Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Read


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11 Cozy Reads for Cold Winter Days

What?

So Her Crankiness is grumping about this thing called “winter.” Seems Mom’s kinda tired of the thing. She keeps saying stuff like, “Cold. Gray. Pouring rain. Dark too early. Let’s move to Miami!”

No clue what that means. But I thought today would be a good day to warm up some cozy reading suggestions. So I got my Thinking Cap on and came up with the following. (Okay, okay. Mom helped. A little. But it was mostly me.)

These cozy winter reading suggestions include books that are either set during winter or there’s plenty of snow and cold in the pages. So grab a hot cuppa, a warm blanket and find your next great winter read (Yes, we’ve read all of these):

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XMAS BOOK BASH #4: Will New Xmas Story Go Down in History?

The Greatest Reindeer

By Greg S. Paris, Indie author (2023)

Genre: Fiction/Children’s Christmas Tale

Pages: 199 (Paperback)

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.

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XMAS BOOK BASH #2: New Twist on Old Christmas Tale in ‘The Bishop’s Knight’

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:

The Bishop’s Knight: A Christmas Story

By Mark Ready, Indie Author (November 2023)

Pages: 84

Genre: Fantasy/Christmas

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.

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XMAS BOOK BASH #1: Let it Glow With ‘Hair on Fire’

‘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?

Christmas Book Bash

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:

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JUMP Into the Holidays With The Great Book Reunion!

Kimber here. Doing my magnificent stuff as we jump into the holidays!

Speaking of holidays, have I got a deal for you! It’s an oldie but a goodie: Marjorie Holmes’s classic, Two From Galilee: The Story of Mary and Joseph. 

After the Earth’s Crust Cooled

The first time Mom read this book was shortly after the earth’s crust cooled. Or maybe it was in 1975? (Let’s not quibble, okay? )

“Oh my goodness!” Her Momness exclaimed the other day. We just finished lugging another dusty box up from the resident archaeological dig (Mom calls it “The Basement.” But I have my doubts).

900 Years ?

Anyway, we opened this box and lo! It was jammed with beloved books from when Mom was a young’un. You know. Like, 900 years ago. (Don’t tell Mom I said that, okay?)

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‘Maggie and the Mountain of Light’ Shines Bright

Maggie and the Mountain of Light: A Wayfinder Girls Novel

By Mark Snoad (Monarch Educational Services, 2023)

Genre: Fiction/Middle Grade

Pages: 212 (Paperback, incl. Epilogue)

Via: Author request

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

“Light the path, lead the way…”

The Basics

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.

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Babylonian Saga Not Our Cuppa

Son of Babylon

By Daniel Pugsley

Indie author, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 335 (paperback); 385 (Kindle)

Via: Author Request

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.

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‘Survivor’ Memoir Jolts, Inspires

Better Dirty Than Done

An Inspirational True Story

By Rick Czaplewski (Indie author, 2023)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir

Via: Author Request

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.

Smack-o-Rama

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!

Intense

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.)

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Fresh Approach to Thorny Topic Shines in ‘Forgiving Like God’

Forgiving Like God: A Conversation with Frank, an AI Persona

By David Wyatt, Indie Author

Genre: Christian Non-Fiction

Pages: 99, including Appendix

Via: Author Request

Back when her Momness was a young whipper-snapper – shortly after the discovery of fire – one of her fave authors was Dr. Lewis Smedes. He was a professor of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Smedes wrote 15 books. But Mom’s fave is Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve. Now deceased, Smedes was one of few authors who takes the time and effort  to think and dig deeply into the topic of forgiveness. 

So this book reminded us of good ‘ole Doc Smedes. The author has actually done the hard legwork of thinking, sifting, researching, reflecting, and ruminating on the topic of forgiveness. There’s none of that knee-jerk fluff stuff here. How refreshing.

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Hiking Memoir Hard to Peg

Force of Nature

Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail

By Joan M. Griffin

Black Rose Writing, 2023

Pages: 378

Genre: Nonfiction – Memoir/Travel/Outdoors

Via: Blog Tour

Note: 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:

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