Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby - Call of the Wild in Miniature

Pros: This. Book. Is. So. Cute.
Cons: None.

The Bottom Line: This is especially great for families that own – you guessed it – wiener dogs.

I never thought I would be the kind of person who would own a wiener dog. A dachshund. The kind of little dog you can dress up as a hotdog, banana, and other oblong shaped items. But my dad wanted one and, long story short, he’s pretty much my dog now. My sister makes fun of him and calls him a mosquito.

But moving along. While at work at the bookstore (where else?), I found this nugget of joy. And now that I’m the owner of a wiener dog and I have always loved wolves, I thought this might be a funny story. It was indeed.

Wiener Dog lives with Granny. He’s got a sweater, chew toys, his own drinking bowl, and everything he could want. But he wants something more these days. And when he sees and hears a wolf howling on television one day, he thinks he knows just what he needs. Wiener Dog hitches a ride to the national park nearby where he meets up with some new friends and becomes Weiner Wolf! But it’s not long before he realizes that there’s a lot more to being Wiener Wolf than he thought – and he might not be ready for some of it!

Jeff Crosby did both the story and the illustrations, and he wins on both of them. The story is really cute and even unexpected in some places. The end is great because it really does tell readers a little something about what dogs need. The illustrations are really rich in color and have excellent detail when Crosby needed them to. They can be goofy or just downright pretty, and I’m pretty sure Crosby owns a few wiener dogs of his own because just looking at the cover – yup, my dog’s ears flap all goofy like that too.

It’s a book that kids will have fun reading or being read to. They’re sure to giggle at Wiener Dog’s antics and they’ll love his name. It’s more fun to say than “dachshund” when you’re a kid, right? This will be especially delightful for kids whose families own wiener dogs.

NT

Originally posted at Epinions.com

  Notes from the playlist: "Gold" by Owl City

Purchased for My Shelf

 Mammals of Colorado by Stan Tekiela

I bought Birds of Colorado for my trip to the Rocky Mountains.  There I spotted all sorts of little (and big) birdies and had such a great time checking them off like a live scavenger hunt that I decided it might be fun to add even more things to the mix.  Stan Tekiela not only does bird guides, but also flowers, trees, fish, and mammals.  Since I found animals to be the most fun to see, while in Estes Park I popped into Macdonald Book Shop and nabbed a copy.  Yeah, I know - I work at B&N and I could have waited until I got back in order to get my discount (I am cheap, after all), I like playing in little bookstores and I like to support them.  Besides, I didn't want to wait until I came home, lest I forget some of the critters I saw.  Some of them need to be looked at right away if you want to get them right the first time anyway.  There's even a checklist in the back of this one just like the birding one, so I started checking off animals right away.  I marked them even if I hadn't seen them on this particular trip, since a Colorado sighting is a Colorado sighting.  Like the 14 bighorn sheep that came down the same hiking path my father and I were heading up one year.  Out of the 130 creatures in the book, I was able to mark off 18.  Not too bad if you ask me - especially when some of them go strolling through your campsite on a regular basis.

So if you ever find yourself in Estes Park and looking for something to read, be sure to pop into Macdonald Book Shop.  It's as cozy as can be and perfect for a little mountain town...hmm...I wonder if they're in need of any extra help for the rest of the year...and the year after that....and the year after that...

Notes from the playlist: "The Man Who Never Lied" by Maroon 5

On Vacation!

I'm off to Colorado to play in the Rocky Mountains! I'll be back next week and who knows?  Maybe I'll pick up a book while I'm there!

