Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie


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‘The Order’ Illuminates Pivotal Chapter in Human History

The Order

By John-Patrick Bayle

Lancelin Publishing

Genre: Historical Fiction

Via: Author Request

Summary:

Thrust into the political and religious tumult of the 16th century, a young monk is sent on a perilous journey with a mysterious document. 

A mysterious document is secreted beneath the floors of a French abbey for three hundred years until a young monk discovers it. If it gets out, the document threatens governments and religious hierarchies alike. Betrayal, double-crosses, kidnapping and murder follow in this thorough and solid work of historical fiction. 

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17 Unforgettable Love Stories

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And what better way to ring in the day than with a love story?

Now, I could line the bottom of my bird cage (if I had one) with most of what passes for “romance” stories these days. That’s not what this list is about. You won’t find any cheap dime store boiler plate trash here. This list focuses on timeless love stories that go above and beyond basic romance.

Some of these titles are relatively new. Others have been around for centuries. All reach straight for your heart. Climb in. And settle in to stay. B.Y.O. tissue.

Here are 17 of the most unforgettable love stories of all time, along with memorable quotes. Many have been made into movies. Some might surprise you:

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s masterpiece of love and life among English gentility during the Georgian era. Mr. Bennet is an English gentleman living in Hartfordshire with his overbearing wife, one of the most ridiculous mothers in all literature. Mrs. Bennet’s chief goal in life is to see her five daughters married off and living comfortably. But fate intervenes…

Memorable quote:

“My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.”

2. Doctor Zhivago – Boris Pasternak

This novel traces the lives and loves of its two tragic protagonists, Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet, and Larissa Antipova. Pasternak’s epic love story takes place between the Russian Revolution of 1905 and World War II. First published in Italy in 1957.

Memorable quote:

“Oh, what a love it was, utterly free, unique, like nothing else on earth! Their thoughts were like other people’s songs.”

3. A Common Life – Jan Karon

Laughter and wedding bells ring as Father Tim and his artist neighbor, Cynthia, get ready to tie the knot. Finally!

Memorable quote:

“I am not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride.”

4. Message in a Bottle – Nicholas Sparks

When a woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, she’s determined to track down its author – and finds much more.

Emotionally intense story of love after loss. Set in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Memorable quote:

“Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul.”

  1. The Princess Bride – William Golding

Six-fingered swordsmen. Murderous princes. Treachery. Gallantry. Sicilians and rodents of unusual size.

Buttercup and Westley’s love story is a classic that not even the Dread Pirate Roberts can sink. Did you know the 1987 movie was based on a book?

Memorable quote:

“As you wish.”

  1. Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls

The powerful, poignant story of the unbreakable bond between a young boy and his two Redbone Hound dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, reminds us what love really means. Set in the Ozarks during the depths of the Depression.

Once in a lifetime, a story comes along that inspires generations of readers. Where The Red Fern Grows is one of those stories. Bring Kleenex.

Note from Kimber: My personal favorite, friends! Even better than bacon! Mom always wants to snuggle up with this one. I’m a good helper, ya know. But I’m a World Class Snuggler and face-licker!

Memorable quote:

“I looked at his grave and, with tears in my eyes, I voiced these words: ‘You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.’”

  1. Out of Africa – Isak Dinesen

Set largely in Kenya, East Africa, this sweeping epic is a story of discovery, loss and love.

Karen Blixen followed her dreams until her dreams became reality. She came to Africa from Denmark to search for something inside herself. There, she discovers a man and a country. And life as she’s never known it.

Blixen published her autobiographical Out of Africa under the nom de plume, Isak Dinesen.

The 1985 movie won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. It stars Meryl Streep as Blixen and Robert Redford as her lover, Dennys Finch-Hatton.

Memorable quote:

“If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?”

  1. The Notebook

    – Nicholas Sparks

A touching story about what we long for. What we settle for. And who we were meant for. Full of longing and wistfulness. Despair and hope. And unexpected plot twists. Vintage Nicholas Sparks.

“I read to her and she remembers.”

