"Night Train" by Clyde Edgerton

Night Train by Clyde Edgerton tells the story of two young boys in the south, one white, and one black, who are really into music and play in a band.  The story kind of hops around.  It is a quick read but not much substance.  I liked it all right, but can't recommend you read this one.
(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 to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

8 Class Pets+1 Squirrel/1 Dog=Chaos by Vivian Vande Velve

A wonderful story about a squirrel being chased by a dog, (our dog's favorite pastime). They wind up in a grammar school where other animals get in on the action. I learned things about these animals that I did not know. Great book for kids of all ages and any adults who are young at heart!

(Gerard's review)


We differ on this book.  I did not like it very much because all the animals were against the dog and all the dog was doing was chasing the squirrel which is a perfectly normal thing for a dog to do.  No wonder Abby didn't want to look at the book when I took a picture of it!  I did think the writing was well done because each chapter a different animal wrote.  That part was pretty cute.
(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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Fragile" by Lisa Unger

Fragile by Lisa Unger is a good contemporary fiction novel about a missing teen girl, Charlene, that brings back memories for a lot of people about another missing girl who was found dead years before.  The story takes place in a small town near New York City where people generally live out their entire lives and know each other very well since they grew up together, but still manage to keep secrets.  There are many interesting characters in Fragile who are connected through past events.  Ricky’s girlfriend turns up missing and his dad, the police detective, heads up the investigation that conjures up some guilty feelings from his past when he let an innocent teen confess to a murder he knew the kid did not commit.   

There are so many aspects this book hits that makes it an excellent choice for a book club to discuss—friendship, parenting teens, suicide, rape, ethics and young love.  Here are some teasers for you:  There is the general question asked by the troubled teen, Marshall:  How do you know if you are a good person.  I mean, how do you know if you’re not? (p. 143)  When detective Cooper searches his boy’s room for incriminating evidence so he can protect him, he says to his wife, “Anyone is capable of anything, given the right circumstances, the right motivations.” (p. 187)  Then, a little later he tells her, “I know how a moment can spiral out of control” (p. 189) speaking from experience. 

Fragile is not action packed, but rather delves into ethics and the consequences of actions.  I liked how once the mystery was solved, the book didn’t end there, but continued to reveal more to the characters about the past and have the father-son relationship healed.  I recommend this if you like books about relationships and family dynamics.

(Karen's review 2/3/12--My Rating:  4 stars)

(Gerard's review 10/19/2010--My rating 4 stars)
Fragile by Lisa Unger is about small town secrets where a girl turns up missing one day.  Secrets hidden away from an incident that took place long ago come to the surface.  I thought Fragile was pretty good.  There are lots of characters so you have to pay attention as you read to follow along.  It‘s a good book, but didn‘t really “wow“ me.


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

"Soft Threat" by Stephen Hunter

Imagine if you were in a crowded mall on Black Friday.  Not hard to picture, right?  All of a sudden, shots ring out, Santa Clause is dead, and terrorists have total control of the mall!  That is the basis of Soft Target by Stephen Hunter .  I liked it a whole lot more than I thought I would.  Good writing describes what is going on between the good guys and the bad guys.  Not a 5-star but 4.  Well worth reading.

 
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 to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue this month to help the homeless cats for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Heft" by Liz Moore

Heft by Liz Moore has two main characters: (1) Arthur Opp, who used to be a college professor but when he was let go, he put on a ton of weight and never leaves his house, and (2) Kel Keller, a poor young teen in a rich school. What they have in common is a woman named Charlene, Arthur's former lover and Kel's mom. This book is an outstanding read! The writing is so good and the story is too. I was hooked from the get-go and hated to see it end. I LOVED IT!

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!