"Saving Red" by Sonya Sones is a "Feel-Good" Book (UPDATED)

Saving Red, by Sonya Sones is about Molly, a teen girl with a service dog, Pixel, who helps her cope with her panic attacks.  She becomes friends with a homeless girl, Red, who  has some mental issues of her own.  Molly decides to help reunite her with her family before Christmas. 

I enjoyed this unique teen fiction book written in verse.  It goes very quick and I liked the story line.  It touches on PTSD, suicide in addition to homelessness, mental illness and guilt.  It was interesting to see her make friends with Red and also Cristo and his cat!  Although this book deals with some heavy subjects, it is not dark at all but pretty uplifting.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In Saving Red, by Sonya Sones, Molly is a young teen girl who has a dog named Pixel.  You will love Pixel!  One night, Red is out doing community service and she sees a young red-headed girl who she becomes friends with.  She wants to get Red back to her family in time for the holidays but can she?

This book is told in verse with ongoing action so it goes very fast.  I enjoyed all the characters.  If you are looking for a feel-good book, this is it!  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Dog That Whispered" by Jim Kraus

The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus centers on Wilson Steele who is a professor who likes living alone.  One day he has to take in his mother's black Lab rescue dog because of a "no pets" policy at her retirement center.  little does he know how much the dog will change his life!

I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review and was pleasantly surprised when this book was so much better than I thought it would be!  This is a people book, but the dog does play a role in it too.  I enjoyed all the characters and it has a very realistic story line.
(Gerard 6/11/16, 5+ stars)

Karen's review:

The Dog That Whispered by Jim Kraus is a heartwarming story about Wilson, a Vietnam vet who is filled with guilt and loneliness.  His mother, Gretna Steele, is feisty and lives nearby in a retirement community.  Gretna is worried about him and has been praying for him for years, but he refuses to listen to anything she has to say about God.  When Gretna discovers she can’t keep Thurman, the black lab she adopted, she takes him to Wilson who reluctantly agrees to temporarily take care of him until she can find him a good home.  Of course, Thurman and Wilson develop a very special bond.  This is actually a talking dog who helps Wilson find peace.

This story moved along very slow but was entertaining.  It deals with guilt, family, forgiveness, pets and faith.  I liked Thurman and Gretna best!  If you like dogs, or stories about veterans, I would recommend this one. (3 stars)

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"When Friendship Followed Me Home" by Paul Griffin

When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin is about Ben Griffin who is not big on friendships.  Being a foster kid, he has had to experience a lot of pain in his young life by people leaving him.  However, that all change when he befriends a homeless dog who leads him to meeting a young girl!

I liked this book a lot.  The story moved along well and I thought all the characters were very believable.  I never really had it figured out, which is very good!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Elle & Coach--Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter's Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything" by Stefany Shaheen

It's time for another dog book and Elle & Coach by Stefany Shaheen is a good one!  This is the true story of a young girl named Elle who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  It is told by Elle's mom and this turns their family routine into utter chaos.  She has three other younger children to look after.  As I read, I learned that the Diabetes needs 24-7 looking after.  They find a solution in Coach, a young dog.

I LOVED this book!  Stefany tells the story so well and I loved the dog too!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"A Dog Called Homeless" by Sarah Lean

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean is actually about a young girl named Cally. Her mom dies and her whole life changes when her dad makes a life-altering decision. But, Cally finds hope in a stray dog. I really enjoyed Cally who is a great character! The last 50 pages were really good. Too bad the rest of the book wasn’t as good. I LOVED the parts the DOG was in most and would have liked more. Because of the strength of the last 50 pages, I pushed my rating of this book up to 4 stars. This is a children’s book that I’d recommend especially to girls.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"The Changing Season" by Steven Manchester

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester is about a teen boy named Billy who just graduated from High School and plans a fun, relaxing summer spending a lot of time with his dog, Jimmy, before he heads off to college.   He is not sure what he plans to study, but will think about it.  Little did he know his summer will include some life-changing episodes.

I thought this book was very good.  All the characters were believable and well drawn out.  I especially enjoyed his unbreakable bond with Jimmy.  I received this book for an honest review and liked it a whole lot!  I recommend it!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars).

