"The Child Finder" by Rene Denfeld

In The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld, Madison is with her family looking for a Christmas tree out in the woods.  The next thing the parents notice is that Madison is gone.  Years later, they decide to call Naomi, "The Child Finder."  The mother clings to hope that Madison is still alive.

Teaser from pg. 15:  

She was awake, the furs and blankets around her cradled with sweat.  She could feel the snow falling outside.

The pacing of this book is very well done!  You cannot help but love Madison and only want the best for her.  I enjoyed this book very much!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"All Is Not Forgotten" by Wendy Walker is Good Stuff!

In All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker, Jenny Kramer is a young teen girl who gets violated at a party.  She is given a drug that is supposed to erase the memory.  This book tells the story of the months that follow and the impact of her assault on her parents.  This is told by the psychiatrist who treated Jenny and her parents.

This is good stuff!  The characters are well brought out and believable.  The pace of the story is good too.   If you think you know who violated Jenny, trust me, you don't.  I did not like this as much as her second book, Emma in the Night, but well worth reading!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Beyond the High Blue Air" by Lu Spnney (Heartbreaking)

In Beyond the High Blue Air by Lu Spnney, Miles is a young man with a bright future ahead of him.  His snowboarding accident changes all that and now his future is bleak to say the least.  This book is written by his mother who details what she and her family went through to see that Miles got the best care he could.

What a gut-wrenching story this is!  I give so much credit to Lu for writing this to share her nightmare with others.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)   

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"The Secrets She Keeps" by Michael Robotham

The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham is told by Meghan and Agatha.  Agatha is envious of Meghan who has two children and a loving husband, beautiful house, friends and a popular parenting blog.  It's everything Agatha wants but Agatha has secrets that had better stay hidden.  Little does she know that Meghan's life is far from perfect and has secrets of her own.  Soon one act will bring these two ladies together and there is no going back!

I loved this book!  The pacing is really good and the suspense built up nicely.  It would make a good Lifetime movie!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

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"What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty (We Both Liked This!)

In What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, Alice is 29, loves her husband and is expecting a baby--life is good!  She has a fall at the gym though and has to go to the hospital.  At the hospital, she finds out she is 39 and has three kids but is getting a divorce!  What is going on?  Has she really lost the last ten years?

I enjoyed this book very much!  Alice was interesting and for sure funny!  It kept my interest throughout.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is a thought provoking contemporary fiction book about amnesia.  At age 39, Alice hit her head hard on the handlebars when she fell in her spin class and lost the last ten years of memory.  She forgot she had three children, forgot she was very involved in their school, forgot all the changes her and her husband made to their home, forgot her best friend, and forgot she and her husband were now separated!   Her husband, Nick, loves his kids and was a good husband but what happened?  Alice forgot and is anxious to reconcile and have Nick come back home.  What happens when she finally remembers?  Will their family reunite or will Alice and Nick go their separate ways?

This is a very interesting, thought provoking and fun read.  Makes you think what has changed in your own life in the past ten years.  This book mostly covers the week after Alice's fall but then jumps ahead at the end about ten years into the future.  I loved the humor in this and would have given it 5 stars except I did not care about the sister's infertility story line and all her miscarriages.  I thought that part was quite boring and the book would have been better if it just focused on Alice and her family.  I really enjoyed Nick and her children!  This book actually looks at love from several different perspectives:  lost love, dating love, marriage love through the ups and downs, late-in-life love, and unexpected love.  We both think this would be a great book for a book club.  It has some questions in the back.  (4 stars)

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"The Long Drop" by Denise Mina (Based on a True Story)

In The Long Drop by Denise Mina, William Watt's wife, daughter and sister-in-law got shot to death and William is the primary suspect.  Watt turns to Peter Manual who claims that he has information that only the killer would know, but can he be trusted?  Will Watt give Manual what he wants in exchange for the information?

This novel is actually based on a true story!  I thought it was pretty good and kept my interest to the end.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Bone Jack" by Sara Crowe

In Bone Jack by Sara Crowe, Ash is training for the annual stag chase.  He has the honor of being the stag like his dad was 20 years ago.  His dad is home from the war but he is not the same because of what he saw there.  Now Ash is dealing with strange goings on in the land where he lives and not everyone wants Ash to run in the race.

