Weekly Reads (07/22/16)

Pretty much I think this is what our household will be doing this weekend.  It's supposed to be super hot and super humid this weekend which means we will do only absolutely what is necessary outside and the come up with creative ways to keep the pooches cool inside and still work off some of their energy.  Oh, and watch movies and read.  That's on the agenda too.

I haven't read a whole lot this week and actually ended up DNF'ing my first book in 3 years.  I just couldn't continue with it and although moving on with it was sure to cause a slump, it seems it may have caused a small one anyway.  We did watch some great TV though, which may have contributed to the slump.  We watched "The Dog Lover" which was really interesting and was about a worker who goes undercover to weed out puppy mills. "Batman vs. Superman" was also a decent watch.  I didn't think I could deal with Ben Affleck as Batman, but after a while, I got used to him and the movie was a good setup for some Marvel features to come.  Lastly, are any of you guys watching this:

It's a new Netflix series and I became addicted to it last weekend and ended up watching all 8 episodes in three days.  It was really interesting and and although somewhat campy, a lot of fun to watch and I'm really hoping it gets picked up for a second season.  It's a horror/sci-fi story set in the 80's with lots of nods to old-school horror.  If you have Netflix, you should really check it out.

So here's what I plan on reading this last week of July (can you believe it?).  Hopefully by the time this posts I am almost done with "It Happened One Doomsday" and have moved on to some of the others.

So what are your plans this week???

Dog Gone - Ever Wanted To Hurt Someone? So Has Sam!

TITLE: Dog Gone
AUTHOR: Diane Moat
PUBLISHER: Outskirts Press
PUBLISHING DATE: April 13, 2016

FROM GOODREADS:  Samantha Holden is camping with her boyfriend in a remote area of Tennessee when she discovers the body of a dog. The animal has been brutally tortured and killed, and Sam is incensed by its senseless death-and the apparent disinterest of the local police. She resolves to learn more about saving animals in distress but soon realizes that this can be a frustrating business as her efforts are constantly hampered by endless rules and red tape. In desperation, Samantha turns to crime in her efforts to tackle those who harm and abuse animals, while never losing her focus of finding the man who killed the dog she found. Assisted by a gorgeous "fence," a social media guru who spends her life indoors, and a retired gangster, Sam follows her instincts with an undeterred and unrelenting fortitude until she finally tracks down the heartless killer and faces him in a final reckoning. Dog Gone is a satisfying adventure for animal lovers everywhere.

MY THOUGHTS:  I knew when I went into this book, I might have some trouble dealing with the fact that it centers around animal abuse. I mean, come on - anyone who knows me knows I love my animals, especially dogs. However, I will say that I believe Moat does a wonderful job of addressing a hard topic without turning the reader off.

Several years ago Sam lost her mother and father in a tragic plane crash. Around the same time, she also stumbles across the body of a deceased boxer at the edge of the woods while camping with her boyfriend Daniel. Sam becomes enraged to see this dog has been brutally abused and cast aside like a piece of trash. Her anger comes to a head and she starts to battle the horrors of animal abuse in her area - sometimes anonymously and sometimes illegally. She also knows that she will never be able to fully recover until she finds the person who caused the deceased dog, which she names Elvis, and make sure he/she pays.

I love the characters Moat creates in this book. Sam is strong and is filled with tons of anger, yet at times she shows a vulnerability which makes her even more likable. Reading the book I was very aware Sam was skirting the law and doing lots of things she probably shouldn't, but since she was doing it for the animals, I always cheered her on. Sam does not work alone and her friend Melissa, boyfriend Daniel, Michael her fence, Aunt Pi the computer-genius hoarder, and a retired gangster all play an important role in this tale. The book kept me engrossed up until the end. As I mentioned, Moat handles a difficult topic with such care and I never once felt she was trying to make the book sensationalistic or gory. I believe the book is left open enough that there could be a sequel, and I can only hope one is in the works. Moat is also able to weave historical happenings into a current-day story which help the reader understand how Sam got to where she is today.

I only had one small issue with the book. I sort of felt the ending was rushed. Moat tells such a great tale, and the entire book is pretty much relevant to the story, but for some reason I can't pinpoint, the end just seemed to piece together all too quickly. Other than that, I have no real complaints.

