Monthly Archives: April 2018

April 26, 2018 · 4:06 pm

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee covers the history of the Native Americans near the end of the 19th century. It is biased on the side of the Natives and doesn’t mince words when it comes to broken promises and treaties and forced relocation. I knew the federal government had treated the Native Americans poorly, but I never realized just what ramifications Manifest Destiny had on them or quite the extent of the poor treatment. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 44
Pages Read in 2018: 10,452
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April 21, 2018 · 5:22 pm

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Phillip Hoose

A group of teenage boys in Denmark created the Churchill Club. Their purpose was to sabatoge the Nazis through grafitti, destroying things, and stealing weapons. Most of the boys were eventually caught and sent to jail, but they inspired other Danes to create an underground network to undermine the Germans. The boys were brave and a bit crazy like only teenagers can be. The story is told with lots of quotes from Knud Pedersen, one of the Churchill Club leaders. It’s a pretty quick read. I highly recommend reading The Boys Who Challenged Hitler to anyone teenager and up who is interested in World War II.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 43
Pages Read in 2018: 10,070
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April 17, 2018 · 3:39 pm

Out of the Blue by Gretta Mulrooney

After inheriting her grandmother’s cottage in Cork, Liv leaves London to clear her head and think things through while her husband goes to a clinic to try to get his alcoholism under control. She unexpectedly runs into her first love, Aidan, who is now living near her grandmother’s little town, and sparks fly.

Out of the Blue is a horrible book. Most of the characters are incredibly selfish and think it is no big deal to have an affair. There are three affairs in the book and they all ruin lives, but that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue to participants. It’s like if you are unhappy in your marriage, feel free to step out on your husband or wife. As if the terrible plot wasn’t enough, the writing is sometimes hard to follow due to tense and incredibly boring and slow much of the time. The end is ridiculous and abrupt like the author had no idea how to actually write an ending to a book. I most definitely do not recommend reading this book.

1 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 42
Pages Read in 2018: 9861
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Filed under Realistic Fiction, Reason: Birthstone Bookology

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April 12, 2018 · 5:15 pm

Half a Heart by Karen McQuestion

Nine-year-old Logan has been mute for a couple years and due to abuse by his father, runs away from home. Meanwhile, his grandmother is searching for him without knowing he’s missing.

Half a Heart focuses mostly on Logan, but also brings in a couple side stories as well, all intertwining together in the end. Logan’s story unfolds slowly and is heartwrenching. The end wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but still was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend this book to adults who like happy endings that make you cry.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 41
Pages Read in 2018: 9637
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Filed under Realistic Fiction, Reason: I Like the Author

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April 12, 2018 · 4:06 pm

Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale

Doreen Green is just a regular fourteen-year-old girl. Well, except for one thing. She has a tail. A squirrel tail. Secretly, she calls herself Squirrel Girl. When the Micro-Manager threatens her new town, Squirrel Girl is there to save the day.

Squirrel Meets World is the first of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl books. It is funny, exciting, and just plain fun. I read it aloud to my 9- and 11-year-old sons (and my husband and 18-year-old daughter usually joined us, too). My 11-year-old pretty much never stopped giggling. The chapters are told from various points of view and have endnotes that are Doreen’s thoughts as she reads along with us. I highly recommend reading this book. It makes a most excellent family read aloud!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 40
Pages Read in 2018: 9400
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Filed under Children, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: I Like the Author

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April 5, 2018 · 10:55 am

Protected in Darkness by Heather Sunseri

Charley Packstone is now Kate Ward, hiding in Virginia Beach with her four-year-old daughter, Sarah. When she meets a young Navy SEAL, she begins to question all the rules she has in place for herself and all the walls she has put up, but a dead rat on her porch reminds her just how dangerous her life is and why those rules and walls are needed.

Protected in Darkness is a side novella to the In Darkness series. It gives a little more of the story of Charley Packstone after entering the Witness Protection Program. It’s a short, quick read full of whirlwind romance and crazy action. I highly recommend reading it. It can be read as a standalone or at any point after reading the second book of the In Darkness series.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 39
Pages Read in 2018: 9064
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April 3, 2018 · 3:10 pm

Desired in Darkness by Heather Sunseri

Now that she knows the true identity of Romeo, Brooke is closing in on him. But the closer she gets, the more desparate he becomes, stopping anyone who stands in the way of his ultimate goal. Meanwhile, a woman from Declan’s past shows up possibly preventing Declan and Brooke’s happily ever after from even beginning.

Desired in Darkness is the fifth book of the In Darkness series. This one gives closure to most of the Romeo questions while adding a couple new ones. It’s pretty much nonstop, edge of your seat action. There are some pretty big bombshell revelations scattered throughout, too. I very highly recommend reading this book, but read the other four first for it to make sense.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2018: 38
Pages Read in 2018: 8962
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