CALICO JOE by John Grisham

Do you love baseball?  I practically grew up on a baseball field as my brother played and our dad coached the team.

This is the story of two players, told by the son of one.  Paul's father Warren was a pitcher for the NY Mets and Paul lived and breathed baseball.  His dad however was absent most of the time and when home tended toward drinking and abuse if the family.  Paul rarely got to talk baseball with his dad or even have a game of catch.  Joe was a minor league player who was moved up to the Chicago Cubs, where he went about breaking lots of records.  Until the fateful day he came up to bat against Warren.
Both lives will be shattered.  What will happen?


AMAZON - Calico Joe


SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J. K. Rowling

Book 6 in the series.
Harry,  Ron, Hermione and Ginny go back to Hogwarts.  Not before Harry and Dumbledore go on a mission.  This year at school Harry will have private lessons with Dumbledore, which involve going inside people's memories.   There are all kinds of danger about and lots of extra security as well in the wizarding world.   Harry also gets a used book for a class that he hadn't expected to take, this book was once used by the half-blood prince, but who was he?  He did write notes all in the book that really helps Harry with potions.

AMAZON - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE ANGELS OF MORGAN HILL by Donna VanLiere

A quick read, that takes you back in time.  Back to the 1947, in a small town in Tennessee.  Lonnie Gable dies, leaving a wife who finds out she is pregnant, daughter Jane and son John.  They are poor as a lot of people were then.  On the day of his funeral, Jane and John see the first "colored" person of their lives.  Milo is a boy about their age and along with his family has come to work on a neighboring farm.  This didn't sit well with some,  but Jane and her family made friends with them. One night Milos house burned, killing his father and sister and shortly after his mother.  Abby-his mother doesn't pass until Fran-Jane's mother promises to raise Milo.  This is not easy and follows along their ups and downs.

AMAZON - The Angels of Morgan Hill

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE CHRISTMAS BUS by Melody Carlson

If you like stories about Christmas, you will like this book.
You have a modern day story about Jesus birth.  Edith and Charles own a bed and breakfast and Charles is the pastor of the church across the street.  Their children will not be able to make it for Christmas and Edith decides to open the B & B for the holidays.  Soon the inn is filled.  Then a young couple driving an old brightly painted bus come to see if there is a room.  They are allowed to park their bus on the street.  Amy is due to have her baby soon.  Lots of fun and a disagreeable guest make this a fast read.

AMAZON - The Christmas Bus

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE HORSE WHISPERER by Nicholas Evans

Do you like horses?  I have only ridden a few times in my life.  I think they are beautiful animals.

This story will take you into the horse world of ranching and whisperers.  Also, what happens when a horse and his rider a young girl are in a horrible accident.  As well as her friend, she and her horse were killed.  Grace loses half of one leg and her horse has such severe injuries the vet felt like he should have been put down.  To make matters worse once he recovers he is so frightened he is aggressive and is abused by the stable owners sons.  Will Grace recover, will her horse?

AMAZON - The Horse Whisperer

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

ONLY YOURS-a Fool's Gold Romance by Susan Mallery

A fun and easy story.  Simon is a surgeon who works with burn patients.  He has come to Fool's Gold for a few months to help treat patients.  Montana lives there and is pressured by the mayor to get to know and try to convince him to stay there.  Montana works with therapy dogs and her first meeting with the Dr is literally a run in, where Fluffy got away from her and knocked the Dr down.  He is very serious and Montana is happy and fun.

AMAZON - Only Yours

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

TEXAS HEAT by Fern Michaels

A very fast and enjoyable book.  Travel from Texas to New York to Hawaii and more.  Near Austin, Texas the Coleman's have a ranch-Sunbridge.  Maggie has inherited it and invites the family to spend the 4th of July with her. Which includes her estranged daughter, her son, her nephew, aunts and sisters.  The boys are the same age and Cole, Maggie's son takes a dislike to his cousin.  Maggie's daughter and her boyfriend, break up.  Just your everyday run of the meal problems, except they are rich.

AMAZON - Texas Heat

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS