We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Suit up and strap in for an incredible ride and harrowing close calls when a heavy bomber is mortally wounded and the crew bails out over occupied Belgium in this World War II stunner. Exciting and absorbing, The Lucky Seven is a remarkable story of courage, sacrifice, and heroism. It’s one of the best World War II stories we’ve ever read. And we’ve read a ton.
Grounded in “true wartime events,” The Lucky Seven is the story of First Lieutenant James J. Goebel, Jr. and the brave men and women of the Belgian and French Resistance. Much of the book covers Goebel’s evade and escape experiences after Goebel and his crewmen parachute out of their wounded B-24 over occupied Belgium.
By Wm. Paul Young (Faith Words, Hachette Book Group, 2012)
Genre: Fiction/Inspirational
Pages: 286
Via: Library Book Sale
Kimber: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay/My, oh my, what a wonderful day…
Mom: You’re awful chipper today.
Kimber: I’m always chipper. Especially when there’s a nice, juicy pot roast hangin’ around unattended. Or when we stumble upon a gem of a book at a library book sale.
Mom: You mean Cross Roads? That we picked up for like, a quarter at the library book sale?
Kimber: Bingo! I’ll let Her Royal Momness fill you in:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“This is a story of contrasts: the beauty of St. Petersburg and the brutality which took place within its walls; the gentle beauty of Dora and the atrocity of her treatment. A story that gives glimpses of the paradoxes of the human spirit: the ugliness and beauty of which humanity is capable…”
Thread of Life looks at the 20th century through the lives of three Jewish women. At its heart is Dora, a romantic and tragic figure, a concert pianist born in Riga, Latvia. She lived in St Petersburg and was killed in the Riga Holocaust. Her daughter is Genia. Born in 1915 in St. Petersburg, Genia lived in many places around the world before dying in England at the age of 102. It’s also about the author and her life and perspectives.
A thoughtful weft of memory, history, love, loss, and learning, this memoir includes insights from the author in which she shares her moments of discovery while addressing themes of Russia, Jewishness, motherhood, music, home, and language, as well as the vagaries of memory.
Kimber here. With a newsflash: We’ve read over 200 books thus far this year. Some were Pawsome. Some were Stinkers. Most were somewhere in between.
Is this place great, or what?
Go Ahead, Guess!
So guess which books have been the best? Most engaging and enjoyable? Most fun. Inspiring. Entertaining and informative.
Go ahead! Guess!
Never mind. I’ll tell ya:
The Most Pawsome books we’ve read thus far this year are by indie authors. Not best-selling authors. Not “over a million copies sold.” Not “soon to be made into a major motion picture.” Nopers. None of that jazz here. Because frankly, that “bestselling author” stuff is so over-rated. We’ve seen wilted brussel sprouts with more flavor than some of those “best-selling” titles.
So here’s our 100% unscientific, totally subjective version of Best Books We’ve Recently Read in 2025 So Far. All are by indie authors. In no particular order:
Another book we read awhile back. But worth a revisit.
The Basics
Young Jameela is determined to follow her mother Mor’s advice: “If you can’t be beautiful, you should at least be good.” Growing up in a post-Taliban Afghan orphanage, shy, sensitive Jameela finds this easier said than done, especially since she’s not really an orphan. Her father is alive, but her mother, Mor, has just sickened and died. the rest of Jameela’s family was wiped out when bombs fell on a wedding party they were all attending.
Note: We read this book awhile back. Recently re-discovered it. Thought it rates a revisit. So here ya go:
Sonia Rodriguez is the family work camel. The oldest daughter in a family of nine, the 15 year-old wants to keep her grades up and the first member of her family to graduate from high school.
But the demands of caring for her pregnant-with-twins mother (“Sonia….. Ayudame!”) who spends all day, every day watching Spanish soaps, plus cooking, cleaning and caring for her younger siblings as well as endless trips to the tienda for cervezas for her loutish “drunkle” are overwhelming. “In mi cultura,” Sonia explains – a culture she both loves and hates – “familia es todo.” (Family is everything.)
Riddles? Secret doors? Some faceless evil pulling the strings? A dead sister who may not be dead? Double-crosses? Betrayals? All kinds of techno gizmos and mechanical doodads with minds of their own? What could possibly go wrong?
Kimber: Wait! Wait! The first thing you need to know about this book is that it’s about me! Kimster the Amazing! Kimster the PAWsome! Kimster the marvelous wonder dog and stupendously splendiferous and seriously stunning super hero!
Mom: Dial it back a little, will ya Kimmi?
Kimber:What? Okay, okay. I s’pose we better go on with the book review?
Mom: Not much gets past you, does it?
Kimber: That’s what super heroes do. Nothing gets past us! Unlike that Jim Riven “worst” guy in this new fantasy book. So just remember. I’m the Real Deal, okay?
Since you asked Real Nice, here’s the 4-1-1 on the book:
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.
ThisLittle 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.
Kimber:Yo, Mom! What’s this ‘week’ stuff? Is that like wanBeef 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.)
“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?
The Lucky Seven
Pages & Paws 