Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Monthly Archives: June 2024


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Summer Reading Olympics & Going for GOLD!

 

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re either: 1) A humungous book lover, 2) A humungous dog lover, 3) Both, or 4) Tired of kitty-sitting the neighbor’s feline.

Well. Have we got a deal for you.

The Challenge

Ya see, Her Royal Momness stumbled upon this “Summer Reading Challenge” thingy about three months back. (Stumbling. Ya know. Like Mom finds most things. Don’t tell her I said that, okay?)

Bronze, Silver, or Gold?

Anyhow, this SRC Challenge ’24 is hosted by the 52 Book Club. Since 2024 is a Summer Olympics, this year’s reading challenge had an Olympics-ish flavor. With 24 sports-inspired book prompts. Participants chose which “medal” they wanted to aim for, based on the number of books they planned to read during the summer in line with select Olympic-ish book prompts: Bronze, Silver, or Gold?

Via The 52 Book Club:

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‘The Boys in the Boat’ As Smooth as Silk

The Boys in the Boat

Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

By Daniel James Brown (Blue Bear Endeavor, Large Perint Press, 2013)

Via: Library

Genre: Narrative Non-Fiction

Pages (large print): 684 + B&W photos and about 50 pages of Notes)

“They weren’t just nine guys in a boat; they were a crew.”

Two unassuming signs announce the entrance and egress to the City of Sequim in Clallam County, Washington State. Perched on the shoulder of U.S. 101, they’re almost impossible to read as you drive by at 60-ish mph. But Mom caught ‘em. Or at least, a few words: Welcome to Squim, Home of Olympic Champions…” Or maybe it was “Gold Medalists…”

We went by too fast to read the rest. But we’re willing to bet the name Joe Rantz, one of the boys in the boat, is on it.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMBER!

My baby picture. I know. I’m adorable.

Today is an auspicious day! Cuz it’s not just any Monday. No siree, Lassie! Today is my birthday!

Yeppers, I’m eight years old today! Yea, me!

Kimber the Magnificent!

If you don’t already know me, I’m Kimber the Magnificent. I’m a rescue dog. Border Collie mix. The Smartest Member of the fam. (Mom says so. So it must be true.)

I’m loyal. Affectionate. Lithe, alert, and agile. I I’m also a quick learner. Brilliant and beautiful. With a champagne-esque personality: Bubbly and effervescent. I’m unconditional love on four feet. In fact, I love everyone! (Except the neighbor’s cat. Go figure.) I’m The Best Ever! (another Mom-ism.) I’m also shy, modest, and retiring. But who’s counting?

I co-narrate this blog thingy. (I’m the witty one. All sparkly and dazzly. In case ya hadn’t already figured that out.)

Her Royal Momness says I epitomize this John Grogan quote:

“A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water-logged stick will do just fine.

A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his.

How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”

Mom: So friends, are you short on joy, effervescence, or extraordinariness (new word I just made up)? Get a dog.

Just don’t ask for mine. Cuz this sweet girl’s already taken. 

Happy Birthday Kimber!

* Aka: Kimmi. Kim-Kim. The Kimster. Baby Girl. Sugar Bear. Boss Dog…

 


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Hannah’s ‘The Women’: Awesome or Arugula?

 

The Women

By Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press, 2024)

Genre: Historical Fiction/Vietnam

Via: Library

Pages: 464 (Print)

If you’ve been reading with us for any length of time – say, 20 minutes or so – you know that Mom and I are singularly unimpressed by the words “Best-selling author.” Or its kissing cousins, “(fill in the blank) Award Winner” and “Over a bazillion copies in print.” The fact that everyone and their neighbor’s cat is crowing about a new release impresses us about as much as a plate of overcooked arugula.

Yea, verily. We’ve heaped praise on unknown indie authors who’ve earned it. We’ve also panned Pulitzer Prize winners who deserved it. Ya just never know.

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Why ‘The Terror’ Tastes Like Bouillabaisse

The Terror

By Dan Simmons (Little, Brown and Company, 2007)

Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller, Adventure Fiction Horror Fiction

Pages: 766

Via: Library

Hey, Kimster! Is the tea hot yet? And will you kindly quit hogging the fleece blankie?

Bother. The things I do for Mom. We’re both hunkering down to read this gripping and intense tale of mind-numbing cold, desperation, myth, legend and survival by Dan Simmons.

The Basics

First, if you’ve never heard of Franklin’s ill-fated expedition, The Terror might be a good place to start. We were pretty familiar with the history before starting the book. So some bias there.

