Tag: Dogs

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport

Today I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the charming and sweet My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport. Following this spotlight post, I’ll be giving my take on the novel here in a bit. But let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay?


Book Details:

Book Title: My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport
Release date: December 19, 2019
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Publisher: P-Wave Press
Length: 140 Pages

Book Blurb:

Perhaps with him I am a dog.

What was Kevin? He was earnest yet playful, boisterous yet lazy, a little rough sometimes, extremely direct and always sure of what he wanted. He was also sensitive, kind, supportive and caring, not to mention highly communicative and supremely understanding towards children.

My Life as a Dog is the funny, heartwarming and moving story of a life shared between a black and tan dachshund and his owner.

Told over two days and a weekend drawn from their many years together, it explores how Kevin overcame his cruel upbringing to flower into a self-confident dog that left everyone he met spellbound. And as they grew together, his owner learned to live in the present and navigate the difficult times they faced together.

But with Kevin rejected by the canine world and their connection ever-more profound and symbiotic, the question was: What does he think I am?

About the Author:

L. A. Davenport L. A. Davenport is an Anglo-Irish author and journalist.

Sometimes he lives in the countryside, far away from urban distraction, but mostly he lives in the city. He enjoys long walks, typewriters and strong black coffee.

L. A. Davenport (Andrew) first met Kevin in 2001, when someone put an advert in a listing newspaper in London saying they wanted get rid of their black and tan, pure-bred dachshund.  They explained that he had become a burden on the household and he didn’t get on with their two other dogs. But it was obvious that Kevin, who was the runt of a show-dog litter, had been badly treated and they simply wanted to discard him.

Kevin was traumatised by his experiences and was difficult to handle at the beginning, but it was clear that he was an unusually sensitive and intelligent dog. As time went on, Kevin overcame his traumas and he and Andrew become closer. Over the fourteen years they spent together, they went through many ups and downs, navigating failed relationships, house moves, the vagaries of the freelancer life and the 2008 financial crash, as well as a string of health issues for Kevin. Yet every challenge seemed to bring them closer together, and they developed an instinctive understanding for each other.

My Life as a Dog is the story of their relationship. Told over two days and a weekend drawn from their many years together, it explores how Kevin overcame his cruel upbringing to flower into a  self-confident dog that left everyone he met spellbound. And as they grew together, Andrew learned to live in the present and navigate the difficult times they faced together.

L. A. Davenport is author of the novel Escape and the short story collections No Way Home and  Dear Lucifer and Other Stories, as well as the upcoming novel The Nucleus of Reality, or The  Recollections of Thomas P—. 

Purchase Links:

~ https://geni.us/mylifeasadog-choice ~


My thanks to Overview Media for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.

Pub Day Post: As the Stars Fall by Steve N. Lee: A Girl and Her Dog. A Dog and His Girl.

As the Stars Fall

As the Stars Fall

by Steve N. Lee

Kindle Edition, 300 pg.
Blue Zoo, 2020

Read: August 19-20, 2020

What’s As The Stars Fall About?

This is told from the perspective of a young homeless dog, struggling to survive on the streets of some town. He scavanges to get by and has learned that dogs who aren’t his mother and siblings and people aren’t to be trusted. He can’t find his pack and isn’t doing a great job of feeding himself when he’s found by a young girl who convinces her Daddy to bring him home.

Slowly, he learns to trust Mia and her Daddy. Soon, Mia is everything to her dog, Kai, who learns that if he just waits long enough (and it’s hard to do), she’ll come home from school.

We spend a few quick years with the two, watching Mia grow up and some other things happen. But no matter what happens, Kai waits.

What Can You Safely Say About the Ending?

This is a classic “Dog Book,” in the vein of Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley and Me, and so on. Which should tell you everything you need to know about what the ending of the book involves, so you go in fully warned.

That said, this is a different kind of read than those and will approach it in a different way.

