"Ruby--Between the Cracks" by P.D. Workman

In Ruby--Between the Cracks by P.D. Workman, you will meet a young girl named Ruby.  From a very young age, she had to make choices; unfortunately, most of them were wrong ones.  We follow her as she grows up and there is never a dull moment with this girl!  I also found the people in her life interesting.  Some tried to help while others tried to take advantage of her.

I enjoyed this book because the story moved along well and the characters were very believable!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Harmony" by Carolyn Parkhurst is About Living in Harmony With Special Needs Kids

Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst is about the Hammond family, Josh, Alexandria and their two daughters, Iris and Tilly. Tilly is a 13-yr-old somewhere on the autism spectrum whose “special interest” is statues and who has a quick temper, no filter and is fairly smart with a good imagination. When the mother is near wits end from daily episodes with Tilly, she attends a workshop by Scott Bean for help. She starts listening to his tapes and even arranges a personal consultation. When Tilly gets kicked out of the school for special needs children, the mother suggests to Josh that they consider helping Scott Bean run Camp Harmony – a new endeavor for families with a special needs child. Scott is an educator who gives parents advice and through the summer, different families can attend the camp for a week. Three families agreed to help Scott run it and help with all the chores that need to be done.

This is an interesting and sometimes funny read. I liked it overall and was able to overlook the foul language which was part of Tilly’s problem. Most of the book is told from Iris’s perspective with some chapters interspersed showing Tilly’s thoughts and some that give the background on their family, particularly the mother’s dealings with Tilly, before leaving DC for the camp in New Hampshire. This gives insight into some struggles families with special needs kids may have, but also shows the tender moments too. The ending was sad and quite a shock—not what I expected. My favorite part was the interaction among the kids at the camp and between Tilly and Iris.
(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 Dog That Whispered" by Jim Kraus

The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus centers on Wilson Steele who is a professor who likes living alone.  One day he has to take in his mother's black Lab rescue dog because of a "no pets" policy at her retirement center.  little does he know how much the dog will change his life!

I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review and was pleasantly surprised when this book was so much better than I thought it would be!  This is a people book, but the dog does play a role in it too.  I enjoyed all the characters and it has a very realistic story line.
(Gerard 6/11/16, 5+ stars)

Karen's review:

The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus is a heartwarming story about Wilson, a Vietnam vet who is filled with guilt and loneliness.  His mother, Gretna Steele, is feisty and lives nearby in a retirement community.  Gretna is worried about him and has been praying for him for years, but he refuses to listen to anything she has to say about God.  When Gretna discovers she can’t keep Thurman, the black lab she adopted, she takes him to Wilson who reluctantly agrees to temporarily take care of him until she can find him a good home.  Of course, Thurman and Wilson develop a very special bond.  This is actually a talking dog who helps Wilson find peace.

This story moved along very slow but was entertaining.  It deals with guilt, family, forgiveness, pets and faith.  I liked Thurman and Gretna best!  If you like dogs, or stories about veterans, I would recommend this one. (3 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!

"Hounded" by David Rosenfelt

The dogs in this book should have had a bigger part, woof!  woof!

Hounded by David Rosenfelt is a murder mystery involving a good cop named Pete charged with murder of a former convict who became an informer for the cops and informed on Pete. The convict was Diaz with an 8-yr-old son, Ricky. Diaz’s wife, Juanita, left. Pete was the cop who called in Diaz’s death and who arranged for his friend, Andy Carpenter and his live-in girlfriend to take in Ricky temporarily. Once Pete was arrested, he hired Andy to be his lawyer. They came to the conclusion that it was a setup, and the majority of the story is figuring out who and why.

The cover with the dog on it is misleading. Andy had a dog and Ricky had a dog, but that is about the extent of the dog’s involvement in the story until the very end. I kept thinking the dog was going to be instrumental in helping Andy solve the case, but no. That never happened. This went pretty fast and is okay. I liked Andy as the lead character; however, the main plot seemed a bit far-fetched.  I enjoyed the subplot with Andy developing a relationship with Ricky but that was only a small part of the book.  I was surprised by the ending but had a hard time keeping track of all the different characters. The actual trial went very fast.
(Karen's review, 3 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!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:
The hand in her hair jerked again, hard.  Ruby choked back a cry.  The light that the man was holding went out.

From page 28 of Ruby, Between the Cracks by P.D. Workman

I smile, equally saddened and confused by this guy.  I'm not sure that I've ever spent time with someone like him before--someone of a completely different lifestyle and tax bracket.

From page 26 of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
Karen's:

 "Guys," my mom calls from the front seat.  she hates it when we do this.  

From page 6 of Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst.

As we pull up at home, Laurie is arriving as well.  She gets out, and I can see by her face that she knows what's happening.

From page 28 of Hounded  by David Rosenfelt.


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!