Kimber: Ever get a tune stuck in your head on auto-play? Like, it goes around and around and around and Will. Not. Shut. Up? (Advertisers spend million$ coming up with this stuff. No idea what that means. But I know this is true cuz Mom says so.)
Anyway, Mom has author John Grisham stuck in her head these days. So we thought we’d share. From three of his novels that one of us finally got around to reading, The Street Lawyer and The Brethren. And The Boys From Biloxi. Here goes:
In our literary context, a “BAH” is a main female character who:
Oh yeah. Having a titanium spine qualifies, too. So does not acting like an idiot. Additionally, …
Kimber: I hate to admit it. But it’s true. One of us just got around to reading Amy Tan’s beloved best-seller, The Joy Luck Club. One of us kept passing it up in the library, aiming to get to it “later.” Never mind that it was published back when dinosaurs roamed the earth (in 1989). One of us is a little slow. (Hi, Mom.)
So now that Her Royal Momness finally got around to reading this classic, we thought we’d feature it in today’s edition of Book Beginnings and Friday 56. Besides. We loved this book!
And Mom’s nothing if not quick. (Insert face palm here.)
Kimber here. Mom is busy rustling up some Independence Day eats. I’m not too sure about the potato salad and corn on the cob thing. But I’m all over the grilled burgers! Yeah, Lassie!
Well. The subject of “best U.S. historical fiction” came up the other night. We were watching videos of last year’s fireworks or somethin’. You know. The stupid Big Boom things. (Why do humans do this every Independence Day? I don’t get it.)
I was all ears. (For the book list. Not the Big Boom things. Mom got me a Thunder Shirt for that.)
Anyway, just in time for Independence Day, Mom and I put together a list of the best historical fiction reads set in the U.S. Mom says we aren’t even going to try to cover books by decade, social movement, issue, or what not. That’d take us like, till the cat comes home. Gag me with Meow Mix!
Her name was Mrs. Manderson. Tall, slim, and brunette, Mrs. Manderson was an elementary school teacher. But not just any elementary school teacher. Nope. Mrs. Manderson had a rare knack for opening windows into worlds unknown via books.
She was probably the best teacher I ever had. She was certainly the most memorable. Especially when I was in “Mrs. M.’s” fourth grade class.
On this last day of June, which also happens to be a Friday, we’re hosting both a Friday 56 and a Book Beginnings as well as highlighting a great outdoors-ish read as we close out our celebration of Great Outdoors Mont!.
Wait. That may have been a three-fer. But who’s counting? Anyway, let’s go!
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A shadowy past. A criminal mastermind. Forbidden love. All join forces to create a lightning-quick plot in S.F. Baumgartner’s gripping suspense thriller novella, Buried Secrets.
A recent college graduate, Dylan Roche just lost his mother and is struggling to keep his head above water financially. He soon finds out that his deceased mother, Margaret, had a secret. And it’s a doozy.
You know we’re pretty picky when it comes to books, right? Like, we have Standards. Submission Guidelines. And we chuck out tons of bookish junk all the time, like the neighbor’s cat hawks up hairballs.
But we also have favorites. And not just books or genres. In fact, we have some fave authors we want to tell you about. Cuz today we’re awarding The Biggest Bow Wow of them all:
What? You haven’t heard of this prestigious honor? Maybe that’s cuz I, Kimber, just made it up.
Well, okay. Mom helped. A little. She lobbied for “World’s Most Super Duper, Seriously Splendid, Extra Excellent, Terrifically Talented, Genuine Genius-y, and All-Around Awesome Author Awards.”
I nixed that. After all. Someone has to be the adult in the room.
Where was I? Oh yeah. The Kimber Awards. … Continue reading
Hang around Booklandia for any length of time – say, 20 minutes or so – and you know that authors whose books have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize pretty much have their tickets punched for the rest of their authorly lives. Cuz the Pulitzer Prize is a Big Deal. (Not as big as our PAWsome Book Awards, of course. Nobody can top that.)
But wait a minute. What about worthy books that shoulda won a Pulitzer but didn’t?
Kimber: I’m gonna be seven years this month! I’m telling you this now to give you last-minute gift-getters a heads up.
Anyway, Her Momness insists I’m still a “puppy.” So embarrassing. I keep telling her I’m a lap dog. I mean, really. What’s a measly 55 pounds?
So. I may not be seven yet. But I’ve been around long enough to make some observations. Like: Postal carriers aren’t always friendly. Neither are fences. There’s no such thing as a “ten second rule” when Yours Truly is on kitchen patrol.
Squirrel!
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. I’ve made some observations in seven years-ish. One of them is there are lots of different kinds of readers. You may not think us canines notice stuff like this. But we do. Here are a few of the readers I’ve seen. Any of these sound familiar?
Pages & Paws 