What’s the intended audience?

I’m guessing this is aimed at kids—old enough to handle hard things (both those that happen to people and dogs), but it can be enjoyed by teens and adults, too (as long as they can handle the opening chapters coming from the point of view of a very juvenile narrator).

But all the promotional materials invoke A Dog’s Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley and Me, and One Good Dog, none of which are fitting for a kid. So I don’t know what to make of that. I guess I’d call this an All-Ages book (with the provisos I listed above).

So, what did I think about As The Stars Fall?

It was a sweet little story about the love of a dog for his girl, and a girl for her dog. Yes, it gets hard to read because this sweet little story involves some loss, too. But that only makes the high points better.

Actually, I should add that the story about the love of a father and daughter for each other was just as sweet and just as heart-wrenching.

I chuckled frequently—not just at Kai’s antics, but at the way he thinks about his people. I “awwwwed” more than once at Mia’s treatment of her pup.

This is a very nice book (I’m wanting to overuse the word sweet and am having a hard time coming up with an adequate replacement) that I enjoyed, heartily recommend, and can see myself re-reading regularly.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and this post. I thank him for it.


3.5 Stars

My Favorite Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2019

Once I settled on dividing this chunk of my reading out for its own list, I knew instantly half of the books that’d make it before I even looked at my reading log. After my first cut (which was pretty hard), I had 20+ candidates for the other 5 spots. Whittling those down was difficult, but I’m pretty comfortable with this list. That doesn’t mean the other 90 or so books I read in this family of genres were bad—most were really good and worth the time (sure, a handful should be missed, but let’s forget about them). But these are the crème de la crème.

Not all of these were published in 2019—but my first exposure to them was. As always, I don’t count re-reads, or almost no one could stand up to Stout, early Parker, etc. and my year-end lists would get old fast.

I should say that I was a little worn out by the time I composed a lot of this and ended up borrowing heavily from my original posts. Hope you don’t mind reruns.
(in alphabetical order by author)

Deep Dirty TruthDeep Dirty Truth

by Steph Broadribb

My original post
Lori is kidnapped by the same Mob that wants her dead, giving her basically two choices—do a job for them or else they’re coming for JT and Dakota. Nothing about this book went the way I expected (beginning with the premise), it was all better than that. I had a hard time writing anything about this book that I hadn’t said about the first two in the series. Broadribb’s series about this tough, gritty bounty hunter (who is not close to perfect, but she’s persistent, which is easier to believe) started off strong and remains so.

4 Stars

ThirteenThirteen

by Steve Cavanagh

My original post
One of the best serial killer antagonists I can remember reading. A breakneck pace. An intricately plotted novel. An already beloved protagonist. Genuine surprises, shocking twists, and a couple of outstanding reveals make this fourth Eddie Flynn novel a must-read (even if you haven’t read any previous installments).

5 Stars

Black SummerBlack Summer

by M. W. Craven

My original post
It’s hard to avoid hyperbole in a Best-Of post like this, it’s harder still when talking about this book. But I just did some math, and Black Summer is in the top 1% of everything I read last year—the writing, the plot, the pacing, the tension, the protagonists, the villain(s), the supporting characters are as close to perfect as you’re going to find. The first note I made about this book was, I’m “glad Craven gave us all of zero pages to get comfy before getting all morbid and creepifying.” It’s pretty relentless from there—right up until the last interview, which might elicit a chuckle or two from a reader enjoying watching a brilliant criminal get outsmarted. It’s dark, it’s twisted, and it’s so much fun to read.

5 Stars

An Accidental DeathAn Accidental Death

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

My original post
Grainger’s DC Smith couldn’t be more different than Craven’s DS Poe if he tried, and these two books feel so different that it seems strange to talk about them at the same time. What’s the same? How easily they get the reader invested in their protagonists. How easily they get you plunged into their world and caring about what they care about. Grainger has a nice, subtle style (with even subtler humor) that made this novel sheer pleasure to read (well, listen to, in this case).

