The Fortune Cafe by Julie Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this to my Nook library when it was free from Barnes and Noble. I read the first part before I reached the button to get for free, and I kept reading the rest of the day until I finished. That is the best way to recommend any book: I enjoyed it so much I kept reading until it was finished.


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Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook to my Nook library when it was free from Barnes and Noble because I like historical fiction. It is the second book in the series, Heroines Behind the Lines. Since this is the second book, I had an expectation of this author's style, and I still find her storytelling to be uneven as Green has a tendency to use the characters to get preachy directly to the reader. Green bases her fictional character on research into historical characters and sometimes combines too many problems for this one character to resolve.
I recommend this book to fans of the author.


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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the January 2018 selection for my book club.
I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to all book nerds who either already understand the allusions or is willing to read more books. I enjoyed all the characters and the way the story was told.


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The Cutthroat by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading all the Isaac Bell books we had in our home library in 2017!


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Front Lines by Michael  Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this as a Serial Read from Barnes and Noble during December 2017. I enjoy historical fiction, even if this is an alternate history that reimagines WWII era where women receive equal opportunities in the military because the Supreme Court requires it. Our teenage protagonists still have to deal with the sexism, racism, and anti-Semitism that were cultural norms of that age.
This book is the first of a trilogy, and I liked it enough to look for the next book at my public library.


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The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book, but I disliked the three protagonists.


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Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook was free from Barnes and Noble when I downloaded it to my Nook library. Green was a new-to-me author, and I enjoy historical fiction. Green based her fictional heroine on the life of a historic woman, Georgeanna Woolsey. I rated this three stars because some of the story-telling is uneven.



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The Gangster by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading all the Clive Cussler and Justin Scott books in my home library this year, and this gets me closer to finishing that goal.
I find these Isaac Bell books entertaining.
This book can be read as a stand-alone for readers unfamiliar with the series.


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The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ordered this book for Dad as soon as I heard it was released, for he thoroughly enjoys the books Snelling writes about the Bjorklund family. This story is about Norwegian cousins who will settle in Minnesota. My Kindle copy was available as a matchbook.
I enjoyed the story; but there were moments when I felt Snelling was relying too much on the details of how to do tasks like washing the butter or keeping the fire in the stove the right temperature for the work of boiling enough water, and every other household chore to stifle the words of frustration that these immigrants felt for working off their debt to their relatives.
I recommend this book to fans of this author, and I eagerly anticipate the second book in this series/


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Traces of Bliss by Cecilia Velástegui
My rating: 3 of 5 stars




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The Assassin by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook to my Nook library when it was free from Barnes and Noble in 2012. This is a young adult book as the three girls in the book are in high school. It belongs in the coming-of-age genre.
I recommend it to fans of that genre.


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Beside Two Rivers by Rita Gerlach
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library from Barnes & Noble. It is the second book of a trilogy, and I do not plan to read the third book.
I usually like historical fiction; but, I found myself questioning some assumptions about how fast and how far these characters would travel to bring doctor or a vicar to aid the main characters. I also felt irritated at the melodrama of this author's style.
I recommend it only to fans of Rita Gerlach.


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The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler


This book has been in my home library as part of our Clive Cussler/Isaac Bell collection. I'm making progress to be current with the goal of reading what we have before buying a newly released one.
I am entertained when I read these books, and that is why I give these books more stars than other historical fiction books.
I recommend this to fans of Isaac Bell, Clive Cussler, and Justin Scott.


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The Striker by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been in my home library, and I am just now making time to read it.
I'm a fan of the books with Isaac Bell and this book was entertaining.
I recommend it for fans of the series.


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The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love--Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits by Judson Brewer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this ebook for myself when two different libraries did not have this book to borrow.
We humans make habits with the pattern: trigger, behavior, reward, and we can use positive or negative reinforcement. Mindfulness helps us insert curiosity before behavior to help us become disenchanted and WAKE UP!
I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys reading about neuroscience discoveries about habits.


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Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I felt disappointed by this book.


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Odessa Sea by Clive Cussler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read it because I enjoy Dirk Pitt and Al.
I give it 5 stars because Dirk Pitt is swashbuckling even in an age of RPGs and automatic weapons. Of course Dirk can do what did, and he can keep me entertained.
I recommend it only to fans of the series.


