"The More the Terrier" by David Rosenfelt

The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt is a good short book that I enjoyed.  Andy takes the case of a man accused of murder.  It went quickly because of the good storyline with a dog.  It's an enjoyable light Christmas read.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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

"Inheritance" by Nora Roberts (Book 1--Lost Bride Trilogy)

In Inheritance by Nora Roberts, Sonya has been going through a rough time.  Her marriage plans fell apart when she had to leave her job because her soon-to-be husband, who she caught cheating on her, works at the same job.  Now things are looking up though.  She is left a mansion on a huge piece of land valued at $8 million.  She is going to be rich!  The only catch is that she has to live in the mansion for three years.  There must be something strange about the house, but what?  You will have to read the book to find out!  

I thought this book was really good and was disappointed when I realized it is the first book in a series.  Sonya is a great character with a good storyline and action.  LOVED IT!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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

"Show Me the Bunny" by Laurien Berenson

In Show Me the Bunny by Laurien Berenson, Melanie agrees to organize Easter festivities.  When a woman falls to her death at the house where the Easter hunt is to take place, cops think it is no accident.  This is a good quick read.  It has a good storyline with lots of dogs.  Give it a chance.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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

"A Midwinter's Tail" by Bethany Blake is a Cozy Mystery

In A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake, there is a murder in a small town and Daphne is out to solve it with a little help from her dogs.  This book was okay, but needed more action for me.  I enjoyed how the dogs were used in the story though and liked the storyline.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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

"Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

In Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, Aza is a young 16-yr.-old girl who is consumed by her own thoughts.  She and her best friend, Daisy, decide to investigate the disappearance of a billionaire.  There is a reward if you find him!

It took me a while to get into this because at first it was kind of girlish!  That being said, Aza and Daisy were fun to follow!  The story line was so-so, but the writing kept me wanting to keep reading.  I liked it and think it is well worth reading. 
(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!

"The Cat Who Saw Stars" by Lilian Jackson Braun

The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun is about a small-town journalist named Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats, Koko and YumYum. He takes a little vacation to his beach house in Mooseville and visits with the townspeople. Some strange things happen that Koko senses. Supposedly, Koko has extra sensory perception.  Some in the town believe UFOs visit and Qwill is not buying it but Koko always watches the sky.  

This book really poked along for me and I was not impressed by any of it. I like cats so that is why I picked it up; however, the cats had a very small part in the book. None of the characters made me care about them much and were not well developed at all. I thought most of the book was very boring and kept waiting for it to get better but it never did! The only people I would recommend this too would be anyone who needs help getting to sleep or who is on a beach vacation and wants to read a book about someone else on a beach vacation. This author wrote many books, but I don’t think I’ll be reading any of them. (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!

"The Bark Before Christmas" by Laurien Berenson

The Bark Before Christmas by Laurien Bebenson is about a woman named Melanie. She is put in charge of a Christmas bazaar at a private school so it is a big deal. It is only for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? The story line was okay and I enjoyed the characters well enough; however, I would have loved it if the dogs would have been more involved. Sadly, they only played a small part.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 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!

"Picture Me Gone" by Meg Rosoff

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff is about a father and daughter who live in England.  One day the father and daughter come to America to find a friend of his who has left his wife and baby and cannot be found.  The daughter tries to help and slowly puts the pieces together, but just when she thinks she has it solved, a twist comes and she is shocked.  

This book was all right but moved too slow for my taste.  However, it kept my interest but the ending was okay, not great.  

(Gerard's review, 3.5 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!

"Paw And Order" by Spencer Quinn

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn is another in a series of books about Chet and Bernie.  Bernie is a private investigator and Chet the Jet is his dog helper.  As usual, Chet steals the show in this book.  The story is about a murder that Bernie is being set up for.  The characters were never fully developed in my opinion, except for Chet.  The plot was kind of weak.  I liked this author's other books better:  Dog on It and The Dog Who Knew Too Much.
(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!

"The Shadow Of Your Smile" by Mary Higgins Clark

Disappointing Compared to Some of her Other Ones I Read

The Shadow Of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark didn't appeal to me.  I didn't care for the three murders by three different people because it just made murder seem too easy.  I really liked some of her others, but this doesn't even come close.  I guess when my favorite character gets killed early on by her "long time friend," I lost interest.  The suspense just wasn't enough for me.  It's about a Dr. trying to find out who her father's biological parents were and the family she's related to trying to make sure she doesn't.  Her father was adopted at birth.  I really can't say anymore without giving things away.  It does have a good ending.
(Karen's review)

Others by this author that I recommend instead:  Two Little Girls In Blue & Just Take My Heart & Where Are You Now

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!

