"Save Me" by Lisa Scottoline (UPDATED)

This book starts out good but goes downhill fast at about page 200 or so.  The lead character turns into Nancy Drew.  The story line goes from good to bad and then the main plot is absolutely ridiculous!  Save yourself the trouble, don’t bother reading this one!

(Gerard's review)

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline is a contemporary novel about the strong bond between mothers and daughters.  It looks at the issues of bullying, community, volunteering and ethics.  It is the story of a mom that I think any mother would find interesting and enjoy.  Rose rescues several children from a fire at the school while volunteering as a lunch mom, including her own daughter, is proclaimed to be a mom hero and then later is portrayed as a villain when one girl she thought was safe goes back in and ends up in a coma.  When Rose’s attorneys advise her to sue the school, she fires them and begins her own investigation to find out what really happened that day.  What she finds out was quite a shock! 

I liked Save Me because it made me want to keep reading to see what was going to happen.  Hunting for her daughter in the fire and then being in another fire trying to save the mother who was so mean to her was gripping.  My favorite line of the book is “Every mom is an action hero.”  Although the story is a bit farfetched, it certainly is a good read.  I recommend this to any mother. 
(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.

"Want To Go Private" by Sarah Darer Littman

Want To Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman tells the story about Abby, a young girl just starting high school.  She is not exactly Miss Popular and goes online to chat with her one true friend and meets someone who calls himself Luke.  She gets way too caught up with this guy and trouble starts.  

WOW!  Did I love this book!  I read it in just a day and a half even though I work full-time.  I especially liked the way the author gets the views across of the other people in Abby’s life.  It’s a definite page turner and a must read for teen girls and their parents!    A double-Wow book for sure!  I LOVED IT and highly recommend it!

(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:
Want To Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman is a fantastic book for parents and teens. Even though I am neither, I liked it too! It is a fast read that shows how teenage girls are easily manipulated by online predators through the story of Abby, a 14-yr.-old girl just starting high school, who willingly ran away with a guy she met in an online chat.

I liked Abby at the beginning, but then thought, “How can she be so stupid?” Through the therapist, the author explains that there is a difference between academic intelligence and emotional intelligence. The predators act like they care by listening and agreeing with whatever the girls say as they “blow off steam” and thus get their trust which they take their time building for months. Then, when the girl has a fight with her parents, the predator suggests that they meet and boom! Emotional intelligence develops with maturity so young teens can easily be deceived.

By reading this book, teens should be able to spot some “red flags” that could prevent them from becoming a victim like Abby did. Parents can get some tips that could help them monitor what their children are doing online, such as not letting them have access to a computer or laptop in their bedrooms for one thing. I agree with Gerard, this is a “must read” for teens . . . and their parents!


Tips Found In This Book:

1) Only chat with people you actually know.

2) Parents should not allow kids to have a computer/laptop in their bedrooms.

3) Parents should have a list of the websites and log-ins/passwords their children use.

4) If someone asks you to do something that makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it!

5) To overcome stage fright, focus on only one person in the audience and talk to them.

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

For more internet safety tips visit http://wanttogoprivate.com and http://chezteen.com

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.

Tuesday Teasers: 3 Today!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Karen's:

All of us are both people in need of help and people who have been positioned by God to provide his help to others. We always carry both identities.

From page 2 of Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands--How To Help Others Change (Study Guide) by Paul David Tripp.  (This is a study I am just starting on Sunday mornings.  I am very excited about this and will be posting things I am learning from it over at my other blog--Right Where We Belong.

I keep thinking about the picture I sent to Luke.  I keep hearing the words he used to describe how excited it made him.

Taken from page 97 of Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman (YA)

Gerard's:

"Can you see to it that someone stays with the children until we get this settled?"  Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't ask."

Taken from page 63 of Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo.

If you like our Tuxedo cat who poses with our books on here, you might enjoy her post on our other blog that she wrote: "Feast Day" by Spunky Doodle.

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.

"Blood Feud" by David Robbins (UPDATED)

Blood Feud by David Robbins moved along at a good pace and kept my interest because Chace was such an interesting character.  It is is full of killing, a shoot-em up book about family loyalty, revenge, and hate. My favorite part was when Chace fled to Galveston, Texas and took over the hawking business from Tunk to help the kids which showed he was kind-hearted in spite of being a killer.  I did like the ending!
(Karen's review 9/12/11)

Blood Feud by David Robbins is about a feud between the Harkey clan and the Shannon clan. Chase Shannon sets out for revenge after the brutal rape of his older sister by the Harkeys. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement--I loved it! Blood Feud is a double wow, which means it's as good as it gets! The good news is that there is going to be two more books in this series. Can't wait!! Read and enjoy!
(Gerard's review 9/8/11)

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.

Recommended Books About September 11

Three books we would like to recommend you read about 9/11 are Let's Roll!--Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage, Homer's Odyssey and Thunder Dog.

Let's Roll--Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage by Lisa Beamer

We read Let's Roll!  Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage by Lisa Beamer one a long time ago around the time it first came out and liked it. It was before we even started writing reviews but here is the book description:

2003 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner!  Let's Roll!—the moving, behind-the-scenes story of United Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer and his widow, Lisa—is so much more than a tribute. A message of character, courage, and undeniable faith in the face of horrifying tragedy, it encourages anyone who reads it to live real life right now . . . and to have confidence and hope for the future.

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

One book about September 11 that both of us really enjoyed is Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper (this link will take you to our reviews of it.)  It's about a New Yorker who was separated for days when the terrorist attack happened on 9/11 from her three cats, one of which was Homer--an eyeless kitten with a big brave heart. You can visit www.gwencooper.com to hear the author and actually see Homer in action!

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson

We have not read Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson but have requested it from the library based on reviews I've seen about it. Here is the book trailer for it:







Here are several links to bloggers who have reviewed it: Life With Katie, Ramblings of a Christian Mom and Army Wife.

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.