I thought this book was pretty good,  It had an unusual story line and I enjoyed the ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"The Crown" by Kiera Cass (5th Book of The Selection Series)

I loved The Crown by Kiera Cass, the fifth book in The Selection series because Eadlyn grows up quickly when her mother has a heart attack and shows both maturity and compassion for others, finally!  This was a really fun series and I was not disappointed at all in this last book!  She picked the one I thought she should and I loved how she became so caring about the feelings of the selected.  I do not want to spoil anything because if you are reading this series, you have to read this one too!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


I should have dressed up to do these videos--thought of it too late! 

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"Two by Two" by Nicholas Sparks - Great Book!

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks is about a family living a good life until it isn't so great.  Russ is living a good life, married to Vivian, a beautiful woman, with new born child and zero money problems.  But life has a way of sneaking up on us and soon Russ is going to have to deal with life that is not so great.

I thought this book was really good.  All the characters were well brought out.  The best part of this book for me was the back and forth between Russ and Vivian, just priceless!  This was a great book to start the month.  Enjoy!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"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)

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"The Second Half" by Lauraine Snelling

The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling is a contemporary inspirational fiction story about family trusting God through their struggles such as adjusting to retirement, raising grandchildren, dealing with depression. When Ken and Mona’s grown son, Steig, is deployed to Pakistan in the special forces, they become the legal guardians for his 9-yr.-old daughter and 5-yr.-old son whose mother abandoned them and gave up her parental rights. The grandparents and children look forward to skyping with Steig on Thursdays, but it never happens. One day they are informed that Steig is Missing in Action and they struggle to hold on to hope of seeing him come home.

I enjoyed this Christian fiction book, especially the everyday moments that made it very believable. I thought it was funny that Jake, the little boy, was afraid of dogs and cats and that his grandparents had one of each. It shows how one phone call can throw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans!  I highly recommend this to retirees or those nearing retirement.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Buried Book" by D. M. Pulley is Quite The Mystery! (UPDATED)

The Buried Book by D. M. Pulley takes place in the 1950s and is primarily about 9-yr.-old Jasper searching for his mother who was involved with some very bad men!  One day she just drops him off at his uncle's farm and leaves without saying where she was going or when she would be back. The poor kid misses her terribly and the book he finds in her old house gives him some ideas on where to start looking.

I thought this was really good because it kept my curiosity up wondering what happened to his mother and if he would ever see her again.  The title chapters also were pretty clever and wasn't sure who it was that was being interrogated.  I felt very bad for poor Jasper.  I thought it moved a little slow though and did not care for all the swearing in it.  
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard liked it better:
In The Buried Book by D. M. Pulley,  9-yr.-old Jasper lives with his parents in Detroit.  His parents are not exactly hands on.  One day Jasper's mom takes him to his uncle and aunt's farm, leaving him there.  Now, Jasper has problems.  He has never lived on a farm and doesn't know when or if his mom is coming back.  Jasper wants answers and will do anything to get them.

I thought this book was very good!  Jasper is a great character and believe me, you do not know what is going to happen until the end.  The writing is that good!  Must Read!
(Gerard's review 9-1-16, 5++ stars)

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"The Mystery Box" by Eva Pohler

The Mystery Box by Eva Pohler is a suspenseful read that slowly builds, beginning with Yvette, a bored housewife.  One day Yvette meets her strange and mysterious neighbor, Mona, who lives in the house behind her when Yvette delivers a UPS package to Mona that had Yvette's address on it.  Mona begins telling Yvette her incredible life story.  Day after day, Yvette agrees to come and hear more.  Mona confides that she fell in love with a professor who had connections with the Taliban and had kept her prisoner.   Yvette is shocked when she finally realizes why Mona is telling her all this--it's not just because she is lonely.

