My Husband's Favorite Reads In June

My husband had read three books in June that he loved!  One was based on a true story and the other two are both by Sally Hepworth.  Below are his reviews on these favorites:

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is based on a true story.  Three sisters make a pact to always stay together and be there for each other, but when two of them are sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis, that pact is put to the test.  Will they survive to see their sister again?  This book is really good!  The parts about the concentration camp are very powerful!  I loved all the three sisters and liked the very good ending!  

 

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth, Gabe and Pippa's house is near a cliff where people sometimes go to end their lives.  Gabe has a way of talking people off that cliff.  However, one day with Pippa watching, a woman and Gabe talk until the woman is falling off that cliff!  To Pippa, it looks like Gabe pushed her, but she doesn't really believe it!  Could he have?  Sally Hepworth is always good, but this book is fantastic!  The characters are really good and I thought I knew how it would end, but I was wrong!  LOVED THIS ONE!  

In The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth, Alice is a single mother who has a 15-yr.-old daughter, Zoe.  When Alice gets sick with Cancer, she is told that she needs a support person to help her and drive her around.  Unfortunately, she has no one except Zoe to count on.  Kate, a nurse, and Sonja, a social worker come to her aid, but they are dealing with their own problems.  This book is really good!  All the characters seem real.  I especially loved the parts with Zoe!  This is Sally's best book yet!  I LOVED IT!  

      Unfortunately, for me, I didn't read any books in June that is was thrilled with so hopefully, maybe I'll do better in July.  You can see all our book reviews at Grab A Book from Our Stack.

  Related posts you might enjoy:

O   Our Favorite Books We Read in 2021

Looking Back at Our Favorite Reads in 2016

Our Favorite Reads For January--One Non-Fiction; One YA Fiction

I am so excited to tell you about my favorite book for January, but it's really one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books:

The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd!

A MUST read for all women!

The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd is the best inspirational non-fiction book I ever read and plan to read it again! I absolutely LOVE this book and can't say enough good about it! It is Biblical, has scriptures included throughout it right in the text, interesting facts about people used as examples of putting the principles into action and is uplifting, encouraging and challenging! Topics include: faith, wisdom, prayer, joy, love, courage, hope and the main theme is making a difference.

I used it as a devotional book the first time I read it and highlighted lots of things. It is divided into chapters with subdivisions so provides short thought-provoking passages easily used as devotionals. At the end of each chapter is a a short application section called “Power Point” which includes further scripture with some questions to think about, a prayer, a main point to remember and some activity to do. If you are looking for a practical book that will encourage spiritual growth, this is it!

The Power of a Positive Woman is a wonderful book to use for a women's Bible study group which is how I came to read it. I highly recommend this book to all women, but I think men could certainly benefit from it as well.
(Karen's review, rating 10 stars!)

Gerard's January Favorite: The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

Every year at a boarding school, the outgoing seniors leave a "treasure" behind in their rooms for the next senior occupying that room to find. Duncan finds a stack of CDs left for him that he doesn't think much of until he listens to the first one. Then he can't stop until he hears them all! What's on the CDs? You will have to read the book.

Like the CDs, this book is hard to put down. I finished it in two days! I got to really care about the characters, the writing is superb and the ending is shocking! Do I have your interest yet? All that being said, I give this book 5++ stars!

QUIET--The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking was my favorite of the month until I read this one. You can click the link to read my review of that one.

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Our Favorite Reads For December and for 2012

Karen's favorite read for December was In Too Deep by Mary Conneally.

In Too Deep by Mary Conneally is the second book of the Kincaid Brides series. It is about Audra and Ethan who enter a marriage of convenience and both are fearful of caring too much and getting hurt. Audra finds out that her former husband stole a fortune and the guy who he stole it from is coming after her because he thinks she knows where it is. The story takes place during 1866 in Colorado territory. Audra and Ethan have some very humorous conversations and both find courage to face their fears.

I liked this book very much because it was a sweet romance without being racy and still had enough adventure and suspense to peak my interest. The first book of the Kincaid Brides series (Out of Control) centered on Ethan’s bossy older brother, Rafe and his wife, Julia who is Audra’s step-daughter. I liked this book much better and give this this 5 stars for good Christian romance. I look forward to reading Over the Edge, the last in the series, about the youngest brother, Seth.

