"No Ordinary Dog" by Will Chesney, U.S. Navy Seal

No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  When I first decided to read this book, my plan was to just skim the first part to get to the dog part of it, but I ended up reading every word because the writing was so good and it was so interesting!  I liked how the author shared his personal feelings about what he went through trying to become a Navy Seal and how he wound up being a dog handler for the Seals.  Cairo was the dog Will was matched with and what a great dog Cairo was!  It was exciting to read about the battles they fought together, especially the one where Bin Laden was finally killed.  I enjoyed reading about Will and Cairo's wonderful relationship and of course cried at the end when Cairo had cancer and had to be put down.  I just brought back the memory of when we had to let Abby go and how we were so selfish, letting her be in such pain for so long.  I also felt bad for Will who suffered injuries and had to wait for so long to get a medical retirement.  This is a book I won't soon forget!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review March 25, 2022:
No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  What a great read!  The first part tells how Will became a Seal and soon after he was matched up with Cairo, a very special dog!  What they have the dogs trained to do is amazing!  It makes me glad to know these people and their dogs are defending us.  (5+ stars)

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"The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is One We Both Liked a Lot!

You can count on Kristin Hannah books being good and The Four Winds is one of them!  In this one, she highlights the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era.  Elsa is kicked out by her family after she got knocked up by a farmer boy.  They got married and lived with his parents on their farm.  Elsa learned farming and loved her husband, but when the drought came with the dust storms, he couldn't handle it and left her and their two young children to try to find work in California.  

This book is really good!  I loved the character interaction all the way through.  Elsa was a great character who carried the book.  She had low self-esteem but turned out to be very brave for her children.  I would have liked a different ending, but still loved the book.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 7/7/21:

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is historical fiction about the struggle of farmers in America during the Great Depression and the big dust storms in the plains.  Many farmers left their land to try to find jobs in California where they thought they could find work.  Elsa, Rafe and her two kids Loreida and Anthony work on a farm in Texas with Rafe's parents.  When a long drought comes causing the crops and animals to die, Rafe leaves on his own for California.  When circumstances get even worse, Elsa has no choice but to leave with her kids as well.  Will Elsa find work?  Will she and her kids make it to California?  Will she find Rafe one day?  Will Rafe's parents be able to save the farm?  

This is a good book that made me appreciate all I have and how easy my life is compared to what people had to deal with during the Great depression.  I felt the characters were real people and cared about them.  This is a sad story about what love is and its importance.  I couldn't help but wonder how this book would end and was satisfied with the ending.  This book certainly opened my eyes and heart to the poor people who live in poverty.  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction dealing with survival. 

This book reminded me of The Children's Blizzard because both dealt with children trying to survive the elements, but I liked this one better because of the writing and because there is more action in it.  (5 stars)

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"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens -- WOW!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is the coming of age story of Kya, a lonely, abandoned, abused girl who lived in a Marsh in North Carolina. It is a murder mystery and a love story as well. This is an amazing emotional read that starts out slow but picks up as it goes along. It has much sadness but some high points are mixed in. In a way, it is a rags to riches story. There were a lot of heartbreaking events and yet Kya proved to be very strong, overcoming great obstacles with very little help from others. She was definitely a “lone wolf” until as a teenager, the loneliness caused her to make some poor choices.

All I can say is WOW, what a book! This is well written and reminded me of To Kill a Mocking Bird. It includes lots of information about nature and is a remarkable story about how a girl who only attended school one day in her whole life, became a well-recognized author. I especially liked the courthouse cat, Sunday Justice, who befriended Kya. I would recommend this as a book club read because of the many issues it raises.
(Karen’s review 2/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 2/18/19:
In Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Kya is the last one left of her family.  First her mom left, then her brother and sisters left.  Her pa was the last to leave, but she found a way to survive in their shack in the marsh.  Two young men came into her life during her teen years.  When an incident happens though, Kya is once again all alone and her fate is in other people's hands.

This is a pretty good book!  Kya is a great character and I enjoyed how she got along so well by herself.  More action though would have been nice, but the pacing of this book made up for that.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 16: “If anybody comes, don’t go in the house. They can get ya there. Run deep in the marsh, hide in the bushes. Always cover yo’ tracks; I learned ya how. And ya can hide from Pa, too.”