I thought this was interesting right from the start but Yvette choosing to stay behind to hear more of Mona's story rather than join her family for a vacation didn't seem very realistic.  Yvette took her family for granted and I liked how once her life got shaken up, she yearned for things to go back to how they were before.  I didn't like Mona much at the beginning because she was engaged to a nice guy but cheated on him, falling for Ahmed Jaffar instead.  
(Karen's review, 4 stars)    

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"You Will Know Me" by Megan Abbott

In You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott, Katie and Eric Knox have a daughter, Devon, who is a gymnastics prodigy.  For Katie and Eric, they will do anything they can to make sure Devon can follow her dream.  However, when a death happens and rumors begin, will Katie be able to keep it all together?  I thought this book was pretty good.  The story was good enough with a surprise ending and the characters were very believable.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Messenger by Moonlight" by Stephanie Grace Whitson is fiction about The Pony Express

Messenger by Moonlight by Stephanie Grace Whitson tells the story of a young girl named Annie and her two brothers, Frank and Emmett.  When their dad dies, they are left broke and lose the farm.  The brothers decide to join the Pony Express and Annie comes along and becomes a cook at one of the stations.

I liked Annie, the main character, but this book had little action and there was nothing that took me by surprise.  It's an okay read that I read only because Karen recommended it.
(Gerard's review 7/18/16, 3.5 stars) 

Karen's review 7/13/16, 4 stars:
Messenger by Moonlight by Stephanie Grace Whitson is a very enjoyable read about two brothers (Frank and Emmett) who join up as pony express riders and sign up their sister as a cook for Clearwater, one of the remote home stations in Nebraska territory without even asking first!  Annie is at first put out by that, but doesn't want to be alone so agrees to go with them on this new money-making adventure. Emmett trusts in the Lord for courage and guidance and encourages Annie to as well, like their ma but Frank doesn't want anything to do with God and just complains about his rotten luck.  Annie tries to stay positive and look for the good things.  Annie has a dream of having her own nice white house with flower boxes and blue trim one day and Frank aims to make sure that happens for her.  When they get to the Clearwater station and meet the owner, George Morgan, he is not what any of them expected.

I enjoyed this historical western romance very much and liked all the characters.  The story line moved along and gave insight in what the pony express riders faced and the part women played during this time.  I loved the ending and recommend this for anyone who likes novels about the west around the time of the Civil War.  It had some funny parts that I actually laughed out loud at!


I also liked Key on the Quilt by this author.

Joining in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week responding to the book review prompt.

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"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. 

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"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)

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"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)     

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"Elle & Coach--Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter's Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything" by Stefany Shaheen

It's time for another dog book and Elle & Coach by Stefany Shaheen is a good one!  This is the true story of a young girl named Elle who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  It is told by Elle's mom and this turns their family routine into utter chaos.  She has three other younger children to look after.  As I read, I learned that the Diabetes needs 24-7 looking after.  They find a solution in Coach, a young dog.

I LOVED this book!  Stefany tells the story so well and I loved the dog too!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Second Chance Summer" by Morgan Matson is a Touching Story we Both Loved!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is a wonderful YA novel about tenderness, family relationships, love and dealing with Cancer.  When the husband and father of three is diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, he gets his family to spend the summer at their cottage again by the lake that they haven't been to in five years.  Taylor, the 17-yr.-old daughter is reluctant to go back because of her broken friendships.  It even has a dog in it!


This is a very good story about mending friendships, overcoming fears and being real with people.  The bond between Taylor and her dad is beautiful and reminded me so much of the special relationship I had with my parents.  The writing is conversational and told from Taylor's point of view.  It was interesting to see how she grows as a person through the book and gets to know her whole family better.  Her relationship with Henry is very sweet and this is a very touching story.  In some ways it is similar to The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.  If you liked that, I think you would also like Second Chance Summer.  It really touched me because I knew a couple sisters whose father died of Pancreatic Cancer in a very short time.  I also couldn't help reliving the deaths of my own parents, although I was fortunate to have had them much longer than Taylor had her dad in this book.  I loved this book too--a great emotional read!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is about a family where the father receives medical news that is not good.  Consequently, the family decides to go to a summer cottage that they have but have not been to for a while.  Taylor, the oldest daughter, is not big on this.  The last time she spent there, she left on not so good terms with some friends she had there. 

I loved the character of Taylor.  She was so good but that is not to say the other characters were bad.  I enjoyed them all!  I was always happy to get back to this book.  It is a very emotional read, especially at the end.  The writing is excellent!  In short, I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review on 5/16/16, 5++ stars)

If you still aren't sure you want to read this book, watch this video by Jesse the Reader which is what convinced us to read it:

 

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