I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this intriguing book. She also graciously did an interview on my blog which provides some more insight on Sam and the crazy cast of characters. This book is a must read for anyone who has seen a story on the news or in the paper about animal abuse and wished that they could get 5 minutes alone with the individual to take care of the matter. 

RATING: 4 PAWS

BOOKER T'S THOUGHTS:  Thank you Diane for naming Elvis.  It shows so much respect that this poor dog who was beaten and abused was given a name and some respect, even when it as obviously too late.  I also enjoyed hearing about Thing One and Thing Two.  Although I am not a rescue dog, Mom, Dad, Cassius and I raise money and make a donation yearly to help the shelter in our area.  You told a terrific story and I loved to hear Mom cheering Sam on to "Kick some butt!" 

Waiting on Wednesday (65)

"Waiting on" Wednesday" is weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming anticipated releases. 

December 6, 2016

FROM GOODREADS: Alice’s house stands at a gateway between worlds. Now something has awoken on the other side - and she's in its way...

378 Collarmill Road looks like an ordinary house. But sometimes, the world outside the windows isn’t the one you expect to see. And sometimes you’ll turn around and find you’re not alone.

The suburb of Crawbeck, on a hill outside the English city of Manchester, overlooks the woodlands of Browton Vale. Alice Collier was happy here, once, but following the end of her marriage and loss of her daughter, she’s come back to pick up the threads of her life.

John Revell, an old flame of Alice’s, reluctantly comes to her aid when the house begins to reveal its secrets. The hill on which it sits is a place of legends – of Old Harry, the Beast of Crawbeck, of the Virgin of the Height and of the mysterious Red Man – and home to the secrets of the shadowy Arodias Thorne.

And now Alice and John stand between him and rest of our world...

WHY I'M WAITING:  Look at that gorgeous cover!!! Also, I really want to know what lies behind this gateway and who is RED MAN.  Merry Christmas to me!!!!!

What are you waiting for this week????

 

TTT - Ten Books Set Outside of the U.S.

This top 10 weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and can be found HERE.  Each week they focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. This week we are looking at 10 books set outside of the U.S which I have read.  I don't know if I can actually come up with 10, but if I can't, I'll add ones that I still need to read.

Regency-era London

Peru, India, China, as well as the U.S.

London

Scotland

Lake District, England

Sweden

Australia

France

England

Hungary

So that really wasn't so hard although it seems like I do read books primarily set in the U.S. with the runner up being England.  If you haven't read Lucy Dillon's series and you like contemporaries or dogs, you simply must start it.  And if you if enjoyed "Me, Earl and the Dying Girl" definitely give "Life in Outer Space" a go - I liked it even better.

What made your list this week?

Read A Series In A Month Challenge!

I just can't seem to stay away from challenges and since I adore Berls and Michelle (from COYER) so much, when I saw this, I knew I would try to participate.  

HERE ARE THE RULES: 

1. Pick one series. Announce which series you've picked on your sign up post.

2. Read EVERY book in the series.  You don't have to read novellas or short stories, just the CORE books.

3. Read them between 12am on 08/01/16 and 11:59pm on 08/31/16.  They must be marked on Goodreads as both started and finished in the month of August.

4. Enjoy bragging about how you're all caught up on one series.

I will link the other questions HERE.

Basically there needs to be at least 3 books already released in the series.  And if you have read book 1, but there are at least 3 more, you don't have to read book 1 over.  Also re-reads don't count.  There are some other logistics but there are the main things I need to keep in mind for my plan.  I have come up with 2 options and will reserve the right to wait to the last minute to figure out what I want to read.

OPTION ONE:

OPTION TWO:


I was leaning toward the Whiskey, Tango & Foxtrot Mysteries since I have already read Book 1. However, when making this post, I discovered a 5th book comes out August 2nd and that may change things some. However, I do tend to fly through cozy mysteries so it is probably still a strong contender.

So...don't you feel like joining???? Everyone has some series reads they need to get off their TBR's.

Once Upon A Wine - Cute Dog Alert!

TITLE: Once Upon a Wine (Black Dog Bay #4)
AUTHOR: Beth Kendrick
PUBLISHER: NAL
PUBLISHING DATE: July 26, 2016

FROM GOODREADS:  Cammie Breyer needs a big glass of cabernet—her restaurant failed and her chef boyfriend left for a hotter kitchen. Just when she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, her Aunt Ginger calls with a surprise. She’s bought a vineyard—in Delaware. At Ginger’s command, Cammie returns to Black Dog Bay, the seaside town where she spent her childhood summers with her aunt and her cousin, Kat.