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The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Novel by Mitch Albom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book will be the November selection for our book club. I look forward to the discussion this book will generate.
"Everyone joins a band in this life" is a repetitive theme. My book club could be a band.
I recommend this book for other members of book clubs.


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  Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura  Bates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book will be the October selection for my book club, so I borrowed it on the Hoopla app from my local library. I doubt I would have selected it for its topic without the book club.
There were some parts I found difficult to read because I felt manipulated by the author to have more empathy for Larry than I would have given him from another person's telling of his story. It did make me question my previous belief about the need for correctional education. I look forward to book club's discussion.
I recommend it to other book clubs and their readers.


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 The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was downloaded to my Nook library when it was offered for free from Barnes and Noble several years ago. I chose it because I enjoy motivational self-help books.
This book has some truthiness to it. "Over time, myths and mistruths get thrown around so often they eventually feel familiar and start to sound like the truth." Like all good advice books, the advice will work only if it becomes a consistent part of your day. The main question to be asked for this book is "What is the One thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"
The author also discusses creating a time block on your calendar or schedule to do the One thing.
I recommend this book for all readers who enjoy this genre.


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The Western Star by Craig Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a fan of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire books so I requested this one as soon as I heard it would be available. When I could clear enough time to start this one, I read it in one day because I was fully involved in the two storylines of this book.
I took off one star because it ends with a cliffhanger, and now I have to wait for the next one!


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Digitization Options for Family Photos: Including Slides, Film Negatives, and Home Movies by Thomas MacEntee
My rating: 2 of 5 stars




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Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who shares a concern about trying to eat healthful foods, and I am glad I did. I do not add salt to food when I cook because I know DH will salt food before tasting, and yet when I track foods with an app that stores data from labels, my sodium levels often exceeded recommended levels by the end of the day. Now that I read labels for more than calories/serving, I see canned peas has 380mg sodium with sugar and salt added during the canning process.
I find this book discouraging and disheartening because the investigative reporting by Michael Moss reveals how many nutritional scientists are working to find bliss points so that the processed food will be craved and so many marketing people are eager to use words to allow me to think concentrated fruit juice might be a healthful choice.
All readers MUST read this book!


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Guns by Phil Bowie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook for free from Barnes and Noble for my Nook library in 2012. This is a mystery-revenge novel. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, and decided to go with 4 stars because I think other readers might enjoy it.


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A Heart for Home by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third novel of the Home to Blessing series as part of the Bjorklund family books by Lauraine Snelling.
I enjoyed each and every one of these books, and I recommend them to all readers.


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The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to read this book because I had a difficult time controlling food cravings that I felt was provoked by exposure to high fructose corn syrup during periods of physical and emotional stress. This book explained why some of my cravings may have been manipulated by the food industry's choices by the addition of extra sugar, fat, and salt and by the marketing that may condition me to use food as a reward. I learned how "...cues, priming, and emotional triggers all drive conditioned hypereating." The second part of the book suggests different techniques to disrupt the cue-urge-reward-habit cycle. I have high hopes as I put these strategies into actions.
I recommend this book to all readers.


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A Measure of Mercy by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

During my move, I either lost this book or prematurely donated it. I used the Hoopla app to download it from my new local library. It is the first of the Home to Blessing series which is still part of the Bjorklund novels that began with the immigration of this Norwegian family in An Untamed Land.
I'm a fan of most of Laurain Snelling's Bjorklund novels and I recommend them to all readers. My 90-year old father continues to praise all of them.


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 Half Truths: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn't Say by Adam Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was read and recommended by a Goodreads friend, and it intrigued me because advice given to me has often come to me as several of these five half-truths, and I have often repeated the same cliches when I was at a loss for words to others.
The five half-truths discussed in this book are:
1. Everything happens for a reason.
2. God helps those who help themselves.
3. God won't give you more than you can handle.
4.God said it, I believe it, That settles it.
5. Love the sinner, hate the sin.
Hamilton analyzes the half-truth for Biblical verses that others might use to support it, suggests some different interpretations, and gives us choices about phrases that might be better when we try to offer comfort and support.
I recommend this book for all readers and book clubs that have an interest in discussing the topics.


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The Constantine Codex by Paul L. Maier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook was free from Barnes and Noble when I downloaded it to my Nook library in 2012.
It just gets dropped to a three-star rating because I would not recommend it to my friends because I doubt they have enough interest in the information about documenting the discovery of the ancient text and what it could mean for the Christian communities.


