"The Sun Does Shine--How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row" by Anthony Ray Hinton

This book tells the true story of Ray Hinton, who found himself on death row for a crime he did not commit!  Most of this book is very depressing.  He even had evidence that he did not do it, but it was ignored.  No one paid any attention to that.  The last part of this book is uplifting!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Sun Does Shine—How I found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton is the sad true, but inspirational story of his life. He was wrongfully convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. This book shows his journey of appeals and his imprisonment. It made me more appreciative of my freedom and certainly made me more aware of the injustices that happen in our nation. It is an emotional read, making me feel both sadness and anger. I even cried at one point when he received news that his mother had died. He lost 30 years of his life because of prejudice and he’s not the only one! This is horrible! 

The afterward was especially sobering.  It listed the names of all those who are sitting on death row as of March 2017 by state so the reader can pray for them!  It said that "Statistically, one out of every ten sentenced to death is innocent. This was a shocking statistic to me and one that should put an end to the death penalty." 

This was hard to read because it is a true story of injustice but I’m glad I read it. It speaks to the issue of capital punishment and I think it’s good that people be made aware of how inhumane life on death row is. It was sort of funny how Ray kept his sanity and sense of humor while locked up wrongly all those years by using his imagination. I recommend adults and teens read this book.  (5 stars)


Teaser from first page of the forward:

He resisted mightily the notion that he was arrested, charged, and wrongly convicted because of his race, but he ultimately couldn’t accept any other explanation. He was a poor man in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.

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"Serafina and the Black Cloak" by Robert Beatty (#1 in series)

In Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Serafina and her pa live in the basement of the Biltmore Estate.  Her pa works for the owners and Serafina is told to stay hidden and never go in the nearby forest.  But when strange events begin to happen, Serafina takes it upon herself to find out why and who are causing these events!

I thought this children's book was pretty good!  There is good action throughout and I liked Serafina and Gidean, the dog.  I will read book 2 of this series soon.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 19:  Serafina suddenly realized that she'd made a dreadful mistake.  This was far more than she could handle.

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"Final Girls" by Riley Sager

There were three "final girls" in Final Girls by Riley Sager.  You will have to read the book to understand what the final girls means. Quincy has started a new life for herself.  She has moved on, but one of the final girls is found dead.  When the other final girl comes to be with Quincy, her life will never be the same again. 

This is the first book this author wrote.  I read the second one and liked that one better--The Last Time I Lied.  This one did hold my interest though.  I was not invested in all the characters like I was in the other book.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from pg. 33:  "Of course it does.  What happened to you was abnormal.  But one of the things I love about you is how you haven't let it define you."

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"If We Had Known" by Elise Juska

In If We Had Known by Elise Juska, Maggie has been an English composition teacher for a long time!  Her life now is anything but stable and the same goes for her daughter, Anna.  But Anna is going to college soon and Maggi has hopes that both of their lives will be more stable.  Then there is a shooting at a local mall--three people and the shooter are dead.  The shooter was a boy in one of Maggie's classes.  Turns out he wrote a paper that his classmates found troubling.  Could Maggie have done something to help this boy?  The internet is a buzz!  Can Maggie and Anna handle the heat that is coming their way?

I thought this book was really good!  The main characters were really good and I liked them both!
(Gerard's review, 5+) 

Teaser from pg. 208:  "I fail to see how, at any point, this essay wouldn't have raised alarm," Bill interrupted.  "A student wrote about weapons, Maggie, in elaborate detail, and you ignored it."

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"Hot Hand" by Mike Lupica's (Kid's Basketball)

Hot Hand by Mike Lupica is a very short story about brothers Billy and Ben whose parents are separated. Billy’s dad is his basketball coach and they butt heads in this book when his dad wants him to pass the ball and he wants to shoot it. Since his dad moved out, he feels like he is the man of the house and feels added pressure to look after his younger brother, Ben. This book was okay but liked others by this author much better. I think the best thing about this book is that it is short.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 19:  "I guess I just need to know something," Billy said.  "Are you my coach today or my dad?"

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!