If you’re reading this post, it’s probably because you’re a brilliant author looking for a Seriously Pawsome book review team to read and review your latest magnum opus.
Great! You’ve come to the right place!
But there are some things you should know before requesting a review. That’s what’s this post is for. Here’s the 4-1-1:
Ever get a whiff of a skunk? You don’t need to get close. One whiff is Plenty. (Don’t ask how I know that.)
Mom and I, we read. A lot. Like, 300+ books a year on average. We know what we like. What we don’t. What works. What stinketh. We try to approach every book with an open mind. Give it a chance. That being said, it doesn’t take us long to smell out a stinker.
We pass our “olfactory discoveries” on to you at no extra charge. To save you some time. Consider it a Public Service Announcement.
So here’s our newest list of literary skunks. These titles top our most recent DNF (Did Not Finish) list. Cuz they’re stinkers. Here’s why:
BrilliantFirst, a confession. Her Momness and I grabbed this book off the library shelf for two main reasons: 1) The cover. 2) One of us – I won’t say who – thought it was about a dog. I mean, hey. “Brilliant” and a black dog on the cover? Need I say more?
Well. We only had like 98 seconds to make a selection, so gimme a break, okay?
Then we got home. And started reading. Turns out one of us was way off the kibble on this book. By about a mile a half. So, listen up, Cupcake! I’m gonna tell ya what this book is really about, okay?
Ready? Get set! Let’s go!
There’s a reason Jon Krakauer is a bestselling author of narrative nonfiction. If you’re unfamiliar with Krakauer, then consider picking up a copy of his book Into The Wild. It’s an excellent introduction into the work of this crack investigative journalist as he pieces together the life and death of Christopher McCandless (aka: “Alexander Supertramp”).
The son of a well-off family, McCandless disappeared after graduating from college. He donated his $25,000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possessions. Burned all the cash he had. McCandless chose to become a “leather tramp,” relying on hitchhiking as his primary mode of transportation (as opposed to a “rubber tramp,” someone who travels on wheels).
Essentially divested of all connections to civilization, McCandless sets off across the country with his sights set on his “great Alaskan adventure.” Intending to spend the summer alone in the bush, living off the land, McCandless walked into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992. Along with his meager possessions, McCandless carried a pair of borrowed boots, a guide book on edible plants, and a ten pound bag of rice.
He was found dead by moose hunters four months later. He weighed 67 pounds. What may have happened to McCandless and why makes up the balance of this riveting read.
The TestamentIt’s been a long time since I read a book just for the fun of it. Not to be the first to post a review. Not to inhale it in big gulps so I can hurry on to the next title – or rush to meet a deadline.
But to take my time. Creak open a cover. Smell the new book smell. Fan a few pages. Sip and savor the words slowly, like fine wine. Let the whole world melt away in the vast profundity and gentle joy of a good book.
Author John Grisham has made a name for himself as the “King of the Legal Thriller.” Reading a Grisham novel is just fun. It’s like diving into an Olympic-sized pool on a hot summer day. Eating ice cream. Dancing in the rain. Stealing a nice, thick, juicy steak off Mom’s plate. Wait. How’d that get in here? Oops. Well, I think Mom’s forgotten about The Great Steak Caper. So let’s just keep it our little secret, okay?
Anyway. Today we’re reviewing two recently read John Grisham books: The Associate and The Broker. One we loved. The other, not so much. Here’s the scoop:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, Mom and Dad and other grown-ups. ‘Fess up. How many times have you wished you had an informative but low-key and highly readable resource to grab during that mad dash to the E.R. with a sick or injured kiddo?
Well, pardner. Wait no more. Cuz that resource is here in The Higgily Hospital.
And you don’t have to be a ‘brain surgeon’ to figure this one out. None of that ‘doctorese’ or medical mumbo-jumbo here. Nope. This is an honest, easy-to-read and soothing resources for little ones. And big people, too. Like this:
Judgment CallNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What does it mean to forgive someone? Are forgiveness and justice mutually exclusive? How? Why? When?
