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?
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:
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.
Our Rating: 3.5
***
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.
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.
“Decomp”
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.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Remember that jerk in elementary school whose favorite indoor sport was Making Your Life Miserable? Who made picking on you and bullying you his/her favorite past-time?
Mom does. His name was David J. Yes, Mom remembers his last name. We’re intentionally omitting that. Cuz even though this was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, some jerks you never forget.
Well. Children’s author Sophia Errico has come up with a great new book that addresses the topic of bullying in a fresh and meaningful new way. This eminently engaging and clever children’s book is called The Treehouse.
Mom wants to know where it was back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I, Kimber, want to know if I can bite David J. the Jerk retroactively? Cuz nobody messes with Mom on my watch! (Mom says No. She’s just funny that way.)
Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. The Treehouse. Climb in for more and let’s get started. Like this:
Mom and I are pleased to announce that the review request queue officially re-opens TODAY.
That being said, kindly note that we accept less than half of the review requests that come our way. And please note our submission guidelines. You’d be surprised at how many people blow their review chances by not bothering to read our submission guidelines. Skip that step, Buttercup, and you’ve just increased the chances of a rejection by a factor of ten. Maybe more.
Cuz guess what? When it comes to our submission guidelines, we’re sticklers. And we always know who has and hasn’t read our submission guidelines. Always. So don’t even go there on the latter, okay?
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Little Background
Back in February 2022 we received a review request for a “dog book.” It sang the praises of a pit bull, Stella. Here’s how we wrapped up that review:
So there’s no doubt Stella is a wonderful dog. (Not as wonderful as a certain Border Collie mix. But nobody’s perfect.) After awhile, however, I just wanted this book to end. Additionally, Kimber has a story of her own on the subject. Sort of.
Kimber: When I was about a year old, Mom and I were out for a walk. On a public street. Chugging along. Minding our own business. All of a sudden two dogs tore out of a house, racing straight toward us. They had us surrounded faster than you can say “Rin Tin Tin.”
One dog grabbed my shoulder. Mom pushed him off. He came back again. Mom jumped between us. She morphed into Mama Grizzly Mode, yelling and screaming at those dogs to Go away! Go home! Leave us alone! Get. Your. Dogs! (Note: You so don’t want to mess with Mama Grizzly Mom the Raving Lunatic. Ever.)
The owner finally came out of the house. The dogs didn’t pay any attention to her. Another human finally came out and got ahold of those two dogs. It took some doing.
We got away. I wasn’t hurt. But I was scared! Those were the most aggressive dogs I’ve ever seen.
Note: We received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“I dunno, Mom. This book smells funny.. Methinks it’s a little too… feline.”
“Oh c’mon Kimster! Yeah, it has ‘cat’ in the title. But the summary says it has a dog, too. And a pig! Besides. I bet Fido the dog is the smartest, most dependable, loyal, heroic and magnificent character in the whole book. Kinda like… You!”
“Alright, alright, Mom. Flattery will get you … everywhere.”
Sniff, sniff.
And that’s how I, Kimber the Magnificent, got talked into a feline-ish book. Sort of. So as long as we’re here, might as well dive in. Like this:
Step into a magical world of talking animals, dastardly villains, high adventure, and daring rescues in Kevin Blakeslee’s eminently enjoyable middle grade fantasy, The Cat Half-Elven.
The three main characters are Fido the sheepdog, Bruno the orange cat, and Plato the barnyard pig. They spy strange hooded men lurking about, making inquiries about a cat with unusual abilities. But the hooded men don’t seem human. If they’re not human, then what are they? And why are the mysterious riders looking for a “cat half-elven”?
Bruno, Fido, and Plato aren’t about to stick around to find out. They flee into the forest and embark upon an adventure into the unknown, with the hooded riders hot on their trail. Can “The Three Wayfarers” make it to Elven Island before they’re caught by the ruthless and murderous Bogles?