4 Stars

Dead InsideDead Inside

by Noelle Holten

My original post
When I was about halfway through this novel, I wrote, “While I’m loving every second of this book, I’m having a hard time shaking the bleak outlook on life and humanity that seems to be part and parcel of this novel…Seriously, read a few pages of this book and see if you’re not willing to replace humanity as the apex predator with something careful and considerate—like rabid pit bulls or crack-smoking hyenas.” This is not an easy read thanks to the characters and circumstances, later I wrote, “This isn’t the cops dealing with a larger-than-life genius serial killer—rather, it’s the everyday reality for too many. Just this time tinged with a spree killer making a grim circumstance worse for some. It’s a gripping read, a clever whodunit, with characters that might be those you meet every day. As an experience, it’s at once satisfying and disturbing—a great combination for a reader. You won’t read much this year that stacks up against Dead Inside and you’ll join me in eagerly awaiting what’s coming next from Holten.” I can’t put it better than that.

5 Stars

Deception CoveDeception Cove

by Owen Laukkanen

My original post
I heard someone describe this as Laukkanen writing fan-fic about his dog Lucy. Which is funny, and pretty much true. From the setup to the execution and all points in between, Deception Cove delivers the goods. Anyone who read just one of his Stevens and Windermere books knows that Laukkanen can write a compelling thriller with great characters. In these pages, he shows that in spades—you take a couple of characters that could easily be cardboard cutouts and instead makes them three-dimensional people with depth, flaws, and a relatability—and throw them into a great thriller. What more could anyone want? A wonderful dog. Guess what? He’s got one of those, too. Leaving the reader wanting little more than a sequel.

4 Stars

HackedHacked

by Duncan MacMaster

My original post
Duncan MacMaster is a new (for me) go-to author if I need someone to break me out of a gloomy mood because of books like this. Clever, well-plotted, and filled with more laughs than some “Humor” books I read this year. It also features what’s probably the best secondary character from 2019. Take out the humor (for the sake of argument here, don’t you dare do that really) and this is still a smartly-plotted and well-executed mystery novel. Adding in the humor makes this a must-read.

4 1/2 Stars

The ChainThe Chain

by Adrian McKinty

My original post
There was enough hype around this that I can see where some of my blogger acquaintances were let down with the reality. But McKinty’s breakout novel absolutely worked for me. The tension is dialed up to 11, the pacing is relentless, the stakes are high enough that the reader should make sure their blood pressure prescriptions are filled. The Chain is as compelling and engrossing as you could want. It’s a near-perfect thriller that doesn’t let up. Winslow calls it “Jaws for parents.” He’s right—I can’t imagine there’s not a parent alive who can read this without worrying about their kids, and reconsidering how closely to track their movements and activities.

4 1/2 Stars

Black MossBlack Moss

by David Nolan

My original post
This is one of those books that the adjective “atmospheric” was invented for. There’s an atmosphere, a mood, an undercurrent running through this book. Hopelessness surrounds the so many of these characters. Wretched also works to describe the feeling. You really don’t notice the time you spend in this book, it swallows your attention whole and you keep reading, practically impervious to distractions. Yes, you feel the harsh and desolate atmosphere, but not in a way that puts you off the book. The mystery part of this book is just what you want—it’s complex, it’ll keep you guessing and there are enough red herrings to trip up most readers. As far as the final reveal goes, it’s fantastic—I didn’t see the whole thing until just a couple of pages before Nolan gave it to us. But afterward you’re only left with the feeling of, “well, of course—what else could it have been?” And then you read the motivation behind the killing—and I don’t remember reading anything that left me as frozen as this did in years. There’s evil and then there’s this. This is a stark, desolate book (in mood, not quality) that easily could’ve been borrowed (or stolen) straight from the news. Nolan’s first novel delivers everything it promises and more.

