Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Summer


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12 Most Memorable Reads of Summer

‘I know they’re here somewhere. Hmmm…’

Woof! It’s your favorite literary canine here. Ready to chew on some most memorable summer reads. Well, okay. Not “summer,” strictly speaking. Roughly May thru August-ish. But let’s not get picky here, okay?

Anywho, whether you love stories with a strong pack mentality, thrilling chases, exotic settings or intriguing historical fiction, you can count on me, Kimber the Magnificent, for some barkworthy recs. Some of these titles are kind of obscure. Some we liked more than others. A couple surprised us. But all are memorable in their own write, right? By “memorable” we mean they linger after the final page. Roam around in your head for awhile. Kind of like extra crispy bacon…. What?

Anywho, we read close to 100 books this summer. I’ve dug up some of the most barkworthy. Let’s dig in!

Here, in no particular order, are some of our favorite/most memorable reads from “summer”:

  1. The Hidden Life of Otto Frank – Carol Ann Lee. Non-fiction.
  2. Beyond the High White Wall – Nancy Pitt. Historical Fiction.
  3. Saved By Her Enemy: An Iraqi Woman’s Journey From the Heart of War to the Heartland of America – Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak. Non-fiction.
  4. So You Want To Be a Veterinarian – Linda Soules. Children’s Non-fiction.
  5. Simple Genius – David Baldacci. Thriller/Suspense.
  6. Between Sisters – Kristin Hannah. Fiction.
  7. 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi – Mitchell Zuckoff. Non-fiction.
  8. The Rum Runner: The Legend of Captain John Stewart – Doralynn Kennedy. Gothic mystery.
  9. Hearts of Fire: Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly faith – The Voice of the Martyrs. Non-fiction.
  10. Corvus – Shallen Ann Chitwood. Middle grade fantasy.
  11. Redeeming Rhubarb – Bob Richley. YA/Fiction.
  12. The Help – Kathryn Stockett. – Historical Fiction.

Can’t wait to see what book awesomeness The Ole Curmudgeon will dig up this fall! You never know. Stay tuned!

P.S.: We’ll be updating The Naughty List soon. Aka: The Kitty Litter Hall of Shame. As in, Making a list. Checking it twice. Gonna find out which authors failed to adhere to our Submission Guidelines and have subsequently had our reviews of their books removed. Don’t think we don’t notice who does and does not Like, Share, and Comment on a positive review of 3.0 or more per our requirements. We do. And we keep a list. That you really don’t want to be on.

Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice...


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How to Survive a ‘Beach Read’ With Your Furry Bestie

The Beach!

Ah, summer! Sun. Sand. The beach! Mom’s fave iced tea. Big ‘ole fluffy towel. Dark glasses. Floppy hat. That Russian novel she’s been threatening to finish since shortly after the discovery of fire. And snacks. Don’t forget snacks! And, really. How was I supposed to know a mini cooler is for cooling, not burying in the sand after running it all over the beach at Mach 4?

Next stop: China!

Well. That was yesterday’s beach adventure. Live and learn, eh? There was also: 

The Tail of the Towel. Aka: a giant, plush bullseye perfectly calibrated to absorb water right before I launch a full-body shake and douse Mom with enough salt water to sink the Bismarck. Oh, and that soggy, salty belly-flop onto chapter 3? It was an accident. Promise.

The “Quicksand” Illusion. How come the beach doesn’t come with more grass? Why am I always sinking? And what’s up with all this sand?

The Great Chapter Bury. Okay, okay. So maybe I did get a little carried away with that beach excavation thing. Like, digging half-way to China. And chucking sand all over Tolstoy. But, hey. The guy needed a face lift anyway. Think of all the money I saved him!

Go!

The Bait and Switch. Mom said, “Wanna play fetch?” Well. What kinda question is that?! Soon as she tossed the stick, I was all in! Sprinting full-speed down the coastline to:

  • Outrun every shorebird in sight.
  • Roll in every piece of seaweed I could find.
  • Say “hello” to everyone in the same zip code.
  • Protect Mom from one very sketchy-looking plastic bag.

