So Mom is skipping merrily around the house. Opening every window in sight. Crowing about sunshine and summer.
So embarrassing.
But that got one of us thinking. What are some great children’s books set during the sunshine season? The kind that’ll keep kiddos engaged, turning pages and avoiding endless choruses of “I’m boooorred”? Cuz summer is prime reading time! And not just for us dinosaurs (Don’t tell Mom I said that, okay?).
Continue readingKimber the Magnificent here. With a true-life story. About Yours Truly. It’s real short. But it’s relevant to this review. So kindly keep you hair on, pal. Goes like this:
Awhile back Her Royal Momness looked out the window into the yard. She noticed I was limping. Mom ran outside like a shot from a cannon. Found my front paw was all bloody. No idea what happened or how. Just Too. Much. Blood. After recovering from her heart attack, Mom got the neighbor kid to help carry me into the house. Then we called Dr. Dan. He’s my doctor. We set a new land-speed record racing over to Dr, Dan’s place (don’t tell anyone, okay?). And Dr. Dan and his helpers took care of me. Bandage. Pain meds. Anti-biotic thingies. Observation. They even got me this little plastic bootie for my foot. To protect my bandage from getting wet. Mom had to tie it on my foot every time I had to go outside. So annoying. But it worked. And about a week and half later-ish, I was up and running and zooming all over creation, like usual! So yea, Dr. Dan!
Still with me? Good! I’m telling you this because I wanted to let you know that I was not scared at Dr. Dan’s place. That’s because I love Dr. Dan! He talks real soft and slow. I see him twice a year (that foot ouchie was a “seismic anamoly.” No idea what that means. It’s just what Mom said, okay?) At my usual check-ups, Dr. Dan says. “How’s my sweet girl today?” His face is all smiley and his voice is happy when he says that. I like Dr. Dan because Dr. Dan likes me! He also remembers I like the bacon-flavored treats best. Dr. Dan is one of my favorite-est hoomans in the whole world. (He’s not Mom. But, hey. Who is?)
So when Mom got a review request for this little’uns book about how they can be a veterinarian like my good buddy Dr. Dan, I said “Take it!” The world needs more Dr. Dans. I’ll let Mom fill you in on the rest:
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Happy June 1!
No idea what that means, spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. But Mom is crowing about “Hoo-ray for June!” So “June” must be a good thing, right? Especially if “June” comes in Filet Mignon, medium-well, wrapped in bacon and all juicy and yummy and…
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. June. And reading.
Well. Today you’re in for a treat, Cupcake. Cuz today I’m gonna give you a rundown on how this June reading thing works in my house. Like this:
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A Mateus de Silva Adventure (Koehlerbooks, 2026)
By Jeffrey K. Schmoll
Genre: Fiction – Action/Adventure
Pages (Print): 252
Via: Author’s request
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold” – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
So. You may want to break out your winter gear and an extra blankie for the newest action/adventure book by Jeffrey Schmoll. Cuz we’re talkin’ Edmond Dantes-esque revenge here as expert writing, pitch-perfect pacing and a lightning-fast plot race across pages and places like a runaway freight train in The Colonel’s Revenge.
Yeppers, this story has it all. Unusual settings: Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Friends lost on the battlefield. Diamonds, gems, treasure. A desperate fight for survival in a brutal, illegal gold mine. Losing a family. Finding a grandson. Love. Loyalty. Betrayal. Second chances. And enough high-octane adventure to send you into orbit. I’ll let Mom tell ya more. (Cuz, ya know. Mom. Insert eye roll here.)
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Kimber the Magnificent here. Giving you a little heads up. Cuz The ‘Ole Curmudgeon is being an old curmudgeon today. Again. Still. It has to do with this holiday thingy today. I’ll let TOC fill ya in:
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Kimber here. Saying you might want to stock up on tissue before tackling one of the best non-fiction books we’ve read all year. It’s Jackie Kurtz’s Kindness Heroes: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. Cuz we just finished it. And Mom is doing that sniffly, sparkly-eyed thing. Again. Cuz, ya know. Mom. (Insert eye roll here.)
I’ll let Mom tell ya more:
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Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
It’s Christmastime in 1984 Dearborn, Michigan. High Schooler James Christie is attending a Christmas Eve party. Ex-San Francisco detective/ace private investigator Johnny Wong is also attending the party at the Christie mansion. It’s a good thing the detective is in attendance. Because when industrial magnate and family patriarch David Christie falls dead at said party shortly after changing his will, the hunt for the killer is on in this faith-flavored seasonal whodunit.
There’s also superstition. Strange things that go bump in the night. The Christie family curse. Missing pictures. The Third Army. Suicide. Microchips and Silicon Valley. A gold pen. An ancient pact.
This book moves well and is an interesting read. It’s packed with plenty of misdirections, red herrings, and clever clues. It’s a good effort. The cover art is terrif! But it’s not yet ready for prime time. Here’s why:
Her Royal Momness and I were cruising literary headlines the other day. Several asked stuff like:
Oh boy! Oh Boy! Oh boy! Today we’re highlighting two of my favorite words: FREE and BOOK! No. Really. This list includes 16 apps and websites where you either create a free account to download books for free, can download unlimited audio and ebooks free for a limited time, or just read for free, period. Hi, Libby.
Sound good? Great! Grab the nearest fork and let’s dive in:
Kimber here. I bet you think Her Crankiness is… 100% cranky, right? So do I. (Don’t tell Mom, okay? Let’s just keep this our little secret.)
But every once in a while Mom surprises me. Not that I’m surprise-able. But …
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Mom and I read a trio of books recently that were … surprising. They were quite different from each other, too. Think dogs and cats. (Well, okay. Maybe not cats. But you get the picture.)
Anyway, the first book is a delightful Christian romance from Kim Vogel Sawyer. The second is a non-fiction “travel tome with a twist” from Joseph F. Smith, M.D. There’s also an historical fiction novel by Kristin Hannah.
All get an Official Thumbs Up from Her Crankiness. Here’s why (short version):
Pages & Paws 