"Paws" For Thought: Book Blog Tag!

Designed by me. Photo Credit: Unsplash

 

(Originator: https://lynns-books.com/2022/10/15/paws-for-thought-book-tag/)

Thank you to Raina at Enthralled By Love for tagging me!

The puppy: illegally cute, will eventually grow into it’s paws and ears, will chew your shoes,
possibly your clothes and the table legs and demand all your attention before curling up to sleep exhausted.
Photo Credit: Unsplash 

1. The most recent book that you read and loved

The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky. I picked up this book as a freebie during a random giveaway event, because your girl loves a good retelling, and with this one seemingly focusing on Wendy herself as the main character, I hoped it would be good.

I won't spoil too much about it, since you can read the full review by clicking >this hyperlinked text<, but suffice to say that it was a brilliant re-telling and all the references were absolutely on-point!

The Retriever: intelligent, hard working hunters with a love of life.
Believed to have originated in Scotland.
Photo Credit: Unsplash

2. A book that was carefully planned, clearly well researched and was intelligent and thought provoking 

Diamond Stained by J. M. D. Reid. I had a lot to say about this book and its world-building (which you can read by clicking >this hyperlinked text<) in my featured review, but suffice to say, the thought-provoking nature of the conversations and observations between the main characters, the pacing and the development of the characters themselves as they go on an entire arc, with so much more adventures left open to exploring in further installments, I really thought of this book first when I read the prompt!

Poodle: the aristocrat of the canine world. 
A proud and elegant athlete. 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

3. A book with a beautiful cover. 

Time Tree: The Emergence by Lisa Rae Morris. I can still remember the day I was sitting across from my friend, a housewife and mom of three, and listening spellbound as she expounded upon an "idea for a novel" she "just happened to have on hand"... and the more she talked about it, the more I was like "You have to write this!" And so she did, and I couldn't be prouder of her, because now it's a trilogy with some gorgeous covers. So what if I've only read the first one? I have the others, and I'll get to them (hopefully sooner rather than later!) If you want to find out what captivated me so, you'll have to read my review by clicking >this hyperlinked text<, and believe me, you won't be disappointed in the least!

The German Shepherd: an all-purpose working dog,
loyal and courageous.
Photo Credit: Unsplash

4. A book that gave you a strong case of the heebie-jeebies.  You needed all your courage to pick this one up. 

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. This one was a completely random recommendation from a total stranger, and a completely accidental first encounter with "grimdark fantasy"--I tended to be a pretty squeamish reader up to that point, shying away from anything too graphic or visceral because of the images it left in my brain, so when the person was describing the novel to me, I was picturing one thing in my head... and when I read it, I found it to be quite something else! Yes, there were the "medieval fantasy archetypal characters, but in a modern post-apocalyptic setting with like skyscrapers and electricity and stuff", as was first described to me, (that's not too much of a spoiler... you'd just have to read the book itself to find out how the author combines those two images!), but at the same time... there's murder and cussing and uncouth behavior and creepy imagery and altogether stuff that made getting through those first ten chapters a struggle... but the thing that kept me coming back was the amazing prose of the narration, and the intriguing nature of the plot, the mystery surrounding it all, and the one or two characters with enough redeeming qualities to keep me invested in their ultimate survival! This series ended up becoming the gateway to a few more trilogies by the author that I ended up finding much more enjoyable, and one that I don't hesitate to recommend to friends whom I know would enjoy that sort of thing!

Lakeland terrier: a "big dog in a small package"
Photo Credit: iStock

5. A book with great characters  

The Firebird Fairy Tales by Amy Kuivalainen. This one, I'm excited to hype all over again, because shortly after I read the trilogy for the first time, the author ended up needing to pull it out of production and I waited at least a couple years for her to re-release it. By now, the whole trilogy is available once more, so you can read them all and hopefully you'll be as enchanted as I was! You can read my review of Book 1 by clicking >this hyperlinked text<, the review for Book 2 is at >this hyperlinked text<, and the review for Book 3 at >this hyperlinked text< to get specifics on what I enjoyed each time, but for the sake of this blog hop, I will say that the varied and intriguing cast of characters this author included in her books has a lot to do with how much I enjoyed it!

Rottweiler: descendent of the Roman mastiffs,
playful and protective. 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

6. A book based on ancient history. 

Interesting that the Roman empire should be mentioned, because although the book that springs to mind is not exactly based on history, it's definitely set in an historical period! Ancient Rome, to be precise! The Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic series by Australian author Assaph Mehr is a delightful mashup of the standard "paranormal investigator" fare... meshed with ancient culture and its associated superstitions! I've read two books in the series so far, Murder in Absentia (which you can find the review >here<) and In Numina (which you can find also >here<) and every time, I get vibes of contemporary "wizard investigating paranormal crimes", but set securely in a culture well-researched and long-extinct! It's brilliant.

Greyhound: gentle and independent, a dog that embodies the saying
"form follows function." Bred for speed. 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

7. A book that was fast paced and kept you racing to the end. 

The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore. 

Oh yeah, if there was ever a series that kept me spellbound until I finished it... I read half the first book before watching the film adaptation (which, even at that point, was a sore disappointment!) and I had no idea that it was going to be a series until I found it at a bookstore... alongside two more books! "Oh joy!" I thought, "It's a trilogy!" I trundled my way through it, returning to the bookstore day after day until I reached the end of book 3... and discovered a cliffhanger!! I had to wait months for each ensuing book to come out, and when they did, you can bet I read it as quickly as possible, only to discover yet another cliffhanger until I reached the last book in the series! But if there was ever a series worth plowing through, it would have to be this one!

