"So Help Me, God" by Mike Pence

So Help Me, God by Mike Pence is his autobiography up through his time as Vice President of the United States.  I am not big on politics, but was interested to read this to get some insight into the job of Vice President, as well as to see how he worked with President Donald Trump.  I found his personal background quite interesting, but all the things he dealt with while serving as Vice President became quite lengthy and at times boring.  I skipped over some parts that held little interest for me; however, I did find the things he accomplished quite interesting.  I especially liked the part at the end dealing with the riot at the Capitol over the results of the controversial election.  He also showed how his faith in Jesus guided his actions and choices.  Each chapter highlighted a verse of scripture.  After reading this book, I am convinced that Mike Pence would be a good president.  I think anyone who is interested in politics would find this book interesting.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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Loved "Defend the Dawn" by Brigid Kemmerer -- Full of Adventure

1.    

In Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer, Tessa and Corrick set out on a journey to get much needed medicine for their kingdom.  This story is told by Corrick and Tessa.  I like them both.  The author does a great job of character development!  The interaction among the characters if fantastic!  The action comes near the end and is really good.  I would have liked more action earlier on as well.  All in all, I give this one 5 stars.  (Gerard's review) 

Karen's review 3/9/23:
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer is Book 2 in the Defy the Night series and I LOVED it!  It has adventure, lots of fighting, great banter among the characters, politics, and some romance.  This one focuses on both King Harriston and his chief justice, Corrick.  About half way through, each gets their own storyline and both are very good.  Tessa and Quint are both great supporting characters too.  This one is hard to put down and I hated that it ended with two cliffhangers.  It definitely makes me anxious to read the next book in this series, Destroy the Day.  (5 stars)

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Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (the first of a series)

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer is told by two people--Tessa and Corrick.  Tessa is a young girl who wants her kingdom to take better care of the poor people.  She wants things to change.  Corrick is a young man who rules his kingdom with his brother.  They have a bond between them and both have a desire to improve things for their people.

This book is really good!  I loved both of the main characters and it has good action as well with a great story line including an early surprise that my wife nor I saw coming!  I look forward to book 2 in this series.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Karen's review, Oct. 27, 2021:

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer was an enjoyable read for me.  It is a fictional read about Prince Corrick and his brother who rule over the land of Kandara.  People are dying from an illness that is throughout the land and medicine is scarce and hoarded by the elite.  Tessa mixes the ingredients that Wes brings to her to make medicine and together they deliver it to the poor in need during the night.  Wes saved her life once and she loves him.  When a revolution breaks out, everyone is in danger!

I liked this book because although it is primarily character driven, there was enough action to keep it interesting.  I really liked the two main characters, Corrick and Tessa.  Corrick is the king's justice who is fighting his own personal battle.  (4 stars)

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"Queen of Sorrow" by Sarah Beth Durst (Book 3 in Queens of Renthia Series) Great Series!

Gerard's review:
The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst is the final book in the Queens of Renthia trilogy.  Queen Aleina wants peace for her land and now with Queen Naelin at her side, things look bright for the future!  But, when Naelin's children are taken by other spirits, she has reason to believe that Queen Merecot is behind it and Naelin wants her children back!  If it means war, then so be it.  This book is really, really good just like the previous two.  The writing is very good as well!  This is one you get into right away and hate to put down!  I loved the interaction among all the characters and was glad to see the wolf, Bayn, back in this one.  Love that wolf!  (5++ stars)


The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst is a wonderful finish to the Queens of Renthia trilogy, my favorite fantasy trilogy of all time! I loved this story so much, I was disappointed to see it end—even though I liked the ending. Queen Merecot had Naelin’s children kidnapped and brought to her castle in Semo and also got rid of the wolf Bayn, having her spirits chase him into the untamed lands! Merecot enters into a power struggle with the Queens of Aratay in the hopes of getting enough “spirit” power to change the spirits for good. We also meet Ven’s family, Queen Daleina’s sister, and Cajara, a new heir candidate. There is much death and some sadness in this but it is well balanced with joyful occasions, humor and happiness.

