Someone has finally come up with an idea I can sink my teeth into! Mom calls it Read Across America Day! Mom is so excited! So I! Am! Excited! Too!
Mom says this special day is a nationwide observance. We’re giving you a little head start. Cuz it coincides with the March 2 birthday of Dr Seuss. You know. That “hat cat” and Grinch guy. (Nobody’s perfect.)
Anyway, Read Across America Day is our kinda day! Yeah, Lassie! One whole day to focus on my favorite two things in the world: reading and books. (Well, okay. Maybe a nice, thick New York steak, too.) So, here are…
Readers have some tough decisions. Like when your TBR rivals the Empire State Building. Your library check-outs are in triple digits. The local bookstore ropes off an entire section with your name on it. Or your favorite canine has to choose between New York Steak and Rib Eye.
Kimber the Magnificent here. Being all Brilliant and Beautiful again. Still.
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Reading decisions.
Does this sound familiar, hoomans?
– You grabbed a book off Amazon because it snagged a glittering galaxy of 5 star reviews. That were probably posted by the author’s mom. Under numerous pseudonyms.
– Your reading club is gushing over its latest selection. You can’t get past page 3 without reaching for No Doze.
– The latest “bestseller” has a plot that’s as dense as a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Without the jelly. Or the bread.
What’s a reader to do?
First of all, relax. Deep breaths, okay? Mom and I are here to help.
Second, realize that reading isn’t a competition. Or s chore. Reading is supposed to be fun. Enjoyable. (Kimber: Well, maybe not as enjoyable as a Porterhouse Steak. What?)
Anyway, here’s the latest brilliant advice from Her Royal Momness and me. On All of the Above. At no extra charge:
Stop.
That’s right.
Just. Stop. Close the book. Put it back. And move on to something else.
It doesn’t matter how far you’ve read. The number of pages left. Or how many hours you’ve spent slogging through a book. Through gritted teeth. When you reach The Point of No Return on a book, don’t return.
That’s right. Put that book down. Send it back. Find something else.
And lose the guilt. Give yourself permission to say No.
True, not all books are easy. Some require more effort than others. That’s okay.
That snoozer that had you yawning? The stinker that made your hair ache? Just stop. Put it away. You can always pick it up again later.
But if you’re hating every minute of a book, counting the remaining pages, or forcing yourself to keep going and dreading every minute, then you’re missing the point. Of letting books into your head. And your heart. Soak into your soul. And maybe even change your life.
Speaking of “life,” Mom and I decided a long time ago that life’s too short to spend it on lousy books. That we don’t enjoy. Put us to sleep better than Sominex. Look like the neighborhood fluff ball.
Besides. With zillions of titles to choose from, you’ll always be able to find something that’s a better fit.
So to reiterate, relax. And lose the book DNF guilt. It’s so not you.
Meanwhile, Mom and I will be back shortly. Soon as one of us re-shelves a few books.
You gonna eat that?
What’s the last book you read that soaked into your soul?
Can you believe September is just around the corner? Summer reading is winding down. Mom is swamped. Or chowing down on cookies ‘n cream ice cream. (Nobody’s perfect.) But hey! You know me, right? Kimber the Wonder Dog is always up for a new book!
So. Here at no extra charge are 13 ways to rock your home stretch reading. From inspirational/personal development to award winners, adventure stories, cookbooks or books set in places you’ve always wanted to visit, there’s something here for everyone. (I’m partial to #2. But let’s not get picky here, okay?)
Ahoy summer readers and other lovelies! Today we’re clearing the decks to feature three recently read books. We’ll give you the lowdown so you know what’s hot and what’s not and can steer accordingly.
Sound good?
Cool. Here we go. We’re starting with a stinker so we get it out of the way first. Then we’ll move on to The Good Stuff:
Woof-hoo! It’s summer time, summer time, sum-sum, summer time! Doo-whop, doo-whop.
Kimber here. Mom and I are celebrating August with something a little special. I was lobbying for filet mignon. But nooooo! Mom decided on a quick run-down on recently read titles. To save you some time. So you can avoid the clunkers. And enjoy the goodies.
Public domain
And hey. What’s summer without baseball, right? So I suggested we categorize titles as either Hits and Misses or as Strike Outs and Home Runs. Brilliant huh? (Mom helped a little. But it was mostly me.)
So here are five kinds of each book. Five duds. As in, swing-from-the-heels strike-outs and don’t waste your time. And five awesome-dawsome, tail-wagging, bonafide home runs. (One is somewhere in the middle, depending on which bat you choose.)
We were going to write a review of Anne Lamott’s autobiographical collection of nearly two dozen essays and reflections, Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith. No, really. We were. We have four pages of notes to prove it- double-sided! Then we thought we’d just to the chase. So here it is:
C.H. Armstrong’sThe Edge of Nowhere is set in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl days of the “Dirty Thirties.” The protagonist is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners spitfire named Victoria Hastings Harrison Greene.
Victoria is a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks. Now elderly, she has a tumor on her pancreas. So the novel opens with a letter. It’s penned by Victoria and addressed to her grandchildren. Dated November 12, 1992, the epistle begins:
“I know you refer to me as ‘the meanest woman you’ve ever known.’”
The rest of the book – 261 pages – fills in the blanks. What emerges is the fictionalized story of a woman who refused to be a victim.
Here are 5 Reasons Why The Edge of Nowhere Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat:
Kimber here. Mom is busy rustling up some Independence Day eats. I’m not too sure about the potato salad and corn on the cob thing. But I’m all over the grilled burgers! Yeah, Lassie!
Well. The subject of “best U.S. historical fiction” came up the other night. We were watching videos of last year’s fireworks or somethin’. You know. The stupid Big Boom things. (Why do humans do this every Independence Day? I don’t get it.)
I was all ears. (For the book list. Not the Big Boom things. Mom got me a Thunder Shirt for that.)
Anyway, just in time for Independence Day, Mom and I put together a list of the best historical fiction reads set in the U.S. Mom says we aren’t even going to try to cover books by decade, social movement, issue, or what not. That’d take us like, till the cat comes home. Gag me with Meow Mix!
Pages & Paws 