"The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando

The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando is a quick teen fiction read about a scavenger hunt that a high school holds every year at the end of the school year. It was fun reading about how they found stuff that was on the list and the bonds of friendship in the group. This isn't a must read but still worth your time. I think you would enjoy it--I did!
(Gerard'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!

"Sunshine Every Morning" by Dorothy Glenn (Garlock)

Sunshine Every Morning by Dorothy Garlock, writing as Dorothy Glenn is a fun romance between two older people who rushed into first marriages, both ending in divorce.  They meet in a hospital shortly after Gaye loses her baby.  She becomes attached to the baby she reluctantly agreed to breast feed that was abandoned by its mother and grandma, MacDougle.  Jim Trumbull, MacDougle’s grandfather, has custody of him and falls in love with Gaye as he sees her forming a bond with his grandson.  Gaye has strong reservations about becoming too attached to the baby and feels herself falling in love with the grandfather against her better judgment. 

I enjoyed the humor in this book and the blustery Jim Trumbull who was a very interesting character, big, rugged, passionate, boisterous, yet gentle although impatient.  He and Gayle had some funny dialogue which I enjoyed, but could have done without the explicit sex scenes.  I think someone who has been in a bad marriage or is into babies would like this book and enjoy it more than I did.

(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!

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"Betrayal-Haunting Emma Book 2" by Lee Nichols

image source:  Amazon--read on Kindle

Betrayal by Lee Nichols continues from where Deception left off and is just as good, if not even better!  There is a lot of action fighting ghosts in this book and also her love life with Bennett heats up.  Her friendships at school fall apart but then when she finally tells the truth about Coby, they are restored.  There is a lot of ghost fighting action in this book and Simon and Lukas are assigned by the Knell to help Emma.  The fun and humor continue with Coby in ghost form continuing to hang out with his old friends and Emma.  When Emma takes on Neoss at the Knell, she is shocked to find out who it is that betrayed her. 

Betrayal is a quick read because it keeps building suspense and was hard to put down.  It’s part contemporary fiction and part fantasy.  I think Bennett should stop taking the drug and just let Emma take all his power which would make her dispelling power stronger and allow them to be together.  I love the dialog and look forward to reading the third book in this Haunting Emma series, “Surrender.”  I recommend this series if you like humorous fantasy—it’s not really spooky even though there are a lot of ghosts and some time travel.

(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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Deception" by Lee Nichols

Deception by Lee Nichols is about Emma,a 17-yr.-old, girl who finds herself mixed up in a world of ghosts when her brother and parents disappear and Bennett, her brother’s friend takes her to live with him in Boston as her guardian!  He presented papers that were notarized that he was her guardian to get her away from social services.  Emma thinks she is going crazy when she sees dead people but soon discovers she is a “ghostkeeper” who not only sees ghosts but can control them!  Both Emma and I were surprised at how many people in Emma’s life also were ghostkeepers, but she had more power than they did. 

I liked the sarcasm and humor that was included in this book and also the main character, Emma, is very likable. This book has romance, mystery, suspense and a lot of paranormal things going on.  I normally do not read paranormal books so can’t really compare this with others in that category.  It certainly was a fun, quick read with lots of humor and an interesting story line which is continued in the sequel—Betrayal (reading on Kindle).

(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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate (UPDATED)

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate tells the story of Ivan, a Silverback gorilla, and his friends: Stella, an old elephant and Bob, a stray dog. They perform three shows every day at Exit 8 Big Top Mall. When business slows, Ruby, a baby elephant, is brought on board and things change.

This is a lovely story, funny for sure, and it will get and keep your interest. I think this is a book for all ages. It will touch your heart and put a smile on your face! I enjoyed it very much and the ending is so, so good!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review--my rating 5 stars
I really enjoyed The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate even though it is children’s fiction.  It is based on a true story about Ivan, a Silverback gorilla who was captured and put in a cage for 27 years without any contact with any other gorillas.  In this book, Ivan is the narrator and his owner sells Ivan’s drawings and paintings.  Ivan is quite an artist.  Ivan has a stray dog named Bob who comes into his “domain” and sleeps on Ivan’s stomach.  In the next cage is Stella, an elephant, who is a good storyteller but who had a hard life at a circus.  When a baby elephant, Ruby, joins her, she is very protective of her and when she knows she is dying, gets Ivan to promise to protect Ruby for her.  He comes up with a great plan to get Ruby moved to a zoo.  This is such a cute book that has a happy ending.  It is a quick read but very enjoyable!  If you like animals and are looking for a heartwarming story, I recommend this one!  I loved it! 

