"My Side of the River" by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is an interesting memoir about a young Mexican girl born to hard-working immigrants in the U.S.  Her mother saw to it she got a good education in the U.S. and told her she had to be the best.  She was at the top of her class through school even though she was homeless and separated from her parents when they couldn't get their Visa renewed.  I thought this book was quite interesting as her life was so different from mine.  It shows how hard it is for the immigrants.  She had quite a journey to say the least!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review, 3/6/24:
My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez tells the true story of a young Mexican girl, Elizabeth.  Her parents tell her how important an education is; unfortunately, when her parents get deported, she will have to take care of her younger brother and find a place to live.  I thought this book was very good.  I found myself cheering for Elizabeth as she tried to do the best for her and her brother.  What a story!  (5 stars)

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"Stay" by Bobbie Pyron Inspires Children to Help Others

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is about a family that has to live in a homeless shelter and a woman who lives on the street with only her small dog to keep her company.  It also shows how people can rally around for a good cause and help others who are going through hard times.  I especially loved the parts where the dog tells the story. (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is a heartwarming, children's story about a girl, Piper, who is homeless but whose heart is set on helping someone worse off than her--an old homeless lady with a little dog, Baby.  I really enjoyed this book about the homeless, friendship, adventure, and helping others.  The dog had a big part in it and it has a good lesson about not judging others on the basis of their appearance.  I think it's a great children's story and highly recommend it.  I had trouble putting this one down!  (Karen's review 6/12/23, 5 stars)

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"From the Ashes" by Jesse Thistle - A memoir of a life surviving the streets

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle is a true story, and what a story it is!  Jesse tells how he grew up and it was far from the ideal childhood.  In his teen years and beyond, he made some wrong choices and suffered the consequences.  It is inspirational because he turned his life around.  This was a very honest book and I enjoyed it.  He told his story very well and I think anyone would like this book!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Deck the Hounds" by David Rosenfelt

In Deck the Hounds by David Rosenfelt, Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who can pick and choose which case he wants to take.   Andy befriends a homeless man and when he finds out this man is being accused of murder, Andy decides to defend him.  This book is okay but to be honest, I could never really get into any of the characters.  The story line was okay so I did finish it.  There were cute dogs on the cover which I liked; unfortunately, they had very little to do with the story.  The cover is very deceiving which I did not appreciate!
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"A Dog's Way Home" by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron is about Bella, a very good dog who is taken from her home in Denver until her owner, Lucas, can find a new place to live that allows pit bulls.  Unfortunately, Bella sees her opportunity to break out of that yard and head on home to her Lucas the day before he was coming to get her!  It takes her two years to find her way home!  Along the way, she runs into lots of adventures and has several different people who she lives with including doggie foster parents, two gay men, an alcoholic woman, a homeless vet, and a cougar!

I had a hard time getting through this book because it was just so heartbreaking.  I felt so bad for this poor dog and very angry at the animal control guy who was just part of a plot to harass Lucas and Bella.  The only reason I finished it was because the title implies that she does make it home. I liked how there were lots of cats in this story and some parts were pretty funny, such as when Bella discovered what a great place a grocery store is.  I also liked how the VA hospital patients enjoyed Bella which reminded me of how those in the nursing home enjoyed our dog, Abby's, visits when we used to take her every week.  The unfairness of the breed discriminatory law was very upsetting to me.  Anyone could see by her behavior that Bella was not a dangerous dog, nor was she a pure pit bull, but was viewed as one by one guy in animal control.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron is told by Bella, who is a very good dog!  She is pronounced a pit bull by three animal control officers (in spite of being a mix and many others saying she is not a pit bull) and the state she lives in has laws that will not allow her to be a house pet.  She gets separated from her owner and makes it her goal to get back to her person somehow.  I enjoyed this book very much.  Bella tells the story quite well and it has a great ending!
(Gerard's review 8/6/17, 5 stars)

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"Welcome to My World" by Curtis Bunn

In Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn, Brenda’s life is on a downturn. She goes to McDonald’s daily and sees a homeless man every day. She tries to do good by him. One day the homeless guy, Rodney, gives her some life advice! What? This book was so much better than I thought it would be! I enjoyed Brenda and Rodney very much. The story line kept me engaged throughout. (Gerard’s review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  "I was so . . . so . . . shocked and appalled that I couldn't even move, much less respond."  "I'm not trying to be mean," he added. 

