Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Just for fun


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10 Warm & Wonderful Dog Books For Wet Weather (Or Anytime)

I don’t know about your neck of the dog run, but here in the Northwest it’s been pouring rain for so long, I may be sprouting gills.

Not that I mind, mind you. Mom says this is great reading weather. Something about curling up by the fire with a good book. I don’t really get it. I just like sitting in her lap while she turns pages. And tells me what a “good dog” I am.

As if I didn’t know that already.

Anyway, here are 10+ top picks fur wet weather. (That’s not a typo.) These books are brisk and engaging. With good solid story lines. Lots of adventure. As much “flavor” and “texture” as those beef broth and steak treat thingies Mom makes. And of course sparkling canine personalities. Like mine. You’ll enjoy these even if you’re a feline fan. (Yech! Can’t believe I just said that.):

  1. The Black Dogs Project: Extraordinary Black Dogs and Why We Can’t Forget Them. Photography by Fred Levy.  Poignant personal narratives combined with stunning photography of some of the most beautiful canines on the planet! (You might detect a slight bias here. See photo, above.)

2. Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery– Spencer Quinn. (Told from the dog’s point of view) A good ‘ole fashioned “whodunit” mystery with a dog who’s way smarter than Bernie, his crime-solving human. Laugh out loud funny in places.

3. Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls. Old Dan. Li’l Ann. A young boy growing up in the Ozarks and sacrificial love. Bring tissue.

4. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod – Gary Paulsen. Told in the first person. You can almost smell the cold and feel the snow crunch!

5. The Empty City (Survivors #1) – Erin Hunter. Lucky is a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. He’s always been a loner, relying on his instincts to get by. Then the Big Growl strikes. Suddenly the ground is split wide open. The Trap House is destroyed. And all the longpaws have disappeared. Is it time to find a Pack?

6. The Journey Back – Priscilla Cummings. #2 in the Red Kayak series. Not strictly a dog book. But Digger’s daring escape from a juvenile detention facility includes hijacking a tractor trailer, “borrowing” a bicycle, stealing a canoe, and befriending a stray mutt who becomes Digger’s best friend.

7. Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers – Gary Paulsen. Minnesota author and dog musher Gary Paulsen reflects on the growth of his sled dogs as he and his animals discover the world around them.

8. Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, An Unexpected Journey, and Me (Jon Katz)

A story of faithful love, unswerving devotion, and understanding without words, Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, An Unexpected Journey, and Me effervesces like a bottle of Cristal Brut Methusalah.

An abandoned, half-feral border collie reluctantly taken in by author Jon Katz, Izzy becomes a hospice dog. Somehow Izzy learns what can’t be taught: how to help the dying leave this world with dignity – “Oh! A dog! Where on earth did you come from, you handsome thing?” – and how to best comfort those left behind.

Lenore – from the Edgar Allen Poe poem – is a “portable happiness generator.” “The UPS driver threatened to steal her,” says Katz. Big hearted and good natured, Lenore can pierce the armor of the hardest heart. As Katz battles a deep depression and phantoms from his past, the rambunctious Lab pup gently reminds him why he wanted to work with animals in the first place.

9.  The Dog Who Was There (Ron Morasco).

Set in first century Jerusalem,  The Dog Who Was There is a heart-warming, surprising story about a little dog, Barley (that’s not a typo), and a Teacher from Galilee. This wonderful story is soaked in loss, loyalty, sadness, promise, and Great Joy. I’ve never read anything quite like it. You won’t want to miss this one.

And of course:

10. Forever, Eve: The True Story of a “Cast-Off” Dog Who Never Stopped Loving

Wait. Is that a patch of blue overhead?


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Which is Better: Book or Movie?

“Kimber, what do you think is better? Book or movie?”

Depends, says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Usually on whether we’re reading or watching before or after dinner. Lemme backtrack for a min and explain-ish.

Book Memories

Her Momness has been skipping down Memory Lane via books for much of the summer.  She’s re-visited a ton and a half of old favorites. See: The Dog Days and Children’s Classics.

Poppins?

The other day Mom re-read Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers. Just a few days after watching the Disney movie with Julie Andres and Dick Van Dyke. Having read and watched both versions within a few days of each other, Her Momness was somewhat astonished. At how far apart they are.

Granted, there are things you can and can’t do on the silver screen that you can do in a book. Some book scenes just don’t translate well onto film. But in the case of Mary Poppins The Book vs. Mary Poppins the Movie, the two are almost oceans apart. (We loved Saving Mr. Banks, thank you very much.)

Here are some select examples from Mom:

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12 Indie Authors To Keep An Eye On

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and... Oh, wait. Wrong season. Silly Mom. Never fear. For I, Kimber the Magnificent, shall get us back on track with our latest stroke of blogging brilliance. Hey. It’s what I do! (Well. Mom helped. A little.)



