MAILBOX MONDAAAAYYYYY!!

Mailbox Monday is a weekly bookish meme that was originally hosted by Marcia over at The Printed Page, but then she graciously developed it into a lovely blog tour, and this month it is Rose City Reader's turn!

Hello all!  And HAPPY NEW YEAR and all that good stuff.  This Mailbox Monday is going to include some awesomeness I got for Christmas as well as a couple of little ditty's I picked up for myself.. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MEEEEEEEE!!!!

First off, though, the best news E-V-E-R is that my Mom was released from the care centre and is now home for good and doing FANTASTIC!!!  Life is slowly returning to normal and she is thrilled to be back at home watching football and hockey with my Dad. Life is GOOD!

ANYway, I am looking forward to jumping back into the book blogosphere as I have missed everyone!

Back to my holiday loot:

Here is what I recieved from my family:

This was top on my list and I was thrilled to get it!  At Dog Town they use positive reinforcement training as well as clicker training!  WOOT!  This is  a great book for any dog owner and very user friendly!

If you are familiar with Dog Town and the Best Friends Society at all, you will know that they have rehabilitated some of the worst known cases, such as 21 of the Vick dogs, some of which were adopted to loving homes, and others who will remain at dog town for the rest of their lives. 

I am hugely obsessed with this place, and I am an outreach volunteer, and will hopefully will be travelling down to Utah this summer with my family to volunteer with the dogs and critters at the sanctuary!

Are you sensing a theme here?  I was also super excited to get this little number, and it is full of stories of some of the dogs from the show.  Excellent! 















I also got Oogy from my daughter.  Here's the thing, I really really wanted that book and told her many times.  She was only happy to oblige!  I wanted to like it, even love it, but I couldn't.  It was one of the worst written books I have ever read.  Brutal.  The story itself is sweet, and could have been told in about a paragraph, but the "author" (and I use that term very loosely) chose to blather on with inane details about making coffee in the morning, waking his teenage sons up, an ENTIRE CHAPTER on his sons adoption which, as it turns out, had very littlel to do with the general story other than his sons related to Oogy as another adopted member of the family.  Really really bad.  And people are just loving it, according to his facebook page, so maybe it's just me, but the writing is painful to read.  The guy is a lawyer, and probably a really great one, but he should have had a co-writer or hired an outright writer and left them to do what they do best.  I never did share with my daughter my thoughts on the book, as I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I just told her it was a cute story.   0/5 stars.

On to books I purchased for myself recently: 

KINDLE:     My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Talory Ph.D.
                   This book was FASCINATING!!  And I read it in about 3 days.  Jill Taylor is a neuroanatomist who suffered a stroke and was completely incapacitated by it.  Her book is a riveting tale of her stroke from the inside of a neuroscientist, and her insight is incredible! 











The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant

So, this book is everything that Oogy isn't.  This is a BRILLIANTLY written book by Jim Gorant who makes his living as a writer and editor of Sports Illustrated.  Some people have shied away from this book as they think it might be too disturbing.  While I will admit that some parts will make you cry, enraged, and want to throw Michael Vick's ass in jail AGAIN as fast as your arms can toss him, the majority of the book is a tale of redemption and the utter glowing spirit of these incredible dogs. 

This book is written so well that you are left hanging on the edge of your seat most of the time as the investigation is rolled out page by page, and simultaneously weaving it together with stories of the dogs themselves, sometimes from their own perspective.  Just a georgous GEORGOUS read.  I am just over halfway done and I have to say I kind of do not want it to end!  I HIGHLY recommend this book to any and all animal lovers, and I can guarantee you that once you read it, you will be INSPIRED by what you will find among it's pages, and you may even be MOVED to action.  Dog fighting is A CRIME and a hideous one at that.  Here is the trailer:

I am also about halfway through His Last Letter by

Jeane Westin.  I have had this book for quite awhile, it was sent to me this past summer by the publisher.  It has been sitting in my huge stack of TBR's from publishers/authors, and when I realized how long it had been sitting there I pulled it out and immediately dove in.  What a fantastic read! 

