January: A Good Reading Month

I love books that I look forward to getting back to and that keep me flipping the pages, not wanting to put it down.  I've read two mysteries this month that fall into this category and we're only halfway through the month!  One is A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena, and the other is Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo.  I really am having a hard time deciding which one I like best, because both had surprise endings that blew me away!

I you do not enjoy reading, it is probably because you are not reading interesting books.  Both these books grabbed my attention right away, are free from gory details and have clean language for the most part.  I highly recommend both these.

Let me know which of these you like better.

Share this:

Can't Get This One Out of My Head

Ever read a book that really grips you and makes you think?  I just finished a historical fiction book, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys that did that for me.  It takes place in the 1940s during Stalin's reign in Russia.  I knew about the atrocities done against the Jews in Germany with Hitler, but didn't realize how cruel Stalin was until I read this book and Ruta Sepetys' other book, Salt to the Sea. 

When it is cold outside, I always bundle up because I'm a freeze baby, but imagine what it would be like to have to camp outside in below zero weather without boots, without gloves, without a warm blanket or comfortable mattress, and with just a light spring coat!  That is what the poor people in this book did.  Not only that, but they were so hungry that they would eat from the garbage the soldiers threw away and only got water when the soldiers brought it to them in a bucket that they had to drink from like a dog.  They were crowded into cattle train cars that were filthy and expected to relieve themselves through a hole in the floor with no privacy. 

I loved how the mother, daughter and son kept their spirits up in such horrible conditions.  The mothers were willing to do just about anything to protect their children, but Lena's mom refused to be a spy when the Russians wanted her to.  She had a way of showing kindness to others in the midst of terrible circumstances. 

Here is my video review of it:


I hope you will check out my written review of it along with a video of the author talking about the background of the book on my Grab a Book From Our Stack blog.  The author's video is very interesting, showing snippets of interviews with actual survivors!

Reading this and Salt to the Sea just makes me feel all the more sympathy for the refugees today who are fleeing from their homelands which are at war.  We have so much to be thankful for here that we take for granted:  freedom, shelter, food, clean water, indoor plumbing, family and friends that we can visit whenever we want.  If you are going through a hard time, I recommend reading either of these books and you will find that you have much to be thankful for!

Have you read either of these books?  What did you think of them?

Share this:

50th Anniversary!

This is one we both liked!

That's right, it is the 50th anniversary of  the 1963 civil rights March with Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  According to the Associated Press article, "March to Focus on Continued Fight for Civil Rights," "Churches and groups have been asked to ring bells at 3 p.m. Wednesday, marking the exact time King spoke."

The Clock of Life would be a good one to read this week because it is a good historical coming of age novel that shows the racial tensions of the south.  The boy, Jason Lee, learns about his dad's bravery and courage to do the right thing bit by bit.  His dad died in the Vietnam war before he was born but is eager to learn all about him.  Jason Lee finds his dad's journal one day mixed in with a bunch of old books given to him by a friend of his dad's.  The journal relates the dad's experience in participating in the 1963 march even though he was white!

Here's a teaser from the book:

     "It's a tough thing to do in these parts, but you be friends with anyone you want, Jason Lee.  Don't let nobody tell you different, you hear?"  Her tone sounded like a scolding. 
     "I won't."
     "Your daddy got himself forty-seven stitches across the back of his shoulder.  And they threw him in jail to boot, just so you and boys like Samson could be friends."

From page 8 of The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren.

We are offering this first to my friends and blogging buddies (that's you!) before releasing this book "into the wild."  Just let me know if you would like to have it.  It's too good to just sit in our bookcase--it needs to be read!

Share this:

Whose Favorite Read for March Is It?

Can you guess which of these is whose favorite read during March? I bet you can because I think these will be easy to tell.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Purry Logic by Jane Seabrook

 Here's the Answers (Click the link to read our reviews).  Share your favorite read during March in a comment and let us know if you guessed right on these.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner - Gerard's favorite

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen - Karen's favorite

Purry Logic - Spunky Doodle and Manny Boy

(Check out our giveaway for Her by Christa Paravani, a memoir about twins.)



Share this:

Our Favorite Reads in May--One Historical Fiction, One Christian Fiction

As usual we read so many good books in May that it was difficult to choose only one that we liked best but choose we must so this is what we chose:

Historical Fiction

Gerard's is The White Cascade--The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America's Deadliest Avalanche by Gary Krist This is the second captivating book I've read by this author and both are fantastic reads! This non-fiction book is about two trains that were stuck in a huge snowstorm and were eventually hit by an avalanche! The writing is what makes this book so good. You hear from the people on the trains, the people trying to help, and the one person in charge of the railroad at the time. I got the sense I was right there! I hope Gary Krist writes another book; I'll be sure to read it too!

See my review of the other book I read by Gary Krist: City of Scoundrels about Chicago.