"It Takes Two To Strangle" by Stephen Kaminski (Giveaway)

I received a complimentary copy of It Takes Two To Strangle (a Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective Mystery) by Stephen Kaminski for review. Here is the blurb from the back cover that made me want to read it:

When the owner of a traveling carnival is strangled—not once but twice—on opening night of the summer fair in Hollydale, the police surmise he was not well liked. As the head of Hollydale's citizens association and local liaison with the carnival, Damon Lassard feels obligated to help his dear friend, Detective Gerry Sloman, solve the crime. Damon is determined to bring the killer to justice, to the fascination of his mother, best gal pal Rebecca, and lovely local weather girl, Bethany Krims. To unravel the threads underpinning this peculiar murder, Damon will travel far from Hollydale as his quest to find a murderer leads to the discovery of long hidden and horrific crimes.

It Takes Two to Strangle introduces Hollydale’s lovable neighborhood leader, Damon Lassard, and twists the dabbling detective through an intricate maze of greed, deception, and murder.

This is a cozy mystery without any "wow" factor.  The action, what little there is, moved too slow for me.  If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and would like this book, be the first to indicate that in the comments with an email address so we can get your address and send it to you.
(Gerard's review, rating 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!

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio is a very interesting romance novel with mystery as well. It’s about a successful New York author who is recently divorced and goes to visit her aunt Bee at her beach house in Bainbridge to get away and think things through. While there, she discovers a diary about a woman’s similar experience to hers and gets drawn into trying to piece the bits and pieces together about her grandmother’s story.


I liked this book because it is not predictable from the start like many romance novels are. I didn’t understand what drew men to her like bees to honey, but it kept my interest all through. It’s about following your heart and knowing your true love will last forever. I enjoyed this light and entertaining read. If you like romance novels, I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review:  My rating 4 out of 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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Murder Past Due" by Miranda James

Murder Past Due by Miranda James is a cozy mystery that almost put me to sleep.  It's about a college librarian who takes his Maine Coon cat with him practically everywhere, even to a funeral!  This was the fun part of the book.  The college librarian's curiosity and concern for his college student boarder draws him into his private investigation of the murder of one of the alumni authors who came to speak at the college and donate all his materials to the archives.  There was a lot of lying by the characters and the reader was kept in the dark as to who the murderer was until the very end.  

This was slow moving and presented many possible suspects, some of which lied which caused more confusion for me.  The subplot of who boarder's biological father was somewhat interesting.  I liked the cover but was relieved when I finished it!
(Karen's review)

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.

"Double Booked For Murder" by Ali Brandon

Double Booked For Death—a Black Cat Bookshop Mystery by Ali Brandon is about solving the mystery of a popular author’s death when at a book signing in an independent book store owned by Darla.  This is a cozy mystery that Darla and her ex-cop friend, Jake, who also acts as her security guard for the bookstore tries to solve.  This is a fun read because it includes Hamlet, the bookstore cat and some interesting twists along the way as clues are eventually connected.  

I just couldn’t resist reading a mystery about a cat and a bookstore but was a bit disappointed the cat didn't have a bigger role.  Although the cat is on the cover, it really is incidental to the story.  The ending was really fun!  I’m not much on cozy mysteries, but this is the best I’ve read so far.  

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.

Tuesday Teasers: Four This Week!

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 do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Gerard's:

Naw, Jake, that's why I got you. I don't plan to go to no gas chamber. I saw you get Lester off, now just get me off.

From page 100 of A Time To Kill by John Grisham.

Early each Saturday morning, the keepers would take Gita [an elephant] on a long, rambling walk around the grounds before the zoo opened, and it was my privilege to be invited to go along, several times. Those are the memories etched in my mind.

From page 54 of Betty and Friends by Betty White.  (Karen reviewed this non-fiction one already.)

Karen's:

Maybe my parents will forget about what the neighbors think and welcome me as their daughter again. And maybe, just maybe, Brynn will forgive me.

From page 45 of These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf.  (Gerard's review of this one is up.)

On her first day running the store, she'd been the unwitting victim of a lightning-fast swipe from Hamlet's claws. The attack had occurred as she'd moved his downstairs food bowl from its usual spot, in front of the local author showcase, to the corner of the science-fiction section.