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 during April to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

"Southern Comfort" by Fern Michaels

Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels is a good read loaded with humor.  Tick is a good cop, loyal and loving family man, but when he gets home from work one day to find his wife and children murdered, he turns to booze and becomes a beach bum in Mango Key.  He sobers up but likes living on the beach with just his talking parrot that chose to live with him.  It’s pretty deserted except for down about a mile is a building called “that place” by the villagers.  He’s lived there for eight years in peace and quiet until he sees a fabricated building on “his” beach.  The DEA suspects there may be a drug operation going on at “that place” and sends two former female agents, Kate and Sandy, to just keep an eye on the place and report any activity, as well as on Tick.  Tick’s twin brother comes to visit him to try to get Tick back into living.  To make things interesting, Lawrence Tyler, Kate’s former supervisor, is pretty much hated by his colleagues who are trying to get him kicked out of the DEA because he mistreats people and is a glory hound, taking credit for the successes of others.  The dialogue between Lawrence and Kate is entertaining.

I enjoyed this book because of the humor, the intriguing storyline with the investigation into the crime, and the dynamics between Lawrence and his colleagues.  The parrot was funny and the romance helped balance out the intensity of the blackmail and human trafficking.  This would be a great beach read!

(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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green tells the story of a young teen girl who has Cancer.  At her weekly Cancer support group session that she is reluctant to go to, she meets a young teen boy who takes a special interest in her.  I don't think I'm giving up too much if I tell you that a romance develops.

This book lives up to all the hype in my opinion.  I flat out LOVED IT!  It is a beautiful love story that I was into from page one to the end.  If this story doesn't tear at your heart strings, then I don't know what will.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried.  Please give this book a chance!
(Gerard's review)

Related Post:  Read another review of this at Bloggin' 'bout Books:  Green Is My Favorite

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!

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"Sarah's Daughter" by Ruth Bass

I enjoyed Sarah’s Daughter by Ruth Bass more than I thought I would.  It’s about a grieving family in the 1880’s and how the husband and his three children cope with the death of Sarah, the wife and mother.  Rose, the oldest daughter, is 14 and becomes overwhelmed with taking on all that the mother did while still going to school.  The father turns to alcohol to drown his troubles.

Here is a quote I thought was very good:

Sarah always said when the problem was very big, you just started at the very beginning and went along a bit at a time, the way you read a new book.

"Read only the first line," she'd say, "and understand that.  Don't go skimming through or try to see the end before you have absorbed all the lines between.  Problems are like books.  You work your way through them, and sometimes the ending is quite a surprise."

I liked the humor in this book and found the historical look at daily living in the 1800s very interesting.  The main character is likeable and well developed.  The author told most of the story from Rose’s point of view, even sharing her funny thoughts with the reader.  It is very well written and character driven.  This novel is about friendship, dysfunctional families, grief, suicide, dreams and some romance.  I recommend it to anyone who likes books teens or historical fiction.

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

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"This Time Together--Laughter and Reflection" by Carol Burnett

This Time Together—Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett is a collection of short essays about funny things that happened in her life.  She shares humorous stories about her career and various celebrities.  By reading this book, I discovered a depth to Carol Burnett that I hadn’t known before.  She is really a nice person, not just funny.  I used to enjoy watching The Carol Burnett Show and fondly remember the sketches with Tim Conway, Harvey Korman and Vicky Lawrence that made me laugh.  That’s why I chose to read this book and am glad I did!
(Karen's review)

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

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"Morning Comes Softly" by Debbie Macomber

A delightful and heartwarming read, Morning Comes Softly by Debbie Macomber is my favorite novel of hers. It’s a romance about a Montana cowboy who puts an ad for a wife in a paper so that he can raise his brother’s three children who became orphans when their parents were killed in an auto accident. Who would answer such an ad? One lonely frumpy librarian from Louisiana named Mary is who. Travis thought she was like Minnie Mouse and was very disappointed when they first met; however, she managed to bulldoze her way into his heart. She met all the requirements mentioned in the ad that he and the children wrote: she could cook, sew and sing.

