"One Plus One" by Jojo Moyes Recommended by ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes tells the story of Jess, whose husband leaves her with a young son and young daughter and lots of problems.  A man named Ed also has a problem of his own that he is dealing with.  You will have to read this really good book to see what the problems are.  I always wanted to get back to it and I enjoyed all the characters, my favorite one was Norman.  If you read it, I’m sure you will agree!  LOVED 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!

"The Preacher's Bride" by Jody Hedlund

The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund is historical fiction based on the true story of John Bunyon, the author of Pilgrim's Progress.  It is about the woman behind the great man who refused to preach God's Word in spite of imprisonment and persecution.  It takes place in Bedford, England during the mid-late 1600s.  Much of the book is about Elizabeth, before she became John's wife.  She started out as his housekeeper/nanny.  She was a good Puritan woman who gave sacrificially to help others and who suffered persecution just because she worked for John.

I felt sorry for Elizabeth through most of the book and learned how cruelly the Puritans who were poor were treated.  I think most women would enjoy this book since a great amount of it is about Elizabeth's feelings toward the men in her life, the children she took care of and her desire to do God's will in the face of danger.  This is the first book I have read by Jody Hedlund but intend to read some more; I enjoyed it!    Visit Jody's blog where you can find more of her books and learn about writing books:  Author, Jody Hedlund.

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 Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd is GREAT! (Updated)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd set in the early 1800s tells the story of Sarah, a young white Quaker girl and Handful, a young black slave girl given to Sarah for her 11th birthday.  The story concentrates on both of them as they grow up and face their own adventures.  It is a great read right from the start.  I loved both girls.  This is the number 1 fiction book right now and I am not surprised.  I think it would make a fantastic movie and highly recommend it!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd is about slavery in Charleston during the early 1800s.  The story is told by Sarah, the daughter of a Judge, and Handful, the slave Sarah was given for her eleventh birthday.  It is the story of the lives of both these girls and their families.  Not only does it point out the injustice and brutality of slavery, but also addresses the women’s rights issue.  From a young girl, Sarah’s desire was to be a lawyer but no one encouraged her because she was a girl.  She gave Handful back to her mother but later offered to buy her back several times so she could set Handful free, but her mother would not give in.  Sarah searches for purpose and meaning to her life while Handful seeks to fulfill her mother’s dream of one day being free.

Although this book is very sad, it held my interest because I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Handful and her mother.  This is  great historical fiction novel about slavery and the abolition movement.  If I hadn't recently read the Sisters of Shenandoah series by Michael Phillips, I would have given this book 5 stars, but since I liked that series a bit better, I have to give this one 4 stars.

(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!

Joining in with the Feline Friday hop.  It's easy, just post a picture of a cat.

"RED 1-2-3" by John Katzenbach

RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach is about three women who have been targeted to be killed by a man who calls himself the Big Bad Wolf.  They are called RED 1, RED 2, and RED 3.  Just an outstanding read!  The Big Bad Wolf is fascinating in how he plots the killings and the three REDS are good in how they try to keep from getting killed.  This is a real page turner with just enough twists to keep you guessing.  LOVED IT!  The ending was priceless!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4 stars:
RED 1-2-3 by John Katzenbach is probably the most unusual thriller I've read about an author/journalist who writes thrillers but isn't satisfied just to write them--he actually wants to live them!  He stalks three red-haired women with the intent to kill them all on the same day but when they find out they are not alone and join forces, the table is turned.  Throughout the book he refers to himself as The Big Bad Wolf and his wife as Mrs. Bad Wolf.  Other than his secret stalking, they appear to be an ordinary couple.  I felt sorry for the wife.  My favorite of the three Reds was Karen, the doctor, referred to as Red 1.  Red 2 was Sarah, a middle-aged woman who lost her husband and little girl in a car accident, and Red 3 was Jordan, a student who played basketball at a private school. 

I liked this one which had a surprise ending.  I liked all three women but felt sorry for Mrs. Bad Wolf, realizing she's been married to a killer!  I didn't care for all the detail, but suppose it was meant to show how ordinary their lives were.  It just seemed to drag along sometimes, but it had built up enough suspense along the way to keep me turning the pages and anxious to see how it was going to end.  It's quite a story!

WARNING--Spoiler Alert, Stop now if you haven't read this yet but plan to:
This is an odd thriller because no one gets killed except for Karen's two cats which really got me angry at the Big Bad Wolf.  But then, when I thought about it I realized that he would not have been able to kill the cats in the short amount of time he had been in the house because if they were anything like my cats, they would have hid when they heard the window breaking and for sure would have stayed hiding somewhere when the strange man came into the house.  He would not know their hiding places and cats hide very well.  Also, he killed them with a knife which means he would have had to hold them down which is not easy to do to an strange cat.  They run really fast!   

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 Circle" by Dave Eggers is an Enjoyable Read

The Circle by Dave Eggers is about Mae Holland who lands her dream job working at "The Circle," the most powerful Internet company around.  At first, she loves it and quickly rises up in the company, but not everything is as it seems.  Mae is in for the adventure of her life!

I loved this book because Mae was a believable and likable character and the plot moved right along.  I think it would make a good Lifetime movie. 
(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!

"Necessary Lies" by Diane Chamberlain--Good Book Club Read!

This is my favorite of hers yet!

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain is an interesting read about Jane, a good person, but not so good a social worker. Recently married to a pediatrician, Jane insists on becoming a social worker against her husband’s wishes and soon discovers they should not have gotten married. She constantly is at odds with her supervisor over the rules and procedures that conflict with what she believes is the right thing to do. Jane is so dedicated to helping her clients that she puts her marriage and her job at risk. This book addresses several issues: marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty, sterilization, and can social work.

I loved this book! I felt bad for Robert, Jane’s husband. I enjoyed getting to know Jane’s clients and trying to figure out who the fathers were, and where and when “Ivy and Mary was here” was carved into a closet. This book tugged at my heart but I was relieved when it had a happy ending.  I thought it was really cool how the author included the epilogue as part of the story! This book is both thought provoking and gripping. I highly recommend this one and think it would be a great read for a book club.

Other books I liked by this author:
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
The Midwife's Confession

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 Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult is so good! Wow, oh wow, where to start? It is about an old man who was a German S.S. guard at a Nazi war camp. Now he wants a favor from a woman, one she is not sure she can do. There are several good story lines in this book. You get the Nazi guard story, a fantastic story from the young girl’s Jewish grandmother who was in the death camp, and the story that she was writing, which is sort of what the book is based on. I just loved it! As usual for Jodi Picoult’s books, the ending is shocking!
(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!

"In Need of a Good Wife" by Kelly O'Connor McNees

Light and Entertaining

In Need of a Good Wife by Kelly O'Connor McNees is a post-civil war historical fiction novel about mail-order brides seeking a new start. When Clara sees an ad for wives needed in Nebraska, she sees it as a business opportunity and becomes matchmaker for women in Manhattan who want a new start and are willing to go to Nebraska. She contacts the mayor of the Nebraska town, Destination, and when the gentlemen seeking wives write, she tells the women about them and they correspond for months before their trip. The story focuses on Clara, Elsa, an older lady who was a laundress most of her life who never married and Rowena, the prettiest in town who is a broke widow with a father in an asylum in need of money to take care of him.

I loved this book because it is unpredictable and filled with interesting characters. Some of the marriages panned out nicely while others did not, but the plot thickens when Clara was unable to deliver what she promised and the gentlemen without brides want their money back and charge her with fraud! My favorite character was Elsa. This one has discussion questions in the back and would make for a good book club selection.

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 Power of a Positive Woman" by Karol Ladd

LOVED IT!  A MUST READ FOR WOMEN!

The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd is the best inspirational non-fiction book I ever read and plan to read it again! I absolutely LOVE this book and can't say enough good about it! It is Biblical, has scriptures included throughout it right in the text, interesting facts about people used as examples of putting the principles into action and is uplifting, encouraging and challenging! Topics include: faith, wisdom, prayer, joy, love, courage, hope and the main theme is making a difference.

I used it as a devotional book the first time I read it and highlighted lots of things. It is divided into chapters with subdivisions so provides short thought-provoking passages easily used as devotionals. At the end of each chapter is a a short application section called “Power Point” which includes further scripture with some questions to think about, a prayer, a main point to remember and some activity to do. If you are looking for a practical book that will encourage spiritual growth, this is it!

The Power of a Positive Woman is a wonderful book to use for a women's Bible study group which is how I came to read it. I highly recommend this book to all women, but I think men could certainly benefit from it as well.
(Karen's review, rating 10 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!

