The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel about the personal journeys of the 1936 USA rowing Olympic team. Through personal interviews, the author writes an amazing story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, humility and competition. I enjoyed reading about the coaches and how the team was assembled as well as the races. The parts about Nazi Germany hosting the Olympics actually made me mad. I acquired a new admiration for the sport of rowing after reading this book. I thought the first part of the book was very slow but then the rest of it picked up.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is such a good book! It tells the true story of a bunch of young boys from Washington University who competed in rowing during the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. One of the best parts of this book was the stories about the boys’ personal lives and their coaches too! The races are very exciting as well. I gained a whole lot of respect for what it takes to row when I read this book. Loved it and recommend you read it too! You will be glad you did!
(Gerard’s review 8/24/13, 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!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling is the third book of this series and another enjoyable fun read! In this book, there are surprises and a very cool map that has been handed down from former mischief makers to current mischief makers at Hogwarts school. I thought the classes were really interesting and was happy Hagrid got to be a teacher on care of critters. The class on Defense of Dark Arts was also fun. There are so many great scenes in this book that I didn't want to put it down. I cheered when Hermione bought herself a cat named Crankshooks who has sort of a big part in the story chasing after Ron's rat, Scabbers and causing tension between Ron and Hermione. Snape and Malfoy continue to resent Harry and cause trouble. Of course, Harry is amazing in this book too and I enjoy rooting for him! I loved this book and enjoyed it very much. It has lots of action and funny things throughout. I look forward to continuing this series.
(Karen's review7/15/15, 5 stars)
Gerard's review 7/9/16 (5 stars):
It's always good to get back to a Harry Potter book! In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black is loose and the word is out that he wants to get at Harry in the worst way! I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed the various storylines throughout the book and Ron and Hermione are good in this one too! I especially liked the unexpected ending and the great writing!
Watch my review I did for "Booktube":
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!
Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger starts off with a young girl and her brother on a walk with their dad. The dad and brother are shot, but the girl is just taken. Fast forward to years later and the mom, who still thinks her daughter is alive enlists a detective to help find her. His lady friend, how has a gift that comes in handy in these types of situations, helps him.
Ink and Bone is pretty good. I enjoyed the second part of the book more than the first. I have read better Lisa Unger books than this, but this one is worth reading too for sure.
(Gerard'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!
Gerard's: A cold, prickly sweat gathered at the base of his neck. He felt dizzy, and the skylight spun. From page 22 of Asylumby Madeleine Roux.
They locked eyes; she'd never seen anyone look so afraid.
From page 8 of Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger.
Karen's:
The result of all this muscular effort, on both the larger scale and the smaller, is that your body burns calories and consumes oxygen at a rate that is unmatched in almost any other human endeavor. Physiologists, in fact, have calculated that rowing a two-thousand-meter race--the Olympic standard--takes the same physiological toll as playing two basketball games back-to-back.
From page 40 of The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.
To stave off loneliness, the elderly who maintain friendships and make new ones have a distinct advantage. Many studies have shown that morale increases when an older person spends time with friends, even more so than with family.
From page 286 of BRAIN--The Complete Mind, How It Develops, How It Works, and How To Keep It Sharp by Michael S. Sweeney.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
Happy Reading!
In Asylum by Madeleine Roux, Dan Crawford is given a chance of a lifetime. A summer program for gifted students is how he is going to spend his summer. But when he gets to the school, he finds that the dorm he has to stay at was an old psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. While exploring, he discovers some secrets that link him and his friends to the Asylum's dark past.
This book kept my interest throughout. The story moved along well and while not action-packed, was good enough.
(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!