Gerard's favorite read for December was Comet's Tale by Steven D. Wolf 

What an amazing true story Comet's Tale by Steven D. Wolf is!  Steven Wolf saved Comet from a bad fate, then Steve's health took a turn for the worse and Comet came through for him.  Comet became the first ever Greyhound service dog.  Find out by reading the book why Comet was named the "Service Dog of the Year."  If you like feel-good stories, start off the new year with this one! Thanks for sharing your story, Mr. Wolf, and give Comet a treat for me and my dog, Abby.  LOVED this book! (rating 5++)

And for our favorites for the year, we made two videos: One for non-fiction favorites and one for fiction favorites. You can see our reviews over at Grab A Book From Our Stack by searching for the book title or author.

(I'm having trouble embedding the videos--they keep changing to Spunky's kitty condo one for some unknown reason, so here's the links if needed too (Fiction Books--http://youtu.be/CnOJsr19MrQ; Non-Fiction Books--http://youtu.be/swRhk8do4OE):

Our 2012 Non-fiction Favorites


Our 2012 favorite fiction books:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

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Our Favorite Reads For November

Karen's favorite for November was Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins.  Gerard like this one very much too so here are both our reviews on it:

What if someone could plant thoughts in your brain?

Gerard says:
I loved Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins! Lisa Newberry was going through a very rough patch of life so when a new procedure came out that could give her a new outlook on life, she took it. Is she okay now, or are the problems really going to start?

WOW, it doesn't get much better than this major "wow" factor in this book! It is hard to put it down so I finished it in just two days. Read and enjoy! I highly recommend it. You can't go wrong with Brandilyn Collins.
(5++ stars)

Karen says:
Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins is an interesting read with suspense and science fiction. Lisa is so depressed that she enters a trial to have brain surgery that will insert a chip into her brain that will get rid of her depression and help her be more self-confident. She was happy to have qualified and eager to get rid of her depression, but didn't realize that her real nightmare was about to begin. This will keep you turning pages to see what will happen next as she mends her relationship with her mother who helps her figure things out and God who she realizes did not abandon her. Risking her life, she tries to save someone she believes is going to be killed. This definitely is a thought-provoking book!


Gerard's Favorite for November:

WOW! The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly is about a woman on trial for murder. She is charged with killing a man who is the head of the company that was suing to foreclose on her home. This is a fantastic story! I listened to the audio book and LOVED IT! The trial was very interesting and got my attention and held it. The ending blew me away. You have got to read (or listen) to this--it's a must read!


Karen liked what she heard of this one too when I played it at home or in the car when she was with me.
(5+++ stars)

See all our book reviews at Grab A Book From Our Stack.  What are you reading?

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Our Favorite Reads For October

Gerard loved this one--his first audio book!

Gerard's Favorite:

Into the Fire is a Firsthand account of the most extraordinary battle in the Afghan War by Medal of Honor recipient, Dakota Meyer and Bing West (New York Times Bestselling Author). This is an audio book read by Zach Mclarty. What an amazing true story it is! Dakota Meyer is a true hero. This book tells the story of the battle at Genuisal. This is what war is really all about. I was able to get the audio book and liked listening to it in the car. I think I got more out of it than if I read the book. Either way, please take time to read or listen to this account and thank our armed forces that are still fighting. Mr. Meyer, thank you for your service.
(Gerard's review, rating 5+++ stars)

Read this one, Woof!  Woof!

Abby's Favorite:

was a non-fiction book, Little Boy Blue by Kim Kavin.  This was also Gerard's close second.

Karen's Favorite:

Realistic Christian Teen Fiction

One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is about being someone’s hero and showing unconditional love. Although it is considered juvenile fiction, I really liked it! The main character, Carly, has been neglected and abused but finds a good foster home while her mother recovers from a beating she took from her husband. Julie Murphy, the foster home mother, is the wife of a fireman with three boys that shows kindness and love to Carly who doesn’t quite know what to make of it. This heart-warming book has humor, a good message, and is a touching quick read. It made even made me tear up at certain parts. If you like stories about kids and family, I recommend this one! It will tug at your heartstrings.
 (Karen's review, rating 5 stars)

Here's a trailer for the book:
(This is the author's debut novel, her first draft of it received the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature.)

Historical Christian fiction

My close second was Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof, a new author, this being the first in a series.

 Spunky's and Manny's Favorite: 

Trapped by Pete the Cat and Peg Kehret 

(Karen liked it too but Gerard missed out because he didn't read it!)

One of 3 books by Pete the Cat--we liked them all but this one best!

The links will take you to our reviews at Grab a Book from Our Stack.  Find more posts with animals at Camera Critters.

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Our September Favorite Reads

My favorite read for September is Animals Welcome by Peg Kehret with Lead for God's Sake by Todd G. Congwer a close second, both non-fiction.

Love the Cover too--What a sweet, caring lady!

Animals Welcome--A Life of Reading, Writing, and Rescue by Peg Kehret is a delightful, heartwarming read that I recommend to any animal lover. This is a quick read about the different animals Peg rescued after building a cabin with her husband when they retired. I especially enjoyed reading about her cats, the wildlife and her interesting facts about some of the animals.

She has written lots of children’s books and is a warm and caring person that I would love to have for a friend. The author reminded me of my dad who also fed stray cats in the neighborhood and gave some a home to those willing to come inside. The difference is he didn’t give them the vet care she did. The quote that shows her love for the animals best is “’My hobby is rescuing cats, I said. ‘It’s no more expensive than playing golf or shopping.’”

Animals Welcome is definitely one of my favorite books I read this year! I look forward to reading her books that she co-authored with her cat, Pete in his memory: Trapped, The Stranger Next Door, and Spy Cat.

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Gerard's favorite read for September is a very unusual book different from any he has ever read:  Memoirs of an imaginary friend by Matthew Dicks, an elementary school teacher.  We both read this so I will share my review of it her as well.

Different, a Fun Read!

Memoirs of an imaginary friend by Matthew Dicks is told by Budo, the imaginary friend of a special needs boy named Max. I thought this book was fantastic! I got into it from page 1 and had a hard time putting it down. Budo tells the story very well and you're going to love Max! The ending is super good--you have to read this! I've read a lot of very good books this month, but this one is my favorite!
(Gerard's review, rating 5++ stars)

Karen's thoughts:
I started Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks and thought it was just too goofy with the "imaginary friend" telling the story. I read up to chapter 9 and thought, "Why am I wasting my time on this?" and decided to give it up and read something else--The Raven Boys. I liked that even less because it was about the supernatural, fortune telling and some crazy hunt for some old king from the past--it made no sense to me. So when my husband said how good this one was, I decided to go ahead and finish reading it. I'm glad I did because it did get better and I liked Max and Budo so was curious to see what would happen with them. Once I got past the absurdity of it and didn't take it so seriously, I enjoyed it. It reminded me of ROOM by Emma Donoghue a little bit. 

 

To see all our book reviews, subscribe to our book blog:  Grab a Book From Our Stack.

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Our Favorite Read for July: "Starters" and "Unlocked"

For July, we have a Science Fiction Young adult book and a Christian Fiction book.  Gerard's favorite read was "Starters" by Lissa Price which Karen liked very much too so we'll give you both our reviews of it here:

Starters by Lissa Price:  WOW!  You will meet Callie, a young girl whose parents are dead, and her 7-yr.-old brother, Tyler, is very sick.  Her only hope to get money is to rent her body out to old people to use.  She really doesn't want to do it but gives in to help her brother.  Everything goes fine at first, but then takes a turn for the worse!  I devoured this book in just two days; kept those pages turning to see what would happen next.  Can't wait for the second book to come out in December!
(Gerard's review)

Starters by Lissa Price takes place in the future but isn't too far out that it is unbelievable. After a war, people lived longer, 150 to 200 years old was common and Prime Destinations developed a way for old people to rent the body of a young person, usually a teen. I loved the idea of the old people getting a new body but keeping all their experience and knowledge. Callie decides to rent out her body for a big sum of money that would be enough to provide a home for her and her little brother who is also sickly. After three rentals, she'd get paid; however, the third rental didn't work quite right and she found herself in a terrible situation and is not sure who she can trust.

I enjoyed this book very much because of all the unexpected things that happen to Callie and the interesting concept. I thought it was a fun read and definitely recommend it! (Karen's review)

Since Gerard picked Starters as his favorite, I'll choose Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury as my favorite for July.  Here is my review of it:

 Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury is an inspirational and heartwarming read that I truly enjoyed!  It's a love story about an Autistic high school boy, Holden, with a kind heart and a high school girl who is kind to him and notices his interest in music.  I especially liked Holden's prayers and the faith He has.  He became Autistic (quirky and uncommunicative) when he was three years old and his parents feel as though they lost the real Holden and want him back!

This book deals with bullying, suicide, friendship and family struggles.  This is Christian fiction at its best, showing how Christians can make a difference! I highly recommend this one to teens and parents.

See all our reviews at Grab A Book From Our Stack--you can sign up to have them delivered right to your email!

