"Sipsworth" by Simon Van Booy

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy is about an 81-yr.-old woman named Helen.  Her husband and son have both passed on.  Helen is just counting the days until she can join them.  However, that all changes when she encounters an animal in her house!  This book shows how strong a bond can be between a person and an animal.  To find out what kind of animal it was, you will have to read the book.  I hope you do!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Smart Ass" by Margaret Winslow is nonfiction About a Donkey

Smart Ass by Margaret Winslow is a true story!  Margaret is going through a mid-life crisis.  She is having problems at work, her husband's job keeps him away from home at least half a year, she has no kids, and no pets.  She needs something so gets a donkey!  What a great story!

I was into this from page 1!  Margaret tells the story well.  At times it actually made me laugh!  Of course, Caleb, the donkey, is fantastic.  I discovered things about donkey's that I never knew and it has a great ending!  I recommend this one!
(Gerard's review 2/13/19, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 2/17/19:
Smart Ass by Margaret Winslow is her true story her life with a big 700 lb. donkey, Caleb.  I liked Caleb but felt sorry for him through most of the book.  I laughed out loud during some of the training parts about halfway through which I found hilarious and which for me was the best part of the book.  I also enjoyed the Christmas pageant but overall, I just wanted to get through it.  I didn't really understand why Margaret spent so much time and money on lessons when clearly she just wanted a nice connection to Caleb.  (3 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  Suddenly the donkey broke away and loped to the far side of the paddock.  He stopped and looked back at me over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

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We Disagree on "Before I Go" by Colleen Oakley--UPDATED (Writer's Workshop)

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley is about a married couple, Daisy and Jack.  Daisy has a Cancer and she needs to find someone to be there for Jack if her condition goes from bad to worse.  I loved this book!  People Magazine gave it a high rating and they were right!  It goes quickly, keeping my interest from beginning to end.  The story is told from Daisy view for the most part.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Updated 2/12/15
My husband and I have very different views on this book.  Here's mine:

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley is about Daisy, a 27-yr. old woman who had breast Cancer four years ago but then the Cancer came back again, this time with a vengeance!  This is an emotional read.  It deals with facing death, knowing you only have 4-6 months, possibly a year at the most if the trial works.

I did not like this book at all!  It hit too close to home for me, having had breast cancer and having some of the same concerns as Daisy about how her husband would manage when she died.  I found it to be pretty depressing and did not like how she let the cancer take over her life instead of making the most of the time she did have.  I would rather read just about anything instead of this one, just sayin'.  However, if you really want to get insight into what women think about who are fighting cancer, then read this. 
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

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