"The Stranger Game" by Peter Gadol

In The Stranger Game by Peter Gadol, Rebecca's boyfriend has gone missing, but the police do not seem to be fazed by this.  He probably is playing the "Stranger Game."  What is that?  You will need to read the book to find the answer to that!  This book was pretty good.  The pacing was good and I enjoyed how all the characters were developed.  A twist at the end surprised me and I liked how it all played out!  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars) 

Teaser from page 15:  I would never see them again.  The third rule of the game was never follow the same stranger twice, and so I drove away.

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!

"After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline is about Maggie, a mother who loses custody of her baby girl because of her husband having her declared unfit due to her postpartum psychosis.  She remarries a widower who is a doctor named Noah and becomes a stepmom to his 9-yr-old son, Caleb.  They have a happy family until Maggie gets a call from her daughter asking her to come to the college to meet.  Maggie's sees a news article about her ex-husband dying in a plane crash and is ecstatic about finally seeing her 17-yr-old daughter after being separated for so long.  Will Anna finally become part of a happy family after feeling abandoned for so many years?  Will Noah be welcoming?  Is Anna a nice girl or a manipulative brat?  Did Noah get framed for murder or did he really kill his stepdaughter?

 I felt bad for Noah all through this book and was rooting for him and Maggie to be happy together once again.  This was a very entertaining read for me.  I liked the trial parts and was completely surprised by the unexpected twist.  Unfortunately, the twist was unbelievable and Maggie being the heroin really was far out.  I would have preferred the book be written in chronological order but it was cool how the story got told by much of the trial.  I liked it and was happy with the ending.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

 Teaser from page 2:  His life had exploded like a strip of firecrackers at a barbecue, igniting the patio furniture and spreading to the house until everything was blazing out of control, engulfed in a massive fireball.
His entire world destroyed.
It had all started with Anna.  

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"Exposed" by Lisa Scottoline, A Good Legal Thriller (Updated)

Exposed by Lisa Scottoline is a legal thriller that kept my interest all the way through. Lawyers Bennie Rosato and Mary DiNunzio found themselves working together on a murder case after Mary almost left the firm to work on a case that had a conflict of interest for the firm. Mary chose to help her friend, Simon, try to get his job back that he was fired from unjustly. He has a little girl that is in need of a bone marrow transplant and has high medical bills. This is about a conspiracy resulting in a murder. Bennie and Mary wind up putting their lives on the line when they are attacked and abducted just as they discover what really happened.

I liked this book very much and was surprised by the ending! Poor Simon’s problems just keep getting worse and worse while his lawyer and friend, Mary, tries to help him. This has action, family issues and suspense!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 8/20/17:
In Exposed by Lisa Scottoline, Mary and Bernie are partners in their law firm, but a case comes up that Mary feels she must take even if that means leaving Bernie due to a conflict of interest.  Somebody does not want this case to go to court and will do anything to stop it, putting Mary and Bernie both in danger.

This book is pretty good.  The main characters are well developed.  The pacing is okay--it kept my interest.  There is good action at the end but would have loved more throughout the book.  That being said, I still give it four stars--well worth reading!
  
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 Elite" by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass is the second book in The Selection series and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first one. This book has some heartbreaking moments surrounding Marlee and the competition gets a bit more interesting with only six girls left. America questions if she actually could be a good princess if she let her feelings for Maxon blossom into love or if she should just pull out and look to a future with Aspen. She really shocks the royal family with her philanthropic presentation on TV and the king really hates her now! Maxon stands up to his father for the first time to protect America and he and America finally have a heart-to-heart talk while hiding together during an attack. Will she trust Maxon? Will she learn when to keep her mouth shut and control her emotions?  As she learns more what is involved in being a princess, she has more doubts but is greatly encouraged when she receives a very sweet letter from her father.