"Out of Control" by Mary Connealy

Read this on on Kindle

Out of Control by Mary Connealy is about two controlling people who fall in love very quickly during the 1800s in Colorado. Julia got trapped in a cave while looking for fossils and Rafe, a rancher nearby, discovered her in there and rescued her. The mystery comes when Julia is stalked by a guy who is after her father's buried treasure. This book has suspense and adventure but also interesting characters which makes it a good read. I look forward to reading the sequel, In Too Deep.
(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!

"Love Anthony" by by Lisa Genova

WOW! Love Anthony by Lisa Genova is a fantastic book to start off the month. Love Anthony is told by two women, Olivia and Beth who are facing issues in their lives, one dealing with the death of a boy and the other with an unfaithful husband. I loved both women but not their husbands.

This is a really good book and hard to put down. I enjoyed Lisa’s other two books very much too (Still Alice and Left Neglected) and this one is just as good as those. Read and enjoy! I look forward to her next book!

(Gerard’s review, rating 5++)

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 Light Between Oceans" by M. L. Stedman

In The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Steadman, Isabel lives on a lonely lighthouse, miles away from everybody. She has tried three times to have a baby and it ended in tragedy all three times. Then one day a ship crashes and her husband finds a dead man and an unhurt girl baby. What comes next? Here are a few questions: (1) Does Isabel raise the baby as her own, after all, who will be the wiser? (2) Is the baby's real mother alive? (3) Will Isabel's husband report this and do the right thing?

This is a real page turner and enjoyed how Isabel and her husband handled this situation. You will want to keep reading this book--it's a good one!
(Gerard's review, rating 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!

"Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls

Half Broke Horses is a true life novel about Lily Casey who grew up in the 1930s, the oldest daughter of a horse trainer in Texas. Lily was a girl with gumption and her story is both inspirational, funny and amazing! She could break horses, play poker, teach school and fly a plane! Lily was a strong girl who never gave up and who always found a way to manage, even when things were tough. The only child she encountered that she couldn't teach was her own daughter who was a wild child with compassion and a yearning for adventure. I enjoyed this novel and found it to be an interesting read which is based on the author's grandmother's life.
(Karen's review)

We also enjoyed The Glass Castle by this author, about the author's immediate family growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father and mentally disturbed mother.  Jeannette was much like her grandmother, Lily.

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!

"Heartbroken" by Lisa Unger

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger is what I call a woman's book, but this 59-yr-old man enjoyed it very much!  There are lots of good plot lines that kept me interested to the max!  When all the characters are in one place, the action explodes!  This is a page turner for sure that I think would make a real good "Lifetime" movie.  Make time to read this one; you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review) 

Karen's review:

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger was a disturbing read for me because Emily continues making bad decisions over and over to protect, Dean, the man she loves, who is an ex-con.  Things go very wrong when Brad, his “friend” from prison, shows up demanding money.  Her life completely falls apart when she realizes she has nothing and isn’t even who she thought she was.  Then there is another family with strained relationships and secrets from the past.  When Kate, a new author who wrote a fiction book based on family journals, takes her daughter and her girlfriend, Lulu to Heart Island to visit her 75-yr-old mother, Birdie, for their annual family vacation, it turns into a horror show and is the worst vacation they ever had!  Normally, Birdie and Joe are the only ones on the island and it is very peaceful and relaxing.  Joe, however, left because the silence got to him and he needed a break from his wife, Birdie.  When intruders arrive, the action really picks up and secrets are revealed. 

This was an interesting read because of the various colorful characters and the different story lines going on simultaneously.  As I read, I got an ominous feeling about Heart Island and its history.  My favorite part was the excitement when Kate, Birdie, Chelsea and LuLu were beating off the bad guys.

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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"The Scarlet Thread" by Francine Rivers is a Must Read!

Great book on relationships--must read!

The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers is contemporary fiction about God’s sovereignty and faithfulness.  After 13 years of marriage, Alex decides on his own to leave his steady job for an opportunity in California as a video game designer.  His wife, Sierra, does not want to move and becomes angry and bitter.  I particularly liked reading the part about the issues in the contemporary marriage.  The couple has four times as much money but becomes very unhappy and Alex asks for a divorce.  Sierra’s Godly mother gives her an old journal and a quilt of one of their pioneer ancestors, Mary Kathryn, who also had to move against her will back in 1847.

