"Irena's War" by James D. Shipman

Irena's War by James D. Shipman is based on a true story, and what a story it is!  Irena works as a social worker in Warsaw, Poland.  When the Germans take over, she works out a deal that she will be the head of a food bank.  When she finds out that the Jews are being rounded up, she joins a resistance group to save as many people from the Germans as she can.  

I thought this book was really good.  I could feel the tension as Irena was trying to get people out of Poland to safety.  It has good action and the writing and the ending were well done!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan: LOVED IT! (UPDATED)

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is historical fiction that reminded me of The Help but is a much faster read. I LOVED this one even more than When She Woke, the first book I read by Hillary Jordan. Mudbound tells the story of a black family and a white family living in the deep south in the early 1940s. The black family are the sharecroppers on the white family's land. The characters are likable and well developed. It has a really good ending and would make a fantastic movie!

If you liked The Help by Kathryn Stockton, you will love this book too!  I highly recommend this one!
(Gerard's Review)

Karen's review:
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is a book that drew me into the characters.  It is historical fiction during 1946 about a black and a white man coming home from war to Mississippi to help their families on the farm.  I had no idea what this book was about from the title, but “Mudbound” is the name of the farm Henry bought out of the blue without even consulting his wife, Laura.  She is the one who named the farm because she felt trapped there.  Through great story telling by all the characters, the reader discovers the tragic story behind Pappy’s death.

Although I did not like the offensive language, it was a part of history and was used appropriately in conveying the unfairness the Blacks faced every day.  Mudbound is very well written and had lots of good passages in it.  I had a hard time choosing a teaser!  I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it if you like books with some depth that cause you to really take an interest in the characters.  I agree with Gerard that it would make a good movie.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"The Puppy Diaries" by Jill Abramson

The Puppy Diaries is absolutely a wonderful book about raising a puppy.   Jill's old dog, Buddy, passed on to the Rainbow Bridge.  Jill wasn't sure she was ready for another dog right away, but when it was time, she picked out Scout.  If you are a dog lover, you will enjoy this book!  It is very funny at times and you will see yourself in the struggles that Jill and her husband experienced.  There are also some great tips on how to handle a puppy.  I LOVED THIS BOOK and think you will too!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Wildwood" by Colin Meloy

WOW! Wildwood by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis, is an outstanding read! Prue's baby brother is carried off by crows to Wildwood--a place you are not supposed to enter. But, enter she does joined by her friend, Curtis, who offers to help.

This is a fantastic fantasy read with kings, queens, talking animals, and action galore! It has 530+ pages and I finished it in just two days! That's how much I enjoyed it. Give it a read, you will be glad you did! I highly recommend it if you are looking for some fantasy.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"The Eighty-Dollar Champion" by Elizabeth Letts

This non-fiction book is about a horse named Snowman, a plow horse, who with his owner, Harry, went on to become a world champion show jumper! The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts has it all. The story is so good and the writing made me feel as though I was right there cheering on Snowman! I hated to see this book end; I loved it so much! I hope a movie comes out on this book. If you don't read The Eighty-Dollar Champion, you are missing out on a great story! For sure, it is in my top ten or even five for my books of the year.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Rin Tin Tin" by Susan Orlean

Our dog, Abby, thinks you should read this one!

Rin Tin Tin—The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean is one of the most interesting dog books I have read. For those who may now know, Rin Tin Tin was a dog in a TV show years ago. First of all, let me tell you that Susan Orlean did a ton, and I mean a ton of research on this book. It took a decade to write it and second of all, this is a wonderful book!!! You're going to find things about the owner, Lee Duncan, and Rin Tin Tin (a German Shepherd) that is simply going to dazzle you! I got so caught up in it that I had a hard time putting it down. The few pictures in the book are very good too. Thanks for all your hard work, Susan, I LOVED IT!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from it since I'm not reading it on Tuesday for a Tuesday Teaser from page 85:

He scrambles up a tree--a stunt so startling that I had to replay it a few times to believe it. Can dogs climb trees? Evidently. At least certain dogs can.

(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

WOW!! This book is good, really really good! It's about a college baseball team, the president of the college, and his daughter. The good news is that you do not really have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book. There is plenty of action off the field, trust me. Did I tell you that the ending is fantastic? It is! Read and enjoy. They hype about this book is true!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes" by Chris Crutcher

WOW!  What a great Book this is!  Loved it!  This book is about a very special friendship between a boy and a girl who are "misfits" at a high school but much more than that.  It deals with freedom of speech, suicide and abortion too.  I got into Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes right away and really cared about the characters.  This is a good YA novel but all ages would get something out of it.  I give it a double wow!
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Blood Feud" by David Robbins (UPDATED)

Blood Feud by David Robbins moved along at a good pace and kept my interest because Chace was such an interesting character.  It is is full of killing, a shoot-em up book about family loyalty, revenge, and hate. My favorite part was when Chace fled to Galveston, Texas and took over the hawking business from Tunk to help the kids which showed he was kind-hearted in spite of being a killer.  I did like the ending!
(Karen's review 9/12/11)

Blood Feud by David Robbins is about a feud between the Harkey clan and the Shannon clan. Chase Shannon sets out for revenge after the brutal rape of his older sister by the Harkeys. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement--I loved it! Blood Feud is a double wow, which means it's as good as it gets! The good news is that there is going to be two more books in this series. Can't wait!! Read and enjoy!
(Gerard's review 9/8/11)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"You're Next" by Greg Hurwitz (UPDATED)

You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz is a complex and mysterious novel about a family man who goes to great lengths to protect his wife and little girl from being killed by the bad men who are after him because of who he is. Mike was abandoned at the age of 4 and grew up in foster care waiting for his dad to come back for him. He made a good life for himself but when he found out he and his family were in danger and couldn’t go to the cops for help because there was an alert out that he was a suspected terrorist, he turned to a friend from his childhood.

I liked this book because it had lots of suspense, action and mystery to keep me reading. Although I was confused at the beginning because it jumped around a bit, I stuck with it and the second half really took off. I felt the pressure Mike was under and really liked the Casino caper when Mike tore the safe out of the wall of the office with the help of his friend, Shep. It has a great ending and emphasizes the importance of stamina and loyalty. Never give up!  I read this because Gerard said it was so good.  Now I recommend it to you--you're next!
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review:
Wow, oh WOW!  You're Next by Greg Hurwitz is a page turner!  The novel is about Mike, who is left on his own at age 4 so his childhood is not so great.  He overcomes that though and things go well until one day people start coming after him, his wife, and even his daughter!  He turns to his one true friend from childhood for help.  I really enjoyed the ride this book gave me.  Make the time to enjoy it for yourself!


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  


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