These are just a few of the thorny questions and issues swirling throughout this creative read by E.G. Roshan, Judgment Call.
Since one of us is battling tendonitis today and it hurts to write, we’re gonna skip the usual book review prelims and dive right in. As long as the Alleve holds out. So let’s go:
Fiction can be a powerful tool to address or draw attention to real life issues and problems and raise awareness of same. (Hi, Chuck Dickens.) But it can also be tricky. Like, Where does the fiction end and facts/real life begin? What’s true and what’s not? How do you tell?
This is why some readers may find Yvonne M. Morgan’s Gypsy For God problematic.
For the record, we really wanted to like this book. In fact, one of us – I won’t say who – wanted to love it. (Except maybe for the parts about Rex the cat. Go figure.) It’s beautifully written and reads like non-fiction. At least for awhile.
This book is written like it’s the real-life, true story of a middle aged woman, Kathleen, who loses her accounting job. Struggles with involuntary early retirement. Becomes a travel agent. Travels with hubby Sam all over the world, ostensibly “doing research” for her travel clients. (This gets really old, by the way. How many taxi rides, souvenir shops, photo opps and dinner menus do readers have to plow through before arriving at something more meaningful? Yawn.)
In the course of her globe-trotting to Abu Dhabi, India, Kenya, Nepal and elsewhere, “Kathleen” sees childhood poverty and neglect first hand. Her heart is touched. Kathleen later meets with a church friend, Helen, and then her pastor to discern God’s new purpose for her life. After much prayer and consideration, she decides she wants to help these children. And sets up a web site/projects to fight human trafficking and help destitute children.
Wow! Talk about a compelling story! A potent combination of travelogue and an epic journey of self-discovery, all beautifully told in the first person. Like Kathleen was really there. Really traveled to all the places mentioned. Really saw those desperate young faces. One of us was on the edge of her seat!
But it’s fiction. Kathleen isn’t real. She is a character apparently invented by the author to try to convey the main theme. Pity, that. Because this may leave some readers wondering: If Kathleen is fiction, what else in this book falls into the same category?
For example, the events in Chapter 26 per 15 y.o. neighbor and sometimes cat sitter Sophie. This whole chapter and story arc feel contrived. Artificial. Made us wonder what else in this book is contrived and artificial. Like, is ANY of this true? How much? Are “Helen” and “Pastor John” and their conversations with “Kathleen” also imaginary? That’s unfortunate. Cuz this faith-flavored read makes some really good points elsewhere.
See how this works?
Overall, this is a strong story with an important, much-needed message. It just hit us wrong. Like, it would’ve been a lot better if “Kathleen” was a real person. And her story was all true.
***
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Via Blog Tour.
As an author and blogger, Yvonne M. Morgan writes stories to help deepen a relationship with God. On a personal level, she was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Author Yvonne M. Morgan.
She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, but most importantly, Yvonne is a child of God who is passionate about prayer and missions. Her passion is to share stories of trusting the Lord and watching Christ in action. As a faithful prayer warrior, she trusted God when he called her to help orphans after losing her son.
Purchase a copy of Gypsy for God on Amazon. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
Go Find is about being lost. The memoir tells the true story of how Sue and her avalanche dog, a black Lab named Tasha, search for missing people in the high country of Colorado and elsewhere from about 1995 to 2007.
We had high hopes for this book. But it gets lost in Soap Opera Land, with too many side trips into Tedium, Tiresome and Blurrysville. Ditto the countless detours into life with the author’s allegedly petulant, controlling husband, Sir Pouts-a-Lot.
We eventually learn that the vast majority of Tasha’s deployments are “decomp” missions to locate human remains. A live find is rare. Sue and Tasha are often deployed as “last resorts” – long after any decent chance of locating a live missing person has flown the coop. Too often egos, petty politics and jealousies within the SAR community as well as weather, terrain, logistical details and a lot of other stuff mitigate against a live find. It’s depressing and frustrating.
Pages & Paws 