"Put a Ring on It" by Beth Kendrick (Updated)

Put a Ring On It by Beth Kendrick is a fluffy romance novel about Brighton, an insurance actuary with a passion for designing jewelry. Her fiancé who she is helping to pass his bar exam, breaks off their engagement and marries someone else. On the rebound, Brighton visits an old college friend and gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with Jake Sorenson, a very wealthy good-looking man. This book is about taking risks and following your passion.

I enjoyed this story as an entertaining read; however, did not care for how it treats marriage so lightly. It is absurd that both Brighton and Colin would marry someone they just met, but that’s what happens. I did like the ending very much though and would recommend it if you are looking for a light fun, entertaining romance novel.  I liked the cover although it is really misleading.  The dog in the book has a very small part and the cover led me to believe it was more about the dog than it is.  (Karen's review 10/29/15, 3 stars)


Put a Ring on It by Beth Kendrick is about Brighton Smith, a very rational young lady who is an insurance actuary that follows all the rules and knows them all too!  However, the morning her fiance breaks off their engagement, she does something unthinkable for her.  Will her act turn out okay and will this lead her life to somewhere she does not want to go?

This is a woman's book but I enjoyed it anyway.  The story flowed well and I liked Brighton.  The dog in it was good too!  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review 10/21/15, 4 stars)

(We received this book free for a review and were not compensated.) 

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!

"The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B" by Teresa Toten

In The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten, Adam Spencer Ross, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, has problems.  His parents are divorced, his mom has a stalker, his brother is a pain and now for the first time he has a major crush on a girl.

This book had me from page 1 because Adam is a great character and so is his love interest.  It is so fun to see their relationship grow.  I also enjoyed the other story lines and those characters too.  I LOVED this book--my best of this month so far!  I highly recommend 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Grumpy Guide to Life--Observations by Grumpy Cat"

The Grumpy Guide to Life--Observations by Grumpy Cat is a small book with pictures of Grumpy cat on every page and bits of advice that are depressing, negative and none of which one should actually follow.  Although this, of course, is meant to be humorous, I just found it distasteful and felt sorry that this poor cat is portrayed this way just because of its looks.  Most of the advice is just twisting well-known sayings around.  Certainly, if you want to know how to become grumpy, this would be a very helpful and practical book for you.    

(Karen's review, 2 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 Boy Who Killed Demons" by Dave Zeltserman is Entertaining

The Boy Who Killed Demons by Dave Zeltserman is told by a 15-yr.-old boy named Henry.  He can see evil in other people, which he calls “demons.”  He keeps a journal of his actions and that is what makes up this book.  I enjoyed reading this.  Parts of it are sort of kiddish, so some people might get turned off by that.  Overall, this book kept me turning pages and the action was pretty good.  It has a very nice ending.  

(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!

"Together Is All We Need" by Michael Phillips (Book 4 of Shenandoah Sisters series)

Together Is All We Need by Michael Phillips is a wonderful book about friendship and family sticking together and sacrificing to help each other out.  This is a very enjoyable coming of age series with a marvelous ending.  Kathleen and Mayme not only became friends and together worked to save Kathleen's plantation and made it productive again after the Civil War, but also built a very unusual household with both blacks and whites living together under the same roof in harmony.  The girls also learn from a good friend, Henry, how to trust the good Lord. 

I highly recommend you read the first three books of this series before this last one to fully appreciate it.  I absolutely LOVED this historical Christian fiction series and zipped through all four books.  They were enlightening, giving insight into how things were after the civil war for both whites and blacks and how even though the slaves were set free, they were still looked down upon by most.  This series shows how much people can accomplish when they work together unselfishly.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.
(Karen's review, 5++ stars)

The first three books in this series are:
Angels Watching Over Me
A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton
The Color of Your Skin Ain't The Color of Your Heart

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 Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart" by Michael Phillips (series)

In this 3rd book of the Shenandoah Sisters series--The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart by Michael Phillips, Katie and Mayme continue to fight to save the plantation with the help of Henry and his son, Jeremiah.  Mayme gets a big surprise and Katie is thrilled to see her Uncle Templeton again and find the gold that was hidden in her house.  Will it be enough to pay off the loan on the plantation?  Will the bad men steal it from her?  How many more will find out her secret that her parents have died and what will happen to the four girls living on their own?    

This book has more surprises pop up, more action and some humor too.  I enjoyed this one too and look forward to finding out what happens next in the last book of this series. 
(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. Happy Reading!