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 Sun Does Shine--How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" by Anthony Ray Hinton

This book tells the true story of Ray Hinton, who found himself on death row for a crime he did not commit!  Most of this book is very depressing.  He even had evidence that he did not do it, but it was ignored.  No one paid any attention to that.  The last part of this book is uplifting!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Sun Does Shine—How I found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is the sad true, but inspirational story of his life. He was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. This book shows his journey of appeals and his imprisonment. It made me more appreciative of my freedom and certainly made me more aware of the injustices that happen in our nation. It is an emotional read, making me feel both sadness and anger. I even cried at one point when he received news that his mother had died. He lost 30 years of his life because of prejudice and he’s not the only one! This is horrible! 

The afterward was especially sobering.  It listed the names of all those who are sitting on death row as of March 2017 by state so the reader can pray for them!  It said that "Statistically, one out of every ten sentenced to death is innocent. This was a shocking statistic to me and one that should put an end to the death penalty." 

This was hard to read because it is a true story of injustice but I’m glad I read it. It speaks to the issue of capital punishment and I think it’s good that people be made aware of how inhumane life on death row is. It was sort of funny how Ray kept his sanity and sense of humor while locked up wrongly all those years by using his imagination. I recommend adults and teens read this book.  (5 stars)


Teaser from first page of the forward:

He resisted mightily the notion that he was arrested, charged, and wrongly convicted because of his race, but he ultimately couldn’t accept any other explanation. He was a poor man in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.

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!

"Endure" by Sara B. Larson is Heart Wrenching! (Updated)

Endure by Sara B. Larson is the third and final book in the Defy Series which we both highly recommend.   Alexa again has her hands full trying to hold off the enemy and make sure King Damian is safe!  This book is probably the best of the series.  It has tons of action from the outset and the pacing of the book is very good!  I just had to see what was going to happen next!  This is one of the top series that I have ever read!  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 3/19/16:
Endure by Sara B. Larson is not only the third book of the Defy trilogy, but also the best! Good characters are motivated by love and loyalty while evil characters are motivated by greed and power in a struggle to survive. Alexa and Damian’s love story continues on throughout this book and is heartbreaking. Alexa’s fight against Armando and his black sorcerers is amazing! There is lots of action in this book as well as the tender moments of friendship and love.

I loved this last book of the series which is captivating and even made me cry near the end. When Alexa left King Damian after his proposal to rescue her friend, Rylan, I thought she was nuts and was proved to be right! I actually felt she made a very bad decision there and didn’t have as much sympathy for her during her captivity as I otherwise would have. I felt it was her own fault for being so stupid to go back to Dansii with Eljin to save Rylan.

At any rate, this is a very entertaining and adventurous fantasy/clean romance series I highly recommend, especially for anyone new to fantasy. I was never bored and it moved along well. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
This series reminded me a lot of THE THRONE OF GLASS series by Sarah J. Mass.  I discuss some differences and similarities in this video:
  



See my reviews of Defy-Book 1 and Ignite-Book #2

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"Second Chance Summer" by Morgan Matson is a Touching Story we Both Loved!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is a wonderful YA novel about tenderness, family relationships, love and dealing with Cancer.  When the husband and father of three is diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, he gets his family to spend the summer at their cottage again by the lake that they haven't been to in five years.  Taylor, the 17-yr.-old daughter is reluctant to go back because of her broken friendships.  It even has a dog in it!


This is a very good story about mending friendships, overcoming fears and being real with people.  The bond between Taylor and her dad is beautiful and reminded me so much of the special relationship I had with my parents.  The writing is conversational and told from Taylor's point of view.  It was interesting to see how she grows as a person through the book and gets to know her whole family better.  Her relationship with Henry is very sweet and this is a very touching story.  In some ways it is similar to The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.  If you liked that, I think you would also like Second Chance Summer.  It really touched me because I knew a couple sisters whose father died of Pancreatic Cancer in a very short time.  I also couldn't help reliving the deaths of my own parents, although I was fortunate to have had them much longer than Taylor had her dad in this book.  I loved this book too--a great emotional read!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is about a family where the father receives medical news that is not good.  Consequently, the family decides to go to a summer cottage that they have but have not been to for a while.  Taylor, the oldest daughter, is not big on this.  The last time she spent there, she left on not so good terms with some friends she had there. 

