"The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt is a Best Seller Children's book!

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt is a story told through letters to a little boy from crayons.  As soon as I started this book I was hooked because I wanted to see what each color had to say.  It's cute and liked how this book is told from lots of different point of views.  I think it would get young children to use different colored crayons instead of just one or two colors.  This is a short, fun read that shows what crayons think.   It has over 2500 reviews on Amazon, mostly 5 stars! My husband read this too, see his review below.
(Karen's review)

Duncan is a little boy who one day opened his crayon box and found a bunch of letters from his crayons.  Every now and then you need to read a kid's book.  I enjoyed this one very much!  Happy coloring!
(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!

"On the Loose--A Katie Parker Production" by Jenny B. Jones is Heartwarming, Funny

On the Loose by Jenny B. Jones is the second book in the Katie Parker Production series that is as good as the first, In Between. Katie, a foster teen, continues to experience teen drama, lives through a tornado, forms more friendships and deepens her relationship with her hilarious foster grandmother. When her foster mom, Millie, is diagnosed with Cancer, Katie worries about what will happen to her. As Katie continues attending church with the Scotts and getting more involved with the youth group, she continues to struggle with her own faith.

I am enjoying this YA inspirational Christian fiction series very much and look forward to reading the final book in this series, The Big Picture. The author is a high school teacher who spends a lot of time with teens and her writing certainly reflects that. This is a fun read as well as a touching one and I love her writing style! I highly recommend this light, fun read to anyone who enjoys books about teens and family.
(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!

"In Between--Katie Parker Production" by Jenny B. Jones - book 1

In Between by Jenny B. Jones is a delightful Christian fiction YA book 1 in the Katie Parker Production series.  This is about Katie, who moves from the group home that she is in because her mother is in prison for dealing drugs, to a foster home with a Pastor and his wife in the little town of In Between, Texas.  She has a very low opinion of herself and doesn't trust anyone at the beginning of the story, but after making some poor choices and experiencing kindness, her attitude slowly changes and she adjusts to her new life. 

I really liked the writing style and the story.  I liked how the church youth group welcomed and accepted Katie and how Frances was such a good friend to her even when Katie resented her a bit.  The grandmother was hilarious and I enjoyed the humor and the close relationship that developed between her and Katie.  The characters were believable and the story moved along quickly.  I was drawn into it right from the start and was never bored.  It was heartwarming to see the growth in Katie throughout the book.  I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about teens and their personal growth.  This is the first in the series and I hope to continue in it.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Book 2 - On the Loose (Loved this one too!)

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!

Books I Finished in One Sitting (or close)

I did this video for Top 5 Wednesdays, a Goodreads group.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and what books you finished in just one sitting (or close) in a comment.  Hope you will check out my YouTube channel.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? 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!

Enjoyed "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling is a fun read! This is the first book of a long series that I finally decided to read because so many people liked it. This is about a boy named Harry Potter who is a wizard, but didn’t realize it. When both his parents died, he went to live with his aunt and uncle who were strictly ordinary humans. Harry gets accepted into Hogwarts when he is 10 years old, a private school for wizardry and witchcraft. This is why I put off reading this series for so long. but decided to read it for myself before condemning it. This is an enjoyable read dealing with bullying, adventure, friendship and courage with a surprise ending.

I still don’t think I would want my child reading it because it does glamorize the world of witchcraft. As a Christian, to be honest, I struggle with whether I should be reading this series. There is no doubt that it is entertaining and amusing. I actually laughed out loud at parts and like the funny names of the characters. When the professor became a cat at the beginning of the story, I was hooked! The school supply list cracked me up and I especially enjoyed the part when Harry was learning to fly on the broomstick. I thought the invisible cloak would be a cool thing to have and liked the idea of the owls as mail carriers! The sorting ceremony with the talking hat reminded me of the old cartoon, Tom Terrific, and the part in Divergent where the teens choose what faction they want. For me, the characters and all the amusing things is what kept me reading more so than the plot.
 (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!

"Old Fashioned" by Rene Gutteridge

I heard a lot about the movie so was excited to read Old Fashioned by Rene Gutteridge when I saw it at the library.  This is a love story about letting go of one's past and moving forward.  Clay and Amber very different but yet are attracted to each other.   This is a clean romance novel that shows how people can change but that no one is perfect.  Clay was really strange though, his first few dates with Amber were really unbelievable!  I enjoyed it because of the humor in it and especially liked the ending!  It's a quick read.  It has discussion questions in the back for book club use.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)  Here's the movie trailer:


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!

"Remembered" by Tamera Alexander is a Funny Historical Western Romance

Remembered by Tamera Alexander is the third book in the Fountain Creek Chronicles Series.  I really loved the first two books in this series so was excited to read this one as well which proved to be good too!  It is about Veronique's journey from Paris, France to Willow Springs in Colorado territory to try to find her father to fulfill her mother's dying wish.  Her father was a good man who left her and her mother behind when he came to America when she was just a little girl.  Veronique had quite the culture shock when she first arrived and quickly became known by everyone in the small town with her pretty fancy dresses and her French words.  She learns about herself and finds romance she did not expect on her journey. 

