She Who Must Be Obeyed (sort of) says we’re doin’ a ‘two-fer’ today! I’m thinkin’ bacon and more bacon! Or peanut butter! But nooooo! Her Momness says we’re doin’ two books by two different female authors. One fiction. One non. Both have strong female characters or POVs.
They are She Left Me the Gun: My Mother’s Life Before Me by Emma Brockes (non-fiction). The other is On Mystic Lake. By Kristin Hannah.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We didn’t think our favorite ranger, Ranger Rose the PAWsome, could top her last book, Trip Tales: From Family Camping to Life as a Ranger. Which we like, totally love-ified. (See our brilliant review: Outdoor Memoir Delights in Trip Tales.)
Just shows you what we know.
Cuz Ranger Rose is back! With as much insight, info. and entertainment as ever! In fact, her latest book, Tales From a Rogue Ranger, Totally Rocks. In fact again, Her Momness almost dropped it in the sink. Reading while teeth-brushing. Cuz Mom couldn’t put it down!
Silly Mom. (Like that’s new. Insert Kimber eye roll here.)
Anyway, here’s the scoop on Ranger Roses’s latest magnum opus:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“We save dogs, Roz, that’s what we do.”
This is the story of a woman who loves dogs. So far, so good. Here’s the main book blurb:
‘What?’
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Her Momness: Kimber, what are you doing?
Kimber: Don’t interrupt now, Mom! I’m practicing my pedaling.
Her Momness: You’re what?
Kimber: You know, pedaling. Like that book we just read. About those two hoomans who travel all over creation on their buy-shekels. (No idea what that means. Sounds expensive.) You can fill peeps in while I keep pedalling…
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When Her Momness was young a whipper-snapper – back when dinosaurs roamed the earth – she spent a coupla summers on staff at a Christian camp in California. One of the musical guests one week was a tenor. He sang a song Mom never forgot. (And for Mom, that’s really sayin’ somethin’!) It was called His Stubborn Love. We’ll get to the lyrics in a min. So kindly keep your shirt on. But this memoir reminded Her Momness of that song.
I’ll let Mom explain:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book about recovery and self-discovery. It’s a first-hand account of how the author recovers from a stroke suffered in September 2022, smack dab in the middle of the Abu Dahbi desert. At age 46. While training for the Budapest Marathon. Giovannoli explains that he writes to share his story and offer hope for recovery after a stroke.
For more, click here.
‘Tis the season, friends! Christmas is just around the corner! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh Boy! You know that one of us is like a Major Sucker for good Christmas yarns. Here a yarn, there a yarn. Everywhere a yarn, yarn.
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Christmas yarns. Well. Her Momness and I have come across some pretty good ones recently. We’ll be sharing select titles here during December. We’re calling it our “Christmas Book Bash.” Throwin’ this in at no extra charge. Although a little extra crispy bacon never hurts. Just sayin.
So. Our first selection for our December Christmas Book Bash is a Christmas memoir thingy. No idea what that means. But Mom liked it. Mostly. So let’s go:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
So Mom and I, we’re cruising along the other day minding our own biz. Tip-toeing thru the tulips. Zippity do-dah-zippity-aying. My, oh my what a wonderful day-ing.
Well, okay. It was actually pouring rain. Think Noah. It was also cold. Think “Abdominal” Snowman. Cuz one of us had a growly tummy. What?
What?
Anywho, we found this “inspirational true story” thingy waiting for us at the post office. It’s a self-portrait of a young man battling cancer. Hodgkin’s Disease, to be exact.
Well, smack-o-rama and Jolt-a-Bolt! Felt like Déjà vu all over again. Cuz Mom’s kid bro battled Hodgkin’s Disease awhile back. So Mom got all googly-eyed for a min. You know how Mom is. ‘Sides. This bro thing was when Her Royal Momness was a youngin’. You know. Shortly before the earth’s crust cooled. It was also before Ms. Brilliant and Beautiful – Yours Truly – arrived on the scene. Smack-o-rama, Jolt-a-Bolt again!
So you might understand how this book impacted us. It’s emotional. Unfiltered and raw. There’s no pie-in-the-sky bye and bye, Pollyana stuff here. Nopers! It’s real and it’s genuine. Heartfelt. Searing. It took Her Momness back to the days of… Wait. Let’s get to the book, shall we? I’ll let Mom fill ya in. Soon as I scout her up some more tissue. (That googly-eye thing again. Cuz. Well. Mom.)
Force of NatureNote: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
So Her Momness and I came back from chugging all over hill and dale the other day and checked the mail. We found Joan Griffin’s hiking memoir, Force of Nature, waiting for us. Cool, we thought. Besides. Who can resist that luscious cover?
Well. Mom and I agreed to join a blog tour for this book for three main reasons: 1) One of us has been hiking since she was knee-high to a bean-sprout (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth); 2) One of us is a native Californian and knows the John Muir Trail (JMT); 3) Mom’s private chocolate stash was running low and I, Kimber, promised her a refill if she finished this book lickety-split-ish. (Yea, verily. It’s amazing what some peeps will do for free chocolate. Selah.)
Okay. Where was I. Oh yeah. Force of Nature. I’ll let Mom give ya some deets:
One of the most inspirational “travel” books I’ve ever read is Peter Jenkins’ A Walk Across America (Harper Collins, 1979).
Do you remember?
Disillusioned and cynical about society, newly minted college graduate Jenkins decides to hit the road with his faithful half Alaskan Malamute and “fur-ever friend,” Cooper. (The book is even dedicated to Peter’s “forever friends”: Cooper the Half Malamute and Barbara Jo.”)
Together, Peter and Coop discover America. The resulting tome, A Walk Across America, is the compelling, uplifting account of the reawakening of Jenkins’ faith in himself and his country. It topped the New York Times Bestseller list for months and remains a beloved classic.
Weary of plowing through a mountain of mawkish drivel posing as “hiking memoir,” I recently decided to return to the Real Deal. The “Grand Daddy” of the genre and its trail-blazing author: Peter Jenkins.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Pages & Paws 