Kimber: Mom! Mom! I finally got myself in my very own book!! Can you see me doing back flips!?
Her Momness: “Slow down there, Kimmi. What are you talking about?”
Kimber: Well, okay. It wasn’t me exactly. But it coulda been! Cuz We Also Served is about animal heroes. You know. Like me! Or maybe my cousins! I’ll let Mom tell you more:
Olly & the Spores of Oak HillA cryptic map. A statue. A key. Gold nuggets. A strange symbol and a hole in a wall. A hidden door and a greedy developer bent on destroying a quiet community with a shopping mall. All this and more can be found between the pages of Glenn Somodi’s delightful and enchanting Olly & the Spores of Oak Hill.
As the book opens, Oren Appleton is dead. The ”geeky, nature-loving” former Harvard professor died under suspicious circumstances. He left everything to his son and grandson, Oliver “Olly” Appleton. Olly and his parents move from Ohio to Littleton, Massachusetts to claim their inheritance and a world of mystery in this charming story that will captivate and delight middle grade readers.
Links of the Two WorldsNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Oh, wait. That’s already been done.
Hmmm. How ‘bout : It was a dark and stormy night…?
Alright, alright. What we’re really after here is something more original, says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Something like The Dufus of the Decade Awards. And I have a nominee. (You knew that, right?) Lemme explain:
The Cannastar Factor
Alex Farmer is a burnt-out E.R. physician from L.A. He receives a cryptic letter from an old colleague/friend, Maury, a molecular biology whiz. When Maury winds up dead under suspicious circumstances, Alex finds himself in the hinterlands of Montana looking into a murder. He discovers that Maury was working on a shadowy, super-secret project related to “transgenics” and the human immune system.
Montana rancher Cydney “Cyd” Seeley has a master’s degree in plant genetics. She and Alex get off to a rocky start. But when they finally start comparing notes, they discover that Maury was on to something that may have cost him his life. And they’re next on the hit list of a corrupt and crafty U.S. Senator who’s in the hip pocket of Big Pharma.
What?
Kimber here. Mom says it’s time for a quick reading wrap-up. That’s when she does her version of recently read hits and misses. Why? So you can avoid the dumpster fires. Not waste your time on doggie doo-doo that some fluff ball with no taste published. And grab some Good Stuff. Note: We received complimentary copies of these books in exchange for an honest review.
For more on our rating system, click here.
Me? I’m going to watch the doin’s from the sweet, delicious comfort of my doggie bed by MyPillow.
But first, to books! We’re makin it easy today. With just four titles. The stinkers first: Continue reading
The Organ Grinder FactorNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A little champagne or Top Sirloin, please? Cuz after plowing through a bunch of Real Slogs lately, we finally came across a book worth reading. That we actually liked. About time.
Kimber here. Saying when The Organ Grinder Factor author guy reached out to us requesting a review after we plowed through a bunch of slogs, we were kinda like, “I dunno….” (Hi, Mom.) But this book sounded interesting. Then again, our review calendar is crammed. Think sardine tin.
But you know She Who Must Be Obeyed…. (Insert eye roll here.)
“Just one chapter, Kimber,” says She. “Then we’ll get back on track with the 88 million other books in the review queue.”
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Except “one chapter” became two. Then three. Then four. Then… Well. Before you can say, “Lassie Come Home,” we read the whole book. In one sitting. I’ll let Mom fill you in. If she promises to behave. Because you know Mom….
The 4-1-1:
Who let these guys on the front lawn?
Kimber: “Mom! Mom! Open the door, pronto!”
Mom: “Hey, Kimmi. What’s up?”
Kimber: “I gotta meet up for a play date with my new buddy! Hurry! Hurry!”
Mom (Mutters to self: I may regret asking this, but here goes): “What new buddy?”
Kimber: “Red Dog, of course! My new best pal from that children’s story thingy, Lily’s Egypt Adventure.”
Mom: “Um… You do know that Red Dog is a character in a book, right? That he’s not real. As in, fiction?”
Kimber: “Does that matter?”
The Great TreeWe received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kimber: Someone is a Super Star. No, really. All you have to do is open this sweet little novella and turn to the Dedication page. See?
Remind you of anyone?
In case you’re wondering – and even if you’re not – this isn’t really a photo of Yours Truly. Naw.
It’s actually a photo “In Loving memory of Demerri,” the author’s “Dear Departed Rescued Dog” and “The Best German Shephard I Ever Knew & Loved.”
It’s me!
Probably a cousin. So when it comes to The Great Tree, I’m kinda biased. In a canine sort of way, if ya know what I mean. Here’s the 4-1-1 on this Christmas novella:
A Wingman for ChristmasNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘Tis the season “for miracles and love” in this smooth and sassy light romance.
Cheryl Calloway is in a seasonal slump. Recently divorced, the last thing she needs is for her chain-smoking, Vodka-drinking, wise-cracking Mama to move in with her. But move in Mama does, along with Nigel, a loquacious Amazonian parrot who’s “the love of Mama’s life.”
Settling the gregarious, geriatric Mama into Cheryl’s tiny cottage is like trying to “settle” a runaway freight train. Mama may be elderly, but she’s still a force of nature.
Wild Rose Lane will never be the same.
“Well, dog-gone it!” says I, Kimber the Magnificent. In case you’re wondering – and even if you’re not – I’m fine, thanks. Fresh off a festive holiday weekend with food falling like rain off people’s dinner plates. Cuz once it hits the floor, it’s dog-gone! (Don’t tell Mom. Let’s just keep that Thanksgiving Day coup our little secret, okay?)
“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid!”
Anyway, we were all set to post a review today of an historical fiction work, Half Notes From Berlin. It grabbed our attention when we received a blog tour invite for this title. We wanted to do a review. But the book did not arrive in time. (What can I say? We have standards. Deadlines. Sometimes we can bend. Sometimes we can’t. This was a “can’t.” Bummer.)
Where was I? Oh yeah. Historical fiction. Like a coming-of-age story set in Berlin 1933.
Even though this book didn’t make our cut-off for arrival, we’re still intrigued. And you know how we love good historical fiction. So we want to feature it with a “spotlight.” Cuz we’re really, really nice that way. What?
Here ya go:
Pages & Paws 