I liked all of the queens in this book and enjoyed their negotiations and scheming as well. I was pleased with Naelin’s decision in the end and enjoyed her journey! What a trip! I am normally not one for politics, but really was drawn into the political aspects of this book. I really hope the author comes up with some more books about Renthia! I want to know what happens with Merecot, Arid, Ven and Naelin, Hannah and of course, Queen Daleina. The characters are so well developed and the writing is amazing! I liked that it has so many characters without being confusing. Sarah Beth Durst has officially become my favorite fantasy author!
(Karen's review 3/22/19, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 32: As she flew, she flung her mind out like a net, catching every spirit within fifty miles and driving them toward Semo. SAVE MY CHILDREN! ATTACK!

See our other reviews for this series:  The Queen of Blood and The Reluctant Queen

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"The Deepest Blue" by Sarah Beth Durst (Fantasy) We Both Loved This One!

The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst is a fantasy about bloodthirsty nature spirits, love, adventure, sea monsters and politics on the Belene Islands south of Renthia.  Mayara successfully kept her spirit power a secret for years, only confiding in her best friend, Kelo who is now her fiance.  Unfortunately, on her wedding day, she used her special power to stop the big spirit storm from destroying her island.  That is when her adventure starts and she finds out what she is truly made of.  When the "Silent Ones" eventually find her, she is faced with a difficult choice:  denounce her family, leave her home forever and don't talk to join the Silent Ones or take her chances at trying to survive for a month on an island that is home to many nature spirits who are hungry and then become heir to the queen of Belene with the opportunity to visit her loved ones again.

I enjoyed reading this book very much, it is so good!  I liked the humorous parts and the characters.  The plot had twists I did not see coming at all and I was turning pages quickly eager to find out what would happen next.  My emotions were all over the place with this one--amusement, sadness, joy and curiosity.  This is a stand alone with a great ending!  I finished reading this one in just two days and recommend to anyone who enjoys uncomplicated fantasy.  (I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review--this book comes out March 19, 2019.)
(Karen's review 3/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 3/18/19:
In The Deepest Blue by Sarah Beth Durst, it starts off with Mayara's wedding day--a day to celebrate. But even before the vows are said, Mayara makes a decision that puts her future in doubt!  Can she get her and her husband's plans back on track, or is their future doomed?  The pacing of this book is very well done.  The best thing about this book to me was the interaction between all of the characters.  I really cared about what was going to happen.  The ending of the book was a wild ride to say the least!  Great job, Sarah!  (5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 73:  "Because you've arrived, we all get to die that much sooner.  Hurray.  So happy to meet you."

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"Becoming" by Michelle Obama by Michelle Obama

I heard that Becoming by Michelle Obama was a good book and was curious to learn more about her and what it was like living at the White House and what it would be like being a First Lady.  This book did not disappoint.  It satisfied my curiosity and also was very inspirational.  My favorite character in this book was Michelle Obama's mother.  The first part of the book is about her childhood, the middle about her career and developing her relationship with Barack, the last third about the Presidential campaign and her time at the White House.  She is very open about sharing her story.  Living in the White House has some perks, but the inability to go anywhere when you wanted or even just outside on the balcony without notifying the secret service and getting their permission would be a deal breaker for me right there!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 12:  When I thought I had a good idea about something, I didn't like being told no.  Which is how my great-aunt and I ended up in each other's faces, both of us hot and unyielding.  

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"Us Against You" by Fredrick Backman--We Both Liked This!

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the sequel to Bear town. It is about the aftermath of the rape of Maya and how Bear town and Hed become not just rivals, but enemies! This book really centers on the community and the way society changes. There are many well-developed characters in this, not just the hockey players. When the hockey coach takes most of his good players and plays for Hed instead, Bear town has to rebuild its team, starting with finding a new coach who is a woman! This second book shows how politicians use their power and comparisons are drawn between them and “the pack.” The characters feel like real people—both good and bad at the same time with real life problems.