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"Killing Trail--a Timber Creek K-9 Mystery" by Margaret Mizushima

Killing Trail--a Timber Creek K-9 Mystery by Margaret Mizushima is going to be made into a series of books.  It stars Deputy Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo.  A young girl is found dead and her dog has drugs in its stomach.  The story line was okay but it moved kind of slow for my taste.  I had the killer figured out early and the ending was sort of anti-climatic.  I did love Robo though and Mattie was okay.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Put a Ring on It" by Beth Kendrick (Updated)

Put a Ring On It by Beth Kendrick is a fluffy romance novel about Brighton, an insurance actuary with a passion for designing jewelry. Her fiancé who she is helping to pass his bar exam, breaks off their engagement and marries someone else. On the rebound, Brighton visits an old college friend and gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with Jake Sorenson, a very wealthy good-looking man. This book is about taking risks and following your passion.

I enjoyed this story as an entertaining read; however, did not care for how it treats marriage so lightly. It is absurd that both Brighton and Colin would marry someone they just met, but that’s what happens. I did like the ending very much though and would recommend it if you are looking for a light fun, entertaining romance novel.  I liked the cover although it is really misleading.  The dog in the book has a very small part and the cover led me to believe it was more about the dog than it is.  (Karen's review 10/29/15, 3 stars)


Put a Ring on It by Beth Kendrick is about Brighton Smith, a very rational young lady who is an insurance actuary that follows all the rules and knows them all too!  However, the morning her fiance breaks off their engagement, she does something unthinkable for her.  Will her act turn out okay and will this lead her life to somewhere she does not want to go?

This is a woman's book but I enjoyed it anyway.  The story flowed well and I liked Brighton.  The dog in it was good too!  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review 10/21/15, 4 stars)

(We received this book free for a review and were not compensated.) 

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"The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart (children's book)--Both LOVED IT! (updated)

Glad you both liked this one--yea for the dog!

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about a young boy, Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  Why does he run away?  His best friend knows the secret but she will not tell.  This children's book had me from page 1!  I LOVED IT!  What's not to like about a boy and his dog on the adventure of his life?  This is a page turner that goes quick and is the author's first book--well done!
(Gerard's review 2/23/15, 5++ stars)

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is about Mark, a boy with Cancer who is tired of being the sick kid and decides to go on an adventure with his dog to keep a promise to his grandfather before he dies.  His best friend, Jess, figures out where he went but knows Mark does not want her to tell. 

This unique book deals with friendship, survival and facing death through an interesting story.   The ½ chapters sets this book apart from any I have read drew me in right away.  It is a quick read that I didn’t want to put down and I loved the surprise ending!  The honest truth is that this book will tug at your heart!  I highly recommend it; think both kids and adults would enjoy it.  I am so glad I gave up on the big fat adult book, Dust by Patricia Cornwell to read this one instead.  I enjoyed this so much more!

I even learned how to write Haiku poems from The Honest Truth.  Here is my Haiku poem I wrote about this book for Mark (and the author):

                           I read the story,

Understanding Mark’s viewpoint,
Hoping he makes it!

The boy’s dog, Beau, rocks!
Two true, loyal friends, indeed
Saving each other!

(Karen's review 2/24/15, 5 stars)

Click this link for The Personal Story Behind the Story shared by the author.

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"Rain Reign" by Ann M. Martin about a Girl and Her Dog

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is a story told by a young girl named Rose.  Rose loves homonyms which you will learn all about if you read this book.  She also loves rules.  When her dog, Rain, gets away during a bad storm, Rose must put all her know-how to use to find her dog.  This is an enjoyable read because Rose is sweet and funny.  This is a light read that you do not have to concentrate too much to enjoy.  The author dedicated this book to her dog!  How great is that!!  

(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin is a children's book about an autistic girl named Rose and her dog Rain.  She named it rain because her father found it in the rain and she loves homonyms so the name fit good.  This is a story of how Rain got separated from her during a hurricane.  When she tracks down Rain at a shelter, it's a bittersweet reunion.  This story shows the importance of micro chipping your pet and gives insight into autistic children.  It has lots of funny parts and a heartwarming ending.


This story touched me because it got me wondering about our dog's former owners.  We found her on Petfinder when she was 5 years old.  She's is such a good dog that makes me think she came from a loving home.  We got her micro chipped just in case she ever runs off.    

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

We also both liked another book by her:  A Dog's Life--an Autobiography of a Stray 

  
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