"The More the Terrier" by David Rosenfelt

The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt is a good short book that I enjoyed.  Andy takes the case of a man accused of murder.  It went quickly because of the good storyline with a dog.  It's an enjoyable light Christmas read.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"19th Christmas" by James Patterson

In 19th Christmas by James Patterson, a very bad man has a deadly surprise for Christmas morning.  Everyone knows that!  What they do not know is where.  The storyline was good; however, the ending was not what I expected.  I thought it was an okay read.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" by Susan Wiggs

In The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs, Brenda had a bad Christmas Eve.  Her dog almost died and she divorced her husband.  A year later, her Christmas spirit is nil.  She does love dogs so decided to go on a road trip to place 14 dogs with their new owners in time for Christmas.  Can she do it in the dead of winter?  Will this get her Christmas spirit back?  Brenda was a good character and I enjoyed the dog parts.  This is a light, happy read with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Christmas Spirit" by Debbie Macomber is An Enjoyable Read!

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber is a wonderful story any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.  I wish I had managed to read this last month, but am very glad I did not skip it just because it's no longer Christmas.  It's the story about a pastor of a small church exchanging places with his bartender friend the week before Christmas.  They were debating who had the harder job and they both learned some things.  This was such an enjoyable, fun read with humor and a great message.  I loved it and finished it quickly.  I highly recommend this one to anyone who wants to read something uplifting and light.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)  

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"A Midwinter's Tail" by Bethany Blake is a Cozy Mystery

In A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake, there is a murder in a small town and Daphne is out to solve it with a little help from her dogs.  This book was okay, but needed more action for me.  I enjoyed how the dogs were used in the story though and liked the storyline.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"A Mrs. Miracle Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

In A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber, Laura is worried about her grandmother, Helen, getting Dementia.  She doesn't want to leave her alone so hires a home-care provider, Mrs. Miracle, from Caring Angels.  Laura and Zach can't have children so tried to adopt but were devastated when it didn't work out.  Laura is thrilled her Nana and Mrs. Miracle hit it off and has seen improvement in Nana's behavior and attitude since she hired Mrs. Miracle.  When Helen tells Laura that Mrs. Miracle is a real angel, Laura begins to worry again. 

This is a delightful, entertaining read that reminded me of the show, Touched by an Angel.  If you liked that show, I would highly recommend this book to you.  My favorite characters are Helen and Mrs. Miracle.  It's a fun, light read.  It could easily be a Hallmark Christmas movie in my opinion.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 30:  That Mrs. Miracle knew this shouldn't have surprised Helen, if indeed she was an angel.  But it sure seemed to Helen that this woman was privy to a lot of personal information, angel or not.

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"Merry and Bright" by Debbie Macomber

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber is a Christmas romance comedy that reminded me of a Christmas Hallmark movie. It is about two busy lonely people who find each other on a dating website. The funny thing is that they already knew each other. I enjoyed this light, quick read and highly recommend it to anyone who likes watching Hallmark movies that always have happy endings.

Teaser from page 16:  "Well, if it isn't me, then whose photo did you use?"  Patrick's glee couldn't be contained.  "We used Bogie's."
 (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

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"The Bark Before Christmas" by Laurien Berenson

The Bark Before Christmas by Laurien Bebenson is about a woman named Melanie. She is put in charge of a Christmas bazaar at a private school so it is a big deal. It is only for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? The story line was okay and I enjoyed the characters well enough; however, I would have loved it if the dogs would have been more involved. Sadly, they only played a small part.
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"The 13th Gift--a True Story of a Christmas Miracle" by Joanne Huist Smith

The 13th Gift--A True Story of a Christmas Miracle by Joanne Huist Smith is a heartwarming and uplifting non-fiction book.  When Joanne's husband passes away, she is not exactly in the Christmas spirit but has three children she does not want to let down.  One day she finds a gift at her door but doesn't know who put it there.  The gifts keep on coming.  Does Joanne get into Christmas?  Does she find out who is leaving the gifts?

I loved this book because it is a true story.  Joanne tells it so well and her kids are great!  It's a wonderful book to read around Christmas, but any time you need a pick-me-up, this will do the trick.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"A Gift to Remember" by Melissa Hill

A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill is told by Darcy, a young lady you will love.  One day while riding her bike, she literally ran over a man.  She is okay but the man does not know who he is.  Darcy looks after his dog, which I loved too, while trying to help the man regain his memory. 

I loved this book because while the ending is sort of predictable, the journey to the end is not and it is told very well.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Call Me Mrs. Miracle" by Debbie Macomber is a Good Read for the Christmas Season

Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber is a cute Christmas story about how Mrs. Miracle helps several people:  Gabe, a little boy who is living with his aunt Holly while his father is in the service in Afghanistan, a father and son who run a department store who have trouble celebrating Christmas since their wife/mother and daughter/sister were killed in an accident on a Christmas long ago, and a lonely business woman.  Holly wants to make it a special Christmas for Gabe, but the only toy he really wants is a robot that costs $250.

