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Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

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Psychological Thriller Has Potential

Yesteryear’s Echo: A Historical Psychological Thriller

Book 1 of the Case 47 Series

By Jane M. Bell (Indie author, 2024)

Genre: Fiction – thriller

Pages: 346

Bia: Author Request

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

“Go to the oldest part (of the hospital archives). It is there where time stands still, but history continues to move forward.”

The Basics

Thomas Bauer, MD, PhD is an exhausted psychiatrist with a crumbling marriage and an estranged wife and young son. Thomas is also on the outs with the administration at Saint Elizabeths (sic) Hospital in D.C. And he’s trying to get out from under the shadow of his famous psychiatrist father, Dr. Harold Bauer. Thomas Bauer harbors nagging questions about his dad’s roll in some nefarious “research” at Saint E’s. Did Harold Bauer’s research partner, Dr. Matthias Levi, figure out a way to “send consciousness through time”? If so, at what cost? And what is “Case 47”?

“Secrecy always shrouded the tenure of Levi and his father. Mysteries that fueled a burning curiosity for years.”

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‘Hope Unleashed’ Warms Hearts, Wags Tails

Hope Unleashed: Coping with Cancer with Courage & Love: The True Story of an Animal Rescue Caregiver

By June Summers (Van Velzer Press, December 2024)

Via: Author request

Genre: Non-Fiction/Memoir

Pages: 179

We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Please note that we won’t be rating this book. Assigning a numerical rating to a memoir just doesn’t feel right.

If courage could shine through ink, these pages would glow.

Kimber: Mom and I? We don’t say the above about too many books. But June Summers’ Hope Unleashed isn’t just any book. Hauntingly beautiful and searingly elegiac, Hope Unleashed is based on the life of a real woman, Wendy, as told by her mother. It also has dogs. About 40+. And about 20 cats (Nobody’s perfect). And how Wendy’s limitless love for animals and her passion for saving lives became her own lifeline as she battled an aggressive form of cancer.

Mom says you might want to grab a box of tissue before diving into this one. Or maybe a whole pallet. I’ll let Mom tell ya more. As soon as I re-up her tissue supply. Take it away, Mom:

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Sparks’ ‘Dreamland’: Straight Outta Snoozeville?

Dreamland

By Nicholas Sparks (Random House, 2022)

Pages: 360

Genre: Fiction

Via: Library Book Sale

“So who are you and what have you done with Nicholas Sparks?” Her Momness asketh the other day. I’m pretty sure it’s a “rhetorical question.” Not sure what that means. Except that Mom’s been reading Nicholas Sparks since just after the discovery of fire. And apparently she was, shall we say, less than impressed with this tome? Here’s why:

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‘An Honorable Defeat’ Prodigious, Probing

You know how Mom and I love history, write? (That’s not a typo.)  So when we saw William C. Davis’ An Honorable Defeat: The Last Days of the Confederate Government at a library book sale recently, we snapped it up right quick. Thought we’d chew on it awhile. After all, it smelled like a good idea!

Here’s the 4-1-1:

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WWII Heroism Remembered in ‘Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island’: When Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue

Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island

The World War II Battle That Saved Marine Corps Aviation

By John Bruning

Via’ Library

Genre: Narrative Non-Fiction/Military History

Pages: 436 + Epilogue, Final Note, Their Legacy, Appendix, Bibliographic Essay, Notes, and Index

Note: We’re posting this review today because November 10 is a very important day in our household. Dad was a Marine. And November 10 is the Marine Corps Birthday. In honor of The Few. The Proud, we thought we’d look back at a historic battle in a long line of historic USMC battles via this book. From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli…

Hi, Dad!

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Why This ‘Monster’ Surprised Us

Someone say, “Make like a tree and leaf”?

Bet you think we’re gonna do a “Halloween” post today, huh? Nah. Her Royal Momness and I? We’re not big Halloweeners. But we are big Frank Peretti fans. Ever since This Present Darkness.

So when we found a copy of an old Peretti novel we hadn’t yet read at a library book sale the other day, we scooped it up like The Kimster after a T-bone steak. We’re talkin’ nano-second here. Especially since it was a hardback book. For like, a quarter. Oh yeah.

The 4-1-1

Anyway, here’s the 4-1-1 on Peretti’s thriller novel, Monster:

More terrifying than any nightmare, something has scathed a very real path thru the Idaho hills, paving it in blood and echoing screams. It lives, it hunts, and it’s just getting started.

This time, the monster is real.

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10+ Bark-Worthy Books Set in Exotic-ish Locales

You don’t have to say it. I know I’m beautiful. Also shy, modest, and retiring.

Kimber here with another edition of Fine Wine Fridays. (I was holding out for Excellently Scrumptious and Splendiferous Book Lists That Are So Delicious, They’re Even Better Than My Fave Dog Chow or Squeaky Toy. Mom nixed that. Ugh.)

Anyway, today we’re highlighting books set in exotic locales or other continents. So if you liked Peter Pan or Narnia, you may like… Oh, wait. Scratch that. These are set in real places, not Neverland or Aslan’s Country (Mom, you are no fun!)

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. Fun, interesting, engaging reads in other settings. Some titles are old. Some are new. They may be even better than my squeaky toy. (But I’m still holding on to it. Just in case.) So here, in no particular order, are:

10+ bark-worthy books set in exotic-ish locales:

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The Slug & I and a New Spy Thriller

Didya miss us?

Kimber the Magnificent here. Her Momness can’t come to the blog write now (that’s not a typo.) She’s being a lazy slug. Slacking on this post-y/bloggy thing. So I decided to step in and take over. After all, someone has to be the adult in the room. (And we all know who that leaves out, right?)

Anyway, the Slug and I? We’ve read like, 98 million books since our last post-y thing. Well. Okay. Maybe not “98 million.” Maybe only 97. But anyway. I wanted to tell ya about the last historical fiction thing-y we read. Cuz someone has to, Slugville notwithstanding. So here goes:

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Clean & Uplifting Alternatives to Kristin Hannah Novels

Kristin Hannah is a “#1 New York Times Bestselling Author.” She’s “Superb at delving into the character’s psyches and delineating nuances of feeling.” Her books are “full of honest emotion.”

Yawn.

So. Not. Impressed. Truth is, kids, Kristin Hannah novels are a mixed bag. Yeppers, she’s a prodigious talent. Greatly skilled at weaving masterful, suspenseful tales packed with emotion and dripping with drama. Her stories are compelling and usually read-it-in-a-day kind of quick.

But they often leave us feeling like we oughtta wash our eyes out with soap. Or take a shower inside our head.

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The Year’s Most Over-Rated Book?

It took some doin’. But Her Momness and I? We were up to the challenge!

“What challenge?” ask ye.

Finding The Most Over-Rated Book of the Year.

Now, there were some real doozies in the running, mind you. With apologies to high school English teachers everywhere, neither of us can abide ‘stream of consciousness’ prose a la Faulkner. That’s one reason The Sound and the Fury made the list previously. Ditto Wuthering Heights and The Great Gatsby. And no, you won’t find The Most Over-Rated Book in the English Language on our list either. Hint: Catcher in the Rye. Gag me with Meow Mix!

But we just plowed through the Sorriest Slog of ‘Em All. We’re talking dull as a blunt spoon. If boring, bland and redundant were Olympic sports, this hunka junk would bring home the gold.

Can you guess what galactically lousy title gets the nod?

Great. We’ll tell you:

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