Karen's Favorite:

Christian Fiction

Since I already shared the link to our review of Outlaw Platoon which we both liked very much, I will choose Words by Ginny L. Yttrup.  This is an inspirational quick read that is about choices, redemption, hope, healing.  Kaylee, a little girl is abandoned by her mother and left with her boyfriend to be neglected, abused and raped.  They live in a little cabin in the woods and the girl stops talking.  She finds words comforting and reads the dictionary over and over to help her focus on something else while hoping that maybe her "mother will come back today."  When Sierra, a woman whose child died just a few days after birth due to Sierra's drug addiction, visits the cemetery on the 12th anniversary of her child's death, spots Kaylee in the hollowed giant redwood tree and thinks she saw a ghost.  Sierra is lonely so takes in a stray dog she names Van Gogh.  The dog helps comfort Kaylee when they meet and is a wonderful addition to the story.

Sierra finally is able to accept God's forgiveness and move on with her life as she starts thinking about Kaylee and becomes her friend.  Kaylee looks forward to seeing the nice lady in the woods again at her special spot inside the tree.  Kaylee doesn't talk, but can communicate by writing and has an unusually big vocabulary for a girl her age.  Through Sierra, Kaylee discovers Jesus is the most important word and learns the truth that He really does love her and is able to set her free from the screams in her head and help her to speak again.

I liked this Christian fiction book very much in spite of the "fairy tale" ending.  I couldn't help but pull for Kaylee and Sierra to get together and thought the Children's Services worker did a good job.  Sierra was searching for God's purpose for her life and it was very realistic how because of her past with drugs, she was able to sympathize with Kaylee's mom and was torn between helping her get better or not because she was afraid of losing Kaylee.  The abuse Kaylee endured is done in good taste, leaving details to the reader's imagination.  There is so much humor and love in this book that prevents it from becoming depressing.  The dog, Van, was a great addition to this book, showing how pets can by wonderful companions and give unconditional love.  The information about the giant redwood trees was interesting too and provided symbolism throughout the book.  This book even inspired me to read my little dictionary, a page a day!  This is a great read that I highly recommend and am so glad I read!
(Karen's review)

Gerard's review of Words:
This book is told by two people:  Kaylee, a 10-yr.-old girl who is abused physically, sexually, emotionally and neglected at her cabin in the woods, then abandoned by her mother who is a meth addict and Sierra, a young woman who mourns the death of her baby and finds Kaylee who she wants to help. I liked this book very much.  It's a good story and I got into it right from the start.  I highly recommend you read it too!  It's a feel good book and you will feel happy at the end.

Close Runners up for both of us were:  Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick.  If you like to read, check out our book blog at Grab a Book from Our Stack.  Click on our May Archives to see all 26 books we read in May.

(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.)

Share this:

Our Favorite Reads For April

As usual, it was difficult to choose favorite reads for April. We read quite a few really good books this month and encourage you, if you are a reader, to check out our book blog for our other reviews at Grab a Book From Our Stack.

Gerard's review:
The one we both agreed on as definitely a favorite of the month is One and Only Ivan by Katerine Applegate:
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate tells the story of Ivan, a Silverback gorilla, and his friends: Stella, an old elephant and Bob, a stray dog. They perform three shows every day at Exit 8 Big Top Mall. When business slows, Ruby, a baby elephant, is brought on board and things change. This is a lovely story, funny for sure, and it will get and keep your interest. I think this is a book for all ages. It will touch your heart and put a smile on your face! I enjoyed it very much and the ending is so, so good!

Karen's review:
I really enjoyed The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate even though it is children’s fiction. It is based on a true story about Ivan, a Silverback gorilla who was captured and put in a cage for 27 years without any contact with any other gorillas. In this book, Ivan is the narrator and his owner sells Ivan’s drawings and paintings. Ivan is quite an artist. Ivan has a stray dog named Bob who comes into his “domain” and sleeps on Ivan’s stomach. In the next cage is Stella, an elephant, who is a good storyteller but who had a hard life at a circus. When a baby elephant, Ruby, joins her, she is very protective of her and when she knows she is dying, gets Ivan to promise to protect Ruby for her. He comes up with a great plan to get Ruby moved to a zoo. This is such a cute book that has a happy ending. It is a quick read but very enjoyable! If you like animals and are looking for a heartwarming story, I recommend this one! I loved it!

Here's links to our other favorites for April:

Gerard's:
Kill Switch by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene
Nothing to Envy--Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

Karen's:
Catch Me by Lisa Gardner (Gerard liked this one too!)
Into the Free by Julie Cantrell


(50 cents per legitimate comment during April goes to Paralyzed Veterans of America.)

Share this:

Our Favorite Reads For December

Gerard's Favorite was These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

and Karen liked it too!

The first book I read on my Kindle!

