"Wolf Hollow" by Lauren Wolk

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk kept my interest all the way.  Annabelle has lived a nice quiet life in her small town with her loving family.  However, that all changes when a young girl named Betty comes to town.  Annabelle is being bullied and has to find a way to stop it.  Then one day, Betty goes missing and all signs point to one man who Annabelle has befriended.

This book was really good!  It moved along quickly and Annabelle is a great character.  It also has a surprise ending that I liked!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"The Widow" by Fiona Barton

The Widow by Fiona Barton is about a young girl that goes missing.  It's also about a married couple, Glen and Jean who both have secrets about the missing girl, but then Glen dies.  Jean is free now to tell her secret, or is she? 

This book goes back in time to set up the missing girl's disappearance.  It is also told by a few detectives who want to know the truth.  This novel kept me interested, the writing was good and the ending pleased me.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Crooked House" by Christobel Kent

The Crooked House by Christobel Kent centers on a young lady named Allison.  One night something happened to her family that left her alone.  She moved, changed her name and lived her life.  But her boyfriend becomes involved in a wedding and wants her to come with him and return to her hometown.  She does and feels like everyone is watching her.  She still thinks that all the answers from that horrible night have not come out.

This is a page turner for sure!  Allison is a great character with tension building up to the end.  It held my interest and I enjoyed it a lot!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Silent Boy" by Andrew Taylor

The Silent Boy by Andrew Taylor is told when the French Revolution was going on.  A young boy named Charles Watches his mother being killed, we think, but we are not really sure.  Charles is about to get away and he does not speak at all.  He knows something and various people want to know what that is.

The first part of the book sets up the plot, but no real action takes place until the second half when Charles goes on the run.  All the time his father is looking for him.  This was okay and worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Daughter of Deep Silence" by Carrie Ryan

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan is about a young girl named Frances.  She is on board a cruise ship where everybody gets killed except for her and another girl.  Frances survives, but the other girl does not.  Then she finds out two other people survived but are telling a different story about what happened on the ship.  Why?  Why did they survive? 

This book kept me turning pages and I enjoyed the story line very much!  I read this after seeing this video by Christine at Polandbananas. 


She was right! 
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Disclaimer" by Renee Knight

In Disclaimer by Renee Knight, Catherine finds a novel, The Perfect Stranger, on her bed stand, realizing as she reads that it is about her and an event in her life that she does not want known.  Only one other person knew about it and that person is dead.  So who wrote it and why?  Her husband and son have the same book!

This book is good with action that kept me turning pages to a really good ending.  Here's a teaser from it for you:

I'm not interested in her acknowledgement of my pain.  It's too late for that now.

(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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We Both Liked "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier (Updated)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a sad story about an all-boy Catholic high school that has a “secret” organization called the Vigils who actually rule the school while the teachers look the other way. Archie is a master con who manipulates not only students, but also the teachers. He is the one who assigns tasks to students he chooses. When Jerry gets mixed up with the Vigils, his “assignment” gets out of hand and he realizes too late the participation in the chocolate sale for the school really wasn’t voluntary after all. Can Jerry really go against the Vigils and survive?

This is a quick YA read that I liked because of all the group dynamics involved. It is not only about bullying, but also about manipulation and being true to oneself. This is a powerful book that shows how devastating peer pressure can be. What started as an innocent prank mushroomed into much, much more! I plan to read more books by this author. The sequel is Beyond the Chocolate War.
(Karen's review, 8/20/15, 5 stars)


The Chocolate War by Robert Comier is about an all-boys Catholic school that sells chocolate bars as a fund raiser.   It is a tradition, but this year one boy refuses to do it!  Will this catch on with the other boys?  What will the consequences be for his refusal?

I lived this book in real life so it brought back lots of memories for me.  The author is spot on with his telling of it.  The characters were brought out very well and I enjoyed it.  It is a quick read that you can do in a day or two at the most.
(Gerard's review 8/10/15, 5 stars)

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"Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone - Two Different Takes On This One

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone is about Samantha, a popular high schooler.  She hangs around with a popular group of girls that she has been with since kindergarten with a secret that she has kept hidden all this time.  What that is you will have to read this book to find out.  She gets an urge to leave the group, but does she have the courage?

