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Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Book Reviews – Fiction


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‘The Secret of Snow’ Shines in ANY Season

The Secret of Snow

By Viola Shipman*

Thorndike, 2021

Genre: Fiction/Holiday/Winter

Pages: 403 (large print)

Via: Library

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 Snow in 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)”:

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‘A Familiar Stranger’ and ‘Old MacDonald’

A Familiar Stranger

By A.R. Torre

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer, 2022

Genre: Crime thriller

Pages: 268

Via: Library

“That’s why this was the perfect murder, and it’s why I will never be caught. Tomorrow belongs to the people who plan for it today, and I planned for this day for years.”

Kimber: Mom was doing that “fly by” thing the other day. That’s when she swoops over to the library. Flies inside like Maverick in Top Gun. Nabs a coupla new books and checks out at warp speed. Also like Maverick. Or maybe Ice.

All this rush cuz Yours Truly is waiting outside with the patience of Job. Sort of. Kinda like this book. Lemme ‘splain:

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John Grisham Trifecta

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:

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15 High Octane Novels With Superstar Heroines

What’s a Superstar or a “Bad Ass Heroine?”

In our literary context, a “BAH” is a main female character who:

  • Doesn’t quit when the chips are down, but digs deep, discovering and drawing on resources she probably didn’t know she has.
  • Is a dynamic, three-dimensional character.
  • Overcomes adversity with valor, integrity, determination, and grit.
  • Isn’t perfect, but learns from her mistakes.
  • Is clever and courageous.
  • Keeps a clear eye, a keen ear, and a level head.
  • Possesses rapier wit. Bonus points for a decent sense of humor.
  • Turns Mama Grizzly in a nano-second if her loved ones are threatened.

Oh yeah. Having a titanium spine qualifies, too. So does not acting like an idiot. Additionally, …

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‘Buried Secrets’ Digs Up Treasure!

Buried Secrets

By S.F. Baumgartner

Publisher: FB Publishing (June 27, 2023)

Genre: Fiction – Suspense/Thriller Novella

Pages: 102

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 Doozy

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.

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“I Can’t Wait to Love You Forever” Warms Hearts

I Can’t Wait to Love You Forever

By: Patricia Eckerman Ambas

Illustrated by: Amira Daaboul

Publisher:

Publisher: WordLife Press, 2022

Genre: Children’s

Pages: 36

Via: Blog Tour

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A new baby is exciting. But what if you’re the baby in the family? How will the imminent arrival of a younger brother or sister effect you?

While awaiting the arrival of a new brother or sister, young Benjamin plays a “baby package” game with his mom in this sweet and gentle story by Patricia Eckerman Ambas. Benjamin first pretends he’s a new package that has just arrived for mom. The package arrives in forms shapes and forms – a blanket, a basket, an imaginary box. But each package comes with an unspoken question: What about me when the new baby comes?  

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‘Here in the Not Yet’ Hits a Home Run

Here in the Not Yet by [David Spaugh]Here in the Not Yet

By David Spaugh

Independently Published, 2023

Genre: Fiction – Christian/Suspense

Pages: 213

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who am I? Why am I here? What makes a hero? What is bravery all about? What are the two most powerful words in the English language?

All these questions and more are met head-on in David Spaugh’s finely crafted psychological thriller, Here in the Not Yet.

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Big Kitty Litter Box Awards 5.0

One of us used to feel a teensy twinge when an author complained about a negative book review. For a lousy book.

Now she just laughs:

 

Newsflash, Cupcake: We do honest reviews here. We’ve panned Pulitzer Prize winners we thought weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. We’ve also heaped praise on unknown indie authors who earn it. So don’t whine about a negative review. You sound like the “wah-wah” adult in Peanuts.

Cuz guess what, Toots? We So. Don’t. Care.

Now that we’ve got that outta the way, buckle up. Cuz it’s time for another rip roarin- edition of Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky Awards. Cuz, holy Meow Mix! You don’t want to waste your valuable time on lousy snoozers that make fish wrap look delish, right? We already did that. So you don’t have to. You’re welcome. (Note: We received complimentary copies of most of these titles in exchange for honest reviews.)

Here’s the short list of qualifications for a Big Kitty Litter Box in the Sky award:

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The Best ‘Box’ Novel Yet?

Kimber: Hey Mom! You know that author guy we stumbled upon a while back? The box-y dude who writes crime thrillers set in Wyoming?

Mom: “You mean C.J. Box?”

Kimber: Yeppers! Didya know he has a new book out?

… And that’s how Her Momness and I flew over to the library faster than Captain Kirk aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.  Here’s what we found:

The Setting

It’s early spring in Wyoming. State Game Warden Joe Pickett is facing the mother of all storms in C.J. Box’s latest crime thriller western, Storm Watch. And we don’t mean just the blizzard kind, either. No siree, Lassie! Although there’s enough snow and ice and freezing temps in this taut and tightly written novel to make you want to toss another log on the fire. Maybe two.

Well. The Cowboy State is about to get hit by an “apocalyptic blizzard” in more ways than one.

Kimber: The title has a double meaning, if you get my drift. As in snow drift. Also deep doo-doo of the political type “drift.”

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‘The Retreat’ Hits a Snag

The Retreat

By Sarah Pearse

Publisher: Viking, 2022

Pages:  Waaaaay too many

Genre: Who cares?

Via: Library

Ever grab a new book by an unfamiliar author? Feel that surge of excitement as you peruse the cover blurb and the synopsis? Break in to your happy dance with that “Oh yeah!” feeling? …

… Only to start reading and feel like you just walked into a blender.

That’s what Sarah Pearse’s The Retreat is like. It came highly recommended as a “cliffhanger murder mystery” by someone who shall remain nameless.

What we wound up with was a badly overwritten hunk of junk that doesn’t really get going until Chapter 44. We would’ve ordinarily bailed out long before then. But we promised a friend (who shall remain nameless) we’d read the whole thing.

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