Just Cracked Open

The Vindico by Wesley King

With such a dashing cover, I had to take a look at this one.  The back didn't offer me a blurb, but instead a piece of the book; "Somehow I don't think this will be an apprenticeship program.  Unless it's for a weird fashion school, in which case, I'm loving the cape."  Here we have several teens who have been kidnapped and who will receive super powers - but at a price.  They are to become the next super villians of the world (as they live in a world where superheroes and villians are the norm).  But why were they chosen?  Will they do what the evil group, the Vindico, asks of them?  How far will any of them go to get the super powers of their dreams.  I'm curious about all of this myself and look forward to see how things go.  While I don't expect this to be amazing literary reading, I do expect it to be an exciting adventure and likely a quick read - which is exactly what I was looking for.

Notes from the playlist - "Misery," by Maroon 5 by Wesley King

Recommended for Little Bears

Otto the Book Bear by Kate Cleminson

I just discovered this book the other day - even though it's been out for about seven months now.  It was placed on our children's octogon table and the second I saw it, I thought, "Oh I have to read this."  I couldn't just ignore that cute little bear on a book.  I'm a sucker for stories like this and honestly, when my sister has kids, these are the sort of books I'm going to read to them.  Otto is a bear who lives in a book.  He's happiest when children read his book, but when they're off doing other things, then he'll leave his book and play around the house by himself.  But then one day his book is left behind...now what will Otto do?  Initially I thought this book was done by the same author/illustrator as Orange Bear Apple Pear because of how cute Otto was, but soon realized I was wrong.  That doesn't matter.  He's still adorable and I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book.

Notes from the playlist, "Never Close Our Eyes," by Adam Lambert

Currently Reading

 







The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen

I picked this up as an ARC because it sounded interesting.  After all, it was described as "Fatal Attraction in the age of Facebook."  Sounds like a party to me.  It's written in journal format which is an interesting but still effective way to do it.  It really gives readers the chance to be right in the psyche of a woman who's been dumped by her lover after a 5 year affair.  So where will it go?  What will she do?  Well, she's already getting buddy-buddy with her former lover's wife so...I think we can all see where this is going.  Although I hear there's a twist at the end.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  Thusfar it's been a pretty entertaining read and so I say kudos to Cohen for an engaging debut.

Notes from the playlist: "Love Bites (So Do I)" by Halestorm

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates - I Love This Book

Pros: Almost a cuteness overload.
Cons: None.

The Bottom Line: What better book for a bookseller than a book about a dog that loves books and owns a bookstore! Ha!

As usual, I spotted this back in the kid's section. All it took was the cover; a little white dog with perky ears carrying a stack of books, stepping high and proud with the title Dog Loves Books underneath. I immediately made a mental note to read it.

Eventually I got my chance and was delighted with what was inside. The little white dog loves books so much he plans on opening his own bookstore. But when he does, no one shows up for the grand day. Dog gets a little bummed out, but plucks up his spirits by doing what? Reading books of course! Books can take him into different worlds to meet different creatures and have all sorts of adventures. But will anyone ever come in to his new bookstore?

I think we all know the answer to that.

It's a very simple book focused on the joy and power of reading. The book explains that Dog is never alone because he has all sorts of fun and friends ready and waiting within all his books. It's cute because even the dinosaurs look happy when they pop up. The illustrations are colorful and rather minimalist until Dog opens up his favorite books and then the pages fill up with kangaroos, spaceships, and all sorts of other exciting things. Dog is a cute little guy and I love his little doggie smile and happy ears. I'm always astonished with the illustrations that artists can create with the use of watercolors.

This is a great way to introduce kids to reading. Since this is a picture book for kids ages 4-8, not only do they get to read with you, but they can also get a peek into their future when it comes to books. There's nothing heavy about it, no deeper message other than books are great. And who's going to argue with that?

The book is an easy read; it doesn't use any rhymes or anything, just a straight story that you can read to your kids or have them read to you. It's a great anytime book, and might be particularly fun to read right before everyone goes to a bookstore.

