Being held hostage by Captain Hook

I have too many books which I want to finish before everyone starts shouting "HAPPY NEW YEAR" but currently I am being held hostage by Captain Hook, or to be specific -

I am having a love/hate relationship with this book, but it does look like it will not go into the hall of fame as a DNR.  Hopefully it will be finished tonight so I can move on.  Below is my TBR stack. Some need returned to the library soon, and some are holiday reads.

In addition to these,  there are several which are not shown.  I have My True Love Gave To Me, somewhere in the house but couldn't locate it for this shot, Paw Enforcement which is on my kindle, and The Rogue Knight.  Even with vacation I doubt they will get done as I have spent 2 weeks trying to gather some kind of sympathy for Captain Hook.  Hopefully I will have a review up this week.

PS - Booker T said to tell everyone hi - he is busy working on his Christmas list.

House Broken

TITLE: House Broken
AUTHOR: Sonja Yoerg
PUBLISHER: NAL Trade
RELEASE DATE: January 6, 2015

FROM GOODREADS: In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.…

For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to Geneva to give her the care she needs.

Since her teens, Geneva has kept her self-destructive mother at arm’s length. Now, with two slippery teenagers of her own at home, the last thing she wants is to add Helen to the mix. But Geneva’s husband convinces her that letting Helen live with them could be her golden chance to repair their relationship.

Geneva isn’t expecting her mother to change anytime soon, but she may finally get answers to the questions she’s been asking for so long. As the truth about her family unfolds, however, Geneva may find secrets too painful to bear and too terrible to forgive.

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book from Penguin First to Read and I thank them for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. This book wasn't really what I expected. I think I felt it would be a light-hearted contemporary and have some cute dogs in it - I mean, look at that cover. Of course, I can blame myself because I apparently didn't pay close attention to the synopsis. That being said, I am glad I didn't and truly enjoyed this novel.

This book is family dysfunction at its best. But not comical family dysfunction, dark and severely messed up dysfunction. Geneva clearly had a crazy childhood and it is a wonder she grew up and is as successful as she is. But Geneva got off lucky, because some of her family had it rougher than her.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters. None of them are extremely likable, and it takes some time to get used to Geneva's alcoholic mother, Helen. The book is told from duel perspectives which works extremely well for the story being told. There ARE some animals in it because after all, Geneva is a vet. The author did a great job of introducing a few dogs which end up mirroring characters in the book. It is a subtle symbolism, but it is there.

I am glad I picked up this book and I recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for a well written novel about families and all their goodness and badness. 

 

MT RATING: 4 PAWS

 

I want to thank Jenn...and Cherie Priest.

Jenn over at Jenn's Bookshelves hosted the Thankfully Reading event over Thanksgiving and also provided a give-away for the participants and I can't believe I won.  She asked for the book we were most Thankful this year and since I loved Maplecroft, I chose it.  I was randomly picked and   now a beautiful hand-made book necklace from Melody's etsy shop.

I will post a picture as soon as it arrives and thanks again Jenn!

Breakfast Club anyone?

Just wanted to post a quick review of one book I finished during Thankfully Reading.  This was an ARC which comes out next week and I think people should grab it up for the holidays!

TITLE:  Top Ten Clues You're Clueless
AUTHOR: Liz Czukas
PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
RELEASE DATE: December 9, 2014

FROM GOODREADS: Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments.

MY THOUGHTS: Top 3 reasons I enjoyed this book:

1. A lot of diversity among the characters - different ages, different nationalities, different backgrounds and home life.
2. The lists! They were great - snarky, applicable to the chapters and interesting to read.
3. The Breakfast club feel. Come on, I was a child of the 80's and loved the brat pack.

This book and its characters were so likable. It takes place in a grocery store on Christmas Eve and I do believe I picked the perfect time of year to read it. The plot is fast paced and while it was somewhat predictable, there were just some elements the reader never sees coming. The one element is didn't necessarily like is Chloe's medical issue - diabetes. I feel so many YA novels are throwing in illness now as it is the "in" thing to do. However, in this book, the illness is not overdone and is not the main plot of the storyline, more like a side note.

I am pleased I received an advanced copy of this book and really think the author hit this one out of the park.

Top Reasons You Should Read This:
1. Because it is perfect for the holiday season.
2. Because you just might love it as much as I did.

RATING: 4 PAWS

Thankfully Reading Wrap up

Just a quick post wrapping up my reading holiday.  I want to thank Jenn for hosting this event as it was much less stressful than trying to shop.  I managed to read two books - and ARC of House Broken by Sonja Yoerg and an ARC of Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas.  I am about 100 pages in Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen (and I have to admit I am struggling) and I read the first chapter of Paw Enforcement by Diane Kelly.  Hope to do a better November wrap up and some reviews later this week.

Happy Birthday Cassius!

Hello there, it's me Booker T.  Just wanted to let everyone know that my baby brother, Cassius, turned 1 on Saturday.  The world sure hasn't been the same since he entered it, but I love him anyway.  Happy Birthday Cassius from me, Mom and Dad.  We love you!

Bye Bye Rudy

TITLE: Fashion Faux Paw
AUTHOR: Judi McCoy
PUBLISHER: SIGNET

FROM GOODREADS: It's Fashion Week in New York and Ellie's in charge of the dogs' modeling outfits that match their mommy-mdoels for a fashion competition. But before the first round closes, one of the designers drops dead of anaphylactic shock, her Epipen useless because someone's emptied it.

The victim's peanut allergy was well-known, so Ellie and her dog Rudy must comb through the brash designer's rivals, colleagues, and many enemies to discover who was so desperate that she committed the ultimate crime of fashion.

MY THOUGHTS: Although I usually read urban fantasy and paranormal books, every once in a while I like to mix things up. A few years ago I started reading a few cozy mysteries here and there and found that nothing cures a reading slump like one of these quick reads. It also helps when I can find cozies that have either a paranormal element, or one with dogs as I am a sucker for furry 4-legged friends.

I remember stumbling on the Dog Walker series in the library a few years back and picking up the first installment. Since August 2012, I have now devoured all six in the series. Sadly to say the author passed away in 2012 and it was sad to see an except at the back of this book for a story that will never be read.

Ellie is a dog walker in New York who started life over after divorcing a creep who allowed no pets in the home. She picks up Rudy from a shelter and finds that he contains the soul of a childhood pet. She also finds she is now able to hear what dogs are saying. Rudy and Ellie end up finding themselves in a few predicaments and she starts sleuthing and finds out that as a team, they are pretty good. Like most cozy mysteries, this is a quick read. I have come to love the characters so much, it doesn't even matter if I can guess who the killer is before the book ends. I will miss Rudy and Ellie along with her other dog friends. Sad to see this series end.

RATING: 4 PAWS