5 Stars

The Power of the Dog The CartelThe Power of the Dog / The Cartel

by Don Winslow

My original post about The Power of the Dog, The Cartel should be up soon.
There’s simply no way I can talk about one of these without the other, so I won’t. This is a fantastic story about a DEA Agent’s obsessive drive to take down one of the most powerful, deadly and successful Mexican Drug Cartels around, as well as a devastating indictment of the U.S.’s War on Drugs. Despite the scope and intricacy of the plot, these are not difficult reads. Despite the horrors depicted, they’re not overwhelming. In fact, there are moments of happiness and some pretty clever lines. Which is not to say there’s a light-hand, or that he ever treats this as anything but life-and-death seriousness. They’re not easy, breezy reads— but they’re very approachable. I don’t know if there’s a moment that reads as fiction, either—if this was revealed to be non-fiction, I would believe it without difficulty. I will not say that he transcends his genre to be “Literature,” or that he elevates his work or anything—but I can say that Winslow demonstrates the inanity of pushing Crime Fiction into some shadowy corner as not worthy of the attention of “serious” readers.

5 Stars

Books that almost made the list (links to my original posts): Flight of the Fox by Gray Basnight, Who Killed the Fonz? by James Boice, Killer Thriller by Lee Goldberg, Going Dark/Going Rogue by Niel Lancaster (can’t pick between the two), You Die Next by Stephanie Marland, The Killing State by Judith O’Reilly, Dead is Beautiful by Jo Perry, Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin, Paper Son by S. J. Rozan, and How To Kill Friends And Implicate People by Jay Stringer.

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver, John Burgoyne: A combination of one of my favorite topics and least favorite form

Dog SongsDog Songs

by Mary Oliver, John Burgoyne (Illustrator)

Paperback, 121 pg.
Penguin Press, 2013
Read: December 6 – 11, 2018

Be prepared. A dog is adorable and noble.
A dog is a true and noble friend. A dog
is also a hedonist.

I don’t know if I’ve posted about poetry here before. Probably not. Despite many attempts (when I was younger) — including a few classes, I’m just not a poetry guy. I can appreciate the occasional poem — and there are a few poets I can really get into, but on the whole? Not my thing.

But part of the 2018 While You Were Reading Challenge, was to read a collection of poetry — and I came close to grabbing an Ogden Nash book off my shelves, but my wife had been given a collection a year or so ago of poems about dogs. And it’s been at least a month since I posted something about dogs, so it’s about time.

So yeah, there are 35 poems about dogs — most of them (all of them?) seem to be based on Oliver’s own dogs — a couple of dogs get a handful of poems about them. Those, obviously, you get a pretty good idea about. Otherwise, it’s just one-shots about some great-sounding dogs.

Oliver does a great job conveying a strong impression about a dog in just a few lines — or even a few words. “He was a mixture of gravity and waggity” is one of the best lines I’ve read in 2018. I do think she goes over the top in terms of the wisdom or deep knowledge, etc. of dogs. But when she focuses on behavior, or personalities of specific animals, I find her pretty entertaining — and even moving.

I’m not saying that I’m going out to grab every Oliver collection in print or anything, but I liked most of these poems — several of them I liked a lot.

There’s also one essay in this slim volume. Skip it. Oliver is a poet, not an essayist.

Does this book need Burgoyne’s illustrations? Nope. But they’re nice to look at, so I’m not complaining. I’d be more than happy to hang some of these around the house.

—–

3 Stars

✔ Read a collection of poetry.

All Hands on Pet! by Susan E. Davis, PT

All Hands on Pet!All Hands on Pet!: Your How-To Guide on Home Physical Therapy Methods for Pets

by Susan E. Davis, PT
Paperback, 216 pg.
Joycare Onsite, LLC, 2017

Read: November 20, 2017


This is not the book you typically see me talk about — and when I was approached to give it a read and review, my initial response was to give it a pass. But we adopted an 11 year-old dog this Spring, and I’ve been thinking a lot about canine health. Which makes me right in the target audience for this book, actually.