From page 2 of Double Booked For Death by Ali Brandon. (a cozy mystery)

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.

"Save Me" by Lisa Scottoline (UPDATED)

This book starts out good but goes downhill fast at about page 200 or so.  The lead character turns into Nancy Drew.  The story line goes from good to bad and then the main plot is absolutely ridiculous!  Save yourself the trouble, don’t bother reading this one!

(Gerard's review)

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is a contemporary novel about the strong bond between mothers and daughters.  It looks at the issues of bullying, community, volunteering and ethics.  It is the story of a mom that I think any mother would find interesting and enjoy.  Rose rescues several children from a fire at the school while volunteering as a lunch mom, including her own daughter, is proclaimed to be a mom hero and then later is portrayed as a villain when one girl she thought was safe goes back in and ends up in a coma.  When Rose’s attorneys advise her to sue the school, she fires them and begins her own investigation to find out what really happened that day.  What she finds out was quite a shock! 

I liked Save Me because it made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen.  Hunting for her daughter in the fire and then being in another fire trying to save the mother who was so mean to her was gripping.  My favorite line of the book is “Every mom is an action hero.”  Although the story is a bit farfetched, it certainly is a good read.  I recommend this to any mother. 
(Karen's review)

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.

"Buried Prey" by John Sandford

I expected Buried Prey by John Sandford to be a lot better than it was.  The plot is good enough:  two missing girls found years later in a building being torn down with lots of suspects to choose from.  For me, there was just not enough action.  The first half of the book plods along and the second half picked up a bit, but not enough to make it good.  I do not recommend this one.
(Gerard's review)

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.

GIVEAWAY: Audio book of IRON HOUSE by John Hart

Audio Book Giveaway of Iron House (12 CDs $39.99 value)

Iron House by John Hart is a great read and we are excited to have the audio book containing 12 CDS to give away including a bonus interview with the author. Who wants it? Both Gerard and I read this and it was his favorite book for July and so far is my favorite for August. It is a thriller about Michael who is trying to leave the mobsters who were like family to him and start a normal life with a woman he loves. However, he also has a younger mentally ill brother who he feels obligated to protect and in the process, makes some surprising discoveries. It all goes back to when they were orphans living at the Iron House orphanage.  Here is the link to our review of Iron House by John Hart.

We will choose a winner by random draw from all who leave comments on any of our blogs from now until August 30 (our 14th wedding anniversary) and announce the winner on August 31. Please leave an email so we have a way to contact you if you win and mention specifically that you would like to win this giveaway for an extra entry. The more you comment, the better your chances. We hope this will motivate you to visit our other blogs as well: Right Where We Belong, My Funny Dad, Harry and Always Looking Up! Feel free to comment on old posts too! (Note: Nasty or spam comments will disqualify you, just sayin’)!

Thanks to Macmillan audio for providing this audio book for this giveaway.

You will also 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.

"The Penguin Who Knew Too Much" by Donna Andrews

The best thing about The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews is the title and the cover. This is a cozy murder mystery that is somewhat humorous and very chaotic. Meg's father finds a dead body buried in the basement of his daughter's (Meg) house that she recently purchased. Her family comes over to help her move in, the zoo animals are dropped off there because the bank was foreclosing on the zoo. It is just a crazy story that I thought I would enjoy because I like animals and mysteries. This was just so unbelievable that there really was no suspense in it. Maybe it was meant to be a spoof on mysteries, but I was not captivated by this book at all. In fact, halfway through it, I switched to Divergent which was really good! Perhaps "cozy mysteries" just aren't my thing, but I did not like this one very much.
(Karen's review)

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.

Tuesday Teaser: "Until Tuesday," "Fallen" and "The Penguin Who Knew Too Much"

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 do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser. 

Gerard's:

He was intelligent. But he was also deep and emotional and hurting at the core.

From page 108 of Until Tuesday--A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him by by Fmr. Capt. Luis Carlos Montalvan

Like most women, it was rape that had always terrified her, but she knew now that there were far worse dangers. here was at least an animalistic logic to the crime of rape.

From page 163 of Fallen by Karin Slaughter.

Karen's:

"I'll go up to the house and check on the other animals," he said, pulling a small notebook out of his pocket and beginning to scribble in it. "You said penguins, hyenas, and what?"

From page 60 of The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews.
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.