I can't wait to post my final thoughts when I'm done.






Have a wonderful day, and for more Mailbox Monday click here.

MAILBOX MONDAY - NOVEMBER 15

Mailbox Monday is a weekly bookish meme created by Marcia over at The Printed Page and is now a blog tour!  This month it is hosted by Julie over at Knitting and Sundries.  I love her blog, she is also doing a giveaway every week of her hosting! 

My mailbox is a combo of freebies and purchases, first I recieved a book from the publisher that I was SUPER excited about as I saw it last year over at The Literate Housewife and really really wanted it then and now I have it!  It is:

Remarkable Creatures by Trace Chevalier
Here is the blurb:
From the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear that Mary Anning is marked for greatness. On the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast, she learns that she has "the eye"--and finds what no one else can see. When Mary uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious fathers on edge, the townspeople to vicious gossip, and the scientific world alight. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is barred from the academic community; as a young woman with unusual interests she is suspected of sinful behavior. Nature is a threat, throwing bitter, cold storms and landslips at her. And when she falls in love, it is with an impossible man. Luckily, Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a recent exile from London, who also loves scouring the beaches. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy. Ultimately, in the struggle to be recognized in the wider world, Mary and Elizabeth discover that friendship is their greatest ally.
Remarkable Creatures is a stunning novel of how one woman's gift transcends class and social prejudice to lead to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century. Above all, is it a revealing portrait of the intricate and resilient nature of female friendship.

I have purposefully NOT read the blurb because a lot of the time I like to go in completely fresh with only a vague notion of what the book is about.  I know that it is about fossils and given the cover I am guessing it is set in the 18 or 19 hundreds. 

Some books I bought:

The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson

This is perhaps one of THE most important books written about dogs and their relationship with humans ever written.  It is a classic in the dog training world, and I have only just started it but already am completely enthralled and learning a TON. 

And:

Dogs:  A new understanding of canine origin, evolution and behavior by Lorna and Ray Coppinger

A great book based on years of study by a husband and wife.

And this one:

Canine Behavior:  A Photo Illustrated Handbook

by Barbara Handelman

Dogs have deliberate, subtle, and often humorous ways of expressing themselves. Canine Behavior - A Photo Illustrated Handbook includes 1,000 images of dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes. It was created for everyone interested in dogs—pet owners, trainers, veterinarians, ethologists, and behaviorists. Using the interdisciplinary language of photography, Barbara Handelman illustrates and explains canine behavior and communication. Her book establishes a common understanding and vocabulary for people interested in, and working with, dogs.  

This book is loaded with pictures of dogs and wolves in various behaviors in play, agression, fear etc.  Fantastic!

For more mailbox Monday posts and to add your link to the fun click here!

TEASER TUESDAY!

Well, here we are again back at my most favouritest meme E-V-E-R.  Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.  So sorry that it is so late in the day.. but here goes..

• Grab your current read
• flip to a random page and select 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on that page
• try not to include spoilers... it can be tricky but sooo worth it!
• include the name of book and author so we can add them to our morbidly obese TBR piles.

Like most of not all of you I am reading several things right now.  The Distant Hours (I am about 1/2 way and really enjoying it), A Furry Prayer, and a new book I just got today from Simon and Schuster the Portia DeRossie autobiography (I can-NOT put this book DOWN!).

Today's teaser, though, is from the doggie rescue book because the author is just so damn charming.  In a nut shell, in case you missed my last post, this very modern big city guy met a super incredible woman whose soul purpose was to save dogs.  He liked dogs, even loved them, but couldn't fathom spending your entire life running around rescuing them.  Once he met Joy, though, he fell in love so hard he just had to be with her at all costs... the rescue thing was just a side-line, that ended up being an incredible transforming force in his life.

(Disclaimer:  this will be more than two sentences, I'm cheating, but I can't help myself)

"Now wait just a minute," I tried to protest.  "I definately have some experience with altruism."
 "Which is?"
"Like everybody else who backpacked through Asia after college, I had sex with a Peace Corps volunteer."
"Uh-huh," she said, "absolutely, that counts."