I loved the character of Taylor.  She was so good but that is not to say the other characters were bad.  I enjoyed them all!  I was always happy to get back to this book.  It is a very emotional read, especially at the end.  The writing is excellent!  In short, I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review on 5/16/16, 5++ stars)

If you still aren't sure you want to read this book, watch this video by Jesse the Reader which is what convinced us to read 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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"When We Collided" by Emery Lord

When We Collided by Emery Lord is about two teens--Jonah and Vivi, who have a summer romance.  However, this book is so much more than that!  They both have a lot to deal with in their lives and take turns telling the story.

I really liked Jonah and Vivi was very good too!  It captured my attention from page 1 and the ending made me cry!  This is so good, 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!

"Some Kind of Courage" by Dan Gemeinhart is a Gripping Read!

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is about an 12-yr.-old orphan boy, Joseph Johnson. He has lost just about everything he loved, but the one thing he can get back is his horse, Sarah, that was sold without his knowledge. Joseph is a great character and his adventures had me holding my breath! I so wanted him to get his horse back. I loved this book! It goes fast because it’s hard to put down. We also loved this author’s first book, The Honest Truth.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart is a gripping story about a boy who goes on his own to track down his horse that was sold without his knowledge to a crooked horse trader.  He has a strong sense to do his dead parents proud and do the right thing.  Even though his parents and sister died, he still keeps their memory alive.  The story is about how important family is.  Joseph is very likable and I couldn't help but pull for him.  He met a Chinese boy along the way so had a friend on part of his journey who was also on a mission.  Both boys were very brave!

I loved this book and was surprised it was just as good as the first book by this author.  It has lots of action and kept me turning pages.  The recurring theme in the book was what Joseph's papa always said and what drove Joseph:

But Papa had said that when there's something that's got to be done, the thing to do is just to buckle down and do it the best you can.

(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah is Amazing! We Both Loved it!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a heartbreaking story of two sisters, Vianna and Isabelle, living in France during World War II. It is action packed with well-developed characters who the reader comes to care about. Both sisters are very brave in different ways. The sisters both find themselves in difficult situations and have to make some hard choices. What both sisters endured was horrible, but love prevailed.

I didn’t realize the Nazis actually occupied France until I read this book. This novel gives insight into what it was like for civilians during World War II in France and also what great lengths parents would go to in order to protect their children. I was eager to get back to this book to see what was going to happen next. There is a lot of adventure, some romance, sadness and touching moments along the way. This is a fascinating historical fiction novel I highly recommend.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5++ stars:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is set in France during World War II.  Two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, now live in a country that is run by the Nazis.  Isabelle wants to fight for her country while Vianne does what she has to do to keep her family alive.  

This is a fantastic read!  It is fiction, but the events in the book really happened.  The pages went by quickly as I became totally engrossed in this story.  Books to do get much better than this!  I LOVED it and am naming it my "book of the month."  This is a must read!  You won't be sorry!


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!

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling is a Great Ending to a Fantastic Series!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J, K. Rowling is the last book of the series and is phenomenal! It is very exciting, suspenseful, emotional, touching and is full of unexpected twists and turns. It’s hard to review it without giving away major things, so I’m just going to say that if you started this series, you really need to finish it! In this book, Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione are out of Hogwarts and on the mission that Dumbledore gave to Harry. The plot is complex and full of adventure. Loved the Epilogue! Great ending to a fantastic series!  WOW!

This series is a must read with lots of twists and turns! I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry to see it end, even though there were seven books in the series! I fell in love with the main characters and the action scenes were so well written that I felt I was right there.  This one even made me cry, parts were so sad. J.K. Rowling is the best story teller I ever read and certainly entertained me with this amusing and interesting series.   Harry is such a cool character who shows that love is the strongest power and that we can learn much about leadership from Harry Potter.  This series is amazing! 