I look forward to reading book 3 and am excited to read all the rest of the books in this series (3 more to go). I really admire America’s courage but hope she can learn to control her emotions better. I love how her maids all adore her and are so eager to make her look good and help her any way they can. This book has lots of good moments but also very sad things with some surprises along the way. I really liked how sweet Maxon when he surprised America at how he handled the Marlee situation.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey Lives Up To The Hype (UPDATED)

Sorry about your dog, Mr. Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey was given the highest ranking by USA TODAY and ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. After reading this book, I think they are both so right! It is really good! Human beings are being killed off but one young teenage girl, Cassie, is still alive and made a vow to her little brother that she would find him after they got split up. After all, she has his Teddy bear!

I loved this book because it has plenty of action and the writing is so good! When the girl finds a young teen boy, Evan, this book really takes off! Can't wait for book two!
(Gerard's review 5++ stars)

I finally got around to reading The 5^th Wave by Rick Yancy and am glad I did.  Although it was a bit confusing at first and started out kind of slow for me, it did get good and I enjoyed it.  This is the first book I ever read where aliens actually come to earth.  The main character is Cassie who is 16 and determined to find her little brother, Sammy to return his Teddy bear to him like she promised.  They got separated when some soldiers took him and other young children away to a place where they would supposedly be safe.  Although Cassie begged her dad to let him stay, the dad let him go with the promise that he and Cassie would come later.  The dad left M16 rifle for Cassie and when she left to go hide it, everyone else in the camp was shot, including her father.  Cassie felt very alone and is hunted by the silencers.  On her way to find her brother, she has a couple encounters with other people who she is not sure she can trust.  She develops a relationship with Evan and thinks about a boy named Ben from high school when life was normal. 

Then the story flips to let the reader in on what the boy is going through at camp Haven and that is the more intriguing part of the book in my opinion.  That is also when the reader gets to meet Ben, the guy Cassie had a crush on, and Ringer, the girl I liked best in this book.  It has some interesting and tense scenes along the way, adventure and suspense so I liked it once I got into it.  I would classify this as YA science fiction.  

(Karen's review 5/14/15, 4 stars)

 


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The First Wife" by Erica Spindler is GREAT!

The First Wife by Erica Spindler is about Baily, a young woman who dreams of meeting "Mr. Right."  She meets Logan Abbot and quickly falls in love.  They get married but when they get back to his farm after the honeymoon, she hears rumors about women who have gone missing and Logan is a suspect!  She does not want to believe it but as time goes on and events happen, she wonders if it is true and if she is safe.

This is a GREAT book, a real page turner with a fantastic ending!  There are lots of twists and turns before you finally know how it all plays out.
(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!

"Sleepwalker" by Wendy Corsi Staub

Sleepwalker by Wendy Corsi Staub is all about a father who seeks revenge on people he feels are responsible for his son's imprisonment and subsequent death.  This book is gruesome and the killer is a real creepy mean person who goes to extreme lengths to make others lives miserable.  Allison McKenna's testimony at his son's trial is what convinced the jury to convict him so the father lives to make her pay.  Allison, Mack and their three little kids kept me reading.  Once Mack starts sleepwalking as a side effect from his medication, things start picking up and get very interesting.

This book started out slow for me and I almost gave up on it because of how mean and creepy the killer is.  It is not you basic who done it because right from the start you know who the killer is.  The "mystery" of it is if Allison and Mack will be able to stay safe and keep their happy family together.  I'm glad I finished it and didn't quit on it.  If you like creepy books, I recommend it.
(Karen's review)
 
Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Program" by Suzanne Young (UPDATED)--We Both Liked This One!

In The Program by Suzanne Young, teen suicide is on the rise so the government starts "The Program" designed to help teens, but at what cost?  The story is told by a young teen girl and does it very well.  It had my interest from page 1 all the way to the end.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Updated 10/18/13:
The Program by Suzanne Young is a combination of teen romance and adventure.  The premise is to prevent teen suicide by capturing high risk teens that show signs of depression or loneliness and by using drugs, erase their memories that led to their depression.  They are institutionalized for 6-8 weeks and then released under the watchful eye of handlers. 