The three women reunite, determined to succeed. There’s only one little problem: None of them knows the first thing about wine making. And it turns out, owning a vineyard isn’t all wine and roses. It’s dirt, sweat, and desperation. Every day brings financial pitfalls, unruly tourists, romantic dilemmas, and second thoughts.  But even as they struggle, they cultivate hidden talents and new passions. While the grapes ripen under the summer sun, Cammie discovers that love, like wine, is layered, complex, delicious, and worth waiting for…

MY THOUGHTS:
I don't usually read a lot of contemporaries, but I read one by Beth Kendrick last year that I absolutely loved, and this is a companion book set in the same town, so I couldn't resist picking it up. Plus, isn't summer the best time to read these type of books?

Once Upon a Wine is the 4th Black Dog Bay book. You really don't need to read them in order, as only some characters make minor appearances later on in them. In fact, I still haven't read books 1 and 2 although this one seals the deal and I'm putting them on reserve at the library as soon as I can. Cammie lives in LA, but her life is drastically going downhill - her restaurant tanked after her chef/boyfriend jumped ship, and she lost her job as a waitress. Cammie gets a call from her cousin Kat advising the her Aunt Ginger just bought a vineyard in Black Dog Bay. None of them know much about what they are doing, but since Ginger raised Cammie after her parents died, she returns to Deleware to help figure the winery business out. Add in Kat's marriage is on the rocks and Cammie's ex-boyfried/farmer still lives in the area and you have a great family-centered novel with enough romance to keep you interested, but not enough to make you queasy.

Kendrick has really created quite a town in Black Dog Bay. It's a beach-side location where people come to mend their heartbreaks and often end up finding new loves. There is also a mysterious ghost of a black dog that is sometimes seen in town and is a harbinger of good things to come. This book has the right amount of humor and drama and once I started, I couldn't really put it down.

Now, the real reason for the 5/5 rating. I really did love the book and it would have definitely have gotten 4/5, but enter Jacques - see the cute dog on the cover? In the book Kat's husband buys her Jacques as a gift because she always wanted a dog and he just "makes" the book. He is a retired show-dog, who thinks he is a farm dog, who ends up being the hero of Black Dog Vineyard. He is so cute and the author/publisher gets extra points because the dog on the cover looks like the dog described in the book (a major pet peeve of mine).

So if you like contemporary books and are looking for a light summer read with some substance, you should give Kendrick a try. As I mentioned, I plan on reading books 1 and 2 and learn more about this little hidden town in Deleware.

I received an ARC of this book from the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 5 PAWS

BOOKER T'S THOUGHTS:  I really enjoyed meeting Jacques.  Can you believe he was retired from being a show dog after 4 years because of a snaggle tooth???? How doggy rude is that?  I have to admire Jacques because he is clearly suffering from a identity crisis after his retirement and now thinks he is a farm/working dog, yet he manages to become the star of Black Dog Vineyard.  I told Mom I clearly needed a vineyard now but I heard "But Booker T. you already have a farm to run!"  Geesh!

Stacking the Shelves (72) - Grab a Drink and Have a Seat Version

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews.  Clicking on the book should take you to the Goodreads page. 

I didn't get a post up last week because of other obligations so needless to say, I have quite a few books to show you.  I also made a trip to my two local library while on vacation which resulted in some new reads as well.  Let's start with the library haul....




Next up are some books I got for my Kindle - speaking of, I think my 7 year old Kindle is on the fritz and I'm going to have to break down and get a new one (that's OK I guess, I've already got it named - haha).  These were either free or really on sale (except for the Mutts & Murder and Bullets& Bulldogs which I'll admit were total impulse buys).


And finally, it was "HIT THE JACKPOT" week for galleys/ARCs. It goes back to my theory that approvals are either feast or famine.


Anyone who reads my blog will know that when I received "The Masked City," "The Bone Witch," and "The Secret Life of Souls" I nearly jumped up and did a happy dance.

I also won two Goodreads Giveaways and one in particular caused another little jig like the one above so when they arrive, I will be pleased to show them.

What did you guys add to your shelves this week?