I don't have kids or nephews or nieces or anything, but if I did, this would have been in my bag and on its way home.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

 Notes from the playlist: "I Will Find You" by Clannad

Purchased for My Shelf

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Indeed, if you follow this blog this title may sound familiar to you.  I recommended this book two years ago.  Since then I've often thought about reading it again.  When a gift card fell into my lap I decided to add it to my little bundle of purchases because this is the kind of book I can see myself reading multiple times - and that is one of my top criteria for purchasing a book.  Scalzi is a skilled writer who can spin an interesting tale that will draw reactions from the reader - whether those reactions are laughter or worry for the characters.  You should pick this one up if you love a good science fiction book.  Indeed, I'm awaiting my chance to snag his newest book, Redshirts because it looks like a great deal of fun.  And if it's anything like Scalzi's other works, then I'm sure I'm in for a good time.

Notes from the playlist: "Tick Tock" by Hans Zimmer

Recommended for English Majors

A Handbook to Literature by William and Hugh Harmon

Yes, I realize that this is a textbook, but it's one of those textbooks that you actually want to hang onto after college is over.  I think this is one of two textbooks I kept.  It's a great little reference book for literature related goodies, should you ever find yourself in that particular moment of need.  The link is actually to the eleventh version, although I think there is a twelfth version out now.  Mine is actually the ninth version, and I'm not sure how much more they could add each year, but oh well.  If you're an English major, a fan of literature, a writer, or you just want a good literature reference book so you can finally get away from the Internet and Google for once, then this really is a great book to choose.  (Tip: You can probably find a cheaper and/or older version at used book sites like Half.com or Abebooks.com!)

Notes from the playlist: "Sovereign Light Cafe" by Keane

Recommended for Kids Who Love Fun (and Lions)

Chloe and the Lion by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex

This was on a display for a while before it got replaced by something else.  But when I saw the cover I decided it deserved a look.  Turns out it's quite a fun book.  The two guys at the bottom are the author and illustrator, and they are here to tell the story of Chloe and the lion.  However, things don't quite go as planned when Adam's illustrations don't exactly live up to Mac's expectations.  This leads to Adam getting eaten and a lot of sub-par illustrations taking the place of his.  From there, Chloe's story gets all sorts of silly until Mac finally realizes he needs Adam after all.  But it's up to his character Chloe to solve his problems!  My favorite thing about this story is actually the mix of mediums used to illustrate this story.  Paper crafted into a layered 3D style, figurines representing Mac and Adam to distinguish them from the story they're trying to tell, and all sorts of other illustrations as Mac tries to get things straight - including bringing in another illustrator.  The story has a fun ending and kids will dig the story, style, and ending of this tale.

Notes from the playlist: "Burn It Down" by Linkin Park

Currently Reading

Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

I've been curious about this series for a long time.  Ever since first seeing them while at work, my curiosity was piqued.  That curiosity grew even more after seeing Cornwell's books brought to life when PBS aired a few episodes of the Sharpe movies they made - featuring Sean Bean (the ladies love Sean, and I won't deny that I'm one of them).  But the stories were solid, full of action and intrigue.  After contemplating what to read next and realizing that I obviously wasn't going to stick to my To Be Read list, I ordered this up from the library.  This is the very beginning for Sharpe when he's still a private in the British army and has to pose as a deserter for a mission.  Success means seargent stripes.  Failure means possibly getting eaten  by tigers.  It's said that a good writer knows how to hook a reader with the first sentence.  This was one of those books where I started reading and decided, "Yep, I'm going to have fun with this one."

Notes from the playlist: "I Don't Wanna Die" by Hollywood Undead

Purchased for My Shelf

Birds of Colorado by Stan Tekiela

I'm going to Colorado this summer - again.  I try to go there every year because I love it.  I wish I lived there.  In fact, ever since we moved away when I was 6, I've been looking for ways to get back there and live there permanently and happily.  Until then, a yearly trip to go hiking or just kick back and car camp have worked as a replenishing dose to get me back on track for the rest of the year.  Last year after spotting a rather large bird on the ground - not a turkey, not a pheasant, what is it? - and grabbing a copy of this little book at the local book store to take a peek, this year I decided I ought to have my own copy.  (It was a female dusky grouse, by the way)  My mother and I have bought these books for the various places we've lived ever since discovering them.  We had one for Illinois.  Pennsylvania.  Our current copy is for Missouri.  Now I have the Colorado one.  These books are excellent for people who aren't serious birders and just need something as a fun and quick identification system.  They're all by the same author as well, and this man knows his stuff.  The books are small, work by a color coding system (aka - what color is your bird?), and give you the kind of tidbits of information you might be interested in once you realize, "Oh, I just saw a green-tailed towhee.  Cool."  Can't wait to get out there with this!

Notes from the playlist: "Love in a Mystery" by Ludovico Einaudi

Cages by Peg Kehret - Still Remembered 15 Years Later

Pros: Excellent book
Cons: None

The Bottom Line: My 13-year-old self wants to tell others her age to read this book.

I did read this when I was 13. And you know what? I liked it so much and remembered the storyline so well that years and years later (I’m 28) I was able to re-discover the book without knowing the title or the author. I was quite excited to see it was still in publication.

Kit is a young girl with some problems at home. Her father frequently gets drunk and calls her demeaning things - like an animal. She wishes she could just buy nice things like her friend, and one day she is caught stealing a bracelet. She didn’t even really want it. But now she’s sentenced to twenty hours of volunteer work at an animal shelter. It is there she meets a special dog that means a great deal to her. Kit feels a lot like the animals in the shelter, and it is there she will learn how to free herself.

All right, so I made that sound a little cheesy, but it really is a great book. I think this was one of the few books in my life that almost made me cry – and as a kid I never cried at books. This is a story that I never forgot and there is still one instance in particular that I remember vividly and thought was so great, I’ve always held onto it. I won’t say what it is because that will spoil things though.

And this isn’t the first book that Peg Kehret wrote that’s gotten notice from young readers. At the bookstore where I work, she has four books in our summer reading shelf – several of which were Mark Twain award nominees (and one winner I think) – and I’ve already had to order in more. I ordered in Cages and put it on my recommendation display. To think that years later I’d be able to put a book I enjoyed on display for other kids. Lovely.

Pick this up a bookstore, pick it up at the library, it doesn’t matter. Kit is a character that is easy to identify with and she’s got a strong voice and, and readers will be pleased to see the resolutions she discovers.

NT

Originally published on Epinions.com

 Notes from the playlist: "A Promise" by Alan Silvestri

*Won!* for My Shelf

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin


That's right.  I won this bad boy.  I haven't started it yet because I've only just finished A Feast for Crows and want to take my time.  After all, A Feast for Crows came out in 2005 and this nugget of gold wasn't released until just last year.  Add to that the two other books Martin is working on and a bookseller has plenty of time on her hands, ya know?  But how did I win such an awesome book in all it's hardcover glory, you may ask?  If you're a regular on this blog, you may remember the Book Club books I included here every month during 2011.  The host of the club, know to the online world as Calico Reaction (I knew her in graduate school), awarded points during the course of the year for reading, participation, etc.  Those with the highest point totals won books.  I managed to come in at second place and won myself a choice of a hardcover book.

It took me a while to decide because I'm a very, very picky book buyer.  If I see something, I'll try to get it at the library first.  If I buy it, it's because I know I'll read it over and over again.  Hardcovers are particularly rare in my collection.  A book has to strike me in just the right way in order for me to want to buy it in that format.  So far, if you don't include hardcovers that were only avaialble in that format (like the Intellectual Devotionals), books that have made it to my shelf include the Harry Potter series, extremely fancy (re: expensive) copies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and both of Michio Kaku's books - Physics of the Future and Physics of the Impossible.

So finally after asking about 6 of my fellow booksellers for ideas (and none of you were much help by the way, haha), I finally settled with this book because it does look pretty awesome in hardcover and let's face it, while hauling around a giant tome is kind of annoying, trying to read a book this fat in mass market form is worrisome because trying to keep it open enough to read means paranoia about breaking the spine.

I very much look forward to opening this up and thank Calico Reaction for her generosity in prizes (because honestly, even on sale, this book is by no means cheap - at least not to me anyway).  To the rest of you I say head on over to her blog and see what she's got to offer.  Her book reviews are excellent - as are the occasional movie/TV mentions - and she's also got another book club going on so if you're looking for something good to read and this little blog o'mine isn't doing it for you, dive in over there and see what strikes your fancy!

Doctor De Soto by William Steig - Don't Think About Eating Dentist Mice

Pros: My favorite William Steig book!
Cons: Nope!

The Bottom Line: If you're a fox and need dental help, don't think about eating your mouse dentist. That's just rude.

I remember a lot of the children’s books I read when I was a kid. Doctor De Soto was one of my favorites. Written and illustrated by William Steig (who also Alexander and the Magic Pebble and Amos & Boris), it’s a smart story with adorable drawings.

Doctor De Soto is a dentist. A mouse dentist, to be precise. But he doesn’t treat things that are likely to eat him, like cats and the like. But one day there’s a dapper fox outside his office crying pitifully about his aching tooth. The Doctor takes pity on him and with the help of his wife, takes out the bad tooth. The fox is ever so grateful, but needs to return in order to get his new tooth. While at home, the fox seriously starts to consider eating the Doctor despite all his help. The Doctor, on the other hand, is well aware of what goes on in the heads of foxes, and has a plan on how to teach this one a lesson…just in case.

I loved – and still love – the illustrations. They’re cute and full of life and color. The Doctor has all his little dentist implements, from drills to a little gas mask the fox has to wear before they take the tooth out. It’s not often that I get to recommend this book to people, but not long ago I had a couple looking for dentist-related kids books and got to chuck this one at them (which they bought – yay!).

Interestingly enough, this is a Newberry Honor book. Odd because it’s a picture book, but I guess the story was worthy of the nomination. But hey, I’d say it was with good reason. You’re not going to find a story like this anywhere else. After all, how often do you find tales about dentist mice?

I highly recommend giving this book a peek. Kids will love seeing how the Doctor thinks of a way to keep the fox hungry, and they may not even dislike the fox too much. He has a bit of a conscience battle about eating the Doctor, but after all, a fox is a fox, so you can’t really blame him. At least, that's what I thought when I was a kid. And hey, he gets himself a shiny new gold tooth!

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

 Notes from the playlist: "White Flag" by Chris Tomlin

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin - Mmmm, Delicious

Pros: A unique look at the world from other characters' perspectives
Cons: No Tyrion (yes, I know why, but I still miss him)

The Bottom Line: A meaty stepping stone from the last book to A Dance with Dragons.

I’ve been taking my sweet time with this series because Martin still has two more books to put out (that we know of…) and goodness knows that means waiting a while. But I finally decided to read this one before moving on to the next title.

You don’t actually find out until the end of the book (I think it would have been handy to know at the start, but oh well) that as Martin was writing, the story just got too big, hence A Dance with Dragons. He split the tale up geographically, which is why in this book you don’t get any Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon, or Bran. Instead, you get a very interesting array of various characters. So many, in fact, that I’m not even going to try and list them in this review. Suffice to say that you get some main characters like Jaime and Cersi, some characters that are becoming more important like Brienne, and others that may or may not be seen again and who don’t even have chapters named after them but instead by their nicknames like The Soiled Knight.

But that doesn’t make the book any less interesting. While you may be disappointed that you don’t get to hang out with Tyrion and Daenerys, you do still get to see Sansa and Arya from time to time. Likewise, because of the various viewpoints, you get to see what’s going on in all sorts of other parts of Westeros, such as down south in Dorne and over at the Iron Islands. And there are some interesting things going on in these locals. You still see people like Cersi makes mistakes that you know will be far-reaching (you’ll even be sitting there thinking, “Wow, how stupid are you?”) and naturally there are plenty of cliff-hangy moments with people, such as Brienne, Cersi, and Arya.

While it’s not the best in the series – as many have said – it is still a solid read. There isn’t as much action now that things have calmed down. Rather, I suppose things are slowly but surely working their way up again. We’re in that little lull in the rollercoaster before it starts clinking up again and then racing back down at breakneck speed. I didn’t do as much skipping ahead as I have in the past, though I do admit to doing so with Arya and Sansa. Everyone else either wasn’t that engrossing or just didn’t have enough chapters to bother with. No joke – some of these people have just one or two.

This is all primarily why I went ahead and gave this book four stars instead of five. It’s good, but not super fantastic. I’m willing to bed A Dance with Dragons will snatch up five stars without a problem. Keep reading kids – things are going to get interesting…not that they aren’t already...

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Reading In Bed 65dos Remix" by 65 Days of Static

Recommended for Arachnologists (Kid Versions)

Uncover a Tarantula by David George Gordon

Honestly, I think I learn more from kids' books than I do from adult books. Kids books are simple and straight to the point. I was cleaning up one day and found this. Curious, I flipped through it and read about tarantulas. I learned all sorts of cool things that I never knew. Did you know that while humans have iron in their blood for oxygen purposes, tarantulas have copper? That's why their blood is a different color. Cool! I had no idea that was even possible. Even better, kids will love the design of the book because each page uncovers a different layer of the tarantula body - from circulatory system to nervous system to important tarantula organs. These books are cool and I would have loved to have one or more as a kid. I say more because you can get other books that show the insides of animals such as frogs, sharks, and even a t-rex!

Notes from the playlist: "Chemical Plant Zone (Dance Remix)" by JemenJ

Recently Finished

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Having finished the second book, I skipped forward and continued on with the third one. For some reason I was under the impression that this might be the final one, but I soon realized I was wrong. Frankly I hope Jones speeds things up a little because I'm getting tired of people telling Charley she needs to find out what she's capable of and not explaining anything to her (that sorts of thing annoys the bejeezus out of me). It was a fun ride, you feel bad for Reyes most of the time until you realize what he's done (bad boy), and I look forward to seeing what goes on between Heaven and Hell in the next book. However, that's a little while away yet, but I have plenty of other books to read, so I have no problem waiting.

Notes from the playlist: "Casual Sex" by My Darkest Days

Recommended for Young Artists

Draw 50 Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Lee J. Ames

When I was a kid I liked to draw, and I wanted to learn how to draw better. I discovered the Draw 50 series and they were the best thing ever. For any kid looking to learn how to draw or improve their drawing skills, these are an excellent choice. I loved this one as well as the book for sea creatures. My finished drawings looked just like they were supposed to in the book. So good, in fact, that I remember another classmate accusing me of tracing them. Flattering and insulting at the same time. I always recommend these books to parents looking for good drawing books for their children. My only issue is that we never keep enough of them in stock!


Notes from the playlist: "Voce Existe Em Mim (You Exist In Me)" by Josh Groban

Currently Reading

Second Grave to the Left by Darynda Jones

One of my managers recommended First Grave on the Right to me, and when I read the summary, I decided I was game. Finally the second book came out, and after months and months of being on the library's waiting list, I finally got it. This time Charley is trying to solve more than one case - both of which involve missing persons. Except while one is human, the other is not. Both might kill her. It's another fun ride, and one of the best parts about these books is Charley's voice. The author gives her plenty of snark and the room to do it, which is what makes Charley my kind of heroine. I look forward to seeing how this ends and then moving on to the third book right after.


Notes from the playlist: "Memories" from Xenoblade