I sort of have to assume that the medicine and science behind this book is right and/or responsible. Because really, unless the book called for the use of Windex to treat common maladies or something as useless as “mild doses of physic to work on the bowels,” there’s zero chance I’ll be able to suss out the problem. Instead, I can talk about a couple of things: is it useful? Can it be understood by lay readers?

Yes, to both, thankfully.

Yes, you have to be a dedicated reader — focused and concerned — to get through a little of the language. But what pet owner with an ailing companion isn’t focused and concerned? Yes, there was a lot of what Davis talked about that was Greek to me, but if I had a dog/cat/lizard/whatever that had a problem along the lines she was talking about; or had received [technical term X] as a diagnosis, I’d know right where to go. Part of the problem for me at the moment, is my old girl isn’t a prime candidate for Canine Hip Dysplasia, so it was hard to connect to those pages — it’s not a book to read cover to cover. It’s a resource. But from what I can tell, she gives some pretty decent sounding advice for working with puppies to head off that problem.

Not only some pretty decent sounding advice, there’s some handy photographs with good diagrams added so you know just what to do. There are plenty of nice anecdotes and illustrations from Davis’ casework throughout the book to anchor the instructions. Both of these features cannot be overstressed as valuable.

My favorite part comes from Chapter 8, “Embracing the Warrior Mentality at Home,” discussing the attitude and approach that pet owners should take when helping their ailing/injured pets. I wish this chapter — or at least the initial sections of it — had appeared earlier in the book. I just think it would’ve flowed a little better. But I’m glad it was there.

Was I able to get something to help my girl? Maybe. I definitely know where to look if it comes to it. I can see this as a valuable tool in the toolbox for every pet owner.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and this post.

—–

3 Stars

The Purloined Poodle (Audiobook) by Kevin Hearne, Luke Daniels

The Purloined Poodle (Audiobook) The Purloined Poodle (Audiobook)

by Kevin Hearne, Luke Daniels (Narrator)
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, #8.5/Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries, #1

Unabridged Audiobook, 2 hrs, 57 min.
Kevin Hearne, 2016
Read: October 3, 2016


The best and most consistent part of The Iron Druid Chronicles has been Atticus’ Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. Now Kevin Hearne has given us a novella narrated by and starring him, with Atticus in the supporting role. It’s good that he kept the Druid around, because he has the whole opposable thumb thing going for him and can do things like communicate with other people

While playing in a dog park, Oberon stumbles upon a rash of dognappings — the victims are all Grand Champions. Oberon is appalled that such a thing can happen and vows to find the dogs and return them home. He enlists Atticus to assist him (and well, to do most of the work). They spend the next couple of days moving around the country visiting various dog trainers/owners and skirting trouble with the law. While Atticus does the heavy lifting of investigating, Oberon has a lot of fun meeting various Champion dogs — in particular, a Boston terrier named Starbuck.

The interplay between Atticus and Oberon is a lot of fun, but his narration is even better — between the repeated mentions of trying to pull off “the Full Jules” (reciting Ezekiel 25:17 at just the right moment); his summary/slash review of The Great Gatsby (which will forever alter the way I look at the book); Oberon as food critic (his takes on coffee and mustard are highlights); and a repeated tribute to Denis Leary’s best movie, this book was flat-out entertaining. Because it’s by Hearne and featuring Oberon, I assumed I’d enjoy it — I didn’t plan on (but should’ve) cackling by the 7% mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as a novella — the story was good enough to justify the time reading, but Daniels doing Oberon’s voice elevates the audio version to something great. Daniel’s Oberon doing a Pickup Truck commercial-voice over killed me — how Luke Daniels could read this whole book in that voice, I’ll never know. It must’ve required a lot of takes and more recovery time than you’d want to think about.

