Kimber the Magnificent: Summer’s winding down and Her Momness and I thought now would be a good time to revisit some Summer Hits and Misses.
So we’re gonna include some Seriously Pawsome Reads and some Kitty Litter Box candidates. Fifteen in all. In no particular order.
Ready? Set? Let’s go!
Kitty Litter Box Candidates (Misses)
Here’s the short list of our criteria for this category:
- A pointless slog to the Middle of Nowhere littered with unsympathetic cardboard characters we don’t know, don’t want to know, and could care less about.
- Poor writing littered with spelling and grammatical errors and typos.
- Political polemics disguised as fiction.
- Badly overwritten, tedious and mundane. Dull as a box of rocks and twice as dense.
- Does not enrich, enlighten, educate or inspire in any way.
- Gratuitous violence and/or profanity
- A snoozefest
1. The Majority
By Elizabeth L. Silver (2024)
Genre: So don’t care.
Fiction inspired by the life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Sylvie Olin has struggled her whole life. With her mother who died when Sylvie was 12. With her widowed father. With her cousin Mariana, Auschwitz survivor who emigrated from Germany to live with the Olins. With the rabbi. With being one of nine female students at Harvard Law in 1960. With a patronizing law school dean who’d give a zoo full of chameleons a run for their moola. Sylvie also struggles with trying to balance a career, marriage and motherhood. And with her fight to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
But what Sylvie struggles with most is the law. And her own regrets.
This book stops just shy of a full-blown RBG hagiography. Barely. Yawn.
2. Mike and Alex parts 3 and 4 Cruise the World by Whale
By
Genre: Children’s Fiction
While this book has its moments, it would’ve been much better if published as two separate, stand-alone stories instead of a combo. The latter format dilutes both. That, and the sermonizing that’s as subtle as a ton of bricks. Additionally, the text is translated from Dutch, which makes for some choppy reading.
3. Boldly Go
By William Shatner (2024)
Genre: Non-Fiction
Okay. So who are you and what have you done with Bill Shatner?
We loved, loved LOVED Shatner’s Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship With a Remarkable Man. So this disjointed, dull as a blunt spoon snorefest posing as a collection of essays was pretty disappointing. We expected better from Bill.
4. Holly
By Stephen King (2023)
Genre: Gag me!
P.U.! See our full review here.
5. Fools and Mortals
By Bernard Cromwell
Genre: Historical Fiction
This hunka junk is Exhibit A in why the words “bestselling author” don’t mean Jack to us.
Promo-ed as a “a boisterous behind-the-scenes romp through the often sordid world of the Elizabethan theater,” this bushel of balderdash is supposedly about William Shakespeare’s bro, Richard, who’s accused of stealing a priceless manuscript. This “forces him onto a perilous path through a bawdy and frequently brutal London” to… clear himself or… something in this glaring example of over-promise, under-deliver. After a few chapters, we could care less.
This is basically a giant romp through an Elizabethan garbage dump. It oughtta come with a warning label: Caution: Needlessly vulgar, profane, and crass ahead. It should also come with a mandatory tetanus vax. Barf!
6. Papillon
By Henri Charriere (2006)
Genre: Non-fiction/Autobiog
Guy is wrongfully convicted for a murder he didn’t commit in 1930s France. Sentenced to life at hard labor. Nine failed escape attempts from various penal colonies in French Guyana. Eventually makes it to Venezuela in 1945.
The rest is pretty much wash, rinse, repeat. Except with different scenery.
There. Just saved ya about 700 pages. And a truckload of No Doze.
***
Seriously Pawsome (Hits)
To make this category, a book must include:
- Robust, three-dimensional characters
- Fresh, engaging plots
- Superlative story-telling
- Brisk pacing, strong writing, and a “didn’t want it to end” feeling at the final page.
7. The Boys in the Boat
By Daniel James Brown (2014)
Genre: Non-Fiction
One of the most inspiring ‘sports stories’ we’ve ever read. See our full review here.
8. Frankendork: From Darkness Into Light
By Barney Ludkins (2024)
Genre: Children’s Fiction/Inspirational
When a young boy becomes the butt of cruel comments and jokes by a school bully, he wants to strike back hard and fast. But Franky soon learns that revenge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that compassion and forgiveness are better options in this gently faith-flavored, highly readable story for young readers.
9. Spencer’s Mountain
By Earl Hamner, Jr. (1960)
Genre: Adult Fiction
The book that inspired the movie of the same name and the beloved TV series The Waltons. See our full review here.
10. Brothers of the Buffalo: A Novel of the Red River War
By Joseph Bruchac (2016)
Genre: Historical Fiction
This is a captivating, compelling historical story of two young men on opposite sides of a war. Masterfully written and chock-full of action and suspense, this is the story of the 1874 Red River War. It’s told from the POVs of Washington “Wash” Vance Jr., a black “buffalo solider” of the 10th Calvary, and Wolf, a Cheyenne warrior. Powerful. Poignant. Heart-breaking. And epic.
11. The Orphan and the Mouse
By Martha Freeman (2014)
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Expertly written and briskly paced, this delightful gem of a children’s story has all the pawmarks of a classic in the tradition of E B. White. Loved it!
12. Big Love and War Horse
By Shallen Chitwood (2024)
Genre: Historical Fiction
One of the best reads of the year! Read our full review here.
13. Letters to Children
By C.S. Lewis (1996)
Genre: Non-Fiction
A collection of real letters to real children by one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time. Terrific! Check out our review.
14. Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang
By Ian Fleming
Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy
Delightful! And considerably different than the movie starring Dick Van Dyke.
15. Craig and Fred:
By Craig Grossi
Genre: Non-fiction/memoir
A dog. A marine. Dual rescues. Need we say more?
Watch for our review in an upcoming post!
Pages & Paws 