There is a lot of humor in this book which I loved; however, it also dealt with some serious issues such as dealing with grief, anger, bitterness, marital issues, and parenting. It is a light, enjoyable and entertaining read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good family story with romance and a happy predictable ending.

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

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"If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) is a quick, fun, light read about Betty White.  What impressed me most is that she is 89 years old when she wrote it!  She is in good health and still has passion and enthusiasm.  I enjoyed reading about her career, her pets, and her love for life and felt like old age doesn't have to be bad after reading this.  It's uplifting.  She has a great attitude as this quote from the first page indicates:

However, if one is lucky enough to be blessed with good health, growing older shouldn't be something to complain about.  It's not a surprise, we knew it was coming--make the most of it.

I was also surprised to find out she has quite a collection of stuffed animals.  We have stuffed animals all over our house; hers were in one room.  I loved that she turned down roles that went against what she believed in or that she did not find funny.

I knew she was an animal lover and liked her in The Mary Tyler Moore show as the "Happy Homemaker" and in  The Golden Girls TV show too; consequently, I was eager to read this book and was not disappointed.  Her humor comes through. 

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

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"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.

"A Sick Day For Amos McGee" by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

A Sick Day For Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead is a childrens book about Amos McGee who works at the zoo.  He always makes time for some very special animal friends.  One day he is too sick to come to the zoo so his animal friends came to visit him! 

Amos cared about the animals and the animals cared about him.  It's childrens book that we think any child would find amusing. The illustrations that go along with the story are very well done.  A charming little kids book about caring for others!
(Gerard & Karen)

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

"Twisted By The Wind" by Tom Hays

Twisted By The Wind by Tom Hays is an unusual book, at least different from any I’ve read before.  Through a variety of short humorous fiction stories about Ben Braddock, the author conveys the main theme of the book that the journey of life is the destination and that “destiny is what becomes of a person in the end in spite of all efforts to change or prevent it.”  I enjoyed the bits of wisdom from the author before each story such as:

 It’s not really work if you like doing it.

If at first you don’t succeed, that’s pretty much how it works for most people.

Every day, life gives you a second chance.  Take it.

Jumping to conclusions is not considered good exercise.

He also included some poems throughout that book that I enjoyed as well.  Although I’m not in total agreement with the general philosophy of this book, parts were humorous.  This is a short quick read that was amusing, entertaining and thought-provoking.  You can visit Tom Hay’s website at http://PearlOfTheDay.com for inspirational and motivational quotes.  You can visit his blog at http://tomhaystoday.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Tom, for the free copy of your book in exchange for this review! 

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

"The Perfect Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber is a delightful quick-read about a woman, Cassie, seeking a husband. She is so desperate that she hires Dr. Simon Dodson, a matchmaker for $30,000 with a money-back guarantee if he doesn’t find her a suitable match. Through three tasks he had her perform before introducing her to the guy he found for her, Simon discovered she was compassionate, flexible, loved children, could cook and had a sense of humor.

This was a light, fun and amusing read. I liked this book as a break from the more serious stuff I have been reading. It's a very entertaining read. Reading about Cassie's experience as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army brought back memories from when I did that one year.

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

"The Gamble" by LaVyrle Spencer

In "The Gamble" by LaVyrle Spencer, a western town with saloon owner (Scott) and temperance movement president (Agatha/Gussie) falling in love after being drawn together by an orphan (Willy). Scott got Willy a cat he named “Moose.” Saloon owner left to go back to his plantation and sent for the woman he fell in love with. He also had very colorful friends, former prostitutes who became dancing girls in the saloon and moved with him to the plantation to help him get it in shape to use as a bed & breakfast place.

I liked this book because there was a lot of subplots going on besides just the romance and it held my attention.  There was humor in this too which always makes for an enjoyable read.




(Karen's review 10/02)

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