Anyway, you know Austen, C.S. Lewis, Hugo, Dickens and Dostoevsky. You know Dr. Seuss. E B. White. Charles Schultz (Some of Mom’s faves. Go figure).

The Biggies.

But guess what, Cookie? These big names aren’t the only hoomans who can fill a book with something worth reading. Or engage. Entertain. Inspire and elucidate. (Kimmi: No idea what that last one means. Mom’s idea. And you know She Who Must Be Obeyed, right?)

Favorites

Well. These “big” hoomans are all good reads. But guess what again? Some of our favorite authors are indie authors. They may not be :biggies” or household names. Yet. But Her Momness and I decided to highlight some indie authors. Cuz even though their names may not rhyme with Suzanne Collins or J.K. Rowling, they are still uber talented. And worth reading. (The Kimster: I wanted to give them all a one year subscription to the Steak of the Month Club. But I kinda got over-ruled on that one. Nobody’s perfect.)

You’ll want to keep an eye on all of these authors. Several have new books out or are working on new titles. So here, in no particular order, are 12 indie authors you really oughtta get to know. Cuz we say so again:

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The Kimster Explains ‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’

Greetings Lovable Bookwormish Buds!Kimber the Magnificent here. Saying yepster, we hear ya. That is, we hear the hoomans who are scratching their heads over a phrase we sometimes deploy referring to Her Momness: She Who Must Be Obeyed. Ever heard that? Wondered where it came from?

‘I am too a lap dog! Am too! Am TOO! AM TOO!’
Kimber Explains
Not to fret or fluff, friend. Cuz The All Knowing Kimster is here to ‘splain everything. Kind of.
First thing ya may want to know about She Who Must Be Obeyed is yes, it’s bookish in origin. Second, it’s not original with us. See, we kinda like stole the phrase from British barrister and author John Mortimer.
Name doesn’t ring a bell? Not to worry. Cuz I, The All Knowing Kimster, shall ‘splain. Like this:
Rumpole!
John Mortimer passed away in 2009. But he was one cool cat… er… canine! Mortimer was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He’s best known for short stories about a barrister named Horace Rumpole. Which we like, Totally Love. The books were adapted for the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey, also written by Mortimer. Leo McKern stars as the cunning and witty Rumpole.

Broadcast on ITV between 3 April 1978 and 3 December 1992, ‘Rumpole Of The Bailey’ is a thoroughly entertaining British series about Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defends a broad variety of clients, often underdogs. (We love underdogs, too. Go figure.)
The ‘Bailey’ is a reference to the Central Criminal Court Of England And Wales. It’s commonly referred to as the ‘Old Bailey’, after the street on which it stands, a criminal court building in central London.
Betcha didn’t know that.

Hilda
So, what does this Rumpole dude have to do with She Who Must Be Obeyed? you ask. Well. If you’ve read the book(s) or seen the TV series, you already know the answer to that: Hilda Rumpole. Aka: Mrs. Rumpole. She Who Must Be Obeyed is Horace’s humorous nickname for Hilda.
Yea, verily. Hilda Rumpole is not to be trifled with. Cranky and curmudgeonly, she’s a veritable force of nature. Underneath her crusty exterior beats a soft little bunny heart. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?
You gonna eat that? What?
***
Have you seen or read Rumpole?


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Book Lover Perks!


Are you a book lover? Do you skip meals in order to “finish the next chapter”? Do you await your favorite author’s next release like a kid counting down to Christmas? Is a trip to the library a grand adventure?
Me and She Who Must Be Obeyed? We’re rarely as content as when we’re neck-deep in a good story. Or even a mediocre one. Or chomping on a nice, thick juicy…

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Reading.
We don’t read “competitively” or to win prizes. We just love books. And love to read.
A Bonus
But every once in awhile it’s nice to get a little perk. Call it a reading bonus.

We were delighted to get a phone call from the local book place the other day. Mom and I won not one but two prizes in conjunction with this year’s Adult Winter Reading Program: An Amazon gift card and a book bag filled with goodies. We ambled over to the library recently to pick up our prizes, pictured above. (Not the gorgeous, brilliant and totally pawesome canine pictured above. Cuz I’m a ‘prize’ all day every day, okay? – Love, Kimber.)

The book bag is sturdy and zippered. We can use it to haul checkouts and returns to and from the library, which we usually walk to. The bag was filled with some pretty cool stuff, including note cards, chocolate, a mini metallic notebook, and a giant coffee mug (for curling up with a good book). And who can resist Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark? Also four brand new hard book backs we haven’t yet read! The $25 gift card arrives next week.

