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Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

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‘Twilight of Evil’: WWII Historical Fiction With a Twist

Twilight of Evil

By George Alexander (Old Monk Publishing. January 2025)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages (print): 284

Via: Author Request

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

Fegelein pressed the top corner of the panel. It clicked and opened inward, revealing a narrow, dark passage. Hitler took Eva’s hand. “We depart.”

Move over John le Carre, Ken Follett, and Hilary Mantel. There’s a new kid in town. Name’s Alexander. George Alexander. And he’s penned one doozy of an historical fiction tome in Twilight of Evil. Like this:

A faked suicide? Body doubles? Look-alikes and stand-ins? A hidden passage and a staged suicide shrouded in uncertainty? Did Hitler, aka: Evil Mustache Due (EMD), really die at the end of World War II? Or did he escape, leaving a trail of lies and deception in his wake with visions of rebuilding the unthinkable from the ashes of defeat: A Fourth Reich?

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Coming of Age Tale a Mixed Bag?

Downeyoshun: A Novel

By A. Young (Apprentice House Press, 2024)

Genre: Fiction – Coming of Age

Pages (Print): 380

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

Setting & Stats

This coming–of–age tale is told from the point of view of Sally Osterhoff. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, it opens in summer 1955 and spans 25 years of Sally’s life. The final chapter rings down the curtain on summer 1980. In between we learn that Sally is a math whiz. She plans to be a mathematician, a teacher, and a carpenter. Swim in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. And find a place to call “home.”

That being said, Toots, the first thing ya oughtta know about Downeyoshun is what Downeyoshun (“down-ee-oh-shun”) means. It’s a Maryland thing. A contraction of “down to the ocean” or “down to Ocean City.” Like, “We’re going downeyoshun this summer.” (The other thing ya oughttta know is that we’re writing reviews on a borrowed computer for the time being. Which we like, can’t stand. But Mom’s is in the shop. So deal with it, okay?)

Key

That’s key. (The word meaning. Not the AWOL computer. Well. Maybe the computer, too. But anyway…) Because Sally lives for summers with her aunt and uncle in Ocean City. Or going “Downeyoshun.”

See how this works?

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‘Little Joe’ and Kimber’s New Best Bud

Well. Who can resist THIS?

Kimber: I can’t come to the blog right now. I’m off to play with my new best bud, Little Joe.

Mom: The guy from Bonanza?

Kimber: Bo-whatza? Naw.

This Little Joe is a sweet and adventurous little pup. He lives with his hooman Anne and her fam in a farmhouse at the end of a long country road in this delightful new children’s book by Mike Darcy. I’ll let Mom fill ya in:

The 4-1-1

Little Joe is friends with a big green bullfrog named Hopper. The puppy accepts Hopper’s invite to the frog’s home for some “lovely fly soup.” Little Joe’s not too sure about the menu. But he likes to explore. Like another sweet furry face we all know and love. Anyway, the puppy takes Hopper up on his offer.

En route to Hopper’s pad, it starts raining. Hard. Think Noah. The friends decide to shelter in the forest. New places! New smells! New… danger?

Uh-Oh

Well. When Little Joe the not-Bonanza-guy takes off after a deer, the duo winds up lost. And face to fur with a hungry bear.

Kimber: I see those looks. Like when your faces gets all scrunched up and worrified. Not to Fret, Cookie. Our intrepid hero pup also winds up finding friends in unexpected places.

Lithe and lively, Little Joe and the Big Rain is a little Androcles and the Lion. A little Goldilocks. And maybe a bit Narnia. It’s well-written, structurally sound, and ripe for a sequel. The illustrations are adorable. (Kimber: Not as adorable as me, of course. But that’s a mighty high bar.)

Beautifully written with vibrant descriptions and vivacious storytelling, this book grabbed us on page one. It kept us following Little Joe and his adventures until the very end.

So if you or someone you know is looking for an engaging and entertaining read for the little’uns, Little Joe and the Big Rain fills the bill. If you’re looking for a new best bud, kindly get in line. Behind Kimber.

Hark! Doth I hear “ribbet”?

Our Rating:

4.5


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Why ‘Two Weeks Till Sunday’ Is Better Than Beef Bourguignon

Kimber: Yo, Mom! What’s this ‘week’ stuff? Is that like wan Beef Bourguignon? Limp leg of lamb? Flimsy filet mignon?

Mom: No, Kimster. It’s w-e-e-k. As in, seven days.

Kimber: Great. Got it. What’s ‘seven days’?

Insert Mom eye roll here.

Kimber: Silly Mom. She’s probably ruminating on my beautimous brilliance and munificent magnificence. Or she wants to tell you about a brand new historical fiction thingy we just read. It’s like, Totally Pawsome! You know this is true because I say so. Got that, Cupcake?

Well. The book is Two Weeks Till Sunday. By indie author Caleb Backholm. Take it away, Momster! (That’s not a typo. In case you’re wonderin’, Cookie.)

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Top 10 PAWsome Non-Fiction Books To Read & Re-Read

“Alright Kimber. Step away from the non-fiction book stash and I’ll forget all about that incident with the double cheeseburger.”

Kimber: Drat! I was kinda hoping Mom already forgot about that.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Top non-fiction titles. As you know, non-fiction tells a true story about actual events and real peeps. All of the NF titles below are uber readable. Eminently engaging. They feature sturdy writing and are told with great skill. And sometimes a twinkle or two. Maybe more. Ditto pitch-perfect pacing. All are a cut above. So you really should drop everything and buy your own copy, Cupcake. Just sayin’.

So here’s our totally subjective, 100% unscientific list of top 10 non-fiction titles. Some are old. Some are new. Many are by indie authors. How many do you recognize?

