own and have the power to take young teens to their land.  If you get the "call," good luck on getting away!

This book is an out-and-out horror story.  If this was a movie, I am not sure I would want to see it.  But I was fine reading it.  Nessa is a really good main character.  The last part of the book was a real page turner!  If there is a book 2, sign me up!  If you enjoyed the Hunger Games, then you will probably enjoy 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Guilty" by Karen Robards

In Guilty by Karen Robards, Kate a single mom of a 9-yr-old boy, Ben, has finally built a good life for herself and now works as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office.  Unfortunately, her past comes back to haunt her and she finds her and Ben in great danger.  Fortunately for her, the cop who questioned her about the courtroom shooting is attracted to her and gives her some added protection even though he knows she is lying to him.

I enjoyed this romantic suspense novel but felt the ending was a bit too tidy and very unbelievable.  I did like the progression of Kate and Tom's relationship and the kid was an interesting character.  I liked how the mother was always thinking what would be best for him and wanted to protect him at all costs.
(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:

Frost looked back up at her father, but he was no longer there, the hand in hers suddenly cold and lifeless.  "It is happening again," Bunt said.  "There is no escape."

From page 51 of Frost by M. P. Kozlowsky.  (Bunt is a robot.)

But if she refuses to let the doctors put her to sleep, this is the future:  Sometime during her adolescence, the Sidhe will come for her, as they come these days for everyone.  They will hunt her down, and if she fails to outrun them, Nessa will die.

From page 3 of The Call by Peadar O'Guilin.

I awoke to sirens screaming throughout my city of East Berlin.  Instantly, I flew from my bed.  Something must be terribly wrong.

From page 1 of A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen.

Karen's:

Judge Moran was on his feet, she saw as her disbelieving gaze followed Soto's.  The judge raised his hands, palms outward, as if to ward off the threat.  His eyes were wide and his mouth was opening, as if he was about to speak, or yell, or something.  Whatever he meant to do, she never knew, because she was just in time to watch--bang!--as his head was blown to pieces.

From page 31 of Guilty by Karen Robards.

But the injustice of it all, the anger it provoked in me, and the ability to understand her suffering--all of it led me to a single-minded pursuit.  And that was to give back to Jenny Kramer this most horrific nightmare.

From page 9 of All is not Forgotten by Wendy Walker.

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!