Karen's review (4 stars):
Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn is the story about Brenda, a depressed woman, who becomes friends with Rodney, a homeless man with a bipolar disorder. They help each other as their friendship develops. This is a heartwarming story about how simple words between strangers can bring about great change. This book gives insight into the world of homelessness, those with bipolar disorder and how people sometimes use food to deal with depression that can lead to destroying their self-esteem.

I enjoyed this book even though it moved pretty slow since there is very little action in it. It definitely addresses some major social issues and is inspirational I loved the ending!


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"Saving Red" by Sonya Sones is a "Feel-Good" Book (UPDATED)

Saving Red, by Sonya Sones is about Molly, a teen girl with a service dog, Pixel, who helps her cope with her panic attacks.  She becomes friends with a homeless girl, Red, who  has some mental issues of her own.  Molly decides to help reunite her with her family before Christmas. 

I enjoyed this unique teen fiction book written in verse.  It goes very quick and I liked the story line.  It touches on PTSD, suicide in addition to homelessness, mental illness and guilt.  It was interesting to see her make friends with Red and also Cristo and his cat!  Although this book deals with some heavy subjects, it is not dark at all but pretty uplifting.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In Saving Red, by Sonya Sones, Molly is a young teen girl who has a dog named Pixel.  You will love Pixel!  One night, Red is out doing community service and she sees a young red-headed girl who she becomes friends with.  She wants to get Red back to her family in time for the holidays but can she?

This book is told in verse with ongoing action so it goes very fast.  I enjoyed all the characters.  If you are looking for a feel-good book, this is it!  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Decent Proposal" by Kemper Donovan--Contemporary Mystery/Romance

The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan is a unique love story with an element of mystery that takes place in L.A. Richard and Elizabeth both get a decent proposal by an attorney representing an anonymous client. They are complete strangers. Richard is a film producer fallen on hard times, likes to party and has a best friend Michaela (Mike). Elizabeth is a successful attorney without friends except for a homeless man named Orpheus. The proposal is that if they spend two consecutive hours talking to each other one day a week for a year, they would both be given half a million dollars each at the end of the year! Who wouldn’t accept an offer like that?

 I do not want to spoil anything, so will just mention the questions that came up as I was reading, such as: (1) Will Richard and Elizabeth fall in love? (2) Why were they chosen? (3) Who is behind the proposal? (4) How will they spend the money if they succeed? Even Richard and Elizabeth couldn’t come up with a common acquaintance that might have been trying to match them up.

The mystery in this book is what kept my attention more than the characters. There is some foul language and a lot of drinking episodes I did not care for, but the plot was interesting.  Another thing that bothered me was the girl called Mike.  I had to keep reminding myself it was the girl. Overall, I’m glad I read this novel and thought the author wrapped things up in a very unique way.   It was witty and had a lot of references to movies and books which I enjoyed.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"Pretty Baby" by Mary Kubica--Different Opinions on this one! (UPDATED)

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica centers on a charitable woman named Heidi who helps stray cats.  One day she sees a teen girl holding a baby at a train station and decides to take her in for just one night, assuming she's homeless.  This novel is told by multiple points of view which I thought made the story that much better.  The real good thing is the multiple story lines.  You do not really know what to expect next!  This is a page turner that is well worth reading, enjoy!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica is a contemporary psychological thriller that is sad and heartbreaking. This novel combines the sad stories of Heidi Wood, a married woman with a 12-yr.-old daughter and Willow, a homeless teen girl with a baby. Their paths cross and Heidi opens her home to Willow and the baby in spite of objections from her husband and daughter.

The reader is gradually given bits and pieces of Heidi’s and Willow’s pasts as the current events unfold which culminate into a good ending. I liked Heidi at the beginning but as the book went along, I liked her less and less. I liked Willow though and felt sorry for her throughout the book. This book portrays the social worker as incompetent and totally repulsive behavior on the part of Willow’s foster dad. This book was very disturbing to me because of the content. I thought it was an interesting read and didn’t have any clue as to how it would end so wanted to keep reading. 
 (Karen's review, 3 stars)


See our review of The Good Girl by Mary Kubica which we both liked.