No wonder these books were such a hit and well-loved worldwide. I had to give every book in this series 5 stars but here is the way I would rank them:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls Tugs at Your Heart (UPDATED)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a children’s story about a hard-working, determined boy who loves to go coon hunting with his two hound dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann. He lives in the Ozarks on a farm with his mother, father, and three sisters and a cat. He also has a close relationship with his grandfather who helps him out and encourages him.

I have mixed feelings about this book because I like all animals so felt a little sorry for the poor raccoons who got hunted down by the boy and his dogs. It was interesting though learning habits of the raccoons. I didn’t like the boy or the parents in the beginning when he set his traps and caught his cat several times! That got me mad. Then he redeemed himself when he loved his dogs and had great adventures with them which included some suspense. At certain parts I cheered but thought the ending was horrible.  This story has its ups and downs.  If you enjoy sad books, you have to read this one! Yes, this is a tear jerker. I think the story should have ended sooner, like after the big coon hunting contest, and I would have liked it much better. The title of the book isn’t explained until the very end which I thought a bit strange. Get your tissues ready if you choose to read the whole book!

It is similar to the Shiloh series which I loved!
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


Gerard's Review 8/30/15 (4 stars):
Billy Coleman is a little boy living with his family in the Ozark mountains.  What he wants most of all is two coon hounds so he can go hunting and to keep him company.  It does not seem he is going to get them, but then he decides to do something about that.  The first 100 pages I did not think this book was all that!  From page 100 to the end though, it got really good.  That is because the dogs became the focus on the story, and what a story it is!

I really loved Billy and how he would do anything for his dogs!  The dogs were fantastic!  I did not like the ending though--too sad.  Anyway, based on Billy and his dogs, I give this 4 stars.

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"What the Dog Said" by Randi Reisfeld

What the Dog Said by Randi Reisfeld is a fun little YA read about a 13-yr-old girl, Grace, who is grieving the death of her father who was a cop and was shot on his way to her softball game. When they go to pick out a shelter dog to train as a service dog, she pics a mutt named Rex who actually talks to her! The plan was for her sister to be able to write about training a service dog for her college entrance essay. When Grace hears the dog talk, she wonders if she’s going crazy, but Rex helps her resolve the mystery of who shot her dad and helps her through a difficult time.

This is a good story about doing the right thing even if it’s hard. It’s a quick, enjoyable read that also shows what service dogs get trained to do and the different people service dogs can help—they are not only for the blind!
(Karen's review, 4 stars)


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"The Winter Horses" by Philip Kerr (UPDATED)

Watch this video to see Gerard and I discuss this book:


The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr is based on a true story, or I would like to believe that it really happened.  Read the book, then you decide.  It is about an old man and a young girl who save two horses that might be the last of their kind.  It takes place during World War II.  I liked both the main characters, the old man and the young girl.  I also liked the animals in the story--both horses and especially the dog!

This is a real page turner that I loved!   Give it a chance.  If you liked War Horse, you will like this one too because it's similar.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr is a moving historical novel about Kalinka, an Ukrainian Jewish orphan girl who saves a couple very special Przewalski’s (pronounced “shuh-VAHL-skeez”) horses during World War II with the help of an old man named Max, a loyal wolfhound named Taras, a kind German army Captain and a kind Russian Major.  The wild horses did their part in the struggle to survive as well.

This is an amazing story that made me cry three times!   It addresses the wide range of how low and how kind people can be.  Part of the book I especially enjoyed were the words of wisdom Kalinka remembered her grandfather saying.  It is a wonderful story about a girl’s special connection with a couple wild horses and a great dog too!  Although it had several very sad and disturbing parts, I loved it!  It is a page turner that I didn’t want to put down. 


Join in with Mama Kat's Vlogging prompt:  Book 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!

"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)

 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!

"This Star Won't Go Out" by Esther Earl with Lori and Wayne Earl

In This Star Won't Go Out --The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl with Lori and Wayne Earl, you get to know and meet a remarkable young lady, Esther.  This is her book and what a book it is—fun, thoughtful, loving and always interesting.  I went through a lot of emotions reading this one and was glad I had some tissue handy.  Esther’s friends talk about her and the bond they built with her.  These letters are the most touching part of the book.  Her mom and dad write in it too, and her dad’s eulogy at the funeral was so good!  I wish I could have met Esther.  This book will stay with me a long time!
 Here is a teaser from page 56:

You know, I have a really great attitude about all this cancer thing.  I smile, laugh and joke about 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. Happy Reading!