Dachshund: these dogs are not necessarily built for speed but they are relentlessly persistent. 
Quite often known as "the sausage dog." 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

8. A book that made you hungry; this is a book that you need to stock up on treats before you crack it open. 

Goode-Grace Mysteries/What The Chat Dragged In by Cyn Mackley The second title is more a recent read than the series mentioned first--but the recipes are definitely more plentiful, since it features a food blogger! I don't know why Mackley chose to include so many tantalizing dishes in her books, but holy moly, you're really going to want to stock up on the snacks, because the dishes she describes will have you salivating! Cakes, breads, pastries, salads--everything you could think of, all unique and inventive, and charmingly described! Read my reviews of the Goode-Grace Mysteries by clicking >here< for Book 1, and >here< for Book 2, and read my review for What The Chat Dragged In by clicking on >this hyperlinked text.<

The Mixed breed: Or “Heinz 57” as its sometimes affectionately known, this is a dog of indeterminate breed.  Generally speaking such dogs are believed to live longer and suffer less hereditary diseases. Photo Credit: DepositPhotos

9. This is a book with a bit of everything going on. Could be lots of different elements/POVs or a collection of stories.

 

The Chronicles of Lorrek by Kelly Blanchard. 

This series really does have it all! It starts out your typical sword-and-sorcery setting, with castles and wizardry and magic and battles... but then as the series develops and expands, there's cyberpunk thrown into the mix, with mech-suits and artificial intelligence... and then it hops off-world with the use of spaceships as the simple beginnings of different continents on the same planet expands to whole galaxies that are connected to one another! Yet in spite of it sounding like the series spreads all over the place, Blanchard manages to keep things relevant, with each of her characters serving a specific purpose, and even the function of the new technologies fitting seamlessly alongside the magic elements, as well! To read my reviews on each book, just click >here< for Book 7, the most recent book I have reviewed in the series, and scroll to the bottom for access to all the others!

The French Bulldog: enjoying great popularity at the moment. Playful and adorable and loved by
City dwellers who have less space. Photo Credit: Unsplash

10. A book that is irresistibly cute. 

Verona: The Complete Mermaid Tales by Pauline Creeden. 

At first glance, it may seem like a contemporary re-telling of The Little Mermaid... but Creeden infuses her story with popular local Virginian legends, especially concerning the wild ponies of Assateague and Chincoteague (for example: the ponies are rumored to be sympathetic to Merfolk, since their keen senses can detect the presence of werewolves and issue a warning) It's a sweet tale, full of endearing characters, and a story that will have you gasping at each plot twist and give you a warm, bubbly feeling as you read it! To check out my complete review of all the books, click >here<

The Portuguese Podengo: alert and independent.  A breed of hunting dog believed to have descended
from dogs brought to Portugal by Phoenician merchants. Photo Credit: Dreamstime

11. A book that is a standalone. 

Black Train by Clareesa Savka. 

This is another book by a friend of mine, sort of like if Hunger Games was told in more of an allegorical sense. This community is restricted to living in the massive Train Station, assigned to clean the windows of the train and shovel coal for the train, but never allowed to ride the train... unless they are given a ticket, and those people are never seen again. It's a simple premise, but Savka does well with it, giving readers a cast of diverse and unique characters, with their own goals and personalities, and the choices and struggles they face are very much relatable. You can read my full review on my blog by clicking >here<

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: the nobility of Dogdom with a silky coat,
mild temper and graceful athleticism. Photo Credit: Unsplash

12. A book with Kings and Queens or something historic.

Bhinian Empire Duology by Miriam Forster. This was one I acquired early on in my book-blogging days due to a "friend-of-a-friend" connection to the author... and I confess, I waited way too long to read it! When I did, though, it was shortly before I actually discovered a copy of the book itself at my local library, and as for the story... It was far from disappointing! A kingdom of shifters, intrigue between royal families, conspiracies and peril at every turn--this duology colorful and while its social structure is more reminiscent of Eastern empires than Western kingdoms, it fits the bill for this category and I definitely recommend it! To read my reviews for both books, just click >here< for Book 1 and >here< for Book 2!

Old Faithful:  This is the dog that has been your steadfast companion over the years. Lies with it’s head on your foot so that it knows when you move, scents you out no matter where you are and waits patiently.  Is the first to greet you in the morning and the last at night and is always happy to see you. 
Photo Credit: Unsplash

13. A book that you’ve read many times, you could pick this book up and just let the pages fall open to where they may and dive right in. 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. 

This is one of those stories that I grew up watching as a film so many times that I could probably quote the entire thing from memory, never realizing that it was an actual novel that existed. I remember reading it for the first time, and enjoying it so much that I was rolling on the floor laughing at some scenes--and not all of said scenes were even in the film itself! It's near and dear to my heart, as a campy, flamboyant fantasy classic that, really, everybody should read. (And if you've read it, you should know what I mean when I say: Chapter 4 is my favorite!)

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So there we go, a list of thirteen recommendations of books I've read--I hope I've contributed to somebody's TBR list at this point!
Speaking of recommendations, I'd like to tag the following bloggers, and I highly recommend that you check out their responses to this tag!

Heidi Angell
Jo Linsdell
Quill and Pen
WittyLibrarian
Jennelle Schmidt