This is a happy little story for Christmas that is slow moving but actually has a bit of a surprise ending.  I liked it all right in spite of it being fairly predictable.  It was made into a Hallmark movie and for those who bake/cook, it gives some recipes!  (3 stars)

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"Promise Me" by Richard Paul Evans

"Promise Me" by Richard Paul Evans is a good Christmas read!  It is a fiction story of Beth Cardall.  Her husband cheats on her, is dying of Cancer and her young daughter has an unexplained illness.  One night she meets a man who knows all about her.  He seems too good to be true.  It has kind of a weird twist, but the ending is very good!  It's a quick read that I liked a lot.  I give it 8+ stars.
(Gerard's review)

Promise Me is a off-the-wall story with a very happy ending that I enjoyed immensely! I’m so glad I read this one because it had believable characters that I cared about in an unrealistic book that kept my interest all through it. I was impressed that the male author told the story primarily from Beth’s point of view and could write about hardship without it being a depressing book. Promise Me deals with loss, marriage, love, hope and is a thought-provoking book. It presents the questions of how would your life be different if only this didn’t happen and what would you do if you only had 10 months to live and money was no object? This is a fun read, in spite of a cheating husband, financial struggles and a mysterious disease that a 6-yr.-old has. It’s a “Christmas Miracle” book about hope and promises, a quick-read that leaves you happy. I promise, you’ll like this one! We highly recommend it for a light, entertaining fun read.

SPOILER ALERT: I loved the mystery the author created about Matthew, Beth’s stalker. (If you haven’t read this book, I strongly advise you stop reading now! I don’t want to ruin it for you.) When she let him co-sign her loan, I thought she was very stupid, but was relieved to find that he really did have her best interest at heart. Who knew he was a time-traveler from the future so he knew what sporting events to bet on to make a bundle. I really liked this angle of the book—it would be so cool to be able to do that!
(Karen's Review 12/31/10)

You can visit the author’s Facebook page and his website at www.richardpaulevans.com

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"The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck

Small Book--Awesome Message!  (15 stars)
The Christmas Sweater just blew me away.  Thought it would be good, just not really, really good, which it is!  This is the true story of Glenn Beck who as a kid wanted a new bike but got a handmade sweater by his mom which he hated.  This sets in motion events that are just outstanding to read.  He meets a mysterious person by the name of Russell that showed him the error of his ways.  He finds out that all he thinks he wants, he already has.  Do not pass up this book--it's too good.  Destined to be a classic!
(Gerard's review 2/12/09)

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"The Perfect Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber is a delightful quick-read about a woman, Cassie, seeking a husband. She is so desperate that she hires Dr. Simon Dodson, a matchmaker for $30,000 with a money-back guarantee if he doesn’t find her a suitable match. Through three tasks he had her perform before introducing her to the guy he found for her, Simon discovered she was compassionate, flexible, loved children, could cook and had a sense of humor.

This was a light, fun and amusing read. I liked this book as a break from the more serious stuff I have been reading. It's a very entertaining read. Reading about Cassie's experience as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army brought back memories from when I did that one year.

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"Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is about a modern day scrooge that wanted to skip everything to do with Christmas except the church stuff but wound up doing everything the last minute to please his daughter who came home unexpectedly with a fiancé.  This is a quick light read. 
 
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"Christmas Blessings" by Helen Steiner Rice

I just finished reading a book of Christmas poems called Christmas Blessings by Helen Steiner Rice that I really liked.  They were all about the true meaning of Christmas, God's gift  to us, His Son, Jesus Christ.  Instead of Christmas cards she would write poems for her friends at Christmas time.  Here's one I chose that was short to share with you:

A Christmas Blessing for You

May Jesus, our Savior,
Who was born on Christmas Day,
Bless you at this season
In a very special way.
May the Beauty and the promise
Of that silent, holy night
Fill your heart with peace and happiness
And make your new year bright!

Her poems are also used on greeting cards today.  In fact, I just got one from a friend this week with the verse by her.

(Karen's review 12/23/09)

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"Shirley, Goodness And Mercy" by Debbie Macomber

I enjoyed reading Shirley, Goodness and Mercy by Debbie Macomber.  It is a cute Christmas miracle story about a lonely 60-yr.-old man who felt he had wasted his life with major screw ups along the way.  Christmas time annoys him and he feels like he's hit bottom, but happens to go inside a church and his "prayer" reaches heaven.  Three angels are assigned his case and with their help, he turns his life around and people he's hurt greatly in the past forgive him.  If you like happy endings and a light fun read, this is a book for you.  If you liked the TV show, "Touched By An Angel" you'll love this book! 

(Karen's review 12/23/09)

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“Snow Valley Heroes—A Christmas Tale” (Planet of the Dogs Series) by Robert J. McCarty

If you are looking for a children’s story with adventure about dogs that actually has an interesting plot, Snow Valley Heroes—A Christmas Tale (Planet of the Dogs Volume 3) by Robert J. McCarty is it! This is sort of a silly story but one that gets the message across that dogs a wonderful creatures. The king of the North who lived in the Ice Castle decided to end Christmas by stealing a couple of Santa’s reindeer and ambushed the traders delivering supplies to Santa’s Workshop. At this time all dogs lived on a separate planet but heard of this and after holding a meeting, were anxious to come to earth and help save Christmas. Only children and elves can communicate with the dogs. (I told you it was silly.) I loved the ending, but will not give it away and spoil it for you.

I thought the map in front of the book was very helpful which showed the places that were referred to in the story such as Santa Claus Village, Snow Lake Trail, Royal Forest, Snow Town, Tundra Town, Tundra Trail and Snow Hills. I also liked the names of the places on the dog planet: Terrier Town, Waggy Valley, Muttville, Retriever Meadows and Spaniel Corners. There are also other illustrations throughout the book.

I enjoyed reading this book because I love dogs and had no idea how they would help save Christmas. I particularly loved the part when the dogs were running through the Ice Castle with the guards trying to catch them.

The Planet of Dogs Series was inspired by stories the author made up for his children and grandchildren. The first two in the series are Planet of the Dogs and Castle in the Mist. To read a sample chapter, order a book or for more information visit www.planetofthedogs.net and the blog at http://barkingplanet.typepad.com.



We received a complimentary copy from Barking Planet Productions to review this book and will include it in an upcoming giveaway among others to show appreciation to our followers.

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