"Letters from Angel" as told to Martin P. Levin

4 paws up!

"Letters from Angel" is told by Angel, a senior dog who tells about his life with Mr. Levin and his aid, Paula.  It's a great story that Angel tells very well.  It is short but well worth reading.  Any dog love will love it just like I did!  Have some tissues handy, just in case.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

"Letters from Angel" is a cute book written from the dog's point of view.  It is about the bond between a Sr. dog that was adopted from a shelter by a 90-yr-old man for companionship after his wife died.  It is a very quick read and even though it has a sad ending, the author shares his experience of having to put down his dog in a sweet way.  The dog is a Golden Retriever/Chow mix that won my heart.
(Karen's review, 3 stars) 

Similar Books that are good:  A Dog's Life--Autobiography of a stray by Ann M. Martin

Our dog Abby wrote a book too using Blurb -
See post about it:  Father's Day Gift Was a Hit--a Blurb 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!

"The Promise of Stardust" by Priscille Sibley (UPDATED)

A Thought Provoking Love Story--Must Read!

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is an unusual love story of Elle, an astronaut, and Matt, a neurosurgeon, that splits a family apart when there is a life or death decision to make.  Matt and Elle want a child so bad, but there always seems to be complications and she loses the baby.    The author brings up some interesting legal issues related to making decisions about keeping someone on life support after they are brain dead in this captivating novel. 

My feelings towards the characters changed as the book progressed and I found myself pulling for Matt by the end.  I liked how Elle's dad changed along the way and how the doctors were so nice to Matt.  This is definitely a good read I recommend if you like thought provoking stories about family.
(Karen's review of 3/28/13)


Gerard's review of 3/16/13 (5++ stars):

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is a great love story you must read!  Matt and Ellie were childhood friends who now have a loving marriage.  What they want are children and a family.  Their first two attempts ended in tragedy. When Matt, who is a doctor, gets a call that Ellie is being rushed to the hospital, he hurries only to find her fall from a ladder has left her brain dead and that she is carrying his child!  He wants to keep her on life support hoping that the baby will live but his mom and Ellie's brother want the plug pulled.

This is an outstanding book that is a page turner.  I loved how the author went back in time to show how Matt and Ellie came to be married and the trials they faced.  Does the baby live?  Who wins the trial?  Speaking of the trial, that part of the book is gripping with suspense!  Have a tissue handy for the ending.  This book will tug at your heartstrings--it did mine!  Loved it!!  It doesn't get any better than this!  The Promise of Stardust is her first novel too, are you kidding me?  Well done!  ( visit her website at www.priscillesibley.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!

Visit Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, one of her prompts this week is to share a book review.

"Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes is a Must Read!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes centers on two people: Will--an outgoing young man who had it all going on until an accident put him in a wheelchair; and Louisa--a young woman who does not have many skills becomes the caretaker of Will because she needs a job. The interaction between these two is just fantastic! When Louisa finds out about a death pact between Will and his parents, she has a short time to convince Will that life is worth living. How does she go about it and does she succeed? You will have to read the book to find out!

This book had me from page 1. You talk about a page turner, this is it.  You will keep turning pages quickly to see how it ends. The books I really remember are ones I cried over--this is one of them! I highly recommend this as a must read!
(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!

"Be Still My Soul" by Joanne Bischof

Like romance, historical fiction?  Then read this!

Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof is her first novel, a wonderful Christian historical fiction romance set in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Lonnie (17) and Gil (21) are forced to marry even though they barely knew each other.  In the beginning of the book, I felt bad for Lonnie and then about midway through, I started feeling bad for Gil.  They went through some tough times but Lonnie kept holding on to her faith that God was looking out for her.  This was a tear jerker for me, as they encountered heartache and physical pain.  I liked how the kindness of strangers brought healing to their marriage.  This is just the first book in The Cadence of Grace series which is based on I Peter 5:10:

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 

As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but think of how this couple would benefit from reading Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs.  I highly recommend this book if you like clean romance novels.  It also contains a reader's guide so would make a good book club selection.  I look forward to reading her next book, Though My Heart Is Torn. 

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!

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