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The Self-Compassion Diet: A Step-By-Step Program to Lose Weight with Loving-Kindness by Jean Fain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This ebook was recommended to me by members of Eat4Health group because they discussed the book before I joined, and many continue to refer to it.
There are five parts: self-compassion; hypnosis; mindfulness; social support; and continuing education.
I plan to re-read parts of it to help me make some better habits. I recommend this book to all readers.


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Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I borrowed this ebook from my local library because it was available when I learned to use the Libby app with my Kindle. I have almost given up reading books by Grisham because I was disappointed by the last three books by him for not being the page-turners I expected them to be.
I could give this one another half star.


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Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook to my Nook library when it was free in 2012. I like historical fiction. I was disappointed in the characters as they seemed to be stereotypes who went from one crisis to the next.
I recommend it only to fans of the author and this genre.


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Fire Ice by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was given to my home library by my uncle and aunt who passed it on after reading it. They know I enjoy books by Clive Cussler. This was the first Kurt Austin novel I read.
I enjoy these adventure stories and the wise-cracking heroes.


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Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #5 by Robbie Morrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars




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  All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I downloaded this in order to try the Libby app. It is a phrase I often hear from my father.
It is a picture book for adults but I have difficulty recommending it to other readers because I do not want to trivialize feelings of others.


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The Tumor by John Grisham
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook for free for my Nook library from Barnes and Noble. It is 67 pages long. It is not a thriller; it is marketing material for focused ultrasound technology to raise awareness about the hopes this technology encourages.


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Hoist on My Own Petard: Or: How Writing 10% Happier Threw My Own Advice Right Back in My Face by Dan Harris
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Free promotional item.


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The Thirst by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I waited more than 3 months to borrow this ebook from my local library. There is only one reason I wait so long for a book with so much violence, and that reason is I like the craftsmanship of the author.
I really like these books but I have difficulty recommending them to others who would only stop reading due to the violent content.


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Shadows in the Sun: Healing from Depression and Finding the Light Within by Gayathri Ramprasad
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library from Barnes and Noble.
It is a creative nonfiction type of memoir because the author must fill in her memories, lost to ECT shock treatment for her depression, with stories told by her family members.
I recommend it to readers who want to understand behaviors of others who need better mental health treatments.


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 Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace by Terri Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended by a friend who lives near this community where the killings occurred. The book is thought-provoking and provides good opportunities for discussions.
Eight suggestions from the author include:
1. Move forward.
2. Think on these things from Philippians 4:8--"What ever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
3.Practice forgiveness.
4. Make right choices.
5. Share your story with others.
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
7. Pray with thanksgiving.
8. Focus on Eternity.
I recommend it to all readers.


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One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting by Marie Monville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend who lives near the area of Pennsylvania where this shooting occurred. This book is a story of faith and redemption.
I recommend it to all readers.


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The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This ebook did not work well in 3 of my Nooks as the page-turning would stick. I gave up reading this.


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The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I borrowed this book from my local library in time to read it before it was the selection for a book club. I also downloaded the questions from ReadingGroupGuides.com


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The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone by Emily Giffin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I downloaded this ebook when it was free from Barnes and Noble for my Nook library. I was unfamiliar with the Darcy and Rachel series, and this is a prequel to that series. I'm glad it was free at that time because I would have hated to spend money for a 29-page prequel and the rest of this is advertising for the author.
I recommend it only to fans of the series.


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 In Between by Jenny B. Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was free when I downloaded it from Barnes and Noble to my Nook library. I classify it as Young Adult, contemporary Christian fiction.
It was a quick read with light humor so it was a fun summer-time read. I enjoyed the characters.
I recommend it to readers who prefer this genre.


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Camino Island by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I gave this book to my father for Fathers' Day, and he was disappointed in the book because "there was too much drinking and not being faithful to your wife." A central character does not have to be a paragon of virtue; the character just has to be believable for the narrative to move along.
I liked the book because it held my interest for long periods of time so that I could finish it in 3 days.


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Sing: A Novel of Colorado by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library from Barnes and Noble in 2012. It is the second book of a trilogy, and I had not read the first. The author gave enough information this book could be read as a stand alone; but, I never cared enough about its three principal characters to want to read more of the trilogy. The Christian message was heavy-handed in this book, and I took off a star for that.


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