We don’t read for prizes. We read because we love books! But getting these “perks”? It still feels like Christmas.
Now. About that nice, thick, juicy…


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11 Characters We’d Love to Get Updates On

“This book taught me, once and for all, how easily you can escape this world with the help of words! You can find friends between the pages of a book, wonderful friends.” ―Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

It’s true, isn’t it? says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Mom says we’ve met some of our best friends through a book or books. (I personally think a double cheeseburger would help. But who’s counting?)

So Mom and I? We put head and paws together to come up with our list of Characters We’d Love An Update On Now That The Book is Over. Several of their book stories have been made into movies. How many do you recognize? (The jury’s still out on that cheeseburger. But it never hurts to ask, right?)

11-ish Characters We’d Love An Update On (in no particular order):

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15 Best Fictional Worlds to Get Lost In

You gonna eat that?

Kimber: There’s no place like Outback. There’s no place like Outback…

Mom: Kimmi, girl. Today’s post is about best fictional worlds to get lost in. Hate to break it to ya. But Outback Steakhouse is real.

Kimber: A canine can dream, right? Okay, okay. I’ll try to bring it in and focus on beautiful, interesting and well-built fictional worlds to get lost in. Or maybe sit down with a nice, thick juicy steak…

While Kimmi’s doing her thinking (or chewing), what about Best Fictional Worlds to Get Lost In via the pages of a really good book? Here’s our collection. From books we’ve actually read.

These books brim with adventure and intrigue. Enchantment. Secret rooms or fantastical forests. Talking beasts. Magic. Lots more. They’re a chance to spread your mental wings. Fire your imagination. And escape into fictional worlds of fantastic heroes and heroines. Dastardly villains. Narrow escapes. Harrowing close calls. Uncommon courage and steadfast valor. And lots of other good stuff.

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Top 10 PAWsome Non-Fiction Books To Read & Re-Read

“Alright Kimber. Step away from the non-fiction book stash and I’ll forget all about that incident with the double cheeseburger.”

Kimber: Drat! I was kinda hoping Mom already forgot about that.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Top non-fiction titles. As you know, non-fiction tells a true story about actual events and real peeps. All of the NF titles below are uber readable. Eminently engaging. They feature sturdy writing and are told with great skill. And sometimes a twinkle or two. Maybe more. Ditto pitch-perfect pacing. All are a cut above. So you really should drop everything and buy your own copy, Cupcake. Just sayin’.

So here’s our totally subjective, 100% unscientific list of top 10 non-fiction titles. Some are old. Some are new. Many are by indie authors. How many do you recognize?

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How To Rate Books Without Being Biased

Some poor unsuspecting rookie posed this topic to The ‘Ole Curmudgeon the other day. Probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Like the time I “liberated” that nice, juicy pot roast from the dinner table when no one was lookin’. But I think The ‘Ole Curmudgeon has forgotten about that by now. So let’s not remind her, okay?

Anyway, we “liberated” this headline from another blogger. Comes with some  questions: Whaddya mean by “bias”? Who decides? Based on what?

Here’s one def of “bias”: showing a like or dislike for someone or something based on personal opinions.

Newsflash, Toots. When it comes to book reviews, that’s kind of the whole point.

Yo!

For example, we have a “bias” against R-rated books and those with gratuitous violence and/or profanity. Additionally, we no longer accept memoirs about childhood abuse. Conversely-ish, we have a “bias” toward clean, uplifting and inspirational books.

We’re just funny that way.  It’s no secret. We say so in our Submission Guidelines. As in: Our blog. Our rules. So deal with it, Buttercup.

Fact is, we know what kind of books we like. And what we don’t. And why. And fact is again, some books are just better than others. They have better writing that’s rich, skilled, and full-bodied. They’re well-organized. Articulate. Structurally sound. Feature three-dimensional characters. An engaging, agile plot. Nimble pacing. They enrich, motivate, educate, stretch, entertain and/or inspire.

Others don’t.

They move with the alacrity of a three-toed sloth. Drip with typos. Have a plot like Swiss cheese. Bland, brittle characters that could give No Doze a run for its moola. And are as inspiring as wilted cabbage. Or the neighborhood powder puff.

And we notice.

So. How to Rate Books Without Being “Biased”? Simple. Thrown’ this in for free: Just don’t have a solid opinion.

You’re welcome. Now about that pot roast…


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10 Great Authors for Midlife Readers and Other Hoomans

First things first. I haven’t moved houses or switched dog food brands. My hoomans are all fine. The neighborhood powder puff – that yappy little furball on four legs – is still around. So annoying. Her Momness and I have just been running around all over the place. Seems like we just wrapped up summer and now we’re halfway through winter.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Halfway through winter.

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