For more teasers click here.

I think I am finally out of a bit of a reading slump with........

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This little beauty came in a box along with some other YA ARC's a little while ago.  Most of the other books in the box are of the angsty-I'm-in-love-with-a-dark-and-brooding-possible-mythical-creature-who-treats-me-like-crap-but-I-can't-stay-away variety.  But THIS one.....

tres cool. 

First of all it is a period book, which is my favourite book to read.  It is set in the 1800's, so it had me at "hello".  Second the story is unfolding in a deliciously mysterious way in that I am not entirely sure what is happening but I can't put it down.  And not to mention THE COVER. 

Georgous.

And can anyone say Book 1 of 3 and WOOT?  If this book lives up to the glory that is its first 20 pages, I am going to be one happy camper.  I'll keep you posted.  And since I TOTALLY missed Tuesday Teaser yesterday, I'll have to post about it next TT.  But here is the blurb from the back cover:

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.


When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.


Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

And on Facebook, ever heard of it?  There was a little thingy that popped up of a book with a dog on the cover.  Now, you may or may not know that I am into learning about dog training and love dogs in general, so as IF I didn't click on it immediately.  Well, it turns out that it is for a book called "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron and there is quite a bit of buzz about this one, and here's the proof.  On Amazon.com there have been 92 reviews.... 91 of them have been 5 STARS!  And the other one was for 4 STARS!  So AS IF I am not going to click-click!  And you know what that means... yup, I'm adding yet ANOTHER book to my Kindle which has 7 books on there that have yet to be read.  Sigh. 

For more about this book visit the website A Dog's Purpose...

I'm Baaaack!

Hello all!

Well, the movie wrapped up this AM around 6 AM, and I got home at 8, slept for 4 hours and then picked up my girls.  The show was awesome, I absolutely LOVED working on it, and can't wait to see the end result.  I may be working on a television pilot called Hell on Wheels for AMC in August (the network that airs Mad Men), so I may be on another haitus from blogging then.

ANYway,
on the book front... I bought a book on recommendation by David Ebershoff, as he was shocked that I had never read any Margaret Atwood.... yes, it's true, I bow my Canadian head in shame.  I told him I had tried and tried to read The Handmaid's Tail about a million and a half times, but just couldn't get into it, so
he recommended The Blind Assassin.

My wrap gift from the Exec Producer was a Chapters card.. seriously, people, how did she know!  So today I bought a couple of dog training type books.  One is called, The Inside of a Dog, and the Dog Whisperer Episode guide, which is super handy because he goes in further detail on how he helped solve the issues of the dogs from past episodes.   And seriously, check out the cover of "Inside of a Dog", is he not the CA-UTEST?!

The next book purchase once I ever get my reading ass going again will be on my Kindle and it will be the Craig Ferguson biography.

Oh how I love him....

I still have not finished the 19th Wife, but I'm about 80% there so watch for the review and details of the giveaway that David is offering up.

What else....I have missed checking in with all of your blogs, and especially my fav meme Teaser Tuesdays.

Can't wait to dive into to bookish things again next week.

CIAO!

REVIEW: COWBOY AND WILLS (It should come with a box of tissues!)

COWBOY AND WILLS by Monica Holloway
Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (Oct 6 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416595031


First of all I would like to thank the publicist for Monica Holloway for sending me a copy of this book!  And not only that, I will say right of the bat that this is one of those books that I hope to do justice with my review! 

Right on the cover of Cowboy and Wills it says "A Love Story", and you better believe this is one, from the first page all the way to the last.  After reading a largely self absorbed and depressing as hell memoir last week, I was very reluctant to pick up another memoir about a family who may or may not be struggling.  But because I was sent this book before Christmas, I knew I needed to get it read, so with a little apprehension I opened the book and started reading.

"The day after Wills was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, I took him for a ride to Ben's Fish Store in Sherman Oaks to buy a large freshwater aquarium.  We picked up all the equipment; a ten-gallon tank, a filter, multicolored rocks to spread on the bottom, an imitation pirate ship made out of clay, tacky neon plastic plants, a large rock with a hole in the middle for the fish to swim through, fish food, a small green plastic net, a special siphon with a clear hose on the end to clean the tank, and replacement filters.  It totaled $462.84 -- a high price that I could barely afford to squeeze onto my overextended Visa.  I didn't care; my three-year-old had autism."

What I know is this -  every single parent out there can relate to this paragraph.  In the wake of devestating news the urge to run out and buy something so ordinary, so down-to-earth, so "normal",  is very strong.  It's like a message to the parents mind and the childs that, "Hey, we're okay, this is okay, life is still normal."  But soon after the initial shock wears off about the diagnosis, the reality of what is now their new "normal" begins to sink in.

Autism is not a fad.

Autism is not a buzz word.

Autism is a disorder that affects many children and the families that love them.  My great-nephew is on the spectrum, and one of my very dear dear friends has a son who is now 13 and is autistic as well.  These two young men are two of the finest most loving and brilliant young men I know.  And when I see them, my immediate thought is never "autism", it is "Oh, there you are!"  They are incredible human beings who we could all learn a lot from.  Like most kids!

Monica Holloway is very much like any mother out there.  Here is why I adore her.  She is tenacious, but fragile, she is funny, but cautious, she is loving and firm.  In short, she is REAL.  I love her. Sometimes she uses the word "shit", isn't that fantastic?  I have been scouring the book trying to find the quote, maybe by the end of the post I will have, something about being the "shittiest mom in the universe".  Believe me, when you read it you will --  A) laugh and  B)  RELATE.

When Monica finds out her son has autism she quickly begins dealing with the situation in the way many  of us would, she starts to buy stuff.  In her case it was animals.  A LOT of them.  First it started with the fish, then hermit crabs, then frogs, then hamsters, a rabbit, and all the while Wills is begging her and her husband Michael for a puppy.  Knowing that may just be too much to handle, she keeps buying smaller critters.  Meanwhile, Michael is largely absent, but not in a way you might expect.  He is a television writer and is across the country working, but very much as present as he can be on the weekends when he's home and via the phone.  I have to say, Michael is amazing.  They both are.  There are many statistics about married couples and the toll autism takes on their relationship, and a large percentage of people end up divorced as they make their way through the maze of treatments and stress of daily life. This couple does not, and their marriage is a beautiful thing to witness, even if it is on the pages of a book.

Wills starts preschool, and it goes fairly well.  But then kindergarten is looming around the corner.  At this point Wills has a very difficult time in social situations, cannot use a public restroom (this will take years to accomplish), and is very disturbed by any loud noises, among other things.  After searching for school after school they finally find one that celebrates every single child and that will nurture Wills in a way that no other school could.  Monica arranges a playdate with one of the parents from the school, and here's what happens:

"Wasn't it crazy trying to get into a school?" I asked, letting my guard down.
"CCS was the only school we applied to, and we got right in."  She shruggeed, looking out at the two boys, who were jumping up and down in the trampoline.
     "We applied everywhere," I said, squeezing my sandwich into an unrecognizable ball of dough.  "But Children's Community School was our first choice."
     "Well, that worked out."  She smiled with unbelievably perfect teeth.  "Nicholas was kicked out of every preschool I enrolled him in, but now he's doing so well that CCS let him in without my saying a word about it.  They observed him and he was accepted."  Her left leg, which was crossed over her right, bounced up and down, her flip-flops and manicured toenails distractingly adorable.
    "What was 'it'?"  I asked.  "If you don't mind me asking."
    "Nicholas used to have autism," she said, nonchalantly.  My head jerked up and my crystal cut glass of lemonade hit the kitchen table with a thud.
    "But I cured him."
     What were the odds that the first family we met at CCS had dealt with autism?  And she cured him?  How does a person cure autism?  Had my head been up my ass all these years?  Had I missed the "Big Cure" segment on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw?
     "Yeah, he used to be autistic but not anymore."  She shrugged her shoulders.
     Did she actually have the audacity to repeat it?  She REPEATED IT?  I didn't know what to say.
     "Wills is autistic,"  I said, hoping it would help rein in her bravado or, at the very least, implore her to enlighten me.  Any of us who'd been through it knew that you couldn't cure autism. But here she was right in front of me, adorable, chesty, and confident.
     "Oh, you can cure him.  You just need to change his diet."  Her right eyebrown arched and her brown eyes popped with enthusiasm, realizing that a possible recruit was sitting across from her in denim cropped pants.
     She meant well, she must have meant well, so why did I feel like kicking her teeth in?

After weeks of Wills having a brutal time in school, Monica finally realizes that maybe a puppy could help him adjust to his new life in a new school.  Little did she know it was not only exactly what Wills needed, but what her whole entire family needed. 

Enter COWBOY.  One of the cutest little golden retriever pups you will ever see.  Wills and Cowboy immediately became inseperable, and the biggest miracle of all was what Wills could accomplish with Cowboy by his side.  Suddenly the bubbles in the bathtub which literally hurt Wills skin were tolerable and even fun!  Who wouldn't want to have a bath with a six month old puppy!  He could talk to other kids with Cowboy in his arms!  The entire world was opening up for Wills, and all through the help of this incredible animal.  You would think that a book like this would be extremely heavy. I assure you it is not.  Monica has a way of making many situations funny.  Here is what she tells us when one of the many doggie poop episodes comes into view:

At six months old, Cowboy pooped with the fierceness of a miner, eyes fixed on the pear tree near the fence, ass barely hovering above the ground as foaming tan goop swirled out of her.  A solid poop was cause for celebration;  a Carvel foamer, not so much.

And her artistry with words will have tears streaming down your face.  After years of having to share their bed with their growing son, he finally was able to sleep in his very own room, with a very large furry gold dog cuddled up with him on his bed.  This was the first night:

Soon Cowboy was licking Wills's face and pushing herself against his stomach, settling in for a long night.  Wills didn't look so sure.
     "Stay here, Mommy," he said, sniffing back tears.
     "I'm not going anywhere," I told him, lying on the floor.
     He reached his hand down and patted my arm. Then he wrapped it around Cowboy.
     I lay there, looking up at the ceiling fan with the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the bottom of every paddle.  When it turned, each glowing star blurred into a solid circle, and it looked like Saturn was twirling above us.  I'd put those up so many years ago, I'd forgotten they were even there.
    Later that night, Michael and I snuck quietly into Wills's room to find him sound asleep in the bed we'd ordered for him four years earlier, his freckled cheeks rosy from the heat of Cowboy wrapped around him like a sarong.
     "What if he's too hot?"  I worried, realizing exactly what this moment meant---Wills was separating from me.  I'd imagined I'd be giddy, relieved, happy for all of us, but I was overcome by a sense of grief I hadn't expected.
     "If he gets too hot, he'll wake up," Michael assured me.
Cowboy lifted her head as if to say, I've got him.  You guys get a life.
   
As Wills gains social skills, friends, and confidence, Cowboy's health begins to decline.  Suddenly the focus is not just on Wills but also on his beloved Cowboy, and trying to find out what exactly is wrong with her.

Monica's book is beautiful, heartwarming, heart breaking, and powerful.  If you have anyone in your life that is affected by autism, if you love reading stories about the awesome power of mans relationship with his dog, than this book is for you.  If you are a parent, then this book is for you.  If you are a human being who believes in love and the triumph of the human spirit, then this book is for you. Basically anyone with a pulse should read this book.  You will LOVE IT. 

RATING:   5/5  and if I could give it more stars I would!

For more information about Monica Holloway and her extraordinary family click here.
You can also find her on Facebook here
For more information on autism click here.

MAILBOX MONDAY

Mailbox Monday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

This past week what arrived was a freebie (thank you to the publicist for Cowboy and Wills!) and one that I ordered, "Thomas Riley" by Nick Valentino.  (steampunk)

Cowboy and Wills by Monica Holloway looks like a very heartwarming tale about an autistic boy who falls in love with a dog, and vise versa.  My great nephew has autism, so this book pulls at my heartstrings in a profound way.  Here is the blurb from the author's website:

In this exceptionally touching memoir, critically acclaimed author Monica Holloway shares the extraordinary, deeply moving story of Cowboy, the golden retriever puppy who changed her son’s life.


The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant threeyear- old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It’s the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills’s diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family.

Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tenderhearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is overeager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little farther into the world.

Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories of his new “sister” Cowboy during morning circle. Children crowd around them at the park, and instead of running away, Wills, holding Cowboy’s leash in his sweaty fist, proudly answers all of their questions. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for playdates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim along beside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy’s paws draped across his small chest. Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children, giving him the confidence to try new things and the courage to face his worst fears. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them—about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up.

Sometimes it’s what you don’t know to hope for that saves you. For Monica, her husband, Michael, and their son, Wills, salvation came in the form of a puppy with pale blonde fur, chocolate brown eyes, a fondness for chewing the crotch out of underpants, and a limitless capacity for love.

The next one is one I ordered myself from first time author Nick Valentino.  It's a steampunk book called "Thomas Riley".  I LOVED the cover and the website is super cool, but when I read the first 2 pages I was very disappointed.  I hope the rest of the book is not written this way.  Once again the need for copious  amounts of description of EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY is prevelant in the first few pages, which tells me that this author likely wants to "help" me "see" his characters and world.  I really like this author as he is a lovely man, so I really really hope to enjoy his debut novel! 

We are only 8 FOLLOWERS away from starting our MEGA 200 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY!!!!! WOOOOT!!  And not only THAT...... I have hired Karen Lewis from SIMPLY AMUSING DESIGNS, and she has created an AWESOME design for Book Blab which I will hopefully be unveiling THIS WEEK!!!!! 

Have a wonderful day!

BOOKING THROUGH THURSDAY - Recent worst..

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by the website of the same name, and this weeks question is:

What’s the worst book you’ve read recently?(I figure it’s easier than asking your all-time worst, because, well, it’s recent!)
Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

(POSSIBLE VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD!)

The most recent of "worst" would probably be The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. This meme is super timely as I was JUST going to review it today! I know this was an Oprah pick, and that is primarily why I bought it. Like her or not, she sure knows how to hype up a book! Some of the books from her book club have been duds, but two of them are in my top 5 and I may never have read them if they hadn't been chosen!

But I digress....

I was pretty excited to read this book as I am a huge dog fan. HUGE. And seriously, just look at the cover, I mean does that not scream, "BUY ME!" from the shelf, or what? That being said, I loved the first half of this book. I loved Almondine (the dog heroine) and I loved Edgar, I even loved the loathsome Claude (who I kept picturing as a very dingy looking Sam Rockwell). His character was very colorful and the writing of all of the scenes in the barn between Edgar and Claude are very well done and unfold movie-like on the page.

Then Edgar heads to the woods.

Without giving anything away, Edgar does disappear in the woods for a time and this is when this book really takes a plunge into boredom for me. It goes on and on, endlessly, with details and ... yawn. Although there was glimmers of hope for this section, I could barely get through it. I felt as if the author was trying to fill out the book, I'm certain that is NOT the case, but that's what it felt like.

Then he meets Henry.

Can someone please tell me the point of the Henry character? By the end of the book I was just mystified as to why this whole part of the novel existed. I liked Henry a lot. A very loving caring man, and really enjoyed some of this section. But there is something that happens in the shed, as in an apparition and it is never really explained or addressed and is just sort of left there... hanging... only to annoy me.

So this book is difficult to rate. I enjoyed the first half immensely, found it very well written and engaging.. but the last almost half and the ending left me disappointed. I would never tell a person NOT to read a book they want to read, other people LOVED this one, so what do I know. I am only sharing my opinion and my answer to today's meme!

What is YOUR worst recent read?

RATING: 2/5