"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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I Recommend "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel about the personal journeys of the 1936 USA rowing Olympic team.  Through personal interviews, the author writes an amazing story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, humility and competition.  I enjoyed reading about the coaches and how the team was assembled as well as the races.  The parts about Nazi Germany hosting the Olympics actually made me mad.  I acquired a new admiration for the sport of rowing after reading this book.  I thought the first part of the book was very slow but then the rest of it picked up.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is such a good book! It tells the true story of a bunch of young boys from Washington University who competed in rowing during the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. One of the best parts of this book was the stories about the boys’ personal lives and their coaches too! The races are very exciting as well. I gained a whole lot of respect for what it takes to row when I read this book. Loved it and recommend you read it too! You will be glad you did!
(Gerard’s review 8/24/13, 5+ stars)

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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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"Ghost Boy" by Martin Pistorius is a True Story!

Ghost Boy--the miraculous escape of a misdiagnosed boy trapped inside his own body by Martin Pistorius is a true story!   It tells the story of Martin's life so far and what a story it is!  One day he went to school but never went back.  He spent his 14th birthday as a mute quadriplegic but then his mind came alive.  Thought to be brain dead, he was really aware of what was happening all around him but couldn't communicate it.  He knew it, but no one else did.  He refused to give up!  I also found it very interesting how people acted around him.  Give this book a try--I loved the ending!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"God's Vitamin "C" for the Spirit--Tug-at-Your Heart Stories" compiled by Kathy Collard Miller and D. Larry Miller

God's Vitamin "C" for the Spirit  is a compilation of 133 short inspirational stories on these various topics:  Christian Living, Faith & Trust, Family Life, God's Guidance, Grief, Love, Marriage, Perseverance, Prayer, Relationships and Spiritual Life.  I enjoyed reading a few stories at a time.  There is very little scripture in it though so I wouldn't call it a devotional book, but it is a good supplement to your devotion time.  Most of the stories show God's love and faithfulness through personal testimonies.  I would recommend this to adults.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Christmas List" by Richard Paul Evans

The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans is a contemporary Scrooge story.  A real estate mogul who is focused on making money at any cost regardless of who he hurts, is mistakenly reported to have died in an auto accident.  He then finds out what people really think of him when reading the comments to the news article online.  He decides to try to change and starts by contacting people he has hurt to apologize and try to make things right.  He realizes that the ones he hurt most were his wife and son and seeks to reconcile with them before it's too late. 

This quick read is heartwarming and thought provoking.  This book makes you take a look at life and make the most of the time we have.  I liked seeing how he changed for the better and seriously tried to make up for hurting people. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Expect a Miracle" by Jenny Long with Bob Der

Expect a Miracle by Jenny Long is a true story, but you really get two stories in this book.  Through the first half of this book, Jenny tells her story of growing up and it is a remarkable one!  Then we get to Conner and Cayden.  Their story will make you feel good.  They demonstrate the true meaning of brotherly love.  This is a short book that I am glad I read.  I would have liked it to be longer.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Battle of our Age-Fighting for the Hearts and Minds of the Next Generation" by Bob Hoskins

The Battle of our Age-Fighting for the Hearts and Minds of the Next Generation by Bob Hoskins is a short booklet about a charity organization called OneHope that seeks to reach every child in the world with the Word of God. Bob Hoskins is the founder of OneHope and his passion is to see children’s lives transformed by God’s word. This booklet contains short stories of various children who have believed in Jesus through this ministry and have had their lives changed. Some were in poverty, in prison, had alcoholic parents, were in abusive situations but turned to Jesus when they read the Book of Hope about Jesus or saw other materials produced by OneHope.

I was very encouraged when I read this booklet and was pleased to learn about OneHope, an organization I wasn’t aware of. I enjoyed reading the stories and found the statistics mentioned staggering! I got this in the mail but you can learn more from their website at www.OneHope.net.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"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)

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"Everything Everything" by Nicola Yoon is an Unusual YA Romance (UPDATED)

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is an unusual YA romance that was an interesting read and a commentary on life and love. I enjoyed reading about Madeline who was kept inside her house for 17 years due to a rare disease—basically being allergic to the world. Her nurse, Carla, helped her to visit with the boy next door, Olly, behind her mother’s back. Carla felt bad for Madeline and wanted her to be able to live a little, so encouraged her to take a risk and live her life.

I liked that this had very short chapters and much of the book was IM messages and emails exchanged between Olly and Madeline.  I also liked the illustrations and Madeline's short book spoilers throughout the book. This book even has some adventure in it which was a pleasant surprise. I thought it would be a depressing read, but it was quite the opposite! My favorite quote from this book is: “Love makes people crazy. Loss of love makes people crazy.” Pg. 300. This pretty much sums up this book. I would say this is inspirational too.
(Karen's review 10/2/15, 4 stars)


Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is a YA debut novel about a young girl named Madeline.  She has SCID, a rare disease that results in her not leaving the house.   I thought this book was really good!  I enjoyed the main character and the story line was very interesting.  The last part of this book came as a complete shock to me which was a good thing.  Give this book a chance.  You will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review 9/30/15, 5++ stars)

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"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)

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"Seeing Home--The Ed Lucas Story" by Ed and Christopher Lucas

Seeing Home--The Ed Lucas Story (A Blind Broadcaster's Story of Overcoming Life's Greatest Obstacles) by Ed and Christopher Lucas is non-fiction.  Ed Lucas is the man--what a story he tells!  At a young age, he loved baseball!  Then a tragedy happened:  he got hit in the face with a baseball and lost his sight.  He decided if he could not play that he would become a broadcaster.  How can a blind man broadcast a game?  You will have to read the book to find out the answer.  He had his dream and with help of a loving family, it came through.  He even got married at home plate in Yankee stadium!  Ed is a real hero to people with disabilities.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"God Never Blinks--50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours" by Regina Brett

God Never Blinks—50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours by Regina Brett is a collection of Regina’s thoughts she wrote in her newspaper columns that were quite popular with readers. It has very short chapters so it is a quick little read but full of great advice from someone who felt neglected growing up, held various jobs, and is a Cancer survivor. It is an inspirational read I enjoyed. I liked that all 50 lessons are listed right in front in the Table of Contents.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"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)  

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"The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart (children's book)--Both LOVED IT! (updated)

Glad you both liked this one--yea for the dog!

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about a young boy, Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  Why does he run away?  His best friend knows the secret but she will not tell.  This children's book had me from page 1!  I LOVED IT!  What's not to like about a boy and his dog on the adventure of his life?  This is a page turner that goes quick and is the author's first book--well done!
(Gerard's review 2/23/15, 5++ stars)

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about Mark, a boy with Cancer who is tired of being the sick kid and decides to go on an adventure with his dog to keep a promise to his grandfather before he dies.  His best friend, Jess, figures out where he went but knows Mark does not want her to tell. 

This unique book deals with friendship, survival and facing death through an interesting story.   The ½ chapters sets this book apart from any I have read drew me in right away.  It is a quick read that I didn’t want to put down and I loved the surprise ending!  The honest truth is that this book will tug at your heart!  I highly recommend it; think both kids and adults would enjoy it.  I am so glad I gave up on the big fat adult book, Dust by Patricia Cornwell to read this one instead.  I enjoyed this so much more!

I even learned how to write Haiku poems from The Honest Truth.  Here is my Haiku poem I wrote about this book for Mark (and the author):

                           I read the story,

Understanding Mark’s viewpoint,
Hoping he makes it!

The boy’s dog, Beau, rocks!
Two true, loyal friends, indeed
Saving each other!

(Karen's review 2/24/15, 5 stars)

Click this link for The Personal Story Behind the Story shared by the author.

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"It Was Me All Along" by Andie Mitchell, a memoir

It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell is the true story of "the fat girl."  She continued that way until one day while in college she got on a scale and was shocked by the number.  This book tells the story of how she put on the weight and how she took it off, but it's more than that--it's how she deals with life too.

I found it fascinating--she pulls no punches and sounds like someone I would enjoy spending time with.  Through her book, short as it is, I did and am glad for that.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

I am so proud that Gerard lost his excess weight.  I find it hard to believe he was over 300 pounds in high school (long before I ever met him), but here's the proof:  From 300 pounds to 140. 

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!

"Mother Teresa: A Life Inspired by Wyatt North is Informative, Brief, Inspiring!

Image source:  Amazon

Before reading this Mother Teresa:  A Life Inspired by Wyatt North, I only had a general idea of the good this lady did.  The book made the point that she saw all human beings as her neighbor and sought to Love everybody as herself as Jesus commanded us to do regardless of race, religion and boundaries.  I learned a lot about her in the couple hours it took me to read this book.  To me, it felt as though I was reading a report on her life.  It met my expectations and inspired me to go and help as many people as I can.  This book showed me she truly was a great person by serving others as Jesus said we should do.   (I read this one on Kindle, sorry no cat pictured with it.)
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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