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Dual Rescue Delights in ‘Stay, Girl’

See? Found a pic with a beagle in it! Sort of.

Stay, Girl

By Angelica R. Jackson

Genre: Fiction/Coming of Age

Pages: 279

Via: Blog Tour

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

Sacramento, CA, 1953. Penny was one of the dogs seized by the county in a cruelty case. Thirteen year-old Lizabeth “Bet” Carter is on the run from an abusive stepdad after her addicted mom dies. She’s heading to her Uncle Earl’s. But only cuz Bet promised her mom she’d “go” to Earl’s. Bet never said anything about staying with him. In fact, she plans on high-tailing it down to Oregon to work as a cook’s helper in a lumber camp with her best girlfriend. As soon as she can make some plans.

But an unlikely yet heartwarming alliance begins to form in this captivating and compelling coming of age tale reminiscent of Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley and Me, and Shiloh.

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Poetic Memoir A Barkworthy Read!

Sleeping With Dogs: A Poetic Memoir

By Barbara Barth (Gilbert Street Press, 2024)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 35

Via: Book Blog Tour

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

Okay. So who can resist a title like that? And a sweet furry face like me to tell ya about it? Wait. Her Momness wants to muscle in. You know Mom.

Snow doggie!

So here we go:

She had me at “dogs.” And I don’t even pretend to be unbiased on the subject of unconditional love on four feet. Hi, Kimmi.

But we totally loved this book. It’s short. Sweet. And to the point. Kind of like… Well. One of us was gonna say “chihuahua.” But we’ve known a few too many Chihuahuas With Attitude. So…

Heartstrings

The Introduction tells us that the author lost her husband in 2008. She turned to writing and dogs to cope. And this piquant and pithy collection of 23 poems in free verse is the latest endeavor. And we really, really liked it. Cuz. You know. Dogs. Besides. The gang’s all here. From a 50-pound German Shepherd named after a Jimi Hendrix tune to Bray, a skittish black Afghan to Queen Chloe, the “pet store dog adoption” and more, this clever little book tugs at the heartstrings.

Some readers will recognize Odette, the “Velcro dog” who was rescued from a backyard breeder. “NO” isn’t in Odette’s vocabulary.

But it’s about a lot more than descriptions of a lot of dogs. Their breeds and personalities and idiosyncrasies. A lifetime of love is packed into a few brief lines of free verse. Like, “In a blink of an eye, joy to despair.” “Fur weathervanes.” Love conquers all. “Nothing is important except the moment/An evening in the company of my dogs.” So much more.

Heartfelt

Heartfelt and effervescent, the entries snap, crackle, and pop as the author skillfully traces the ups and downs of life with dogs while interweaving bits and pieces of her own life story throughout the text. Sentences are staccato-short but packed with meaning and texture. It’s clever. It’s engaging. It’s as warm and welcoming as a sweet furry face we all know and love (Kimber: Even feline fans will love this book!)

Highly readable, Sleeping With Dogs is the kind of book you can read cover to cover in under an hour. You can also dive in for a quick nibble or two and come back to it later. Or sip and savor it slowly, like a fine wine. Or unconditional love on four feet.

So if the mere mention of “poetry” is enough to make you jump up and run screaming from the room, take heart. Or take bark. Because Sleeping With Dogs will grab you collar, kennel, and kibble from page one.

I’d grab a copy now ‘fize you!

Our Rating: 4.5


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Does ‘Gates of Gaza’ Open Doors or Muddy the Waters?

The Gates of Gaza

A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands

By Amir Tibon (Little, Brown and Company, October 2024)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Via: Library

Pages: 290 + extensive Notes and an Index

It’s complicated. Intense. Tragic. Indeed, the depth and breadth of the decades-long conflict in the Middle East are difficult – and maybe impossible – to fully grasp unless you live there. That’s one of two main messages that come through loud and clear in this first-hand account of the October 7 massacre by journalist Amir Tibon.

Twelve chapters plus an Epilogue bring us into the heart of the October 7 and the history of the region. The author’s first-person narrative focuses on how the author, along with his wife Miri and their two young daughters, hid in the family’s safe room inside their home during Hamas’s murderous rampage across southern Israel. It’s hair-raising. To put it mildly.

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‘Even If’: One of the Most Powerful ‘Valentine’ Stories We’ve Ever Read

Even If: Keeping Faith in the Face of Adversity

By Dwayne Harris (Indie author, 2024. From the Faith Forward series)

Genre: Non-Fiction/Inspirational/Memoir

Pages: 203

Via: Author Request

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

“It’s undeniable – it’s him! He did it!”

Ever felt afraid? So stressed you can barely see straight? Or maybe you’ve felt like you can’t catch a break. Like just when you muster enough strength to rise above the water and catch your breath, another wave hits? Maybe you’re in a place where nothing makes sense? Asking how could a loving God allow…?

Then this book is for you.

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Does ‘Bridges of Madison County’ Sequel Deliver?

A Thousand Country Roads: An Epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County

By Robert James Waller (John M. Hardy Publishing, 2002)

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 181

Via: Library Book Sale

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner…

A professional photographer who’s spent his entire life on the road “chasing good light” all over the world, Robert Kincaid* is reclusive and reserved. But he has his memories. Especially memories of a lonely farm wife he met sixteen years ago at a bridge in Madison County, Iowa.

Fast forward to 1981. Robert Kincaid of Bellingham, Washington is now sixty-eight years old. His best friends are a ’54 Chevy pickup truck named “Harry” and a golden retriever named “Highway.” As the years pile up, memories of four summer days in Iowa that had to last a lifetime begin to swirl. Robert decides to find them.

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