WOW!  This book was really good!  I thought all the characters were well developed and got into it very quickly.  I really liked Samantha, the main character.  I did not see the twist coming at all and the ending was fantastic!  A must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


Karen read it too (2 stars):
I was not as impressed with Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone as my husband was.  It is realistic contemporary YA fiction about Samantha, a popular high school girl who loves swimming, the number 3 and struggles with obsessing thoughts because of OCD.  Through regular visits with her therapist and medication, she begins to make some changes in her life but still wonders if she is crazy.

I thought this was okay but didn't have much action or plot to it, other than Samantha learning to cope better with OCD by changing friends and writing poetry.  It does give some insight as to what OCD is like and it was inspirational when she experienced some small victories along the way. This book is mostly about friendship and accepting yourself for who you are.  Compared to the fun, fantasy page turners that I've been reading, this one just seemed to fall a bit flat.  I thought the unexpected "twist" was kind of dopey.

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LOVED "Saving Grace" by Jane Green

Saving Grace by Jane Green is about the good life of Grace Chapman.  She is married to Ted, a well-known, rich author. Ted's assistant is a woman named Ellen who also runs the household to allow Grace to do as she pleases.  However, when Ellen leaves, Ted goes into a panic and tells Grace that she is nothing like Ellen.  Can things get back to normal?  You'll have to read the book.

WOW!  The writing in this book is very good.  I loved all the characters because they were true to life.  It does not get much better than this!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Where They Found Her" by Kimberly McCreight

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight is like a roller coaster ride! All the characters were very believable. A body of a newborn is found near a college in a wooded area. Molly is called by her boss to report on this for the town's local paper. She is trying to get over the loss of her own baby. It is told by women in this small town who have events in their lives that are better kept hidden but do connect them.

I Loved this book! I also liked Constructing Amelia by this author. She is two for two.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Rites of Passage" by Joy N. Hensley

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley is about Sam McKenna, the only teenage daughter in a military family who is one of 5 girls who are the first to enroll in Denmark Military Academy.  She wants to please her dad and takes her brother's dare.  Once there, she finds it is even worse than she expected but is determined to stick it out for the year.

This book has a lot of military training included to show how tough this girl is and how her Corporal does just about everything he can think of to get her to quit.  If you are not interested in military-type books, this one is not for you.  I liked it though but thought Sam McKenna was nuts for trying to break into the all-boys military school and put herself through that, risking her life!  The bright spot during her year there at the school was her drill sergeant.  I liked the ending because it was pretty good and realistic. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"A Sudden Light" by Garth Stein gets Exciting

A Sudden Light by Garth Stein is told by a 14-yr- old boy named Trevor and what a story he has to tell!  He comes to his family's mansion for the first time to help his father to sell the house and property because they need money.  But, there are plenty of secrets in that house and things do not go as planned.

This is a real good story for around Halloween.  I would have liked more action, but it does pick up near the end and gets really exciting!  Well worth your time.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

We both also enjoyed Garth Stein's other book, The Art of Racing in the Rain.

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!

"That Night" by Chevy Stevens is Great! (Updated)

That Night by Chevy Stevens is a fantastic read that kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.  Although Toni, the main character and narrator, is a teen who smokes pot, drinks has pre-marital sex with her boyfriend, and fights with her mom constantly, I couldn't help but sympathize with her throughout the book.  She was being bullied by a group of mean girls for a long time and they just wouldn't let up.  When her "goody two shoes" sister, Nicole (her mother's favorite), is murdered, Toni and her boyfriend are wrongfully convicted.  That Night is about the truth coming out about what really happened the night Nicole was killed.  It is a fascinating read that shows how people have more than one side sometimes and are not always what they seem to be.

This book is so well written, that even though it jumps back and forth between the present and the past, it was still easy to follow.  I found Toni's life both in and out of prison interesting and was pulling for her to get to live a normal life after having lost so much and been through so many struggles.  We highly recommend this one!  It's a must read!  LOVED IT!
(Karen's review 7/10/14, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 6/29/14, 5++ stars):
That Night by Chevy Stevens is told by a young teen girl named Toni.  She was found guilty of killing her younger sister and sent to prison.  This book goes back and forth between what led up to that night her sister got killed and her prison life.

