Kimber the Magnificent.
Your favorite furry face here. I’m jumping for joy today! Well, okay. I jump for joy pretty much every day. Cuz I’m what Her Momness calls a “Professional Joy Spreader.” No idea what that means. But Mom likes it. So I like it, too.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Can two retired spooks figure out why a Ukrainian professor died, how his dog learned to drive, and why Archie had a homing device in his collar that may have had its origins in the jungles of Vietnam?
Hold on to your fur, friends. Cuz that’s only a few questions swirling in this finely crafted collection of mystery-ish stories. The collection runs the gamut of emotions and covers the waterfront from creepy to cozy to the back woods to the dog house.
“Nothing is impossible if you are too stupid to give up.”
Colt Weiss is a surfer who’s “built his life around the waves.” He lives in central California’s Arroyo Grande and tends bar at Ultimates Surf Shop & Grub. (Think Pismo Beach’s Panchos.) Courtesy of a Secret Lies TV episode, readers soon discover that Colt lost his first wife to cancer. He’s lost other women to The Grim Reaper, too.
No idea what that means. Today is pretty much the same as yesterday, right? Barking at the neighbor’s cat. Snoozing in the sun. Long walks with that stupid orange jacket thingy Mom makes me wear in cold weather.
But Mom keeps skipping around the house chirping about “Happy New Year.” So annoying.
But you know Mom.
Anyway, we thought we’d kick off 2024 by focusing on three recently read books that are mostly extra tasty. (Well, it was mostly my idea. Mom helped. A little).
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The idyllic kingdom of Parisia sat nuzzled securely in the Great Emerald Mountains. For generations Parisia had known nothing but peace and prosperity. When the elder dragon Darka Mors, steals the Darkstone, the entire realm is threatened. Without the Darkstone, the magic sealing away the Shadow King would fail. His return would bring death and destruction to the world of men.
“Change is coming – coming like the winter wind. We cannot change the weather, Agulphus. But we can stand before the storm.”
No one is who they seem to be or where they should be in this humdinger of a high adventure. This high octane fantasy moves like Secretariat around the final turn at the Belmont Stakes. So you might want to buckle up, Buttercup. Here’s the scoop:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen… But do you recall the greatest reindeer of all, Kris’s closest friend and protector, Cedric? He didn’t have a shiny nose, but Cedric shines bright in the pages of this expertly crafted blend of magic, myth, legend, and a betrayal that changed everything.
Deck the halls with steak and T-bone, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
What? Did I leave something out? That nice, juicy cheeseburger just sitting there on Mom’s plate? Well. Somebody had to eat it. But I think Mom’s forgotten about that. So let’s not remind her, okay?
Anywho, we’re ramping up on our holiday spirit with another Christmas book-ish review. It’s called The Bishop’s Knight. It’s kinda unsual-ish. (New word I just made up.) I’ll let Her Royal Momness fill ya in:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You won’t find a miniature sleigh or eight tiny reindeer in Mark Ready’s fantasy novella, The Bishop’s Knight. But this nimble ‘Christmas story’ is a quick and compelling read.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Light the path, lead the way…”
Twelve year-old Maggie Thatcher gets more than she bargained for when her weekend at camp turns into a giant all-or-nothing race to save the world from a fate (and Fae?) worse than death in this charming middle grade fantasy.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is set in Babylon during the tumultuous reign of King Hammurabi. The story revolves around one of the king’s sons, Bani, and his quest to become king. There’s lots of palace intrigue and court politics in between. Also betrayals, lies, spymasters, treachery and double crosses. When Bani’s mother is murdered by a jealous rival and he is shipped off to another country as a “hostage,” the stakes get even higher.
A prophecy foretells that Bani will some day hold the fate of his nation in his hands. But Bani’s not so sure. Frankly, neither are we.
Pages & Paws 