I liked this book because of the humor in it and I enjoyed reading about the funny and sometimes scary things that happened to Veronique.  It was also nice reading about some of the characters from the previous books in this series, but this book can also stand alone.  If you like Christian historical romance and western fiction, I highly recommend it.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Rekindled and Revealed are the first two books of this Fountain Creek Chronicles series.

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 Mountaintop School For Dogs and Other Second Chances" by Ellen Cooney is an Interesting Read

The Mountaintop School For Dogs and Other Second Chances by Ellen Cooney is about a young lady named Evie who decides to take a job working in a sanctuary for dogs who are there to get a second chance to find a forever home.  Evie does not know all that much about dogs, but she is a quick learner. 

This is a good heartwarming story.  I really liked Evie and of course I loved the dogs!  You will find out some new things about how dogs think.  If you are a dog lover like me, it's 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. Happy Reading!

"Merle's Door--Lessons from a Freethinking Dog" by Ted Kerasote (UPDATED)

 Merle's Door--Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote is the true story about a man named Ted.  One day while he was camping, a dog came and claimed him.  He agreed and called the dog Merle.  Merle was an amazing dog!  His story deserved to be told and Mr. Kerasote does it so well!

This is a fantastic read!  The two best dog books I ever read were A Pack of Two and Rose in a Storm, but this book now makes the list three.  It's right up there with my other two!  I LOVED IT!  If you are a dog lover, it's a must read.  Bring tissues but do not let that stop you.  So far, this is my book of the month!!  Love you, Merle.
(Gerard's review 8/14/14, 5++ stars)

I liked Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote because Merle was such an adventuresome dog and the bond he had with Ted was heartwarming.  I could have done without the research side notes that the author included about history of dogs and studies that have been done but am sure some people would find all that interesting.  Personally, I liked the parts about Merle and his adventures, his bond with Ted, and his encounters with other dogs and wildlife.  Of course, the ending made me cry but if you don't want to read the sad part, just stop before the last couple chapters.  It is a good book and I enjoyed it, probably because Merle reminded me of our dog in some ways.
(Karen's review 8/21/14, 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. Happy Reading!

"Say what You Will" by Cammie McGovern

This book deals with a young teen girl named Amy.  She is a special needs teen who needs help to get her through the day.  In her senior year of high school, she persuades her mother to hire classmates to help her instead of adults.  Matthew decides to help her but is pretty sure he will not make it through the first day.  The communications between Amy and Matthew are fantastic and is what makes this such a good read.  Along the way are some twists that test them both!  I LOVED this one and read it in just two days.  This past up my previous "book of the month" in my opinion.  It's a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Now see what Karen thought of it:


While Gerard was reading this one, I took a look at it and after reading the first chapter, decided to keep going.  Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern is a teen novel about Amy, a girl who has Cerebral Palsy, and Matthew, a boy who has OCD.  When Matthew gets hired by Amy’s mom to be a peer helper for her once a week, they become friends and help each other.  This book has some funny parts as well as some serious issues.  I liked this book because it was interesting to see how Amy and Matthew’s friendship developed and their separate set of problems.  Between Amy and Matthew, I liked Matthew better.  (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. Happy Reading!

"Daisy and Josephine" by Melissa Gilbert

We both enjoyed this short children's book, Daisy and Josephine by Melissa Gilbert with illustrations by Julia Kuo.  It is about a lonely little girl who loves her dad and travels around with him, but doesn't really have any friends until one day her daddy gives her a strange looking dog.  This book actually made me laugh out loud when the girl tried playing with her dog who didn't want to play.  You will have to read the book to find out how they finally bonded and what they agreed to do.  It was interesting to me that the author has a French Bulldog named Josephine.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

This book tells a very short story about a little girl and her dad.  She follows her dad on the road but would like some companionship.  Her dad gets her a dog.  The story and the drawings in this book are really good.  If you have a young child, it's a very good read they will enjoy.  I know I did!
(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. Happy Reading!

"Flora & Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo is a Fun Read (Juvenile)

Every so often I like to read a fun book where I do not really have to figure out anything.  Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is an enjoyable read that made me chuckle.  This book is about a young girl named Flora and a squirrel she calls Ulysses.  The story is pretty good and I especially liked the illustrations! (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. Happy Reading!

"Pure Joy--The Dogs We Love" by Danielle Steel

Pure Joy--The Dogs We Love by Danielle Steel is a short memoir about her dogs she had over the years filled with funny, sad and touching stories, including pictures.  She also gives some advice for dog owners.  If you are a "dog person," you will enjoy this quick read.  I am and I did!  
(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. Happy Reading!

"The Humans" by Matt Haig

The Humans by Matt Haig is about an alien being who inhabits the body of a professor who has a wife and a young son. He has a mission, but when he starts to hang around humans he decides the mission may change, or does it? I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It is funny and is quick moving with a nice ending.
(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. Happy Reading!

