Flop Dead Gorgeous (Andy Carpenter #27) by David Rosenfelt

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When an old high school flame of Andy's is charged with murder, Andy and his team get to work. She has a dog, Mamie, that lives with Tara. The action had me turning the pages of this awesome series!

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Dog Eat Dog (Andy Carpenter, #23) by David Rosenfelt

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this 23rd book in this series awesomely narrated by Grover Gardner. I continue to chuckle at Andy, his musings, and his cowardice. But as I have come to expect--- Andy defends a man who helped stop mistreatment of a dog- but is later arrested for murder. A must read!

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Silent Bite (Andy Carpenter, #22) by David Rosenfelt

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrator Grover Gardner is the perfect Andy Carpenter voice! I love all Andy Carpenter books & audiobooks- I chuckle all the way through, but I love the pace of the plot- Andy doing his best to defend a client, using all the characters that help in the courtroom and interviewing people, taking care of dogs, and loving his life with Laurie and his son (also Tara & assorted dogs). I highly recommend all of Rosenfelts' books in this series & I will also read his others after I am finished!

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Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

Simon Sort of Says: by Erin Bow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Simon; he has suffered a major trauma and as a result, his family moves far away. In this new town Simon makes 2 friends, is glad there is no internet and gets used to the new life while also being well aware what he survived. There was so much to love about this book; the plot, the characters, the funeral home hijinks, the farm, his pastor father all combine to give the reader a story so important you cannot put it down. You will laugh and you will cry but Simon's many messages will resound with ALL readers! Highly recommended!

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Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart

Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I loved The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise so so much, this new Coyote Lost and Found was just as wonderful! Coyote is honest, quirky, brash, and one of a kind. Her latest adventure will involve a journey yet again, fierce, hiding secrets, and sometimes not being nice to Candace, her father's friend & neighbor, along for the ride on Yager during Covid. Readers will love every character on this bus; they support one another, enjoy singing, laughing, and the awesome pets on this trip to find where to settle Coyote's mom's cremated remains. Coyote's insights are hysterical, fierce, and bold and the author treats us to many beautiful, sad and happy times as Coyote and Rodeo remember painfully their loved ones. A must read for all ages!

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I Give You Peace by Diane DiSerafino

I Give You Peace by Diane DiSerafino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Donna Gola for giving this debut author book to read. I really enjoyed the plot and characters in I Give You Peace. There are many universes and Alex and Leonard are experimenting to bring world peace to New Philadelphia located in the Tertius universe. But things are not proceeding as planned for many reasons and as we meet a few of the subjects in this grand experiment the reader roots for "real peace" not enforced peace. I loved all the Philadelphia places, the cover is perfect, and technology must be watched. I look forward to other books by Diane DiSerafino!

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Dachshund Through the Snow (Andy Carpenter, #20) by David Rosenfelt

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Number 20 of the Andy Carpenter series, is a Christmas delight! When Laurie wants to grant a wish to Danny and his dog, he finds the plea to help his father heartfelt and enters into another murder mystery.

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Bark of Night (Andy Carpenter, #19) by David Rosenfelt

Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Andy rescues Truman, a French Bulldog and takes on a new case in number 19. Narration by Grove Gardner was perfect, a laugh a minute all the while solving the mystery of the murdered owner.

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The Fragile Thread of Power (Threads of Power, #1) by V.E. Schwab

The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely Narrated by: Kate Reading, Marisa Calin, Michael Kramer, I loved this latest book by V.E. Schwab, the beginning of a series (which I totally love) but also includes characters from her other books, YAY!!! Returning to the worlds of her previous series, Shades of Magic, characters Delilah Bard, Kell Maresh, and the royal family from Red London are wrestling with Kell's loss of magic and his brother, the king has no magic but cannot be killed. Into this thrilling story line, the reader also meets Kosika, a young girl with powerful magic in White London who becomes Queen. I especially liked Tes, the tinkerer who can see magic---and if it is broken she can fix it. There is an enemy in Red London who wants to topple the king and his kingdom (known as The Hand). I could not stop listening to this 21 hour book!!! I can't wait for the 2nd in the series as the ending in Fragile stopped my heart!!!

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Unleashed (Andy Carpenter, #11) by David Rosenfelt

Unleashed by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grover Gardner has me laughing throughout this 11th book (audiobook) in the Andy Carpenter series. Sam is Andy's friend, accountant and hacker. On his way to visit a friend, he hits a dog and that makes him late. His friend crashes in the plane and the dog, renames Crash becomes Sam's beloved dog---but the mystery had me listening and chuckling all day long!!!

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Hounded (Andy Carpenter, #12) by David Rosenfelt

Hounded by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As usual I loved Grover Gardner's hysterical narration with just the right intonations with my chuckling at Andy, his situations, etc and all the drama as he solves yet another mystery which includes a dog! His friend also a cop, Pete Stanton is accused of murder and Andy is his lawyer.