This book started out pretty slow for me because I’m not into politics and wanted more hockey. The beginning of the book is spent on political deals and trying to build up a hockey team, but then the violence started and I began to get attached to the characters. I really liked Benji, the pack, Ramona, Vidar, Amat, Jeanette (martial arts teacher) and Elisabeth Zackell (hockey coach). This is mostly a sad story with a few bright spots. It is about loyalty and dynamics of friendships which I found interesting. If you enjoyed Bear town, I think you will also enjoy the sequel.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the follow-up to Bear Town and is as good!  It picks up where Bear town left off.  I loved both these books!  I really enjoyed all the different people in this one.  The writing is so good I read every word!  What I enjoyed most was that from page to page I never knew what character was going to tell the story next or what the outcome would be.  The twists and turns were very good!  I WANT MORE BEAR TOWN!
(5++ stars) 

Teaser from pg. 9: The worst thing we know about other people is that we’re dependent upon them. That their actions affect our lives.


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"The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black (Updated)

In The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Jude was only 7 when she saw her parents killed and was taken to the High Court of Faerie  .  Ten years later, Jude wants to belong, but being a mortal, she is looked down on.  Jude has seen a lot of killing, but know she wants power.  However, the risk is great, can she do it?

Teaser from page 6:  "You were stolen from me," he told her.  "I have come to take you to your true home, in Elfhame beneath the hill."

I thought this book was very good.  It kept me engaged throughout.  I really enjoyed watching Jude grow up through the book.  I was going to give it a 5 star rating, but the ending pushed it to 5++ stars!  I look forward to book 2.  (Gerard's review)

Karen's review 1/30/18:
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. There is a lot of bullying of Jude, a mortal who was stolen along with her twin and older Faerie sister from our world by her mother’s former husband, a general in Faerie land. Jude really wants to fit in to Faerie land and desires to be a knight, but General Madoc, the guy who killed her parents and brought her to live with him, puts the kibosh on that. Jude becomes a killer and a spy for Dain, one of Cardan’s brothers. Carden and his friends are the ones bullying Jude, but Jude gets revenge. There is a lot of political betrayal and intrigue in this first book.

My teaser from page 83:  "It's shocking," he says, as though he's giving me some great compliment.  "I know humans can lie, but to watch you do it is incredible.  Do it again."

I have mixed feelings about Jude. I liked her in the beginning, but by the end, I really don’t like her much. She has become manipulative, mean and bloodthirsty like the general who she hated for killing her parents. I must admit, it is an interesting novel. The ending was not exactly like I expected, but came close. I probably will continue with this series. (3 stars)

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We Agree: "The Great Pursuit" by Wendy Higgins is Really Great! (UPDATED)

The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins is the sequel to The Great Hunt. Aerity and her sister and cousin are amazing in this along with Pax, Tiern, Harrison and Lief and Furball!  This is full of adventure, suspense, fighting and romance.  The addition of Furball, a beast that was rescued from Rozaria Rocato by Harrison and Aerity, a very entertaining addition.

I loved Furball and how the women insisted he come along and stay at the castle.  In this book, I really got invested in the main characters who were very interesting and well developed.  The ending was fantastic and I loved how the plot developed and moved along.  There were no boring parts in this one for me!  I highly recommend this if you want an entertaining read with adventure and romance.  I think I will check into the Sweet Evil series by this author as well.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins picks up where The Great Hunt ended.  Princess Aerity is to marry the man who killed the great beast.  But can she marry a man she does not love?  Soon Lochlanach is in great peril--can the royal family survive?

I thought this book was Fantastic!  It has constant action which made this book fly by for me.  I never knew what was coming next. I enjoyed all the characters very much!  The ending was perfect!  I am glad this story was finished in just two books.  LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review 3/23/17, 5++ stars)

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"King's Cage" by Victoria Aveyard is Disappointing

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard involves a lot of politics.  Maven is now king of Norta and many do not like it.  He holds Mare prisoner and uses her to deceive other Reds into thinking the Red Guard is against them.  I kept reading only because I wanted to see how Cal and Mara would get back together.  There was some betrayal in this book but mostly it was the Red Guard building up its forces and joining with Montfort in an effort to overthrow Maven. 