Memorable quote:

“We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it.”

  1. Romeo and Juliet

    – William Shakespeare

Don’t make me explain this.

Memorable quote:

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.”

10 – 13. The Last Promise, A Perfect Day, The Letter, The Sunflower, – Richard Paul Evans

  1. The Velveteen Rabbit,

    Margery Williams

How a brand new toy becomes Real.

Don’t think this “children’s” classic is a love story? Think again.

Memorable quote:

“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

  1. Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë

Beloved love story between the plucky orphan and governess Jane Eyre and the dark and brooding Rochester.

Memorable quote:

“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.”

16. Bid Time Return – Richard Matheson

A haunting story of the link between a man and a woman that transcends time. The novel upon which the movie Somewhere in Time is based.

My husband rolls his eyes every time I drag out my SIT DVD. I just smile and grab some more chocolate.

This story and the movie that followed starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour prove how little critics know and how even a predictable love story never fails to tug at the heart strings.

An unforgettable John Barry score doesn’t hurt, either.

Memorable quote:

“Come back to me.”

17. West Side Story

The original classic update of Romeo and Juliet set on the mean streets of New York during the 60s, with an unforgettable musical score.

Memorable quote:

“Tonight, tonight…”

What would you add?

This post was first published on Pages and Paws in 2020. But, hey! We figured it’s worth a re-run. Happy Valentine’s Day!


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TGIF & Friday 56 With ‘The King’s Shadow’

Hello Book Lovers!

TGIF, eh? That means it’s time for another Book Beginnings and a Friday 56. Like this:

Book Beginnings is a theme where readers share the first sentence (or couple of sentences) from your current read. It’s hosted by Rose City Reader every Friday.

The Friday 56 is hosted by Frida’s Voice. Share a few sentences from page 56 or 56% into your current read. Sound good? Perfect! Cuz here we go:

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How a Rescue Dog Saves Her Human Told in “Gabby”

Gabby: The Little Dog That Had to Learn to Bark

By Barby Keel

Citadel Press  – Kensington Publishing Corp., 2020

Genre: Biography/Autobiography/Animals

Summary:
The true story of the unbreakable bond of love and loyalty between a woman and the little rescue dog who rescued her.

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

“Sometimes, a human and a dog find each other and fit together like two jigsaw pieces…”

The founder and director of the Barby Keel Animal Sanctuary in Sussex, England, Barby Keel makes the observation when she finds a Yorkie terrier mix cowering on the floor of a car as Gabby’s dropped off at the sanctuary. Continue reading


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EBook or Hard Copy?

Dear eBooks:

It’s not personal. After all, you’re pretty cute. Shiny and sleek. Portable. Lightweight and easy to carry. Slim and trim. Convenient.

And we still don’t like you.

We prefer hard copy. Like, a real, live physical book with actual paper pages. That you can actually turn. Crease. Stick a bookmark in to save your place.

We like hearing the satisfying creak a New Book makes when it’s opened for the first time by a brand new reader. Or the smack of a just finished book when you snap the cover closed.

We like the way hard copy books feel. How you can brush the cover with your fingertips. Open it with your hands. Thumb the pages. Tuck it under your arm.

Additionally, one of us has been reading books since shortly after the Ark made landfall. And eBooks hurt Momasaurus’s eyes. Cause fatigue. Headaches. Eye strain.

You do not want any of the above coming through in a book review if you’ve submitted your magnum opus via eBook, okay? (Trust me on this.)

Book dinosaurs of the world, unite! As long as we’re talkin hard copy, okay?

XXOO,

Kimber and Mom

Which do you prefer – eBook or hard copy?


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Hop on The Road Less Travelled With “Wax & Gold”

Wax & Gold: Journeys in Ethiopia & Other Roads Less Travelled (‘M’ Publishing House, Ltd., 2021)

By Sam McManus

Genre: Non-Fiction

Via: Author Request

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

Summary:

A collection of first-person stories detailing “off-the-beaten-path” adventures in Ethiopa, Japan, Bolivia, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Mongolia, Lebanon, Oman, and Costa Rica.

