185 - If You Give a Cat a Cupcake; Laura Numeroff

Well I am having a little trouble focusing on Wally Lamb's new book: The Hour I First Believed, right now --I've read 580 pages in 6 days, but still have another 200 pages to go. It's not because the book isn't any good, it's just a tough subject, and since I've been dealing with some depressing issues myself, I need to take a little break some days.

So I decided to treat myself to this adorable children's book.

If you give a cat a cupcake, he’ll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you’ll give him a bathing suit . . . and that’s just the beginning!

This parable teaches kids that if you give a cat a cupcake then soon after the cat expects much more. The cat just asks for sprinkles at first, but next thing you know, the cat's dragging the child to the beach, the amusement park, and the museum, forcing the child to carry all its stuff, and then making the child clean up the mess behind.

The lovable cat who first appeared in If You Give a Pig a Party now has his very own book! Written in the tradition of the bestselling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond’s newest story will show everyone that Cat is where it’s at!

A must read for young and old. Fun illustrations and a cute story as well.

RATING - 5/5 - COMPLETED - 11/17/08

184 - Bats at the Library; Brian Lies

I'm taking a little break from a great serious read, Wally Lamb's: The Hour I First Believed -- Very good, but 750+ pages.

I found this wonderful children's book at the library: Bats at the Library, written & illustrated by Brian Lees. The book was released in September-2008. Written in rhythm and rhyme style. This batty adventure is full of silliness, but also references some classic children's literature. In the illustrations, children may recognize some characters from books they may have already read. The illustrations are terrific too. Recommended for children 4-8, as well as for young at heart adults--like me.

RATING - 5/5 - COMPLETED - 11/15/08

183 - The Gate House; Nelson Demille

This review of The Gate House is based on the unabridged audio book by Nelson DeMille and read by Christian Rummel. This is a sequel to the earlier bestseller, The Gold Coast, which was written some 10 years earlier.

This story is set in a world still coming to terms with the effects of 9/11. It continues the story of John Sutter and his ex-wife, Susan. Susan, rich and heir to a fortune, had an affair with a mafia don, whom she later shot and killed. The Narrator, Christian Rummel does a great job with the main character, John Sutter by using a mix of sarcasm and dry humor. The narrator also does a great job with the other voices involved in the story.

In The Gate House, John Sutter moves back from England to the Gold Coast and starts to put together the shattered pieces of his relationship and all that this entails. Throw into the mix more mafia involvement, this time Anthony Bellarosa, the son of the dead don, who has a grudge and a score to settle, and the plot starts to get a little interesting, but that is short-lived.

I had such high hopes for this book; I could not wait to get my hands on it, having enjoyed The Gold Coast, and many other DeMille books so much.

This book was almost 700 pages, or in my case 19 discs and 22 hours of listening time. The reader was great, the story started out good, but soon became long and drawn out, with no plot twists -- just a bunch of sarcasm, sex scenes and jokes along the way. I skipped discs 17 and 18 to get to the end, and honestly don't think I missed a thing. Even the ending was disappointing.

If you are looking for an exciting thriller --this may not be the book for you, but if you like lots of sarcasm, repetition, and ethnic jokes, give this one a try.

RATING - 2.5/5 - COMPLETED - 11/13/08

182 - Goodnight Goon - A Petrifying Parody; Michael Rex

Goodnight Goon: a Petrifying Parody, by Michael Rex was released in October --just in time for Halloween.

"Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.”

Attention ...............Goodnight Moon fans, this beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody. This time there are spiders, bats, gravestones and skulls in the a cold gray tomb. The tone is still rhythm and rhyme. The illustrations are colorful and just fabulous as is the story; very cleverly done. The book was scary enough, but not too scary for a young child.

This book is a keeper!

RATING - 5/5 - COMPLETED - 11/10/08

181 - Lost and Found: Dogs, Cats, and Everyday Heroes at a Country Animal Shelter; Elizabeth Hess

Lost and Found is an eye opening and heart-felt book that looks at the inner world of an animal shelter.

For years Elizabeth Hess volunteered at an extremely humane animal shelter in New York. In this book she describes in detail, the inner workings, the day to day operations of the animal shelter. Many of the people that work in shelters, do so strictly for the love and welfare of the animals. This shelter, like many others is short on money and staff, but long on abandoned and surrendered animals. She describes in detail the many myths and misconceptions people have about shelter pets --they are not animals with behavior problems; a good percentage are purebreds.

More than 20 million animals end up in US Animal Shelters each year. Many of the cats and dogs (and some rabbits, ferrets, birds etc) came to the shelter from loving homes, mostly because their owners were no longer able to keep or care for them. As the author put it, "when a crazy dog arrives at the shelter, there is usually a crazy owner at the end of the leash".

I had volunteered at our local no-kill shelter for several years, and found most of what the author says to be true about the staff, animals , and the individuals who adopt and surrender animals. In my opinion, shelter animals often make the best pets. Every cat we ever adopted from the shelter was so grateful to be with us, and showed their love and affection daily, in return for a second chance at life.

My recommendation -- read this book and --think about adopting a shelter pet, and saving a life at the same time. You will be glad you did.

RATING - 5/5 - COMPLETED - 11/9/08

180 - Songs for the Missing; Stewart O'Nan

What would do if your teen aged daughter disappeared without a trace? When—if ever—do you stop looking for her?

This is exactly what happens to Kim Larsen, age 18, popular, a small town Ohio girl just weeks before she is to leave for college. She spends an afternoon at the lake with her friends then never shows up for work that evening and is never seen again. It is not until the next morning that her parents, and 15 year old sister, realize Kim is missing.

The book starts out like a mystery, but it soon becomes very much a character study about how people act when a family is in crisis. When one person keeps themselves busy and involved every minute of the day, others may turn inward and shut the world out. What if normal grieving? Is there such a thing? Do remaining family members grow closer or more distant in times of crisis such as this. These are the questions I found myself thinking about as I read this book.

I expected that this book would be more of a mystery. So initially I was a bit disappointed, but it still was very very well written, and I am not sorry that I read it.

O'Nan is a really good author, and even when his books are not necessarily what you might have expected, I have always found them enjoyable.

RATING - 4/5 - COMPLETED - 11/8/08

179 - I See You Everywhere; Julia Glass

I See You Everywhere, is a story of two sisters which spans 25 years ( 1980-2005). The story of their lives is told by the sisters, often versions of the same events. These two well bred sisters could not be more different. Growing up, the sisters seem to also be competing against one another all the time.

Louisa is smart, practical and a bit neurotic; she is also jealous of her free spirited younger sister. Clem, the favored child is a rebel, one who jumps from one relationship to another.

At the beginning of the book, Clem, just out of college, moves to Vermont to be near her 98 year old aunt Lucy. She does this to please her father. I liked the aunt, she enjoys lavish shopping sprees, evidently believing she'll be around forever, and also shares some juicy family secrets. As the story unfolds, in addition to the family secrets, there are a few real life crises, and a shocking conclusion.

This is my second Julia Glass novel. I have not read Three Junes, but I have read, The Whole World Over, which I did not love, but did enjoy.

My major complaint with this book was the writing style.........I did not enjoy the way the story (over 25 years) unfolded. I did not feel invested in the characters or the story. I asked myself if the reason I did not care for this book was because I never had a sister (only brothers)? But, in the end, I don't think that was the reason. For me, it really was the writing style I disliked. I did LOVE the cover art that was selected for this book and for The Whole World Over ---stunning.

The reviews seem to be mixed for this book, so my recommendation is to try it for yourself and --you be the judge.
RATING - 2/5 -- COMPLETED -- 11/7/08