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"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card is actually a parallel book to Ender's Game with the main character in this one being Bean.   Bean is a street kid that a nun befriended and recommended to the space Battle School.  Bean is very small and only 4 years old but has advanced intelligence when he gets into the school.

It is interesting how Bean views things and how his leadership skills develop.  I really liked his strong sense of teamwork and how he would get people to work together.  I loved Ender's Game and so it was fun reading about Ender some more, this time from someone else's viewpoint.  I highly recommend this book if you liked Ender's Game.  I gave this 4 stars only because I liked Ender's Game a bit better but that may be just because I read that one first so I had a clue what was going to happen next as I read Ender's Shadow.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Let The Tornado Come" by Rita Zoey Chin

In Let the Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin, we are told about Rita's childhood which was rough to say the least.  Now a married woman, she suffers panic attacks at every turn.  This read like a novel only it's true!  I loved this book and highly recommend it.  I was drawn into her stories and found myself rooting for her to get help.  Turns out an animal was a big help.  What kind?  You will have to read the book to find out (or Karen's review below)!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen read this too:
Let The Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin is a memoir about her dark childhood, her panic attacks and her journey to having a normal life she dreamed of with the help of horses. I almost quit on this book because her childhood was so awful! The abusive parents were bad, but the child prostitution and her life on the streets was horrible and disgusting. I felt bad for her and admired her courage to keep searching for a better life. The best part of the book was how she bonded with a horse named Claret. The thing that was most distracting to me was how the book kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Overall, it was pretty shocking to me and gave me some insight into a lifestyle that is very different from mine. (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!

"Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands" by Chris Bohjalian is Fantastic!

Close Your eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian is told by Emily Shepard who is a homeless teen who lives in an igloo made of ice and trash bags!  Half a year earlier, her parents caused a nuclear disaster.  Emily does not want anyone to know who she really is because she fears people will blame her too.  This is a fantastic page turner that I enjoyed.  Emily is a great character.  SPOILER ALERT, STOP NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING! I loved the ending when she reunites with her dog!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"A Collie Rescue" by Lindsay Downs

A Collie Rescue by Lindsay Downs is a short book that I read on my Kindle. I thought it was going to be about Collies being rescued, but it isn’t. It’s about Collies being buddies for returning vets with PTSD. Actually, that is just a small part of the book. This is about the FBI hunting down terrorists with the help of a returning vet with PTSD who is homeless, and her new Collie, Taz, who has her back.

This started kind of slow and I lost interest for a while, but returned to it and liked the ending. I would have rated it higher if the characters were more developed. I think vets may like it and anyone who enjoys quick reads without a lot of description or in-depth characters. (Half the proceeds from this book go to the pet fund.)
(Karen'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!

"Etched in Sand" by Regina Calcaterra

Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra is a story about five siblings who have to deal with a very rough childhood and a mom who would never win a "Mother of the Year" award. I enjoyed the parts of the book that dealt with the mom. You will not believe her actions and words! This would make a very good Lifetime movie for sure; well worth reading. (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!

"Fire in the Ashes" by Jonathan Kozol

Fire in the Ashes--25 Years Among The Poorest Children in America by Jonathan

Kozol tells the story of kids growing up homeless in New York City and the trials they and their families go through. Some of the stories are heartbreaking; however, some give you hope. Some have a "wow" factor but they are all interesting. This non-fiction book is well worth your time.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Almost Home" by Joan Bauer

The girl, Sugar, has a rescue dog, Woof!  Woof!

First off, Almost Home by Joan Bauer is not a dog book in spite of the cover. It is a very good children's book about a young teen girl, Sugar Mae Cole, who finds herself homeless and put into foster care. I liked how it was written as well as the story. I loved Sugar and found myself cheering her on through her ordeal. This is a feel good book that I recommend.
(Gerard's review)

Almost Home by Joan Bauer is an inspirational story about how Sugar, her dog Shush and her mother, Reba lose their home and persevere to get their lives back to "normal."  Both are sweet people that are likeable characters.  Sugar expresses her feelings in poetry and thanks to some nice people who come into her life, finds herself in a good home.  I liked how the dog sort of parallels Sugar's growth as it gets braver throughout the book after having had a bad start.  The issue of trust is also addressed, especially trusting the right people. 