"Instructions for a Heatwave" by Maggie O'Farrell

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell tells the story of a man who one morning went out to get the paper, told his wife he would be right back, but didn't come back.  The wife called her three children home to search for dad.  

What makes this book so good is the interaction between the three kids, who have their own problems to be sure, and their mom.  There are plenty of "wow" moments in this, especially at the end.  Great writing!  I loved it!! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell is one Gerard and I have completely opposite feelings about.  I thought this book was very slow moving with no action and was annoyed by how it jumped from one character to another with no transition, most of the book was the characters thinking about the past and very little had to do with finding the missing father which was the big mystery of the book.  I didn't really care about any of the characters who each had their secrets.  

Another thing that was annoying to me was the lack of chapters--it just kept going on and on so there was never a good place to stop.  It just broke sections between a change in the character narration with a row of stars.  I didn't care for the writing at all--it had too much description for my taste with long rambling paragraphs.  The bickering among Gretta's grown children did not hold my interest at all which is what Gerard thought was the best part.  I thought the title was dumb and didn't even like the cover.  The only reason I read this was because Gerard thought it was so good.  Sometimes we agree on books, but not this time.

If I HAD to choose a favorite character, it would be the older sister, Monica, just because I enjoyed her storyline about trying to win over her two stepdaughters, a very small part of the book.  I would not recommend this book to anyone.  Sorry, Maggie.
(Karen's 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. Happy Reading!

"Lost Cat--A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology" by Caroline Paul

"This Cat had a fun adventure; good book."--Manny Boy

Lost Cat--A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul with illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton is a short tale of a cat who ran away from home for five weeks and returned. Caroline, owner of Tibby, the runaway cat, tries to figure out where it went using various methods, only to find that talking face-to-face with the neighbors worked best. This is filled with humor and is a light, fun read I recommend to any cat lover who will appreciate the cat-owner relationship. My favorite part was the animals communications class! The illustrations are cute too!

Here's a teaser from it: 

Today I had brought two sides of myself to the class:  My skeptical side counted the people in the room and added up the money the teacher was making.  My earnest side stared at Tiby's photo and told him, "Tonight we're going to have a little chat."

(Karen's 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. Happy Reading!

"Big Brother" by Lionel Shriver

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver is a novel about a sister and her brother. When her brother comes to visit, she does not recognize him because he gained so much weight. When his visit becomes too long, she suddenly has to choose between helping her brother or staying with her family and letting her brother go on his own. What does she do? Does her brother lose weight? It doesn’t get much better than this. I read this because it was People Magazine’s pick for book of the week. 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. Happy Reading!

"Someday, Someday, Maybe" by Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood

Someday, Someday, Maybe is Lauren Graham's first book.   I loved her on the show, "Gilmore Girls" and now on "Parenthood."  She tells the story of a young woman who wants to be an actress on Broadway, sharing the trials and triumphs she goes through, hoping to make her dream come true.  It is very funny, like watching an episode of "Gilmore Girls."  Do yourself a favor and pick it up.  You will be glad you did!
(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. Happy Reading!

"The Cat That God Sent" by Jim Kraus is a Favorite of Mine!

Great Book--Petey even looks like me!

The Cat That God Sent by Jim Kraus is a delightful Christian fiction novel that is about a preacher who lost his faith and Petey, a cat who helps him.  I enjoyed this book very much because it is both humorous and yet deals with some serious issues.  Jake just got called to a small country church after being fired from a large one, and is very unsure of himself.  Petey, a cat, hung around him when he arrived and turned out to be quite a hit with his congregation when the cat followed him into the church and sat on the platform with him as he preached!  Parts are so funny that I actually laughed out loud!

Although the cat shares its thoughts with the reader, it acts like a real cat and does not talk English but communicates the way real cats do.  For me, this gave the book more credibility.  There are even discussion questions in the back which could make this a good book club read.  I liked the idea of how God used the cat to help both Jake and Tess and to get more people to come to church.  I loved it and look forward to reading this author's other book, The Dog That Talked to God!  This is a must read for all cat lovers!

(Karen's review, 5 stars!)

Hey, if you like cats, you have to read this one!  Petey, the cat is sent by God to help the new preacher who is struggling with his faith.  He also has to protect a young girl named Tess who got dumped by her boyfriend.  He likes going to church and people come just to see him!  He is a good cat, like me and even looks like me as you can see in the picture of me with the book.  This is a must read for all cats and cat lovers!
(Manny's review) 

Author's blog:  Jimkraus.com

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!

Silly Sunday

We have so many books this week that I was barely able to get a cat into the picture. After several outtakes, this header picture is actually the best with the cat. At least only one book is covered and one partially covered. Can you see enough to guess the titles?

The one in the top row on all the way to the left is Did You Miss Me by Karen Rose which Gerard already read and Karen plans to read this week, and the one Manny Boy is covering up is The Road Out--A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America by Deborah Hicks: