Fictional Dog Tag

So here's a fun (at least I hope) tag for anyone participating in the challenge and even if you're not, feel free to do it and link it so I can check it out!

CLIFFORD - the longest book you've read

I'm currently buddy reading the uncut version with Stormi and it's almost 1200 pages.  So yea, it's probably the longest.

SCOOBY DOO - favorite mystery book/series

I love so many different series but I will always have a soft spot for Veronica (and Stoker of course).

PEABODY - favorite non-fiction book

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I do enjoy memoirs from time to time.  Of course this is one that has stuck with me the most.

ASTRO - favorite science fiction book

I loved this book so much and I can't believe I've not read the next two in the series.

SNOOPY - favorite graphic novel

I love the Saga series and it's one of the first graphic novels I ever picked up. 

GOOFY - book or characters that annoys you (sorry Goofy)

EVERYONE in this book!

JAKE - favorite childhood book

I usually share how much I adored Pooh and his friends but I was also obsessed with the Little House books.  I remember my Dad buying me my first box set of them when I was a kid.

ODIE - favorite sidekick

I have a few faves but Elvis the Basset from this series is pretty awesome.  And the chapters from his POV are awesome.

BOLT - a fast read

I pretty much found all of the books in this series quick reads.

MAX - favorite holiday read

Well, it happened around the holidays 😊

So there you have it - feel free to join in and don't forget to link up for the giveaway!

Are You Ready for Locke & Key????

So Locke & Key releases on Netflix tomorrow.  I'm super excited about this and hope they do it justice.  I've always enjoyed the graphic novels but had no idea they had side comics besides the six main volumes.  When I saw this one on Hoopla, I had to grab it.  After all, it fits nicely in with this month's challenge.

TITLE: Locke and Key: Dog Days

AUTHORS: Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriquez

PUBLISHING DATE: November 6, 2019

MY THOUGHTS:  So Dog Days is just another small addition to the vast Locke & Key world.  When it opens, three young boys are playing by a stream and having a conversation.  It soon becomes clear that one young child is not as he seems, given his replies.  I'm sure you can only imagine where this is going.  

This was a fun read to the world and believe it or not, unlike the rest of the series, there is no real danger involved.  Apparently the boys in question have found one of the infamous keys which has allowed them to find out what it's really like to be their pet dog.  As with all of Rodriquez's work, the art is truly a masterpiece and is consistent with the rest of the series.  If you're a fan of the series, there's no reason not to pick this comic up.  My only complaint is that I wished it was longer.

RATING: 4 PAWS

Can't Wait Wednesday (247)

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

So the public has spoken - Cass is now a full-time contributor to Can't Wait Wednesday.  That means each week you'll see two books here. Of course Cass is already lobbying for an increase in salary (at least he works for treats - and bandanas).

FROM GOODREADS: When she was a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her neighbor. At least, that’s what she’s been told. She can’t remember anything from that day, and her town’s bullies, particularly the cruel and beautiful Melody Davenport, have never let her live it down.

But then Melody goes missing, and Cassidy thinks she may have information. She knows she should go to the cops, but she recently joked about how much she’d like to get rid of Melody. She even planned out the perfect way to do it. And then she gets a chilling text from an unknown number: I’m so glad we’re in this together.

Now it’s up to Cassidy to figure out what really happened before the truth behind Melody’s disappearance sets the whole town ablaze. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I've really been enjoying thrillers lately and this one sounds like it has a lot of potential.  I want to know if Cassidy really started that fire as well as who is sending her mysterious and incriminating texts.  Plus doll heads on the cover always send a creepy vibe!

CASSIUS'S PICK

FROM GOODREADS: An irresistibly blackhearted comedy about doctors, dating, dogs, and depression

Janet works at a ramshackle dog shelter in the woods. She has a passive-aggressive boyfriend, a meddlesome family, and a clutch of eccentric coworkers. Most of all, she has her "sad"--a comfortable cloak of gloomy realism that brings her comfort when everyone around her has surrendered to the permanent promise of pharmaceutical bliss.

Janet wants no part of this, and her family has nearly given up on her. That is, until the fateful summer when word spreads of a new pill that offers even confirmed cynics a short-term taste of happiness . . . just long enough to make it through the holidays without sinking into depression. When her family stages an intervention, her boyfriend leaves her, and the prospect of making it through Christmas alone seems like too much, Janet decides to give in to the pressure. What follows is life-changing for all concerned--in ways no one quite expected.

Sharp-tongued, relentlessly witty, yet surprisingly warm, Sad Janet is the depression comedy you never knew you needed.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  First of all, look at that poor puppy - forced to wear a pink sweater.  She looks pretty depressed and needs some cheering up. She should visit me - there's no time for depression with Apollo around.  As for the book, I don't like taking pills so I can understand why Janet doesn't want to either.  Also, I saw a review that said she is rather snarky and loves dogs more than people.  I think Mom will really enjoy this one!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

TTT - Predicted 5 Paw Reads

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week's topic is books on my TBR which I predict will be 5 star (or in my case, 5 paw reads). Sounds easy enough but I bet it's not!

I gave the first in this series 5/5 so I have high hopes for this one.  

So is it horrible that I have high hopes for this one after finding out the author is married to Owen King?  Probably not the best basis for a 5/5 prediction.

I have really had great success with this author, especially when her books contain dogs and kids.  Therefore, following that formula, this one should be 5/5.

I'm sure by now EVERYONE is tired of hearing how much I loved Certain Dark Things.  Hope this is another 5/5 for me.

If this isn't a 5/5 read, I'll be shocked!

Another instance where I gave the first in the series 5/5 so I'm hoping for the same with the next one.

My favorite cozy series - so of course it will get 5/5 right?

Pupcakes got 5/5 and despite the dog on the cover not matching the one in the synopsis, I hope this one pans out.

PLEASE!  Do I need to explain?

So I still haven't forgiven the author for killing the dog in My Best Friend's Exorcism (yep, I can hold a grudge) but he is still one of my faves.  Guess that says a lot.  Here's hoping this is a 5/5.  I did really love We Sold Our Souls.

So there you have it.  Maybe I'll revisit this post at the end of the year and see if I was right or wrong!

January Down for the Count!

I can't believe that January is over already.  Seems it went by kind of fast right?  However, since I think January and February can be rather depressing because of all the winter weather, it's a great time to spice things up with some good reading.  I'm thrilled to say I read 12 books in January (although one is technically for a February project so you won't see it here).  I'm so pleased with that and hope I can keep up the pace.  Anyway, here's the overview with a link to my reviews if you are interested and missed them.

Good Girls Lie: J.T. Ellison (3/5)

A Beginning at the End: Mike Chen (5/5)

We Are Monsters: Brian Kirk (3/5)

Cold Nose, Warm Heart: Mara Wells (3/5)

The Little Bookshop on the Seine: Rebecca Raisen (4/5)

Husband Material: Emily Belden (4/5)

Rugrats Guide to Adulting (3/5)

We Met in December: Rosie Curtis (4/5)

Bad Dog: Mike Boldt (4/5)

The Ghosts of Curmudgeon Avenue: Samantha Henthorn (3/5)

The Cold Dish - Longmire #1: Craig Johnson (3/5)

So looking bad there were quite a few 3/5 ratings this month.  I guess that's not bad but I expected better from some of these. I'd say my most disappointing book was Cold Nose, Warm Heart - not because I didn't like it, but because I expected so much more.  I would have never guessed it but my favorite read of the month turned out to be A Beginning at the End.  Who would have guessed?  

So how you your month?  What was your favorite book?

What's Happening (02-01-20)...

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out. 

So once again it's been two weeks since I've updated.  Not even gonna make excuses or assign blame.  

The pups are doing great and Apollo is growing like a weed.  He has his first vet appointment (for his second round of puppy shots) and all went well.  In fact, he was better behaved there than at home.  He and Cass are still having marathon playing sessions and when they get too riled up, Mr. Barb and I intervene before someone gets hurt.  Potty training is going better as I think he's finally making the connection to what "outside" means.  I would like to say he isn't biting as much, and I do think it's stopped a tad, but man, those puppy teeth need to go!  Cassius once again has some thoughts so he'll leave them at the end of the post.

We have been watching some new things.  We watched a movie called "Rabid" which was actually pretty good.  I think it was a remake of an older film but if you like zombies, then this is a fresh take on them.  We also watched "Hustlers" because I was curious and also because I got to pick the movie the evening of my birthday 😀 It was pretty interesting.  The other night we watched "Zombieland 2: Double Tap."  It was pretty much like the first one with some new things thrown in.  And last but not least we started watching "October Faction" on Netflix.  We have 3 episodes left and while I'm not in love with it, it is entertaining enough.  However, it's not a lot like the GN and I would recommend those because personally I think they're better.

Hopefully I wrapped up January strong reading-wise.  I hope to get my recap up Sunday.  I received a few books for review including It Will Just Be Us which is a Gothic horror, You Let Me In which is a thriller I've been seeing everywhere, and No Bad Deed which is a mystery thriller.  I also bought a copy of The Roo on release day and Stormi and I will be reading it in March.  Just like Booksnake is a current trend, I predict the cover color of the year will be blue.

Also, in case you missed it, the 3rd annual They Call It Puppy Love Challenge is live so you can find all the details HERE.

Now I'm turning it over to Cass for...

STUPID S**T MY BROTHER DOES:

1. He puts everything in his mouth.  Seriously, I swear the kid is going to have an identity crisis before he's six month's old.  It seems all Mom ever says to him is "don't eat dirt" and "what's in your mouth?"

2.  He play with our toys a lot, which is perfect acceptable.  But he also plays with MY toys.  He needs to learn there are certain ones which are off limits

* my stuffed squirrels

*my stuffed donkey named Nestor

*any and all bird toys - that means my blue jay that chirps, my Woodstock, my furry ducks, and my geese!

3.  He thinks he's a rabbit.  He hops ALL THE TIME! It's ironic that Mom hauled The Roo this week because since she's always called me Tigger, she has now taken to calling him Baby Roo - please see #1...will this kid EVER learn his name (for the record, by some miracle, he does answer to Apollo).

So how was everyone's week.  Reading and watching anything good?  Mom will want to know!