Parts were a bit confusing but over all, I still liked it and am glad I read it.  I must say, I am disappointed in this series as a whole because I really loved the first book, Red Queen.  I was disappointed with the ending of this one as well, but still give it 4 stars.  There was enough interesting relationships and action to keep my interest.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Gerard's review, 2.5 stars:
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard is the third book in the Red Queen series.  Mare is now being held by Maven after giving up herself in book 2 so that her friends are still free.  I thought this book was going to be good, but I was very disappointed. King's Cage is told from various points of view.  Mare was good as always and there were some good parts; however, they were few and far between.  I wanted more action but all I got was talk.  The story line was just okay.  The next book has to be better than this mess!

See our reviews for Glass Sword (the second book of this series.)

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"The Fixer" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a YA contemporary fiction mystery about Tess Kendrick, a 16-yr-old who is taken by her older sister, Ivy, the "fixer."  Ivy left the ranch years before and works closely with the President of the United States in D.C. to fix problems.  Tess resents Ivy for not taking her along when their parents died so lives with her grandfather whose Alzheimer's gets worse,  When Ivy visits, she moves the grandfather to a care facility in Boston and has Tess live with her.  Ivy tries to protect Tess from getting involved in her job but Tess becomes involved in spite of Ivy's efforts.  Tess is shocked as secrets come to light and bravely seeks the truth.

This was very good with a combination of politics, murder and family relationships.  I enjoyed the plot and the characters and especially the surprise twist near the end.  I finished this in two days and looked forward to getting back to it.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas is FANTASTIC!

Wow!  A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is so good! This is the second book in A Court of Thorns and Roses series and is even better than the first! This review has some spoilers so read the book first and then come see what I thought of it. Definitely must read the first book before this one.  If you like fantasy and magical kingdoms, this is a "must read."  (This would be R rated for sexual content.)

SPOILER ALERT: Feyre pretty much tells Tamlin to “jump in the lake” and chooses to stay with Rys who is her mate and challenges Feyre to use her skills. This book is full of new adventures with lots of wit and packed with both heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes and lots of good dialogue. I like all the characters in Rys’ inner circle and loved their trip to the Summer Court and how the wraiths came to save Feyre and Amren from drowning. I cheered when Feyre served Rys the food in the cabin, accepting the bond as mates.   The ending is Great and I can't wait for the next book!

I was having a hard time deciding on my favorite read for December until I read this one which is the winner! (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard read this first, 6-15-16:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the follow-up book to A Court of Thorns and Roses and is like ten times better than the first one!  Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to spring court, but at a high cost.  She still has the bargain with Rhysard.

Wow, oh Wow!  I really liked the characters, the writing and the action which all work together to make the story flow well.  The ending is probably the best I have ever read!  I want book 3 NOW!
(5++ stars)


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"The Short Drop" by Matthew Fitzsimmons is Blah

The Short Drop by Matthew Fitzsimmons is about a missing 14-yr.-old girl.  A decade later, the case is still unsolved.  Her father is running for President.  Gibson Vaughn is called in to help solve the case.  I found this novel to be blah.  Could not get into the characters at all although I tried.  I plowed through to an okay ending.
(Gerard's review, 2 stars)

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"The Giver" by Lois Lowry Makes One Grateful

I heard quite a bit about The Giver by Lois Lowry on Booktube so that’s why I decided to read it. It’s quite an interesting YA read that shows what can happen to a society where the government removes the freedom of making personal choices. It’s hard to imagine a world with no colors, music, emotions or love in it but that is the world Jonas lives in. Sameness is the highest value. He is perfectly okay with it until he gets some memories from the past that show what emotions feel like and experiences new things.