"SeinLanguage" by Jerry Seinfeld

SeinLanguage by Jerry Seinfeld is a short paperback filled with standup comedian commentary on a variety of subjects.  It is entertaining, humorous and enjoyable.  One can easily finish it in less than a day.  I liked it okay.

(This is one of the books Gerard bought and read a long time ago before we were married.  I just thought I'd read it before releasing it into the wild at bookcrossing.com.  I left it in the bus stop shelter at E. 9th and Superior in front of St. John's Cathedral in downtown Cleveland on Thursday.)
(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!

"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!

Loved "A Bride For All Seasons--The Mail-Order Bride Collection" by Four Different Authors

Great Beach Read--Very Enjoyable!

Do you like reading clean historical romance books?  Do you enjoy mail-order bride stories?  I do, so when I saw A Bride For All Seasons—The Mail-order Bride Collection, I just had to read it and was not at all disappointed.  In fact, it is a collection of four novellas by four different authors:  And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley, An Ever After Summer by Debra Clopton, Autumn’s Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher, and Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy.  I loved them all!

This book is so cool because all four mail-order bride stories are tied together by the common matchmaker, Melvin Hitchcock of The Hitching Post, a mail-order bride catalogue with the highest rate of successful marriages.  None of the couples that were matched up in this book got what they expected because Melvin edited their letters, at times l just omitting something that he felt would prevent the client’s chances of finding a match!  Consequently, all the couples have trust issues to begin with and it was fun to see how the couples get past that and become happily married in time.  (See My two teasers.)

Out of the four authors, I was only familiar with Mary Connealy, but now I have a whole list of books to read by the other three authors as well!  This book is a fun, entertaining read.  There are also three discussion questions for each novella in the back.  This would be a great Book Club read!
(Karen's review)

Check out my progress on learning to Juggle (part 2) using The Great Juggling Kit book.

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!

Linked up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today for the prompt:  Book review!  What are you reading this summer?

"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!

"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!

"Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls--Essays, Etc." by David Sedaris Is One I Should Have Passed Up

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls Essays, Etc. by David Sedaris was disappointing to me. The title is very misleading because I thought I'd learn more about Diabetes and wondered what the owl connection was. Then in small print on the cover it said "Essays, Etc." which is really what is in this book. It's a collection of 25 short essays on topics from doctors, to his dad, politics, traveling, etc. There are some humorous lines and I did enjoy the ones about the dentist and not buying a cell phone. I also found his relationship with his dad to be sad but interesting. However, most of the essays did not interest me and I did not like how he put his dad down. I read most of it but finally got tired of plowing through this and switched to something else before I finished. This is the last book I'll read by this author and cannot recommend it.

If I had realized this was the same author who wrote Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, I would not have gotten it.
(I started Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk because I like animals and thought the title was funny, but gave up half way through and didn't want to waste any more time on it because it wasn't at all like I expected. The language was very rough and the animals were not portrayed in a good light at all. The "fables" seemed long to me. This book got so much hype but I did not see why. I liked Animal Farm much better!)

I do feel bad that the author's dad did not support or show him the love and acceptance every kid should have from his dad. However, I agree with his dad's opinion mentioned on page 39:

Number one on the Times list doesn't mean that your book is good--just that a lot of people bought it that week, people who were tricked, maybe, or were never too bright to begin with.

I am very thankful my dad was nothing like his and that is one of the reasons I wrote My Funny Dad, Harry in his memory shortly after his death. I think people would like reading about a happy family and a good family man once in awhile instead of about all the bad childhoods people had.

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!

"Anything You Ask" by Lynn Kellan is a Sweet Humorous Romance Novella

Image Source: author's blog

Anything You Ask by Lynn Kellan is a fast-moving romance about Dani, a widowed professor with two sons, who is left with a run-down farm and huge debts.  Facts about her late husband come out gradually when she turns to Hale, her brother-in-law for help with the farm.  He is more than willing to help her out because he secretly loved her all along so jumps at the chance to prove himself to her. 

I got into this book quickly and liked both the main characters so couldn't help but root for them to fall in love with each other.  The story line was unique and kept my interest.  I looked forward to seeing what would happen next!  It was over before I knew it but I liked that it didn't drag along at all.  I recommend it if you are looking for a light romance!
(Karen's review)

For more about the book, watch the trailer:

Visit Lynn Kellan's blog at www.forloveorfunny.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!