The Salty Sea Gulp. Kids, don’t try this at home! Yeech!

Oh yeah!

Well. We had fun. Mostly. One of us even learned a few things. So here, at no extra charge, are some tips for surviving a “beach read” with your canine. (Accessories not included. Batteries sold separately.)

  • Pack a Canine Command Center: Bring an Explorer Dog Travel Bag to organize all the toys, fresh water, and portable bowls to keep them distracted from your book.
  • Bring Shade: A pop-up sun shelter makes a good chill zone where your pup can stay cool, keeping the sand-kicking radius at a safe distance. Add a cooling mat.
  • Accept Defeat: Honestly, the best way to handle reading at the beach with Fido is to just accept that your book will end up as a glorified chew toy. Bring a waterproof e-reader, or just give up and enjoy watching your furry bestie live their absolute best life in the surf. And leave that Russian novel at home. Kimber: Works for me! Can we go again tomorrow? Can we? Can we? Huh? Huh?
Till next time!


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10 Totally Pawsome Tips for No-Guilt Summer Reading

Happy First Day of Summer!

Kimber the Magnificent here. Jumping into summer and summer reading. Cuz summer is the lazy, daisy season. (Kimber: Not sure what that means. Methinks Mom just made that up. I prefer to think of summer as The Season of Endless Barbecues...)

“You’re gonna eat that?”

Wait. Where were we?

Oh yeah. Summer and summer reading. We talked about conquering your summer reading list the other day. One of us thought we oughtta clarify that the last thing Mom and I want on our summer plate is a reading list that feels like homework. So if your “summer reading” includes Russian literature that’s as dense as a pea soup fog or has books with plots so thick you could pave roads with ’em, you’re doing it wrong.

Not to fret, Cookie. We’re here to help.

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How to Conquer Your Summer Reading List

So there I was. Minding my own beeswax. Snoozing in the sun. With visions of Porterhouse steaks dancing in my head… What?

Well. Then She Who Must Be Obeyed asks me about summer reading plans. What do I look like, an oracle?

“C’mon, Kimmi. Time’s a-wastin’. We gotta get goin’ on our plan to conquer our summer reading list.”

Wait. We have a plan? Really? 

Cuz, hey. Mom and I? We’re pros at summer reading. Cramming our book bag with enough library books to choke a camel. Adding to our TBR pile till it resembles the leaning Tower of Pizza. (Mom: “That’s Pisa, Kimmi.” Kimber: “You eat what you want and I’ll eat what I want, okay?”

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10 Fictional Places We’d Love to Visit This Summer

TSA lines moving at glacial speed? Travel package rivaling the national debt? Accommodations that make the Bates Motel look like an upgrade?

Let’s go!

Summer vacay is just around the corner. So pack your bags and set sail on the U.S.S. Mom and Kimster for some favorite fictional summer vacay locations. We’re talkin good food, good scenery, and good times. Based on books. (Accessories not included. Batteries sold separately.)

ALL ABOARD!

  • Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl). What could be more fun than all the free chocolate Mom could possibly chow down? ‘Sides. It’ll be a brand new year by the time she comes down from that sugar high.
  • The Emerald City (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum). The sentries! The horse-drawn carriages! The green glasses! A yellow-brick road and a hot air balloon! Oh yeah!
  • Cair Paravel (The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis). Seeking magical, scenic, and epic adventure with talking animals and a Really Big Lion? All you have to do is walk through a wardrobe.
  • Neverland (Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie). Mom: Okay, Kimmi. Where’d ya stash my pixie dust?
  • Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane (Mary Poppins – P.L. Travers). What IS inside that carpet bag, anyway?
  • Rivendell (Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien): The ultimate “Calgon, take me away” retreat. Plush accommodations. Breathtaking natural beauty. Excellent elven wine and endless plates of food. Miles of hiking with a sweet furry face we all know and love. And no one will ask to see Mom’s passport.
  • The Shire (The Lord of the Rings again- J.R.R. Tolkien): If we’re not busy rescuing hunanity and saving the world, we’ll park here for a while. Chow down on six meals a day (but who’s counting?). Snooze and cruise while waiting for Gandalf to show up with the latest fireworks extravaganza.
  • Camelot (The Once and Future King – T.H. White). A king. A queen. A knight. A round table. And Morgan le Fey. What could possibly go wrong?
  • The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie-the-Pooh – A A. Milne). Terminal cuteness with the world’s most loveable bear ‘of very little brain’ and his sweet forest friends. Who wouldn’t want to join Pooh for a friendly pot of honey?
  • Chew and Swallow (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – Judi Barrett). A town where food falls out of the sky. All day. Every day. Kimber: Sign me up!