I enjoyed this book because it shows people can rise above bad circumstances and gives hope to kids who may be going through hard times.  I really liked how the mother instilled an attitude of gratitude in her daughter through a silly thank you card game and the challenge to "live bold." 
(Karen's review) 

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"My Abandonment" by Peter Rock is Based on a True Story

My Abandonment by Peter Rock is based on a true story about a young girl and her father who live as homeless people. They could afford to live in a home but would rather not. I found it interesting how they had a plan so nobody would be following them. I enjoyed it!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Nobody Don't Love Nobody" by Stacey Bess

I loved the movie "Beyond the Blackboard" which is based on Nobody Don't Love Nobody--Lessons on Love from the School With No Name by Stacey Bess, a teacher who taught homeless children at a family shelter, a school with no name. She shares about her experience and her love for the students.  Not only did she teach them, but they taught her as well about love and what it is like being homeless.  This book gives insight into the effects homelessness has on children and challenges the reader to get involved and take action to show love to others and make the world a better place.  Stacey Bess was put in a unique teaching situation and rose to the challenge.

Here is a quote that I think sums up her whole point of the book from page 96:

But we can't impose our own goals, wishes, or help on anyone. We can only teach, support, and love. We give them more opportunities, more choices. Then we love them regardless of the choices they make, hoping that they will learn to make better ones in the future.

I think any teacher would find this book inspiring and anyone who has compassion for the homeless would certainly find this interesting.  I liked the movie better though than the book, but the book is good too.  At the end of the book, she has an extensive list of different ideas on how people can get more involved by serving others. 
(Karen's review)

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"Breaking Night--From Homeless to Harvard" by Liz Murray

Loved the movie, loved the book! This story was a lifetime movie that we both liked very much.  Breaking Night by Liz Murray is just as good, if not better.  It is the true story of Liz Murray who was homeless and wound up at Harvard!  It's a remarkable and inspirational story!  The writing is very good and really captures her struggles.  Thanks for the book, Ms. Murray, and may God bless you always!  I give this 10 stars! 
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this too and liked it:

WOW!  What an interesting book filled with insight into poverty, homelessness and drug addiction!  Breaking Night is the memoir of Liz Murray who shares about her life of living with her drug addicted parents, her effort to protect her parents who both contracted AIDS, living at a group home, her dependence on friends while homeless, her determination to go back to school and change her life.  This is a very good book!  It is so hard for me to fathom people actually living like she did.

Breaking Night shows that a person can change in spite of one’s circumstances if they make good choices and work hard.  It is about family relationships, forgiveness, friendship, judging by appearances, survival, overcoming obstacles and being responsible.  Liz overcame many obstacles and found herself with a scholarship from The New York Times and was accepted at Harvard!  She is now a motivational speaker helping others get their life on track and is now working with a small team of people to open Broome Street Academy, a high schools for homeless teens in September of 2011.  Liz is a remarkable person!

This is an inspirational book that I highly recommend!  Her website is Manifest Living.  I also enjoyed the movie on Lifetime that was based on this book.

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

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Teaser Tuesday: "Breaking Night" and "You Killed Wesley Payne"

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. 

We have a non-fiction and a YA fiction teaser for you today, check out our giveaway for Gerard's:
Karen's: 

Every night was like this.  While Ma and Daddy injected themselves with cocaine and ran in and out, like a tag team, I stayed close by and shared the night with them.  While Lisa slept in her bed, I had them all to myself; I helped keep them safe.

Taken from p. 55 of Breaking Night--A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey From Homeless To Harvard by Liz Murray

Gerard's: 

Dalton needed to check out the crime scene.  First stop, football field.  The kid followed, plump and sweaty, huffing to catch up.  He held out his knuckles for a bump.  "My name's Mole."

Taken from p. 3 of You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin.  We are giving this one away.  Here is the link to our giveaway where you can find out more about this book.

If you would like to enter a Feb. 5 giveaway for the book I wrote, My Funny Dad, Harry visit Red Pine Mountain and leave a comment on my guest post.