I really liked this book because Sloane, the main character, is strong and tries to keep her memories.  It's an interesting novel that I had trouble putting down.  It's a book I was eager to get back to reading. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"In the After" by Demitria Lunetta is Thrilling! (UPDATED)

 In The After by Demitria Lunetta is about how Amy, a teen girl and a toddler she finds survives when people all over the world are pretty much wiped out by very fast green creatures who are attracted to noise and light, and feed on people.  Amy thinks of her normal life with her parents, her friends and school as "before" and the life she lives now in silence and alone, only going out at night to scavenge for food, as the "after."

I enjoyed this book very much, it is a page turner I did not want to put down and when I did, I looked forward to getting back to it! I was completely engrossed in this one, not knowing what was going to happen next!  I highly recommend it to anyone who likes wild science fiction end-of-the-world type books.  I can't wait for the sequel!  This is a new author, give it a try.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
 

Karen reading IN THE AFTER while waiting in line at Giant Eagle

In The After by Demitria Lunetta is a teen science fiction novel about a young girl home alone when the world changes.  She finds a young baby and becomes its caregiver.  Later on they find more people who have survived and are safe, or are they?  What kind of city are they in now?

This book drew me in right from page 1 with lots of action and a really good ending!  LOVED IT!  I'm looking forward to the sequel!
(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!

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

Image Source: author's blog

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

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

For more about the book, watch the trailer:

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

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Safe In His Arms" by Colleen Coble is a Christian Cowboy Romance About A Woman With Low Self-Esteem

Get that book off my cat tree!

Safe In His Arms by Colleen Coble is about Margaret, a wealthy rancher’s daughter, with low self-esteem. She loves working on the ranch and really runs it but when her pa hires Daniel and brings her cousin in to help, Margaret is hurt and totally against the idea. Then she finds out that her pa intends to leave the ranch to her cousin instead of to her which totally riles her. Even though Margaret finds out that Daniel is connected with bank robbers, she can’t help but like him deep down.

This is a Christian fiction romance with action and suspense set in the old west. Coleen Coble is a best-selling author but this is the first book I read by her. Daniel and Margaret make a good team and Daniel helps her to trust in God more. This is a light cowboy love story that I enjoyed.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Prodigy" by Marie Lu (UPDATED 4-16-13)

Starts Slow But Picks Up--Stick With It

Prodigy by Marie Lu is as good as her first book of this series, Legend. This book goes quick because it’s so good! Day and June alternate narrating chapters and the action kept me turning pages. The Republic is on the verge of a revolution and Day and June join forces on the same side, but is it the right side? Who can they trust? Who is telling the truth? Can Day continue to trust June? Tess, developed a major crush on Day and he begins to see her in a different light. The author has a good balance between strong, likeable characters and action and suspense. Prodigy is about friendship, loyalty, trust, and fighting for freedom and social change. I highly recommend this YA read.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Prodigy by Marie Lu is the follow up after Legend.  Legend was fantastic; however, Prodigy started very slow.  I would have liked more action but the second half picked up and I really got into it!  I look forward to reading the last book in this series too! 
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

This is the sequel to Legend which we both liked! You should really read that one first.

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!

A Great DVD Series: Damages--"Trust No One"

We watched season 3 of "Damages" on Direct TV and loved it so Gerard ordered seasons 1 and 2 from the library to get us caught up.  These were very good too.  The story line is riveting!  We never knew what was going to happen next!  It is about betrayal, relationships, justice, crime with a lot of violence and action. 

The cast did a great job too.  Glenn Close plays Patty Hughes, a cunning and clever attorney, who is the main character.  Gerard thinks it is the best show on TV.  We both highly recommend you watch this series.  Season 4 should be starting soon but you may want to get caught up by viewing the first 3 seasons on DVD like we did.  You won't be disappointed if you like suspense, unexpected developments and legal thrillers. 

Did you watch this show?

"Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigatupi

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigatupi is about Nailer, a teenage boy who is a ship scavenger.  One day he finds a Clipper ship with a pretty young girl on it.  That is when this book got good to me.  It is a good story about trust, friendship and honor.  I enjoyed the relationship between the girl and Nailer.  A good, quick read.

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?