Don't forget to visit today's Olympic events:

Freestyle Zoomies ~ http://susieandsidebite.blogspot.com/

Roaching and Rolling ~ http://agenuineruby.blogspot.com/

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Our Favorite Reads For June by Haynes, Flynn and Rivers

Since Gerard's reviews are short, I let him have a tie for his June favorites.  The second one of his I read as well and didn't care for it at all.  Although I had several good books in June, my favorite was a contemporary Christian fiction combined with historical fiction by Francine Rivers.  It had the flavor of a Belva Plain book but without all the detailed description.

Gerard had a tie between two:

You just have to make time to read Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes —it's awesome!! It tells the story of young pretty Catherine Bailey. She was in a very abusive relationship with Lee. The thing that makes this book so good is that it follows her and Lee's relationship but also three years later as she is trying to recover and get back to being normal again. You get two stories at once! The writing is superb and the ending shocking! This is a page turner that is hard to beat. It doesn't get any better than this! Must read!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn tells the story of Nick and Amy. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy turns up missing. Did Nick have something to do with it? WOW oh WOW! It doesn't get much better than this story that is told by Nick and Amy. I had a love-hate relationship with them both! I never knew what was going to happen next and had a hard time putting it down. I hated to see it end! The writing is superb! I think this would make a fantastic movie and loved this book! Don't let GONE GIRL pass you by, believe the hype!

Gerard and I differ on our opinions of this book. I didn't care for it at all and only read about 1/3 of the way. I really didn't like either Nick or Amy all that much and the bad language turned me off too. It seemed I was plowing through it but wanted to keep going since Gerard thought it was so good. Then I saw another blogger's review of it and they didn't like it either. They said the first 100 pages were very boring. The reviewer compared it to Still Missing by Chevy Stevens and Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson because of the ending leaving the reader feeling tricked. I wish I could remember where I saw it so I could share the link here with you, but I can't remember. Anyhow, I was bored with this one so gave up on it and went on to read something else--"Impeccable Petunia" which I had a request to review.

Karen's Favorite for June

The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers is contemporary fiction about God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. After 13 years of marriage, Alex decides on his own to leave his steady job for an opportunity in California as a video game designer. His wife, Sierra, does not want to move and becomes angry and bitter. I particularly liked reading the part about the issues in the contemporary marriage. The couple has four times as much money but becomes very unhappy and Alex asks for a divorce. Sierra’s Godly mother gives her an old journal and a quilt of one of their pioneer ancestors, Mary Kathryn, who also had to move against her will back in 1847.

The author beautifully combines this contemporary fiction novel with historical fiction by showing the parallels between Sierra’s and Mary Kathryn’s journeys, women from two different time periods. They both are bitter and resentful towards God at the beginning but as he works in their lives, they come to see his love, faithfulness and goodness. Great writing with a wonderful message and a great ending! I think this would be an excellent book club read because of the marriage issues and the spiritual journey. It even has discussion questions in the back! This is my favorite read for June and balances out Gerard's dark books of late!

Visit Grab A Book From Our Stack to see all our book reviews (and more pictures of our pets).


(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.)

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Our Favorite Reads For February

Karen's:  Front and Center by Catherin Gilbert Murdock

I chose Front and Center by Catherin Gilbert Murdock as my most enjoyable read in February.  It's the last book of a series though so you might want to read the first two books, Dairy Queen and The Off Season before reading this one.  It could stand alone though, but you would miss the background.  Here's my review of it:   

Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a refreshing coming of age story about D.J., a high school girl who lives on a Dairy farm. This is the third book of the series and deals with D.J. starting her junior year of high school on the girls basketball team. She discovers that she is no longer in the background but rather has become popular and isn’t quite sure she likes all the attention because of all the pressure she feels to be what everyone else wants her to be. She has a new boyfriend but still longs to be with her ex-boyfriend and must decide who she really wants most. Then there’s the pressure of looking into colleges to get a college scholarship for basketball. She feels like she’d rather just play for a Division I school with less pressure but knows everyone would feel let down if she did. It has a good ending too!

I liked this whole series and especially this last book because there was quite a bit about basketball and what goes through the players’ minds as they play. D.J. is a normal, somewhat Tom boyish teen girl who tries to do what’s right. It gives good insight into the pressures that teens face but without being vulgar or depressing. I recommend this series to anyone who likes books about teens coming of age.