"Mischief Master Class" by Dogs, 2 Cats and a Turtle

Inspirational,a 'Must Read" for dogs

Mischief Master Class by dogs, two cats and a turtle assisted by Annette Vivian is a really fun book about mischief real pets get into.  It has lots of great short stories and pictures!  I LOVED it!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)--UPDATED 2/13/13

Mischief Master Class by Dogs (two cats and a Turtle!)...assisted by Annette Vivian is a must read for all dogs!  It is a great reference book giving 20 rules that dogs (and any pet really) should know for getting away with mischief by becoming a "Master of Mischief."  It is a collaborative effort spearheaded by Snoopy (visit his blog by clicking the link), a dog blogger who is a bearded collie therapy dog but that doesn't mean he can't get into mischief.  In fact, he even hosts a "Monday Mischief" blog hop every week.  Various pets on the Internet contributed their mischief stories which Snoopy cleverly used as case studies to illustrate how the rules work.  By the way, our pets have rule #1 down pat:  "Look Cute."

It has lots of colored photos and URLs for videos to watch of the contributors too (with their blog URLs) as well as many of Snoopy himself, of course.  It is a quick, fun, light read that I enjoyed in spite of the overuse of a couple words:  "doh" and "Tee Hee."  My favorite mischief was the two dogs who ate the cookies that were hidden inside the oven and then left the empty tray inside and closed the door when they were done!  I must admit, I've never seen any other book quite like this one although "Dear Sparkle:  Cat-to-Cat advice" which is written by a cat for cats comes close.   

Mischief Master Class is available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon with 50% of the proceeds donated to Therapy Pet Support charities which we think is awesome! 

Good job, Snoopy and your buddies!
(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!

"Every Day" by David Levithan

Fun Read!

Every Day by David Levithan tells the story of a person who wakes up every day as a different person--sometimes male, sometimes female. It is fine until one day the girl of his dreams comes into his life and then it gets complicated.

You need to use your imagination to get into this book, but if you do, and accept the story as it is, you will be drawn into it. I did and loved it! There is a good "wow" factor too! I finished it in just two days. I think there may be a second book; if I'm right, I'm on it. Put it on your TBR list--you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, rating 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!

"The Fifth Witness" by Michael Connelly is a MUST READ!

A MUST READ . . . or LISTEN (audio book)

WOW! The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly is about a woman on trial for murder. She is charged with killing a man who is the head of the company that was suing to foreclose on her home. This is a fantastic story! I listened to the audio book and LOVED IT! The trial was very interesting and got my attention and held it. The ending blew me away. You have got to read (or listen) to this--it's a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5+++ stars)

Come back Tuesday to see our teaser from this one!

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!

"Okay For Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt is about Doug, a 14-yr.-old who is upset about moving to a new town and leaving his friends. The story takes place in 1968 during the Vietnam War that Doug’s oldest brother is fighting in. He also has an older brother, who gets great pleasure from picking on him and an abusive father. Doug’s idol is the Yankee ballplayer, Joe Pepitone and a signed jacket by Joe is Doug’s most prized possession. Doug narrates about his high and low points as he goes through adjusting to the new town and with the help of several caring people, he actually gets to like it. When he sees a beautiful bird book in the library, he is drawn to it and the librarian encourages him to draw the different birds. Art becomes his passion and he likens how he feels to how he thinks some of those birds feel. It’s a well-written book that gives the reader insight into the feelings of a young teenage boy. It’s a good read that I think any teen could relate to and enjoy.
(Karen's review, rating 4)

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!

"One For The Murphys" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is about being someone’s hero and showing unconditional love. Although it is considered juvenile fiction, I really liked it! The main character, Carly, has been neglected and abused but finds a good foster home while her mother recovers from a beating she took from her husband. Julie Murphy, the foster home mother, is the wife of a fireman with three boys that shows kindness and love to Carly who doesn’t quite know what to make of it. This heart-warming book has humor, a good message, and is a touching quick read. It made even made me tear up at certain parts. If you like stories about kids and family, I recommend this one! It will tug at your heartstrings.
 (Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

Here's a trailer for the book:
(This is the author's debut novel, her first draft of it received the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature.)


This book was recommended by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. 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 linking this up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop in response to this prompt: Book Review time! Recommend a great book, perfect for these stormy fall days! We'd like for you to subscribe so you get all our reviews. Click the link to check out the other prompts and perhaps link up a post of your own.

"This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper

Disappointing

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper centers on a dad's death bed plea that he wanted his grown up kids and his wife to spend seven days together like a real family. I enjoyed the beginning very much and thought it had a lot of promise. The kids got on each other and their significant others. Parts were funny and sad as well; however, I just scanned through the last 100 pages which was about who was having sex with whom. I'm not into reading that and felt I had better books to read. If the author had stuck with the main premise, it would have been much better in my opinion. It also had offensive language so I can't really recommend this. Read it at your own risk.
(Gerard's review, rating 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!