To me, Chevy Stevens is two for two.  I loved her first book, Still Missing, and I loved this one maybe more! This is a real page turner for sure.  I always wanted to get back to it and the ending came as a complete surprise.  I am looking forward to her next book.


NOTE:  This is the July Book Club Selection at She Reads where you can find more reviews of this great thriller!

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"Mercy Snow" by Tiffany Baker

Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker starts of with a bus accident carrying a group of kids.  Someone caused the accident and two women will do everything in their power to see that the truth of it does not come out!  This is an enjoyable  page turner for sure.  I loved all the characters. (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)


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"Melody" by V. C. Andrews is an Oldie but a Goodie!

Melody by V. C. Andrews is very good and I am glad I read it. It is one my husband had before we were married 16 years ago and I finally got around to reading it. I am so glad I did! Melody is a 15-yr.-old girl who is part of a family with many secrets. She is a nice girl and good student, but grew up in a coal mining town and is shocked to find out family secrets after her dad dies in a mining accident and her mother drops Melody at the dad's brothers house while she goes off to try to become a model or actress. Melody moves in with her dad's relatives, which she never met, Aunt Sara, Uncle Jacob and her cousins, Cary and May, a little deaf girl.

This is such a good story with all the secrets gradually coming to light and Melody realizing that her parents never told her the truth about who she is. Melody is very pretty and she learned to play the fiddle. I did not care for her mother at all and wondered how Melody turned out so well. There lots of interesting relationships and characters in this book. I loved how Cary came around to liking Melody and how he became protective of her. This is the first book of a series and I am eager to read the next two soon! If you like family stories with interesting characters, I highly recommend this one! There are lots of surprises along the way! It would make a good book club read.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Next in Series:  Heart Song

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"Instructions for a Heatwave" by Maggie O'Farrell

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell tells the story of a man who one morning went out to get the paper, told his wife he would be right back, but didn't come back.  The wife called her three children home to search for dad.  

What makes this book so good is the interaction between the three kids, who have their own problems to be sure, and their mom.  There are plenty of "wow" moments in this, especially at the end.  Great writing!  I loved it!! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell is one Gerard and I have completely opposite feelings about.  I thought this book was very slow moving with no action and was annoyed by how it jumped from one character to another with no transition, most of the book was the characters thinking about the past and very little had to do with finding the missing father which was the big mystery of the book.  I didn't really care about any of the characters who each had their secrets.  

Another thing that was annoying to me was the lack of chapters--it just kept going on and on so there was never a good place to stop.  It just broke sections between a change in the character narration with a row of stars.  I didn't care for the writing at all--it had too much description for my taste with long rambling paragraphs.  The bickering among Gretta's grown children did not hold my interest at all which is what Gerard thought was the best part.  I thought the title was dumb and didn't even like the cover.  The only reason I read this was because Gerard thought it was so good.  Sometimes we agree on books, but not this time.

If I HAD to choose a favorite character, it would be the older sister, Monica, just because I enjoyed her storyline about trying to win over her two stepdaughters, a very small part of the book.  I would not recommend this book to anyone.  Sorry, Maggie.
(Karen's review)
 
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"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

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"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

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"Love Water Memory" by Jennie Shortridge (UPDATED)

Love water memory by Jennie Shortridge is an interesting story about an engaged couple, Grady and Lucie.  When they have a huge fight, Lucie leaves and doesn’t return.  Grady looks all over for her and eventually finds her in a hospital with amnesia, learning she was found standing in San Francisco Bay.  The whole book is about Lucie learning secrets from her past and getting her memory back while her and Grady try to rebuild their relationship.  It’s a good read but did not like it as much as Gerard did--both the main characters were likable.
(Karen's review)

Love Water Memory is told by Grady and Lucie, a couple who was going to get married until a huge fight. Eight days later, Lucie is found but remembers no one and nothing of her former life. I loved this book! It had me from page one and all the way through. My feelings about Lucie and Grady went back and forth. The writing was very good too. The only downside was that I was hoping for a better ending, but it does leave an opening for a sequel which would be good!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Ninth Step" by Grant Jerkins

The Ninth Step by Grant Jerkins is a quick read about Helen, an alcoholic who vows to stop drinking after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. What makes this book so good is that just when you think you have it figured out, you don't. There are lots of "wows" in this book; well worth your time.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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