Gerard's:   Show Dog by Josh Dean

Show Dog by Josh Dean tells the true story of Jack, an Australian Shepard dog, that Josh follows for a year from show to show.  This is a double WOW book for me because now I know the ins and outs of a dog show.  It's an awesome read!  The writing is very good and Jack's handlers and the other dogs in the book are good too! 

If you love dogs, declaring this a "must read" is a no-brainer.  I hated to see it end, LOVED IT!

Visit Grab a Book From Our Stack to see what else we have read and recommend.

(50 cents per legitimate comment goes to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for February in honor of cat appreciation month!)

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Our Favorite Reads For January: "Impulse" and "Legend"

Gerard's favorite read in January was Impulse by Hellen Hopkins:

WOW! "Impulse" by Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic read! Tony Connor and Vanessa each have their own demons to deal with. They all wind up at Aspen Springs, a place that helps teens deal with their issues. How they deal with them and their own stories is just remarkable! To say I enjoyed this book would be putting it mildly. I LOVED "Impulse"! Although it is over 600 pages, it is in verse and I was so caught up in it that it did not seem that long. This is for sure going to be my favorite read this month and will be in my 12 favorites for 2012. This is one you will not soon forget--what an ending! I highly recommend it!

Karen's favorite for January was Legend by Marie Lu:

Legend by Marie Lu is a futuristic teen romantic thriller about a fugitive 15-yr.-old, Day from the slums, who is passionate about protecting his family and helping people, even if it means going against the Republic. When June, a Republic agent and military prodigy from a wealthy family, thinks Day is responsible for killing her brother when trying to steal the cure for the plague to cure his youngest brother, she hunts Day down. This is a fun, adventurous novel that is a page turner.   

Favorite quote from Legend:

“I never did ask you about your street name. Why 'Day'?” “Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”

I liked how the author alternated telling the story between Day and June.  It kept my interest and was also easy to follow.  Although somewhat predictable, I enjoyed it very much and was rooting for Day and June to become friends from the start.  I recommend this to anyone who likes action and romance.

Gerard liked it too: Legend by Marie Lu is teen fiction that takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles.  It is told by a young boy named Day and a young woman named June.  Day is an outlaw and is wanted by the Republic.  June is a member of the Army of the Republic.  They are on opposite sides, or are they?  Legend is so good that the movie rights have already been sold.  If you loved "Hunger Games" and "Divergent," you will love Legend too.  I look forward to the second book in this series.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman was a very close second for both of us. It's a science fiction book about organ donation and storking as a solution to abortion. It's a fascinating, thought provoking read with interesting characters that keep your attention. Visit Grab A Book From Our Stack to see all our book reviews. We are also on Shelfari and Goodreads.

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Our Favorite Reads For September

Gerard's Favorite:  Blood Feud by David Robbins

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!

Karen read this one too.  Here's what she thought of it:
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 Favorite:   War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

War Horse is a touching book that kept my interest all through. 

Although it is a children's book, I enjoyed it but must admit I got teary-eyed reading it.  Parts were very sad but I loved the ending!  Joey, the horse, tells his story about living on a farm with a boy named Albert and then being sold to the army because Albert's dad needed money to save his farm.  The horse goes through a lot but Albert never gives up looking for him.

Gerard liked this one too:  War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is a double wow book for me! Joey, the war horse, tells about his adventures during World War 1 and the special bond he has with a young boy named Albert. At only 160 pages or so, it goes very fast. I loved it! I look forward to seeing the movie which is coming out on Christmas.

Once again, we read a lot of very good books in September so it was hard to choose.  Please visit Grab A Book From Our Stack to find more great reads.  We read some romance, memoirs, thrillers, contemporary fiction, suspense, and YA. Spunky Doodle says, "Don't forget the cat book!"  Meow!

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Our Favorite Reads For August: "Never Knowing" and "Iron House"

Gerard's Favorite for August is Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
Chevy Stevens has done it again.  Just when I thought she couldn't do better than Still Missing along comes Never Knowing.  I loved her first book but think this one is actually way better!  There is lots of action and once I started it, I did not want to put it down.  I thought the ending was incredible!  I give this book a triple WOW factor--it's that good!  For sure this will be my book of the month and possibly my best book of this year!

Karen liked it too:
Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens kept me turning pages and not wanting to put this down.  It is a suspenseful story about an adopted woman, Sara, who tells her psychiatrist about finding her biological parents.  Sara is a single mom who refinishes furniture, has a 6-yr.-old daughter and lives with her fiancee, Evan.  Neither Sara’s mother nor father are at all what she had hoped for or expected.  Her mother, a college professor, was not happy she tracked her down at all and then Sara found out her biological father is a serial killer still on the loose!  Her world gets crazy when he calls her and says he’d like to get to know her.  He never knew he had a daughter!  This book is gripping, emotional and puzzling.  I finished it in just two days and think it would be a great read for a book club.  I highly recommend it! 