Wax and Gold isn’t your average travel guide. If you’re looking for lists of “must see” sights at specific destinations, where to stay or shop or eat, this isn’t it. It’s seventeen chapters covers 2005 to 2019.

The title comes from a form of Ethiopian poetry. “Wax and gold” is “meticulously comprised with a focus on the duality of its meanings. The surface meaning, the wax must be stripped away to reveal the hidden core of gold underneath.” The author explains description of how wax must be stripped away to reveal the gold underneath.

In similar fashion, the author describes how “the allure of Ethiopia” encouraged him to look deeper within himself. Indeed, Wax and Gold combines colorful, detailed chronicles of the people, places, destinations, and cultures the author discovered in his many travels with a more subtle discoveries gained during his inner journey.

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Review Request Queue is Now OPEN!

Mom and I are pleased to announce that the review request queue officially re-opened on February 01, 2022. So we’re now open to new requests to review your pawsome new book.

First come, first served if you meet our submission guidelines

While we’re on the subject, sort of: Don’t be that author who telegraphs Lazy Rank Amateur from a mile away. Cuz when it comes to books we are and are not interested in, we’re like, really picky. Cuz we’re busy. So kindly don’t waste our time pitching a book that’s clearly outside our interests. And yeah, we always know who has and who hasn’t read the guidelines. Always.

So if you’ve read the guidelines and think your magnum opus is a good fit for Pages and Paws, give us a holler at kikero@juno.com. Put “Review Request” in the subject line so we don’t miss it.  (No guarantees, but dog lovers often move to the head of the pack. We’re just funny that way.)

Please note: We typically accept less than half of the review requests that come our way. (You wouldn’t believe some of the kitty litter fodder we get.) So to reiterate:

No promises, but you can improve your chances of getting your book accepted for a review if you take the time to carefully read our submission guidelines before inquiring about a review.

Woof!


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TTT: Books With Character Names in the Titles

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

Today’s topic is Books With Character Names in the Titles. This is harder than it sounds. But once we sat down and put on our thinking caps, we came up with 20+. That we’ve actually read. Could’ve included more, but this is for starters. How many have you read?

22 Books With Character Names in the Titles (in no particular order):

1. Tuck Everlasting – Natalie Babbitt

Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? That’s what young Winnie Foster must decide when she discovers a spring on her family’s property whose waters grant immortality. Members of the Tuck family, having drunk from the spring, tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go by and never growing older.

But then Winnie must decide whether or not to keep the Tucks’ secret―and whether or not to join them on their never-ending journey.

2. Gabby: The Little Dog That Had to Learn to Bark – Barby Keel

Gabby has spent all eight years of her life indoors. She has no idea how to play, chew a treat, or interact with other animals. She’s never dug in the dirt or rolled happily in the grass. Strangest of all, Gabby does not know how to bark. In short, Gabby doesn’t know how to be a dog.

Barby can tell that the little golden-haired dog is bright and curious beneath her paralyzing fear, but coaxing out Gabby’s true spirit will be a daunting task. Along the way, both human and canine find much more in each other…

Review forthcoming.

3. Black Beauty – Anna Sewell

A jet-black young colt, Black Beauty, spends his early years in a cozy meadow growing up with a gentle master, a strong mother and an ideal upbringing. Through the years, he changes hands with different masters. Some rough. Some kind. Some total jerks. Black Beauty’s experiences provide life lessons on real friendship, loss, hardship, and human nature.

4. Because of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie

When ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for groceries, she comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie. 

5. The Diary of Anne Frank  – Anne Frank

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. 

6. Julie of the Wolves – Jean Craighead George

Julie of the Wolves

When Miyax walks out onto the frozen Alaskan tundra, she hopes she is leaving problems at home far behind. Raised in the ancient Eskimo ways, Miyax knows how to take care of herself. But as bitter Arctic winds efface the surface of food, she begins to fear for her life and turns to a pack of wild wolves for help.