Where are you heading this summer? Let us know which fictional paradise you’re hoping to wake up in!



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7 Captivating Children’s Books for the Ultimate Summer Break

So Mom is skipping merrily around the house. Opening every window in sight. Crowing about sunshine and summer.

Who loves ya, baby?

So embarrassing.

But that got one of us thinking. What are some great children’s books set during the sunshine season? The kind that’ll keep kiddos engaged, turning pages and avoiding endless choruses of “I’m boooorred”? Cuz summer is prime reading time! And not just for us dinosaurs (Don’t tell Mom I said that, okay?).

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Kimber’s Guide to June Reading

Brilliant AND Beautiful!

Happy June 1!

No idea what that means, spake I, Kimber the Magnificent. But Mom is crowing about “Hoo-ray for June!” So “June” must be a good thing, right? Especially if “June” comes in Filet Mignon, medium-well, wrapped in bacon and all juicy and yummy and…

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. June. And reading.

Well. Today you’re in for a treat, Cupcake. Cuz today I’m gonna give you a rundown on how this June reading thing works in my house. Like this:

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Libraries and The ‘Dog Days’ of Summer

What do humans mean when they say ‘dog days of summer’? That I can hang my nose out the car window more on warmish days? That it’s too hot to do anything except lie in the shade and dream about kibble and surfing? Something related to Sirius, the ‘dog star’?

‘Dog star,’ huh? I kinda like the sound of that.

Wait. Kid on a bicycle going by.

Now. Where was I? Oh, yeah ‘Dog days.’ We’ve had several this summer. Temperatures ticked up to the mid and upper nineties. That may not sound like much to you Phoenix or Las Vegas types. But in western Washington, that’s as rare as a smart cat. It’s so rare in fact, that most houses don’t have air conditioning. Pontoons, maybe. But not A/C.

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20 Awesome Outdoor Classics for Kids!

Grays skies are clearing. Temperatures are inching upwards. Summer’s waiting in the wings. Even if you’re stuck inside, you can still roam the outdoors through books! Especially when celebrating Great Outdoors Month!

Today we’re highlighting 20 top outdoor titles for kiddos. These books are geared for children ages third through ninth grade, roughly.

All include strong characters, engaging plots, and superlative story-telling. All have stood the test of time. (You may detect a big canine bias here. Because as Kimber knows, everything is better with dogs. Yes sirree, Lassie! That goes double for the Great Outdoors!)

Besides. If you can’t go to the outside, we’ll bring the outside to you, inside with:

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Recs for Your Summer Reading

What’s on YOUR Summer TBR?

Mom’s at it again. She’s skipping merrily around the house, opening every window in sight.  Humming that Temptations song. You know the one. About sunshine on a cloudy day.

Here in the omni-soggy Pacific Northwest, we take whatever we can get in the “sunshine” department. Maybe that explains Mom lately. Why she keeps crowing, “Summer’s comin’! Woo-hoo!”

Has anyone found my frisbee? Cuz frankly, what’s summer without a nice, chewy, frisbee?

Anyway, with the weather warming up and some blue skies finally putting in an appearance, we whipped up a quick list of books for your summer reading. Categories include:

  • Most Unusual and Imaginative.
  • Most Intriguing.
  • Notable Nonfiction.
  • Just Plain Fun.
  • Favorite Re-reads.
  • Most Poignant.
  • #1 Favorites.

Titles appear in no particular order. So without further ado, here ya are. You’re welcome:

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