Karen's Favorite: Iron House by John Hart

Iron House by John Hart is a well-written novel that is a combination of suspense, mystery, drama and love. It is about two brothers who lived at an orphanage called “Iron House” until one was adopted by a senator and his wife (Julian), and the other took off on his own to protect his brother (Michael). Michael grew up tough and got into organized crime, but when he fell in love with Elena and wanted to leave to go straight. Giving up killing though wasn’t easy, especially when they didn’t want to let him go.

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Our Favorite Reads for July: "Divergent" and "Faith" by Jennifer Haigh

Karen's favorite read for July was Divergent by Veronica Roth.

It was by far my favorite.  Usually, it's hard to choose but not this time. We both read this one! I loved Divergent by Veronica Roth because it is thought provoking. I kept thinking, “What would I do if in Beatrice’s position?” and it was fun to try guessing the background of different characters. It is a futuristic science fiction novel about value, ethics, choices, friendship and community. Although Beatrice was born into the selfless faction, she didn’t feel that she was selfless enough to stay and at 16 left her family to choose to join the dauntless. Her brother chose education and the other two choices were honest and peaceful.

Divergent is about control and manipulation, friendship, love, character and survival. When Beatrice was tested, she discovered she had a secret she had to keep to stay alive—she was divergent!

This book drew me in very quickly and I even quit reading another book to read this one sooner. Once I started this, it was difficult to put it down because it has lots of action, interesting characters, romance and some mystery with twists and surprises along the way that make it both a fun and interesting read. I can definitely recommend this one! (This was Gerard's favorite for last month!)

Gerard's Favorite was Faith by Jennifer Haigh

WOW! Double Wow! Faith by Jennifer Haigh is good! It is told by a sister who has two brothers. One brother is a priest, accused of molesting a child. I loved this book, especially enjoyed the family. A loving family, this is not. Brother vs. brother, sister vs. brother, husband vs. wife made for great reading. The last 75 pages are some of the best pages you will read all year! It was impossible to put down! The ending is a shocker! I highly recommend you put this on your TBR list--it's SO GOOD!

To read all our book reviews (and see cute pictures of our cats with the books), visit Grab A Book From Our Stack.

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Our Favorite Reads For June: "Magic Hour" and "Divergent"

Karen's is Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah 
This is a fascinating and heartwarming read about two sisters who help a little missing girl that doesn't talk who just showed up in the small town of Rain Valley up in a tree with a wolf pup.

Julia is a psychiatrist whose reputation is shot and has lost her clients and her confidence because of it but who returns to her home town when her sister, Ellie-the chief of police, calls her for help with the "wolf girl." 


I liked this book very much.  I was fascinated at how Julia fell in love with the little "wolf girl" and helped her begin to talk again.  It was heart-breaking when after she decided to adopt the girl that her biological father came for her.  Julia and Ellie both struggled with being professional and their strong attachment to the girl.  When they found out about the dad's prison record, giving her up was even harder.  This is one of the few books that I looked forward to reading to see what would happen next and stayed up late to finish it.  I highly recommend this one!

Gerard's is Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth is about a 16-yr.-old girl who must choose a faction to live in when she is in her 16th year. Her brother and her pick a faction, difficult ones, that their parents do not live in. The story is mostly about the girl, Beatrice, who you will love. I enjoyed this book for the following reasons:

1. It has a big "WOW" factor!

2. If you loved the Hunger Games, you will love this book too!

3. Lead character is awesome.

4. The story is good!

5. I really got into all the characters.

6. The ending is very, very good!

7. This left me wanting to read book two.

This is my favorite read for June and I read a lot of good books this month. This is a "must read." I highly recommend it!  Other ones I really liked were:  Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams, Scoreboard Baby by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry, and Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.

Could You Please Do Us A Favor:   Canine Lifeline, the dog rescue that saved our Abby, is in the running for $1,000 donation from Pedigree. Please go vote for Canine Lifeline over at dogtipper.com every day through June 30. They are currently leading, but it's very close!

