It's the most ZOMBIE-filled time of the year!!!!

Hello guys!  It's me - Booker T!  Mom and Dad are away for the moment, so I thought I would write a post from me and my shadow, oops, I mean sidekick, Cassius.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!!! 

Last night was Trick-or-Treat in our neighborhood and man, did I see all kinds of creatures - hippies, vampires, nurses and my all-time favorite of the evening - 2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  They were the cutest little guys ever.  There was only one zombie early on and he didn't stick around for long, so he must have heard about my zombie killing abilities.  I think tonight the folks may burn some candles, turn out the lights and watch a few horror movies.  I am game.  However, Cassie is a scaredy cat of a dog and I will have to make sure he has a blanket or two to cover his eyes. Here are a few pics of this years pumpkins - Cassie is even afraid of them.  Catch ya later!

Still Alive

It's been so long since I last posted, I don't know where to start.  Basically, I got sick at the beginning of September and felt like a cast member of The Walking Dead all month - and not one of the kickass main characters!   More like one of the things hurt, flesh falling off, just go ahead and kill me kind.

Then October brought training for work, lots of hours spent working on work projects, and little free time.  I have managed to squeeze some time for me and the family but not a lot.  There have been some good things...Marshall University is undefeated so far this year, The Walking Dead is back on and it is rockin' this season, darling husband got the house painted, and both pups are happy and healthy. 

Trick-or-treat is tomorrow night so this evening I need to shop for candy.  Maybe Booker T and I can get back on a regular blogging schedule soon.  I will leave with a few pup pics of my crew, who are getting ready for Zombie hunting Halloween night!  (well, Cass is resting up for Zombie hunting as you can see).

ZAC AND MIA

TITLE:  Zac and Mia
AUTHOR: A.J. Betts
PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers
RELEASE DATE: September 2, 2014 (already available)

FROM GOODREADS:
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this tough and tender young adult novel that's a lot about love (and a little about cancer).

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize

"When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics." So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can't forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.

MY THOUGHTS:  I received an invitation from Netgalley to read and review this book and am happy that I did. First let me say, this is a book about cancer, which I feel seems to be the new trend in Young Adult. And while I initially feared it was trying to be another The Fault in Our Stars, I am glad to say I am pleasantly surprised. I do wish I had not read the two books so closely together, but I have to say that I actually liked this one better. Both Zac and Mia are struggling with their illnesses. Zac is extremely likable, but Mia takes some getting used to. However, Betts portrays them brilliantly. I loved the various family dynamics and seeing the friendship between the two main characters develop. There are several pop culture references, which made the book seem even more real. I especially enjoy the way Zac looks at life. One of my favorite quotes in the book is when he is talking about being in the hospital at 3am – “Three is the worst hour. It’s too dark, too bright, too late, too early. It’s when the questions come, droning like flies, nudging me one by one until my mind’s full of them.” I can’t stress enough that this book deserves to be read. Don’t just write it off as “just another cancer book.” Give it a chance like I did and I don’t think many will regret it.

RATING:  4 PAWS

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just knew something was up with Mom!  I warned everyone she was showing zombie-like symptoms, but nooooo, I'm just a pup......why take me seriously????  And then, about 10 days ago, Mom came down with the worst cold/bronchitis/hacking/sleep-sucking disease she has seen in years. She has been walking around like a zombie and even making zombie noises.  The past few days have been somewhat better, and when we went on a walk last night, she wasn't soooooooo scary looking, but for days, I was wondering about the safety of myself, Dad, and even Cassius, the annoying pup.

Surviving Henry

TITLE:  Surviving Henry
AUTHOR:  Erin Taylor Young
PUBLISHER:  Fleming H. Revell Company
RELEASE DATE:  August 5, 2014 (already available)

FROM GOODREADS:  You don't always know what you're getting into when you bring home a puppy. Enter Henry, a boxer who suffers from Supreme Dictator of the Universe Syndrome. He vandalizes his obedience school, leaps through windows, cheats death at every turn, and generally causes his long-suffering owner Erin Taylor Young to wonder what on earth she did that God would send this dog to derail her life.
Through his laugh-out-loud antics and escapades, Henry will steal readers' hearts. Anyone who has ever owned a dog, especially a canine catastrophe like Henry, will enjoy this lighthearted book about a dog who brings new meaning to the concept of unconditional love.