We soon learn that Bruno has the blood of both Elven and Mortal Worlds flowing through his veins. By examining it, the evil Bogles hope to discover how to give themselves the powers of Elves. Kindly note that the “elves” in this story are not the traditional North Pole type. Nor are they the tall and powerful type of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. They’re more like angelic or “semi-divine beings” who “more or less served in the role of ‘gods’ in Irish mythology.” This makes these characters particularly strong and unique.
Along the way, the trio encounters all sorts of adventures and dangers as well as friends and protectors. These include ogres and wizards. Great warriors. The Battle of Bluefoot. Pirates. The Chasm of Doom. Trolls. A shape-shifting dove. A Question Unanswerable. One-Eyed, One-Legged Dudes. Tree fairies. Goblins. A rabbit named “Rabbit.” “You may have the cat, but I have the umbrella.” (You will get that if you read the book.)
There’s lots of action and plenty of adventures as readers join The Three Wayfarers on their epic quest to Elven Island and The Secret Vale. Themes of loyalty, camaraderie and family percolate throughout this sturdy and beautifully written story. The three main characters are especially dynamic, as Bruno, Fido, and Plato all learn and grow throughout the story. I especially loved the character of Constantine the mouse. (Hi, Reepicheep.)
Told with a twinkle and rapier wit, it’s a hoot and a half! Besides. A title like “The Cat Half-Elven”? Well. Who can resist that?
This book is simply delicious! It’s a little Charlotte’s Web. A little The Hobbit. A little Puss in Boots. All heart. Bonus points: The illustrations at the start of each chapter are terrific. The chapter headings are hilarious!
Readers who love clever combinations of fantasy and animal-themed stories will enjoy The Cat Half Elven. It will certainly resonate with its target audience of middle grade readers and anyone who enjoys a crisp and creative story that’s fresh and original and includes a generous helping of sass and spunk. Fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia will also appreciate this warm and whimsical read. It’s just delightful! Mom LOVED it and didn’t want it to end!
One of us is already looking forward to more from this talented author – and hopes to see The Three Wayfarers in another adventure soon!
Kimber the Magnificent here. Being all brilliant and beauteous. As usual. Telling you that Mom and I have been thinking. (Mom says “noodling.” No idea what that means. Or what pasta has to do with anything. But you know Mom!)
Anyway, you know we have our Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky Awards, right? Reserved for books that hit it right out of the park in the Stinkasaurus Stupendi category. But we’re thinking of creating a new award: The Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire Award.
Cuz if it’s one thing that chaps our hides, it’s a book that’s not honest about who/what it is. You know the type? You pick up a title at a bookstore. Library. Online. Read the summary/synopsis. Think to yourself, “Hey! This sounds pretty good. I’m in!”
The Unpardonable Book Sin
You start reading. Then, wham! It starts getting warm and toasty. The fire alarm goes off. And you realize you’ve been had. Lied to. Cuz the book you grabbed on the basis of its own description turns out to be something else. Commits the Official Mom and Kimber Unpardonable Book Sin: Pretends to be something it’s not. Misrepresents itself. Fakes it. Has a hidden agenda.
So. Not. Cool.
Tip for Authors: (Throwin’ this in for free): You soooo don’t want to do this. Mom’ll nail ya on it. Every time.
Ever finish a book and just kinda want to sink back into your favorite reading chair, snuggle up under a soft blankie and smile and sigh? Just kinda sit there and savor the read for a few? That’s what finishing Viola Shipman’s warm and whimsical holiday-themed novel, The Secret of Snow, is like.
“Now, not everyone would think of scooping up a book called The Secret of Snowin the middle of July,” spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. “But you know Mom! Thus, (isn’t that a great word, “thus”? Mom taught it to me. No idea what it means. But if Mom likes it, then so do I.”)”
Hidden Gem
“As I was saying – neither Mom nor I had ever heard of this author before. Ditto the book. So we decided to take a chance on both the other day. (We do that sometimes.)
We had no idea what to expect when opening the cover. But Holy Meow Mix! Did this book ever surprise us! Talk about a hidden gem. Here’s the scoop (pun intended)”:
Pages & Paws 