Our Favorite Books For May: "Unplanned" and "Night Road"

Gerard's favorite read for May is Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line

by Abby Johnson with Cindy Lambert.  You have to read Unplanned by Abby Johnson because it's just so good! It's the true story of Abby, who was a leader of a Planned Parenthood chapter. One day she had to see the actual abortion, and that changed her whole life from then on. The story is amazing! A coalition For Life was praying right next door and she went to join them. But the part I really enjoyed in this book is her relationship with God! She shares how God can use anyone to spread His word and Abby praying is so good! I got chills reading about it.

This is a powerful book that you will not want to put down. Abby, if you are reading this, thanks for sharing and God bless your husband, daughter and you. You wrote a fantastic book!

Karen's favorite is Night Road by Kristin Hannah

.  I loved Night Road by Kristin Hannah! This is such a heartbreaking story that delves into friendship, teenage drinking, family relationships, dealing with grief, love and forgiveness. Lexi is a very lonely but nice girl who grew up in foster care for most of her life. She becomes best friends with another lonely girl, Mia, who comes from a very good family. Lexi falls in love with Mia’s twin brother, Zach, the homecoming king. Mia’s parents, especially her mother, Jude, are thrilled Mia has a friend and treat Lexi as a member of the family. In one night, everything changes, just two weeks before graduation when the three good friends drink, drive and get in a car accident that leaves Mia dead.

This is just an amazing read. I could feel the emotions the different characters went through and couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lexi, the driver of the car. Zach, Lexi and Jude all played the blame game, mostly blaming themselves. I can’t say enough good things about this book! The characters were likeable and realistic, the plot is well done and certainly sends a strong message not to drive drunk. I have to read more books by Kristin Hannah—this one was so good! I highly recommend it to parents and teens or anyone who likes a good love story. This is definitely one of the best books I've read so far this year!

We read other very good books this month too but if we had to choose one, it would be these.  We invite you to visit Grab A Book From Our Stack to see our other book reviews. What are you reading? Have you read either of these?

Our Favorite Reads For April: "Ender's Game"

We both liked Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and agree it is one of our favorite reads, not just for April but for the year so far!

Gerard's Review:

I know I'm way late to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card since it came out years ago. That being said, I thought this book was just AWESOME! For sure my book of the month for April and will rank very high in my books of the year list!

The premise of this book is the government has tabbed Ender to be the next big commander. He is taken away from his family and sent to "Battle School." His brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine, also play interesting roles in this book.

If you loved Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series, you will love this book too!

Karen's Review:

I liked Ender's Game very much too. I'm glad Gerard encouraged me to read it! Ender is just six years old when the government rejected his older brother and sister and took him instead to train to be the commander to fight against the buggers out in space and save the world. Ender is very smart and very endearing. He doesn't want to kill anyone but excels in the battle games. I liked how even though Ender was an "underdog" he was very clever and came out on top when others made things tough for him. The only thing I did not like about it was the ending.

Here's a little teaser for you:

There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you. I told them you were the best. Now you damn well better be.

Taken from p. 35 of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

If you like stories about mind games, leadership, friendship, bullying, military strategy/training or science fiction, you would love this book! Anyone with battle experience I think would identify with Enger. We both highly recommend this one--it's awesome!  No one even gave it less than 4 stars out of 2,835 customer reviews!  That's saying a lot!

Our Favorite Reads For March: "A Rope & A Prayer" and "Vicious Cycle"

Between us, we read 22 books in March so choosing just one each as our favorite is very difficult.  We encourage you that if you enjoy reading, you visit our book blog:  Grab A Book From Our Stack to see reviews of all the books we read.

Gerard's: A Rope and A Prayer by David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill
This non-fiction book is my pick for my March book of the month and here are the reasons why:
(1)  It is the true story of David being kidnapped and held for over six months!
(2)  It’s the story as told by Kristen, newly married, sharing her feelings as her husband was being held.
(3)  It gives really wonderful insight into the Taliban and what they think and believe.
(4)  The writing is so very good that I got the sense of what David and Kristen went through.
(5)  Has a great ending too!
I highly recommend this book!

Others Gerard really liked a lot:  Black Hearts by Jim Frederick, Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Karen's:  Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock
I was hooked from beginning to end!  It is actually about two families, one Christian family with a teenage daughter (Emily) who is just getting out of rehab after being in for a year and the other who is addicted to meth and wants to sell the teenage daughter’s baby for $45,000.  The only glitch is that the girl, Jordan, does not want to sell her baby but wants to give it up for adoption instead, and gets Emily’s brother (Lance) to help her get it away from her mother and brother. 