MY THOUGHTS:  My husband and I have owned 5 boxer dogs over the past 20 or so years, and currently have 2 in our home, so when I saw this cover, I immediately knew I had to read this book. I was provided a copy by Netgalley and Revell Publishing and I cannot thank them enough. Henry is definitely a trying dog. I have been lucky enough to never quite have a Henry, but I did have a Cooper, who suffered so badly from separation anxiety when he was young that I quickly learned the inside workings of several pieces of furniture.

I admire Young's dedication to this dog. And I love how along the way, she seems to learn that she dearly loves the dog she thought she despised. Young's anecdotes are mostly hilarious and sometimes sad and scary. However, I cannot believe she continued to try to find creative ways to wear this dog out. I mean, my 9 month old pup is pretty rambunctious and I would never dream of tying him to a scooter or a bike and pulling me as a means of exercise. Although this just goes to prove how desperate Young was at times to reign in Henry.

I cannot say enough that I loved this book. It was just what I needed as our family is just again starting to raise another young boxer through his life. In addition, I was approved for this title just after we lost our 16 year old boxer, so I took it as a comforting sign that I should read it and reminisce about all the good times, and sometimes crazy times, we shared with Barkley. Thank you Erin Taylor Young for sharing your escapades with Henry. You truly do have an amazing dog and an amazing heart.

RATING: 5 PAWS

Somebody Help!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE....somebody send zombie fighting medicine my way.  The past week, Mom has been playing with me and all of a sudden will grab my face and say "T, you are so cute I could just eat you alive."  When she does, I always look at Dad as I just know she has been infected and I don't know what to do!  I hope I am wrong in my diagnosis but I suppose only time will tell.

New Release!!!!

TITLE:  Slimy Underbelly
AUTHOR: Kevin J. Anderson
PUBLISHER:  Kensington Books
RELEASE DATE:  August 26, 2014

FROM GOODREADS: There’s something fishy going on in the Unnatural Quarter. Bodies are floating face-down, the plumbing is backing up, and something smells rotten—even to a zombie detective like Dan Shamble. Diving into the slimy underbelly of a diabolical plot, Dan comes face-to-tentacles with an amphibious villain named Ah’Chulhu (to which the usual response is “Gesundheit!”). With his snap-happy gang of gator-guys—former pets flushed down the toilet—Ah’Chulhu wreaks havoc beneath the streets. While feuding weather wizards kick up storms and a gang of thieving lawn gnomes continues their reign of terror, Dan Shamble is running out of time—before the whole stinking city goes down the drain…

MY THOUGHTS: This book comes out tomorrow and I am so glad I obtained an early copy. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Dan Shambles series is one I always try to remain pretty current on. They are such fun, mindless read - and I mean mindless in a good way. Anderson has created a wonderful world in the Undead Quarter. Each new book is filled with more excited supernatural creatures. Every installment in the series pretty much has a large mystery for Detective Dan to solve, along with some others that either tie in or are indirectly related.

Dan is a well functioning, well maintained zombie. His PI agency consists of a human attorney partner, and a ghostly secretary who is also his girlfriend. These books are high on adventure and low on romance. They are also full of really tacky, really bad puns, which are extremely enjoyable in this context. As mentioned, it is part of a series of 3 other books and 2 novellas, but you could probably read it as a stand-alone and do OK. Anderson does a pretty good job on filling the reader in on the important history without overkilling it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery books with a lot of paranormal, sci-fi elements. This book would make a great translation to graphic novels. The writing and description is so colorful and pulls the ready in to this strange, albeit fun, world. I am already looking forward to the next installment!

RATING: 4 PAWS