Before we dive in to specifics, you may want to know that The Terror is a fictionalized account of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition to the Arctic to find the Northwest Passage. The expedition’s two ships are the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Franklin is the overall expedition commander. James Fitzjames captains the Erebus. Franics Crozier captains the Terror. They set out to find the elusive Northwest Passage in 1845. The ships – and all hands – disappeared without a trace in the summer of 1848.

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Where Did 20 Hours Go So Fast? Ann Rule’s ‘Everything She Ever Wanted’

Everything She Ever Wanted: A True Story of Obsessive Love, Murder, and Betrayal

By Ann Rule (Simon & Schuster – First Edition 1992)

Genre: Non-Fiction – True Crime

Via: Library

Pages: 528 (print); 16 discs (audio)

It’s all about the moola in this intense and gripping thriller by the Grande Dame of True Crime, Ann Rule.

The Basics

Scarlett O’Hara Wannabe Pat Taylor Allanson is whatcha might call a “Georgia peach.” Strikingly beautiful with enough Southern charm to knock a mint julep off its feet a mile away, Pat dreams of a Tara-like plantation where she and new hubby Tom can raise horses, grow roses, and float around the highest echelons of Atlanta society. Pat even costumes herself and Tom as Scarlett and Rhett Butler for their wedding photos. Less than two months later, their dream explodes in terror and murder: their beautiful home is mysteriously burned to the ground and Tom’s convicted of the brutal slaying of his mother and father.

And that’s not all.

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‘Big Love and War Horse’ Wins GOLD!

“Mom! Mom! Stop the presses!”

“Stop what presses, Kimster? We don’t do presses around here.”

“So? I’ve just always wanted to say that. Especially when I have a super-duper, extra-crispy bacon worthy announcement!”

“Okay, Kimmi. Spill it.”

“Well Mom, I wantcha to meet my two new best buds: War Horse and Big Love.”

“What?”

“Yeah. You see, there’s this awesome new book out called Big Love and War Horse. War Horse is a Doberman pup. Big Love is a senior Great Pyrenees, and…”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope! In fact this book is so good, I’;m gonna tell ya all about it myself! So here is the Official Unabridged Kimber the Magnificent Version of a book we absolutely LOVED (with a little help from the one with opposable thumbs. Cuz, ya know. Mom): Like this:

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25 Golden Oldies From the 1960s, Man

“Hey, man. It’s the 60s.”

One of us has been wanting to say that for the longest time. Like, whoa. Gnarly, dude. Totally.

Anyway, She Who Is Older Than Dirt came up with a harebrained idea the other day. Another one.

“Hey, Kimmi!” says Her Royal Momness.  “Let’s do a post on best books published in the 1960s. As in, most memorable titles of that decade. You know. The Classics.”

And that’s how we got here. The short version. Sort of.

Official!

So here, without further ado – whatever that means – is The Official Mom and Kimber List of Most Noteworthy and Pawsome Books From the 1960s (original publication date, not anniversary or later versions). Yes, we’ve read them all. More than once. Like, totally. Recognize any of these?

In no particular order:

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‘Grain of Hope’ a Must-Read!

You know how Her Royal Momness and I love historical fiction, right? Could scarf it up with a spoon. Forget to eat breakfast. Lunch. And dinner. Stay up all night until The End. Forego another round of extra-crispy bacon.

It’s Official!

Wait. Belay that last one. But suffice it to say that of the bazillion historical fiction titles we’ve read lately, Melissa Cole’s A Grain of Hope is one of the most compelling. In fact, we’re giving A Grain of Hope The Official Mom and Kimber Must-Read Stamp of Approval.  Here’s why:

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Delivery or DiGiorno? Are THESE ‘Best Sellers’ All They’re Cracked Up to Be?

In The World According to Her Momness, the Four Basic Food Groups are:

  1. Dark Chocolate
  2. Milk Chocolate
  3. White Chocolate
  4. Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake.

Who’s got a fork?

Remembering Mom’s penchant for all things chocolatey and chuckle-worthy, someone recently suggested we check into author Karen Scalf Linamen. Linamen published several popular faith-flavored books in the 1990s and early 2000s “offering unique insights and humor.”

So we scoured the shelves of our local library. Zip. Zero. Nada. Not to fret. We ordered a coupla Linamen titles via Interlibrary Loan. It took a while. But they finally arrived. Both recommended titles are “best sellers.” They are… drum roll please:

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