"Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball" by Joe Baker

Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball by Joe Baker is a book I devoured.  This is full of tips for choosing the right shot, shot placement, strategies, league play, recreational play, focusing and more.  I took notes as I read and ended up with a list of 25 tips for improving my game.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their pickleball game and win percentage.  I found it to be very interesting and practical.  I look forward to implementing the tips and suggestions in this book.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Bowlers Guide" - Great Instructional Booklet

I found my old Bowlers Guide booklet for years ago and read it again to refresh my memory.  It helped me bowl more confidently and consistently, improving my scores from two weeks ago.  It gives basic fundamentals, explains how to shoot spares using the 3-6-9 system, tips for lefthanders, seniors and children with lots of pictures.  It really covers everything from deliveries to scoring and equipment.  I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to bowl or improve their game.  I remember giving these to the last place team in our church league years ago.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"What An Owl Knows" by Jennifer Ackerman

What An Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman is a true story about owls.  I learned a lot about owls reading this book and bet you would learn a lot too.  Here are just a few of the interesting facts I learned:

1. Keeping an owl as a pet is against the law in the U.S.
2. Owls sometimes attack people.
3. An owl can kill and eat a baby fawn.  

I enjoyed this book because I found it interesting.  It was fun to read how people can interact with owls.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Backgammon of Today" by John Longacre

Backgammon of Today by John Longacre is a concise book on how to play Backgammon.  Terms are listed in the back but should have been in the front instead.  However, it is a helpful book because it gives the odds for the different rolls, suggested opening moves based on the various rolls of the dice and four strategies.  It also has a chapter on doubling.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their game.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Alias Anna" by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is Hard to Put Down!

Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson is the true story about two young sisters with special talent for playing the piano.  They live in Russia during World War II and flee when the Germans move in to take over.  They manage to escape on the way to being killed.  This is a quick read that is very hard to put down.  I liked it and found it easy to read because it is written in verse and the chapters were very short!   It is pretty fascinating and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical non-fiction stories.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 12/22/22:
Alias Anna by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson tells a true story about two young Jewish sisters who were able to outwit the Nazis and survive during Hitler's reign.  This is a really good book told in verse so is a quick read.  This is worth the read for sure.  I found it hard to put down.  (5++ stars)

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"Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up!" by Dan Gutman is about a Field Trip

1.    

Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up! By Dan Gutman (My Weird School Book 21) is a children’s book about the class going to an overnight field trip to a natural history museum.  They see dioramas, learn about dinosaurs and poop mostly.  It was okay but not as funny as others.  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"Miss Suki is Kooky!" by Dan Gutman (Book 17 in My Weird School Series)

In Miss Suki is Kooky! by Dan Gutman, the students read The Fearless Falcon by Suki Kabuki and then the author visits their school with a falcon!  I liked this book because it gives some interesting information about falcons and is humorous.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"We're Red, Weird, and Blue! What Can We Do?" by Dan Gutman

We're Red, Weird, and Blue!  What Can We Do? by Dan Gutman is a children's book that teaches some facts about presidents in a fun way.  A.J. and Andrea are chosen to represent their school in a President's Day Challenge against Dirk School.  This is both educational and funny with a surprise ending.  This book also includes some puzzles and review questions in the back.  I enjoyed this book because I learned some things and it made me laugh.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Educated" by Tara Westover (Hubby and I disagree on this one!)

Educated by Tara Westover is her memoir of leaving her Mormon family in Idaho to pursue a formal education.  This is a long journey.  Tara is from a large family whose father owned a scrap yard and who kept her working for him as long as he could.  It is an amazing story of how she was accepted at BYU and went on to Cambridge and Harvard without having graduated high school!  In fact, even her "home schooling" was not at all regular.

I found this book very hard to read.  The father and brother made me very angry and it was difficult to fathom how dysfunctional this family was.  In some ways it reminded me of The Glass Castle and A Child Called It.  The domestic violence and abuse is heart wrenching.  I did enjoy Part 2 better when she got away from her family and into college.  I was never engrossed in this book and for the most part had to plow through.  I would have liked to know what kind of actual job the author wound up with after all that education.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Gerard's review:

Educated by Tara Westover is a true story and what a story it is!  Tara first stepped foot in a classroom at the age of 17, but now she received a BA degree from Bringham Young University and a scholarship to Cambridge in England where she was awarded a PHD in history!  WOW!  She tells her story so well.  She wanted more of a life than her family could give her, and overcame long odds to do it.  She went through a lot both in and out of the classroom!

I highly recommend this memoir, don't miss it!  Put it on your TBR list right now!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 39:  There was never any more talk of a hospital.  The moment for such a decision had passed, and to return to it would be to return to all the fury and fear of the accident itself. 

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"Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide" by Prem Carnot

Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide by Prem Carnot is a very helpful book for improving your Pickleball game.  It contains instructions for executing different shots, drills to practice to improve, and strategies to implement in your game.  All this in a very conversational writing style where he basically takes the reader into one of his clinics and even shares tips from some of his private lessons.  This book is excellent and was not at all boring to me.  He has a good sense of humor as well that makes for a very enjoyable read.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn to play Pickleball well and who is willing to practice.

Teaser from page 22:  Smart PickleballTM  is about strategically setting yourself up to win a point by biding your time, using your energy efficiently, playing the percentages and anticipating several shots ahead.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat" by Mike Ritland is Amazing!

Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland is about Malinois dogs used in battle and how they are trained.  It is pretty fascinating and was interesting reading about the different dogs and how they helped in battle.  It was also eye-opening to see what the trainers and handlers go through to prepare the dogs for battle.
(Karen's review, 4 stars) 

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"BRAIN--The Complete Mind by Michael S. Sweeney (National Geographic)

I got BRAIN--THE COMPLETE MIND (How It Develops, How It Works, and How to Keep It Sharp) by Michael S. Sweeney for Christmas two years ago in 2014 and finally finished it!  It is a very in-depth book so I felt like I was reading a text book.  The other reason it took so long for me to read it was because of it being so big and heavy.  I do most of my reading on the bus and on breaks at work, but with this book, I just read it in short spurts at a time at home.  It photographs and art work is really good!  It is a very high quality glossy paper with a super layout and several features I liked which were the glossaries at the end of every chapter and the side notes on how to keep your mind sharp and "Fast Facts."  The only thing I didn't like was often there are sentences that are incomplete.  They just break off mid-sentence!  Other than that, it is a very interesting science book.  I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in the brain. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys--A Must Read!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys takes place in 1941. Lina is preparing for art school and all that summer has to offer. Then the Soviet Secret Police break into her home and taker her, her mother and her younger brother away. Her father was taken captive too, but kept apart from them. Will they get back together? Will they ever survive? What do the Soviets want from them? I thought this book was outstanding! I was into it all the way. The writing was so good too that I could really picture it in my mind. A Must Read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 5 stars:
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is a very good historical fiction book about Lithuanians who were deported during WW II by the Russians.  This book is about a 15-yr.-old girl, Lena, who is very brave and loves to draw.  She is the cousin of Joana, one of the main characters in Salt to the Sea, that is taken by the NKVD during at night along with her mother and younger brother, Jonas.  First, they are crammed into a train with a bunch of others who were "on the list" going to who knows where.  Lena becomes friends with Andrius, a boy her age who is also on the train.  The second part of the book is about her time at the farm where the Russians try to force them to sign a paper admitting they are criminals and willing to work on the farm for 25 years.  Those who sign get treated slightly better than those who don't.  Andrius signs but Lena does not so Andrius tries his best to help her and her family.  Living in unsanitary conditions with barely anything to eat, she is forced to dig with a trowel all day or carry 50 lb. sacks of grain.  Can things get any worse?  Oh yes.  The third part of the book takes Lena, her mother and brother to Siberia but not Andrius, way up into the Arctic Circle where they must use the bricks and wood that the Russians brought along to build barracks and a bakery for the soldiers.  They have to make huts for themselves out of driftwood, moss and whatever else they can scrounge up from the trash the soldiers throw away during temperatures below zero!  All through this book, you wonder along with them if they will survive and if they will ever be reunited with their father and Andrius.       

The author does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to other characters as Lena meets them so it is pretty easy to keep them straight.  I really liked this book better than Salt to the Sea because it had better continuity with just telling the story from Lena's viewpoint.  I couldn't help but thinking how I would react if I was in that situation.  I'm pretty sure I would have given up.  These people went through awful things but the book did have some high points with the romance thread, the birthday and Christmas celebrations.  This book stayed with me after I was done and needed time to process it before jumping into my next read.  I must say, I liked this as much as I liked The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Also liked Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys but not as much as this one.

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"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)

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"Harry Potter--The Character Vault" by Jody Revenson

Harry Potter--The Character Vault by Jody Revenson is like looking through a scrapbook of the world of Harry Potter.  This is quite an informative, interesting book about the behind-the-scenes work of the Harry Potter films.  It gives interesting facts about the costumes and props for the different characters as well as some feelings the actors expressed about their characters, roles and costumes.  I think anyone who is considering watching or has enjoyed watching the Harry Potter movies would find this book very interesting.  It has lots of pictures of movie scenes and two posters, one of death eaters and one of the Order of the Phoenix.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalvan - Children's Book We Both Loved!

Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalvan is a juvenile non-fiction book about Luis, a vet, who came back home disabled.  Tuesday, his service dog, helps Luis through the day and tells the story.  The pictures in this book take you through a day with them.  I liked it.  Thank you for your service, Mr. Luis Montalvan and give Tuesday a treat and belly rub for me!  
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

I liked this book because it is both informative and heartwarming.  The pictures are touching and some humorous.  It's a wonderful children's book that teaches exactly what service dogs can do for vets.  I was amazed to learn that the dog recognizes 114 words!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Those Who Wish Me Dead" by Michael Koryta Recommended by ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

We both liked this one!

Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta is about a young teen boy who finds a dead man in a body of water near his home.  He also sees the guys who did it and they him—the hunt is on!  The bad guys are after the kid to kill him and the good guys are desperate to find him to protect him.  This is good stuff, a real page turner.  I found myself thinking along with the people involved in the hunt.  Enjoyed it a lot!  

(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

 

Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta is not only a suspenseful novel but an educational one as well.  Jace Wilson, a 14-yr.-old boy gets into big trouble when he witnesses a murder.  Instead of going into a witness protection program, his parents send him to a Montana wilderness camp instead.  Ethan Serbin takes troubled boys into the mountains and helps them.  The evil brothers who committed the murders then hunt down Jace to kill him!  This is a gripping book that kept me turning pages and one I was anxious to get back to reading with a big surprise along the way. 

There are lots of tips in this book related to how to survive in the wilderness, orienteering and tracking that I found interesting.  I liked this book very much and recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense and adventure.

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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