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf tells the story of Allison Glen. She's a young teen girl who was her parents' pride and joy--good grades, great athlete, had it all until an unwanted pregnancy and a chain of events changed all that. She gets a chance to get back into society but her parents shun her although she keeps trying to reach out to her sister.

WOW! This book is Good! This is a page turner that I did not want to put down. I got into it from page one! I love this author's first book (The Weight of Silence) and this one is just as good, if not better! The ending is shocking!

Karen said:
This is a sad book about two sisters, adoption, guilt, infanticide and relationships. It certainly kept my interest but had a surprise ending that I didn’t expect. This shows how far teenagers will go if they feel isolated and desperate. I think “These Things Hidden” would be a good Book Club book.

Karen's Favorite was True Colors by Kristin Hannah:

What a neat novel True Colors by Kristin Hannah is! It starts off following the lives of three sisters from when their mother died while they were teens.

Read more »

Choose Your Own Adventure Books Are Fun For Kids

Want to get your boys and girls interested in reading or making reading a bit more interactive for preschoolers? I recommend getting some “Choose Your Own Adventure” books.

I first heard about these books at church of all places. The guest speaker was speaking about choices and he mentioned that as a kid he really hated to read except for the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books by R. A. Montgomery. He liked these because his mom was pleased to see him reading a book but the great thing about these are that you don’t have to read the WHOLE book. You get to pick from several choices a certain points and then it directs you to turn to page __ and you get to skip pages that way. I was intrigued so looked for them the next time I went to the library.

There are a whole lot in this series! They are all small but left some on the shelf for kids and just took these five to start:

Prisoner of the Ant People
The Abominable Snowman
Tattoo of Death
Trouble on Planet Earth
Project UFO

I was eager to see just what these were like so started reading “The Abominable Snowman” at the library while waiting on Gerard to choose his books. It was a great adventure! The thing is, it makes you want to go back and see what happens if you picked the other choices so it kept me wanting to read more. Some choices result in failure, some in moderate success and some in great success. It’s fun to try to get the best finish on your first try.

I could just picture reading this to a little kid and seeing their excitement over which choices to choose. I highly recommend these books to anyone who has children. They are both fun and somewhat educational. They definitely will bring out your sense of adventure! You can order directly from www.cyoa.com. I look forward to reading this whole series—they are so much fun and short. Great for bathroom reading material!

These books even have a little quiz on the book in the back plus at least in “The Abominable Snowman” one of the choices was to “open the backpack to investigate it’s contents” that directed the reader to a secret online ending!

Tweet This

Our Favorite Books For May

Gerard's Pick as Best for May: Cheer: 3 Teams On A Quest by Kate Torvognick

I'd give this book 10 stars if I could! This is just an outstanding book! It tells the story of three cheerleading teams and what they have to go through. It made me really feel like I knew these people. It's a real page turner. I found myself cheering for them!! Superb job, Kate!!!

Karen's Pick as Best for May: A Bride For Donnigan by Janette Oke

I liked it because both characters were well developed and the plot was unusual about man out west and two of his friends ordering brides from overseas. Three women were matched up with the three men, sight unseen. When the woman arrived, they married right away. It was a fun and interesting read, and revealed the adjustments that were involved in making the marriages work. One did not. Donnigan felt a strong responsibility to teach his children and prepare them for life after death, but had to search the scriptures himself to find out about God and how to get to heaven because there was no church near by. It was a very enjoyable read!

Are You A Reader? Then Shelfari Is For You!

If you like to read, you should really join www.shelfari.com. It is such a great web site for readers. Initially, it's time consuming to load the books you've read, but well worth it. It took me about 24 hours to load my initial 200+ books, including short summaries or reviews (that's optional) and setting up my profile page. The books are nicely displayed on a shelf, and you can put a widget on your my space profile or blog if you wish like I have done here. (You can see an example of the display at the bottom of my blog.)

Once you join, you can view the shelves of other members to see what they've read, how many books they have in common with you and what they are, add book reviews, participate on forum discussions about books as well as other topics. There are tons of discussion groups. You can add friends and drop notes or email them.

I don't know about you, but when I finish a good book like Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, or a baffling book like The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, I want to discuss it with others who've read it. On Shelfari, it's very easy to do because one discussion forum is called "Book Chat" where you can discuss any book you want! Or, you can click on the book on your shelf and then find out who else has read it and send them a note or email or friend request.

If there's a book you think you might like to read, you can also ask the Shelfari Members if they think you should read it or not and all those that have it on their shelf will get your inquiry and some will respond back to let you know what they thought of it.

Another nice feature is a special author page where you can discuss authors and find out more about them. I have about 25 books I plan to read now that were either discussed or recommended to me on Shelfari.

If you love to read, this site is for you! Check it out and let me know what you think. Then, send me a friend request. I'd love to be your Shelfari friend!