Amaroq, the pack leader, eventually accepts Miyax as one of his own, protecting and providing for her. But as Miyax nears civilization, her life with the wolves and all she has come to learn about herself are challenged as never before.

7. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The first published novel from the Nobel Prize winning Russian author of The Gulag Archipelago.

In the madness of WWII, a dutiful Russian soldier is wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to ten years in a Siberian labor camp. So begins this masterpiece of modern Russian fiction, a harrowing account of a man who has conceded to all things evil with dignity and strength.

8. Mary Poppins – P.L. Travers

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. Mary becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane and Michael. And who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, host tea parties on the ceiling, or pop in and out of chalk sidewalk drawings?

9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. Charlie Bucket, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, is among them. And he’s ready for the wildest time of his life!

10. A River Runs Through It – Norman Maclean

Set in the early 20th century in Missoula, MT, this classic coming-of-age tale about two brothers just wouldn’t be the same without its central “character”: The Big Blackfoot River.

11. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum

Don’t make me explain this.

12. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

Often considered one of the best Russian novels ever written, Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and thereby exposes herself to the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of 19th century Russia.

13. My Antonia – Willa Cather

Widely recognized as Willa Cather’s finest book and one of the outstanding novels of American literature, My Antonia details of the life of early American pioneers in Nebraska.

14. Cinder – Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl, a gifted mechanic, Cinder, who’s also a cyborg.

15. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D’Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her ‘cousin’ Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future.

16. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

An orphan and an outcast her whole life, Jane Eyre’s courage is tested when she is hired as a governess at Thornfield Hall, the home of the brooding Edward Rochester. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard. But Mr. Rochester has a terrible secret…

17. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

The story of a young man’s adventures on his journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Dickens’s autobiographical novel.

18. Silas Marner – George Eliot

Silas Marner: Bring the Classics to Life

Silas Marner, a weaver, is a good man. But he’s mistaken for a thief who stole donations at his church. He moves to the city and begins his new life weaving and saving gold, which is then stolen. All seems lost and lonely until a forlorn child comes into his life…

19. The Runaway Bunny – Margaret Wise Brown

A little bunny keeps running away from his mother in this imaginary game of hide-and-seek. Children will be profoundly comforted by this lovingly steadfast mother who finds her child every time. First published in 1942 and never out of print.

20. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo

The classic, tragic story of Quasimodo, bell ringer of Notre Dame, who falls in love with the Gypsy girl, Esmeralda.

21. Heidi – Johanna Spyri

 

This novel is about the events in the life of a 5-year-old girl in her paternal grandfather’s care in the Swiss Alps. It was written as a book “for children and those who love children.” Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written and is among the best-known works of Swiss literature.

22. Peter Pan – by J.M. Barrie

“All children, except one, grow up…”

***

What would you add?

+++

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This original feature/weekly meme is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl .


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GUEST POST: Meet ‘Whitney Chronicles’ Author Larry Lawrence

Today we’re chatting with Larry Lawrence, author of the The Whitney Chronicles series. (Read our review of his latest book inthe series, No Greater Love, here.) Take it away Larry:
I began writing while I was still working as a full-time pastor and worship leader residing in North Carolina. When I retired in 2015, I decided that I would turn my hand to writing and began a journey that fascinates me to this day. I have published four books in the Whitney Chronicles series, and another is due out very soon.

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GUEST POST: Meet Doreen Berger, Author of ‘The Captain’s Daughters

Kimber the Magnificent.

Hey! Hey! And double woof! It’s a guest author post! It’s not only a guest author post, but this author is also a dog mom! Yes siree, Lassie! It just doesn’t get much better than that! See:

How cute is this?! Honey and Buddy, author Doreen Berger’s dogs.

Wait? Where was I?

Oh yeah. Guest post.

Anyway, Doreen Berger shares a behind-the-scenes look at how her novel, The Captain’s Daughters, was born. (Read our review here.) So grab a doggie treat. Pour yourself a hot cuppa. Pull up a chair. Cuz this is just plain fun! Take it away, Doreen!

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