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Our Favorite Reads For February 2011

Abby's and Gerard's favorite was Rose In the Storm by Jon Katz. WOW!  What a book!  Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz is about Rose, a working dog on a farm and her owner, Sam.  Rose has a lot of work to do as there are a lot of animals on the farm to look after.  Rose tells the story which is very cool.  One day a huge storm comes and Rose is put into a situation she has never been in before.

I felt a lot of emotion while reading this book which to me says that is a really good book! Rose is a wonderful dog that the reader can't help but love. I think anyone would enjoy this book, especially dog lovers. The best part is that it has a good ending--the dog lives! I cried when I read Dewey, The Library Cat and cried at the end of this book too--yes, it's that good! Karen is going to read it as well.

I picked this one as my favorite because it was so moving I cried but also really liked Left Neglected by Lisa Genova and Secrets To The Grave by Tami Hoag very much.

Karen's favorite was Breaking Night although she also liked Left Neglected and Secrets To The Grave.  It was a hard choice.

WOW!  What an interesting book filled with insight into poverty, homelessness and drug addiction!  Breaking Night is the memoir of Liz Murray who shares about her life of living with her drug addicted parents, her effort to protect her parents who both contracted AIDS, living at a group home, her dependence on friends while homeless, her determination to go back to school and change her life.  This is a very good book!  It is so hard for me to fathom people actually living like she did.

Breaking Night shows that a person can change in spite of one’s circumstances if they make good choices and work hard.  It is about family relationships, forgiveness, friendship, judging by appearances, survival, overcoming obstacles and being responsible.  Liz overcame many obstacles and found herself with a scholarship from The New York Times and was accepted at Harvard!  She is now a motivational speaker helping others get their life on track and is now working with a small team of people to open Broome Street Academy, a high schools for homeless teens in September of 2011.  Liz is a remarkable person!

This is an inspirational book that I highly recommend!  Her website is Manifest Living.  I also enjoyed the movie on Lifetime that was based on this book.

It was very hard to choose this month. Both of us read several very good books and hope you will check out our book blog (tab is above to take you right there).

Our Favorite Reads For January 2011

We both read a lot of good books in January, but if we had to choose, our favorites, it would be Half A Life (non-fiction) and Perfect Chemistry (YA romance). Can you guess whose is which? I bet you can!

Gerard's is:

Half A Life by Darin Strauss

A Must Read!  Half A Life is a memoir of Darin Strauss, who at age 18 while driving, had a car accident that killed a girl.  This book is good; read it in two days.  It was hard to put down because I never read anything like it before.  It is all about how Darin handled what happened.  I kept thinking about what if I did this?  Half A Life is an outstanding and a memorable read.  I highly recommend it! 

Karen's is:

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

What a fun read “Perfect Chemistry” by Simone Elkeles is!  I enjoyed reading Perfect Chemistry very much because it was such a cute high school romance story about the “perfect” pom-pom girl, Brittany Ellis, and the Latino Blood gang member, Alex, who had the reputation for being the most dangerous guy in school.  The Fairfield high school is cross cultural with the uppity rich kids from the North and the poor drug-dealing gang members from the south.  The Chemistry teacher and principal are determined to get the kids to learn from each other. 

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Our Favorite Reads For December

We read a lot of good books in December and it was hard to choose, but we decided on these:

Gerard's Favorite was Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans is a good Christmas read!  It is a fiction story of Beth Cardall.  Her husband cheats on her, is dying of Cancer and her young daughter has an unexplained illness.  One night she meets a man who knows all about her.  He seems too good to be true.  It has kind of a weird twist, but the ending is very good!  It's a quick read that I liked a lot.  I give it 8+ stars.  You can visit the author’s Facebook page and his website at www.richardpaulevans.com

Karen's review:
Promise Me is a off-the-wall story with a very happy ending that I enjoyed immensely! I’m so glad I read this one because it had believable characters that I cared about in an unrealistic book that kept my interest all through it. I was impressed that the male author told the story primarily from Beth’s point of view and could write about hardship without it being a depressing book. Promise Me deals with loss, marriage, love, hope and is a thought-provoking book. It presents the questions of how would your life be different if only this didn’t happen and what would you do if you only had 10 months to live and money was no object? This is a fun read, in spite of a cheating husband, financial struggles and a mysterious disease that a 6-yr.-old has. It’s a “Christmas Miracle” book about hope and promises, a quick-read that leaves you happy. I promise, you’ll like this one! We highly recommend it for a light, entertaining fun read.

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