The themes in this book are the importance of love and humanity. It also shows the need of balancing security with freedom which is a current issue in America today. I enjoyed this book but was a bit stunned at how it ended--it seemed so abrupt. I would not want to live in the type of community Jonas lived in.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell tells the true story of four Navy Seals who fought a battle in Afghanistan against the Taliban by the lone survivor himself!  To me, this book breaks down into three parts:  (1) what you have to do to become an elite seal--and it's really a lot as you could imagine; (2) the battle which is told so well you can visualize it; and (3) after the battle and finally his rescue.  It is a fantastic story that is also a movie!  I enjoyed it very much, well worth the time!  Mr. Luttrell, thank you for your service!

(Gerard's review, 5++ Stars)

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"Brilliance" by Marcus Sakey

In Brilliance by Marcus Sakey, people who have superior intelligence want to take over the country and it is up to Agent Cooper to put a stop to it.  There are good "wow" factors with good action and the book moves along quick.  Great novel!  I look forward to the next book of this series. 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Good Tidings and Great Joy--Protecting the Heart of Christmas" by Sarah Palin

GOOD TIDINGS and GREAT JOY--Protecting the Heart of Christmas by Sarah Palin is about how Christmas has changed over the years in America and where it is headed.  She shares some of her family's Christmas traditions and recipes along with some advice to Christians to stand up to preserve the true meaning of Christmas in America.  Words do matter. 

This is a thought provoking book with some shocking things that are currently happening in America that I wasn't aware of.  I agree that people should be able to acknowledge publicly that Christmas is a religious holiday and that the reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of a Savior, Jesus Christ.  If you are interested in civil rights and religious freedom, I recommend you read this book.
(Karen's review)

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Riveting Memoir: "The Blood Of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption" by Kamal Saleem

The Blood of Lambs by Kamal Saleem  tells the true story of his life and his change from being a follower of Allah to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  At the age of 7 he was trained to become an Islamic terrorist!  It is a fascinating read.  I didn't know how they train these people, but I do now and it is very scary!  The story of how he became to speak out against terrorism is mind-blowing.  You have to read it to believe it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

WOW! That's the word that kept coming into my mind as I read The Blood of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption by Kamal Saleem with Lynn Vincent. It is the most interesting memoir I have ever read!  I was fascinated by what the Muslims believe and have a better understanding of how Muslim terrorists think.  Kamal was abused and bullied as a kid, and found acceptance and protection when recruited as a boy soldier.  All his life he was raised to hate and at age 7, attended a terrorist training camp where they trained with live ammunition.  This man had a vast number of experiences that were completely new to me, including many near death experiences.  His childhood is heartbreaking and even after he came to America and was converted to Christianity, his bravery continues as he publicly shares his story and warns the U.S. to wake up to what the Jihad is up to.  His life is always in danger!

I learned so much from reading this book!  I am not into politics at all so thought this book might be boring and read like a history text book, but I was so wrong!  It is a very interesting and captivating read because wanting to know what happened to bring about this terrorist's conversion to Christianity kept me turning the pages.  This is not the kind of book I normally would read, but it was recommended to me by a friend in an email that went into detail about it which piqued my interest.  Now I am recommending it to you!    
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Fifth Assassin" by Brad Meltzer

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer is on the "Best Sellers" list for a reason--it is that good!  Someone is re-creating down to the last detail the four assassinations of the four presidents that were in office.  Now, there is going to be a fifth one.  The question is who is doing this and will the fifth attempt be successful?  It is hard to know the bad guys from the good guys in this one and the plot twists are eye popping!

At 654 pages (large print) this is no light read.  The book took four years to finish and it shows.  This one kept me turning pages and the ending is the best of all!  I loved it and recommend it! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The 500" by Matthew Quirk

I give The 500 by Matthew Quirk 5 stars!

Mike Ford lands a dream job at a high ranking D.C. law firm. He befriends a pretty girl there and they hook up. Things are going good and Mike's stock rises in the firm to the point where he is being with the big boys of the firm. Life is good, but may be too good to be true. The 500 by Matthew Quirk is a good book, but the last 100 pages lifts it into the REAL GOOD box! I was glad to hear it is going to be a movie. There was some hype around this book which I bought into and am glad I did! Wait for the movie to come out or read the book. You owe it to yourself to do one or the other!
(Gerard's review)

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