The author beautifully combines this contemporary fiction novel with historical fiction by showing the parallels between Sierra’s and Mary Kathryn’s journeys, women from two different time periods.  They both are bitter and resentful towards God at the beginning but as he works in their lives, they come to see his love, faithfulness and goodness.  Great writing with a wonderful message and a great ending!  I think this would be an excellent book club read because of the marriage issues and the spiritual journey.  It even has discussion questions in the back!  This is my favorite read for June and balances out Gerard's dark books of late!
(Karen's review)

Other books I liked by this author:  Redeeming Love and Leota's Garden

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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Sister" by Rosamund Lupton

Bee and Tess are sisters.  When their Mum calls Bee to tell her that her sister is missing, Bee comes to help find her.  What they find is Tess dead, hours after delivering a stillborn baby.  When the reason given is suicide, Bee does not believe it and on her own searches for the killer.

Wow!  I really enjoyed this book a lot!  Bee tells the whole story and does a super job.  The ending is really good too!  Give it a shot, you will be glad you did.
(Gerard'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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah

Home Front by Kristin Hannah is an outstanding book! Jolene and Michael have two little girls. Their marriage is rocky at best, and then when things are at their worst, Jolene gets a call to be deployed and is off to join the war! Great writing to be sure. You will care deeply about Jolene and Michael and Betsy and Lulu. Will their marriage survive? Will Jolene be all right in the war? I really enjoyed this book a lot! Definitely a MUST READ!
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this one too:
Home Front by Kristin Hannah is a fantastic book about an ordinary family affected by war when the wife and mother of two girls gets deployed to Iraq.  This is a fascinating and emotional read that opened my eyes to the sacrifices soldiers and their families make to serve this country of ours.  At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like Michael, the husband, at all but he changed when he realized his family was what mattered most and stepped up when his wife went off to war.  Home Front gives insight into what war is really like and the struggles soldiers face in adjusting to civilian life when they come back. We both highly recommend this one!

Here's the trailer for this book:




If you would like to hear an audio clip from the book, click on this link:  http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/homefrontclip.mp3



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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"These Things Hidden" by Heather Gudenkauf

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf tells the story of Allison Glen.  She's a young teen girl who was her parents' pride and joy--good grades, great athlete, had it all until an unwanted pregnancy and a chain of events changed all that.  She gets a chance to get back into society but her parents shun her although she keeps trying to reach out to her sister.

WOW!  This book is Good!  This is a page turner that I did not want to put down.  I got into it from page one!  I love this author's first book (The Weight of Silence) and this one is just as good, if not better!  The ending is shocking!

“These Things Hidden” by Heather Gudenkauf is a sad book about two sisters, adoption, guilt, infanticide and relationships.  It certainly kept my interest but had a surprise ending that I didn’t expect.  This shows how far teenagers will go if they feel isolated and desperate.  I think “These Things Hidden” would be a good Book Club book.
(Karen's book)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  We also liked Weight of Silence by this author.

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"True Colors" by Kristin Hannah

What a neat novel True Colors by Kristin Hannah is!  It starts off following the lives of three sisters from when their mother died while they were teens.  Aurora is the peace maker who settled for marriage to “Mr. Boring” while the eldest daughter, Winona, an attorney, loves her younger sister’s fiancé and longs for her father’s approval.  Vivi Ann, is engaged to a real nice guy, but isn’t in love with him and follows her heart and passion when Dallas , the new ranch hand shows an interest in her.  The plot thickens when Vivi Ann goes against her family and marries Dallas who gets arrested for murder!  This is a great story that shows the bond between sisters as well as a contemporary romance and the struggle of a single mom whose husband is rotting away in prison.

I loved this book because the characters were so believable and the story line drew me in and wouldn’t let go!  I liked how the author brought in the horses and ranch activities, how she shared with the reader how the son felt growing up without his dad through his journal entries, and the family dynamics.  It’s a love story about love, hope, forgiveness, betrayal, family ties, second chances, heartbreak and redemption.  I highly recommend this one!

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs!  We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"When She Woke" by Hillary Jordan

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is about Hannah, who had an abortion.  She refused to name the father or the doctor who performed it.  As a consequence of her crime of murder, she had to live her life as a red chrome (She turned red!).  A chrome is a criminal whose skin color is genetically altered to match the color of their crime and released back into society.  How Hannah deals with this, the people she meets and the decisions she makes is the basis for this book.

I really enjoyed When She Woke a lot!  It's a real page turner to say the least.  I cared about Hannah and looked forward to reading more.  I also thought the ending was really good!
(Gerard's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.