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Leader of the Pack (Andy Carpenter, #10) by David Rosenfelt

Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is definitely a whodunit and one Andy gets sucked into when an old case he lost rears its ugly head again. Andy has continued to stay in touch visiting convicted killer, Joey Desimone in jail. When he asks Andy to check in on his uncle, things begin to spiral when Joey's uncle is murdered after a visit by Andy and his dog, Tara. Will Andy get the chance to get Joey a new trial? Another suspenseful, hysterical read in the Andy Carpenter series!

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Dog Tags (Andy Carpenter, #8) by David Rosenfelt

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this Andy Carpenter mystery because Milo, a German Shepherd is a highly trained dog that Andy ends up representing. His owner is in jail and the reader soon finds that both the owner & Milo are in danger. I love Willie who runs the Tara Foundation, Laurie & Marcus & especially Andy because he is so funny, spineless, but the best lawyer to those he defends. I can't wait to read #9!!!

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Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle

Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this middle grade novel in verse, a young Cuban Oriol, loves to write and tend to the animals in her parents' clinic. When an older woman moves in, Oriol confides in her- her wants, her fears, her words that do not come to her mouth or pen and paper. When something happens to a baby elephant, Orion tries to find her voice, along with her friends and family, to save this elephant. A must read; the relationship between family and friends (animals and humans) and elephant communication is a happy moment many times over in this sweet, happy story. A must read!!!

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The Dangerous One (Osborn Brothers #1) by Lori Foster

The Dangerous One by Lori Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I could not put this new book in a series down; Foster introduces the reader to Hunter Osborn & Jodi Bentley but we also are re-acquainted with the MCKENZIE family from another great Foster series,
McKenzies of Ridge Trail! Their first meeting sizzles and the mystery, chemistry, and yearning between the two "neighbors" was palpable! I loved Hunter's dog, while Jodi is a take no prisoners strong woman, she is a goner for this rescued basset hound. Pick this book up now, readers will love this new hot romance!

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New Tricks (Andy Carpenter, #&) by David Rosenfelt

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great series (#7) in the Andy Carpenter books! I highly recommend these legal thrillers which include dogs to all my friends! On to #8!

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Play Dead (Andy Carpenter, #6) by David Rosenfelt

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE the Andy Carpenter series---especially the dogs! being involved in the mystery as Andy rescues a dog, Reggie, who was supposed to have died 5 years ago and then plunges into representing the dogs' owner who is in jail for murdering his girlfriend and throwing Reggie overboard during a storm at sea. Laurie, the love of his life comes for a visit since she is in law enforcement elsewhere, and his many friends, Willie & Sondra, Pete Stanton, his computer wiz friend, scary but awesome, Marcus, his newspaper friend and his friend in the FBI all jump in to help Andy who is a great lawyer but a wimp when it comes to danger kept me turning the pages. Good old Tara, Andy's golden retriever, gets along great with Reggie. Moving right along to the next book in the series, New Tricks!

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Controlled Burn by Erin Soderberg Downing

Controlled Burn by Erin Soderberg Downing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Maia's character, her journey both within and out (going to the forest fire tower with her grandfather). After a horrible house fire, which Maia blames herself for, her parents send her to her grandparents for the summer as they deal with her sister, Amelia's, burns and recovery, insurance, and life. But Maia's insecurities threaten to overwhelm her and it is the love of a dog, a new friend, and Maia's determination to become a more brave, carefree person that make this summer one she will never forget. A must read!!!

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Tumble by Celia C. Perez

Tumble by Celia C. Pérez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great cover and such a good, important read for middle grade and YA! Adela lives with her mom and Alex (her mom's boyfriend and the only father she has ever known) when they approach her with Alex's wish to adopt her. What this sets off is Adela looking for her real father--one question her mother has refused to answer ever! So when Adela and her bestie decide to look for her birth certificate they find GOLD--a picture of her mother and real father with a small Adela. As she begins the search for her father so much hits her and she is also in her school play the Nutcracker and knows her mom & Alex want an answer to adoption. I loved Perez's writing, her characters, and the food (oh so yummy) as this 12 year old braves finding her father and his family of wrestlers. This is a must read for all; the wrestling expectations (and history) in this family, her grandfather who does not remember, her mother who is still fighting her on anything about her father, and her father, Manny, who wants to be the son his father has demanded back in his prime. The family dynamics were wonderful, heartbreaking, and real. Highly recommended!

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Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham

Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From a blog post, this Jane Whittingham book is perfect for my animal loving grandson, and the pictures, photographs of the many different animals AND children each with a different body part highlighted. With activities detailed at the end, this book is perfect for little minds, hands and eyes, the pages are heavy but not board book material, they will stand up to the sometimes rough little hands turning those pages! Highly recommended!

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