Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Monthly Archives: April 2022


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13 Book Tour Dos & Don’ts

“What’s a “book tour”? you ask. Glad you asked.

A “book tour,” also known as a “book blog tour,” is when a book goes on a virtual tour across the internet, hosted on various book blogs. These tours allow a book to gain more exposure to potential readers. Tours can also be an effective way for authors to promote their books, especially if they’re indie or self-published authors. (Find out more here.) 

Stretching….

Mom and I get boatloads of book tour invitations. (Here a tour. There a tour. Everywhere a tour, tour.) We ignore most of them. We’re either not interested in the book being promoted or our schedule is already jammed.

But they can also be fun. A chance to meet new people. Explore new books. Find new authors. Make new friends. Sniff out a nice, thick, juicy steak…

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. Blog tours.

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TTT: Books With THIS Award on the Cover

Don’t look now, but this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is Books With ___ on the Cover. (Pick a thing, a color, an item, a place, an animal, person, etc. and share books that have that thing on the cover.)

Children’s Literature has long been a favorite genre. So we’re highlighting Books With Newbery Medals on the Cover. 

100th Anniversary!

Besides. The first Newbery Medal was awarded in 1922. So This year, 2022, marks the award’s 100th anniversary.

What is a Newbery Medal, aka: a Newbery Award? Since 1922, the Newberry medal has been awarded annually by the American Library Association for “The most distinguished contribution to American literature for children”.” The Newbery Medal is the oldest and most prestigious children’s book award given in the United States. (For more info. About the Newbery Award, click here.  For a complete list of Newbery Medal winners, click here.)

It was really hard to narrow down our list to just a handful of awardees. But here, in no particular order, are some of our favorites. How many of these have you read?

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‘A Kinder City’

We’ve been asked to “spotlight” this book. So here ya go:

 

About the Book:

The City is governed by the grim law of profit and loss. No exceptions, no place for compassion, pleasure, the warmth of friendship or the ardour of love. David, an Enforcer committed to the Law, meets Sarah, a villager from outside, and begins to understand that a different, more joyful, life is possible.

A Kinder City tells the story of their tangled relationship and of how they fall in love, and of their struggle against Franklin, the richest man in Market World. If the only law is the market, why not sell everything – and that includes the air we breathe, the land we stand on, the water we drink? No exceptions. His giant factories spew forth the road beasts – the huge machines that devastate the lands beyond the City in pursuit of yet more wealth. Not content with cloning animals, he traps horses in exo-skeletons and works them to death. Torn between her growing passion for David and her revulsion at the City that he is pledged to protect, Sarah turns her back on him.

In despair, he confronts one of the convoys supplying Franklin’s mills and releases the horses trapped within the giant trucks. Pursued by terrifying security guards they escape to the Broken Lands and witness at first hand the desolation that results from ruthless strip-mining and industrial farming driven purely by greed, and the misery of the remaining villagers. In their struggle to survive and return to the City they discover the power of their love for each other. Sarah challenges Franklin to his face and, helped by David, sparks off rebellion among the poor of the City. Together they defeat Franklin. He must learn what it means to be destitute and alone in Market World. The possibility of building a kinder City lies within their grasp.

About the Author:

Peter Taylor-Gooby is a sociologist. He has published widely and made many TV and radio appearances. His novels deal with issues that matter – love, money, power and environmental disaster. He has worked on adventure playgrounds, in a social security office and as a teacher. He loves walking, cycling, writing and talking to his children.

 

Follow him at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.taylorgooby

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterT_G

Buy Links

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinder-City-Market-World-Novel-ebook/dp/B09WYYM15L

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Kinder-City-Market-World-Novel-ebook/dp/B09WYYM15L

 

Note:

The book did not arrive in time for us to read and review. So we won’t be rating it. We’ll leave that to you. 🙂


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Kernels of Consummate in ‘The Coronation’?

The Coronation

By Justin Newland

Matador, 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Via: ZooLoo’s Book Tours

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Step into 18th century Prussia and meet a land-owning family, its matriarch, and their community as they navigate politics, faith, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, treachery, and romance as the Seven Years’ War with Russia and Austria rages.

Select Characters:

Countess Marion von Adler of East Prussia.

The Countess could really use some Excedrin Migraine or a CAT SCAN. Her hubby Gottfried is off fighting the war, leaving Marion to run the estate – when she’s not down with a splitting headache. And what’s up with her visions of eagles?

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Don’t Be This Author – or – How to Get a Negative Review in 3 Easy Steps

Shhh! Mom’s snoozing. So it’s just us, okay?

Can we talk? Like, about book reviews? Cuz Mom and I are getting flooded with requests for book reviews. We love it! But we also want to be efficient. So we decided to set and clarify some basic ground rules. As in, what to avoid. Or Don’t Be This Author. With this kind of book.

So, here’s how to get a negative review in three easy steps (Examples taken from actual events. Names and places sort of changed to protect the not-so-innocent.):

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Will His Secret Destroy All in ‘The One You’re With’?

The One You’re With

By Laura K. Denton

Thomas Nelson, 2021

Genre: Clean Romance/Christian Fiction

Via: Library

“Edie was a mother, and mothers had certain codes, just like doctors. Do no harm. Put others first. Help when needed. And always love – even when it’s hard. Even when it flies in the face of everything you feel.”

The One You’re With is a love story. Only it’s probably not the kind you may be thinking of.  In fact, it’s anything but a frothy “beach read.” This book is sturdy and substantive. It’s about love. Loyalty. Sacrifice and selflessness. Sticking with it and standing firm, even when the chips are down. It’s about choices and consequences. Mistakes. Grace. And most of all, second chances.

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GUEST POST: Meet Rick Rogers, ‘The Hiking Guy’!

“Hey! Hey! Whaddya say? Let’s take this blog another way!”

Mom’s idea for an intro, spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. So don’t blame me, okay?

Anyway, today I’m almost as excited as when I get an extra strip of nice, crispy bacon! Cuz we’re introducing you to one of our favorite new authors, Rick Rogers “The Hiking Guy.”

We recently reviewed Rick’s magnum opus, Walking Home. It’s about his adventures and misadventures along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Easily one of the most engaging and entertaining books on the subject we’ve ever come across, Walking Home earned our highly coveted 5-star ratings. (Read our full review here. It’ll open your eyes as well as tickle your funny bone.)

We enjoyed Rick’s book so much, we didn’t want it to end. So we asked if he’d be interested in writing a guest post. Rick kindly agreed. So here’s the better-than-bacon part: It’s Write Here! (That’s not a typo. In case you’re wondering.)

So pour yourself a nice big glass of whatever. Sit down and take a load off. Kick back and get ready for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how and why Walking Home came into being. Take it away, Rick!

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If You Loved LOTR, You’re Gonna Want to Read THIS

It’s been awhile since our last Beginnings and a Friday 56. So today we’re covering both with J. V. Hilliard’s new fantasy/adventure release, The Last Keeper. Like this:

Book Beginnings is a theme where readers share the first sentence (or couple of sentences) from their current read. It’s hosted by Rose City Reader every Friday.

The Friday 56 is hosted by Frida’s Voice. Share a few sentences from page 56 or 56% into your current read. Sound good? Perfect! Cuz here we go:

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TTT: Why ‘Shadow’ is Like a Warm Breath of Spring

Shadow

By Michael Morpurgo

U.S.: Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan

Great Britain: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2010

Genre: Historical Fiction

Via: Library

A silver star badge. A little red train.  A cave in Afghanistan. A “sniffer dog” named Shadow. An incredible story of escape, adversity, courage, and love. The kind that never gives in and never gives up.

It’s perfect for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, which is a “Freebie.”

“We want you back.”

Kimber here, ready to introduce you to my new BFF: Shadow the springer spaniel. Aka: “Polly.” She’s a special bomb-sniffing dog. (Okay, she’s not quite as special as I am. But let’s not get picky here, okay?)

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Shadow. She gets lost in Afghanistan during the war and is finally reunited with her old unit from the U.K. But not before finding her way into the heart of young Aman.

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Why Is THIS Book ‘Bouillabaisse’?

Recursion

By David J. Harrison

The Book Guild, 2021

Genre: Thriller/Sci Fi

“Well,” sniffs Her Momness. “That’s four hours out of my life I’ll never be able to get back.”

She recently bowed out of a “book blog tour” on this lemon. As in, chucked it across the room. She calls it “Taking out the garbage.” (Mom’s just funny that way.)

And “garbage” is exactly what this book is. We tried to give it a fair chance. Like, “Olly olly oxen free !” But 66% in, Mom was doneski. Outta here! Gag me! Clean-up on aisle nine!

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