If you’ve read an Iron Druid Chronicle or two, you’ll know how good Oberon can be. Get this — you’ll squee.

—–

4 Stars

Pub Day Repost: The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne

The Purloined PoodleThe Purloined Poodle

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, #8.5/Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries, #1

eARC, 112 pg.
Subterranean Press, 2016

Read: August 8, 2016


The best and most consistent part of The Iron Druid Chronicles has been Atticus’ Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. Now Kevin Hearne has given us a novella narrated by and starring him, with Atticus in the supporting role. It’s good that he kept the Druid around, because he has the whole opposable thumb thing going for him and can do things like communicate with other people

While playing in a dog park, Oberon stumbles upon a rash of dognappings — the victims are all Grand Champions. Oberon is appalled that such a thing can happen and vows to find the dogs and return them home. He enlists Atticus to assist him (and well, to do most of the work). They spend the next couple of days moving around the country visiting various dog trainers/owners and skirting trouble with the law. While Atticus does the heavy lifting of investigating, Oberon has a lot of fun meeting various Champion dogs — in particular, a Boston terrier named Starbuck.

The interplay between Atticus and Oberon is a lot of fun, but his narration is even better — between the repeated mentions of trying to pull off “the Full Jules” (reciting Ezekiel 25:17 at just the right moment); his summary/slash review of The Great Gatsby (which will forever alter the way I look at the book); Oberon as food critic (his takes on coffee and mustard are highlights); and a repeated tribute to Denis Leary’s best movie, this book was flat-out entertaining. Because it’s by Hearne and featuring Oberon, I assumed I’d enjoy it — I didn’t plan on (but should’ve) cackling by the 7% mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed this — the story was good enough to justify the time reading, but Oberon’s voice elevates this to something really special. It is now one of my major Life Goals to hear Luke Daniels do the audiobook of this. If you’ve read an Iron Druid Chronicle or two, you’ll know how good Oberon can be. Read this, you won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Subterranean Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work — I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

—–

4 Stars

The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne

The Purloined PoodleThe Purloined Poodle

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, #8.5/Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries, #1

eARC, 112 pg.
Subterranean Press, 2016

Read: August 8, 2016


The best and most consistent part of The Iron Druid Chronicles has been Atticus’ Irish Wolfhound, Oberon. Now Kevin Hearne has given us a novella narrated by and starring him, with Atticus in the supporting role. It’s good that he kept the Druid around, because he has the whole opposable thumb thing going for him and can do things like communicate with other people

While playing in a dog park, Oberon stumbles upon a rash of dognappings — the victims are all Grand Champions. Oberon is appalled that such a thing can happen and vows to find the dogs and return them home. He enlists Atticus to assist him (and well, to do most of the work). They spend the next couple of days moving around the country visiting various dog trainers/owners and skirting trouble with the law. While Atticus does the heavy lifting of investigating, Oberon has a lot of fun meeting various Champion dogs — in particular, a Boston terrier named Starbuck.

The interplay between Atticus and Oberon is a lot of fun, but his narration is even better — between the repeated mentions of trying to pull off “the Full Jules” (reciting Ezekiel 25:17 at just the right moment); his summary/slash review of The Great Gatsby (which will forever alter the way I look at the book); Oberon as food critic (his takes on coffee and mustard are highlights); and a repeated tribute to Denis Leary’s best movie, this book was flat-out entertaining. Because it’s by Hearne and featuring Oberon, I assumed I’d enjoy it — I didn’t plan on (but should’ve) cackling by the 7% mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed this — the story was good enough to justify the time reading, but Oberon’s voice elevates this to something really special. It is now one of my major Life Goals to hear Luke Daniels do the audiobook of this. If you’ve read an Iron Druid Chronicle or two, you’ll know how good Oberon can be. Read this, you won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Subterranean Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.

—–

4 Stars

Page 3 of 3

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén