Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Independence Day


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Kimber’s Ultimate Pup-riotic Book List for the 4th!

Happy Dog-pendence Day!

Kimber the Magnificent here. Being all brilliant and beautiful. (It’s a tough job. But someone’s gotta do it.)

Who’s ready for a swim?

While Mom is grilling outside, I’m inside chillin’ on my new dog cooling mat. It’s this cool blue thingy. It’s magic. I lay down on it and stop panting. It keeps me cool and comfy all day. Even in July.

Mom also closes the windows today. Leaves the fan on. Music, too. It helps mask the big booms outside. I don’t freak out over the big booms. But let’s just say they’re not my favorite. Waiting for Mom to drop something from the grill is!

Anyway, if you misplaced your cooling mat or want to celebrate this Pawesome America 250 thing with some Kimber-approved books, I gotcha covered.

Just grab your favorite chew toy and check out this cozy Independence Day reading list. Perfectly curated from Yours Truly ♥️.

🇺🇸 Kimber’s Ultimate Pup-riotic Book List 🇺🇸

1. My Fourth of July

The Vibe: Wholesome, nostalgic, and totally chew-free!

Why I picked it: Written by Jerry Spinelli, this book follows a little human getting ready for the ultimate picnic, listening to bands, and enjoying the day. It’s exactly how I like my holidays—lots of deviled eggs and zero loud bangs.

2. I Am Sammy, Trusted Guide

The Vibe: An inspiring hero’s journey (starring a Golden Retriever, obviously).

Why I picked it: See the world directly through the eyes of Sammy, a very good boy with a very important city job. It reminds everyone what loyal, hard-working heroes dogs are, which is a great reason to give me an extra treat.

3. Liberty (The Puppy Place #32)

The Vibe: Action, adventure, and a happy ending.

Why I picked it: In this one, Liberty gets spooked by fireworks on the beach and goes on a grand adventure before finding her family. It’s a great reminder to double-check your tags and microchip before the festivities begin!

4. Newfie to the Rescue! A Lifeguard Dog Story

The Vibe: Bravery and water-front heroism.

Why I picked it: While other humans are completely distracted by the bright sky, a big brave Newfoundland dog saves the day at the beach. We dogs are always looking out for the pack!

5. Your Dog’s Guide to a Safe and Happy Fourth of July

The Vibe: Relatable, snarky, and very demanding.

Why I picked it: For a laugh, give this one a read! It’s our official manifesto on why hot dogs belong on the patio and how a good belly rub is basically the real meaning of Independence Day.

You gonna eat that?

Happy Independence Day, friends!

And Happy Birthday America!


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For the 4th: Stand Up & Cheer With This AMAZING True Story of Courage & Hope

Back in the Game:
One Gunman, Countless Heroes, and the Fight For My Life

By Congressman Steve Scalise with Jeffrey E. Stern (Hatchette Book Group, 2018)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Via: Library

Pages (print): 281

That one small entry wound belied a massive, mostly internal hemorrhage that was about to kill me. I’d be dead in a matter of minutes, unless someone with some kind of x-ray vision happened to show up and was somehow able to see all the bleeding that couldn’t be seen. I needed a miracle.

In gripping You Are There fashion, Back in the Game tells what happened when one man opened fire at a baseball practice for Republican members of Congress on the morning of June 14, 2014, wounding five and nearly killing one: Louisiana congressman and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. And how Scalise fought his way back to the people’s House.

It’s Scalise’s moment by moment account of not only what happened to him, but of those who emerged in the seconds after the shooting began and worked to save his life and the lives of his colleagues and teammates when a lone gunman attempted the greatest political assassination in U.S. history.

The gunman came within a hair’s breadth of succeeding.

Kimber: Let me just say right out of the kennel that Back in the Game is a book about heroes. Like:

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25 U.S. Historical Fiction Books That’ll Rock Your 4th

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!

Kimber here. Bein’ all magnificent and everything.

Well, the subject of “best U.S. historical fiction” came up the other night. We were watching 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. Not P.C. 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!

This is our not-PC, totally unscientific, 100 % subjective list of great historic-ish reads for a great American holiday! To make the cut, titles have to be good stories. Well-written. Based on or interweaving actual events, people, or epochs from U.S. history. (Not sure what that means. But it sounds delish!)

Ready? Set? Let’s Go!

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ROCK the 4th With These 25+ U.S. Historical Fiction Books

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!

Continue reading →