Two Dogs and a Book

Otherworld Secrets: More Thrilling Otherworld Tales  by  Kelley Armstrong My rating:  4 of 5 stars OTHERWORLD SECRETS by Kelley Armstrong is the fourth book in the Otherworld Stories Series. I love these short story compilations about the awesome Otherworld characters. They give me a bit more time with the kick-arse characters I have fallen in love with, in the Women of the Otherworld series. The short stories in this book are entertaining and filled with the right amount of action and sex appeal. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #otherworldsecrets #kelleyarmstrong #penguincanada #vintagecanada #bookreview View all my reviews

When We Were Birds  by  Ayanna Lloyd Banwo My rating:  3 of 5 stars WHEN WE WERE BIRDS by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a beautifully written book. Unfortunately, although I really wanted to love this book with all its colourful characters and descriptions, the story did not hold my heart. The story touched upon love, family, and loss. I enjoyed the main characters’ narratives. The book has a unique concept and a gorgeous cover. This book is a 2.5 to 3 stars read for me. Don’t let my review stop you from reading this book. It is getting lots of love from other readers. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #whenwewerebirds #ayannalloydbanwo #penguincanada #doubledaybooks #bookreview View all my re...

The Glittering Hour: A Novel  by  Iona Grey My rating:  5 of 5 stars THE GLITTERING HOUR by Iona Grey was a beautiful and emotional read. It is a mix between “Love Story” by Erich Segal and “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story is gorgeously written and depicted well the 20s’ and 30’s. I loved the characters and especially little Alice. Her mother’s love and determination to help her find the truth about herself was touching. If you have not read this magnificent historical novel, what are you waiting for? It is truly a wonderful novel. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #theglitteringhour #ionagrey #stmartinspress #bookreview View all my reviews

The Shop on Royal Street  by  Karen White My rating:  4 of 5 stars THE SHOP ON ROYAL STREET by Karen White is the first book in a new series entitled: Royal Street. It is also a spin-off of her very popular Tradd Street series. Because I have not read the previous series, I was not familiar with the characters, and it threw me off from the start. It was walking into a party where everyone knows each other, and you know no one. I enjoyed the paranormal aspect of the story and the beautiful New Orleans sceneries. However, I was not a fan of the yo-yo relationship between Nola and Beau, and the one between Jolene and Jaxton. This “I love you, but I am dating someone else” was a put off. On the other hand, I liked the double mysteries and the link between them. Now that I know the characters, I would like to see where this series will go. Let’s hope that the love aspect will sort itself out. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #...

The Lying Club  by  Annie Ward My rating:  4 of 5 stars THE LYING CLUB by Annie Ward has two things going for it. It has faulty, manipulative, and self-centred characters with their own agendas. It has a faulty, manipulative, and self-centred ending. In mathematics, two negatives make a positive. This is why these two things worked for this book and made it so interesting. Some parts were very disturbing, and I am glad the author did not provide more details that she did. This book is classified as a mystery-thriller, but I would qualify it as a crime-mystery. Great read, great ending. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #thelyingclub #annieward #harpercollinsca #booksofhcc #bookreview V...

The Liz Taylor Ring  by  Brenda Janowitz My rating:  4 of 5 stars A faulty family, a famous ring, and a fact-finding mystery. Three siblings have three different recollections of what happened to their mother’s ring. Who is right? Who is wrong? But wait a minute… They all thought the ring to be lost and yet, here it is hidden in a bank safety box in the Cayman Islands. Who is the rightful owner now? This is THE LIZ TAYLOR RING by Brenda Janowitz in a nutshell. I enjoyed the writing and the way the author developed the relationship between the two sisters and brother. The story is interesting from beginning to end. It was great to discover page after page the family history and what happened to that famous ring. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #ca...

St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets  by  Annie England Noblin My rating:  4 of 5 stars I loved ST. FRANCIS SOCIETY FOR WAYWARD PETS by Annie England Noblin. The story is beautiful and the characters lovely. This book has a happy ending for the humans and for the furbabies. I loved how a small-town group of women came up with a genius scheme to help abused women escape their aggressors. Maeve Stephens never got the chance to meet her birth mother in person but through her mother’s friends, she discovers that she was an extraordinary woman. This is a fantastic read and I am looking forward to reading this author’s next book. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #stfrancissocietyforwaywardpe...

The War Widow  by  Tara Moss My rating:  4 of 5 stars THE WAR WIDOW by Tara Moss is the first book in the Billy Walker Mystery Series. From the cover, I would have not known that this is a detective style novel. It was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the strong plot and the colourful characters. I love that the main protagonist is a female private investigator. The ending was great. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #thewarwidow #taramoss #harperavenue #harpercollinsca #booksofhcc #bookreview View all my reviews

The Queen's Gambit  by  Walter Tevis My rating:  3 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT by Walter Tevis was a good book but all the chess moves, and game vocabulary went right above my head. I can see how someone passionate about the game would have a better appreciation of this phenomenal book about a young American girl who is a chess prodigy. The America vs. Russia theme was loud and clear even if this was represented as a chess tournament and not an actual war conflict. I enjoyed the writing style. I did not like Beth, the main character, much. She had no substance beside being very good at chess. Beth’s addictions to tranquilizers and alcohol at a young age was unsettling. On the other hand, I enjoyed the colourful character of Jolene, Beth’s childhood friend, and wished she had played a greater role in the book. I am looking forward to watching the movie on Netflix and seeing how the moves described in the book are played. #bookstadog #poodles #poodl...

The Children on the Hill  by  Jennifer McMahon My rating:  3 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! I was once at Universal Studio, Florida for a work event. Some of my coworkers convinced me to join them on The Hulk in the front row. I am not a fan of roller coasters and even less of front rows, but I put my big girl panties on and joined them. For those of you who have been on The Hulk will know that there is a long incline before the ride starts with a very steep deep. I was very nervous, excited, and full of anticipation as we went up and up. We finally reached the top and just as we were about to go down, the ride stopped. We were told that something was malfunctioning and that someone will be coming to help us get off and down the ride. That was anticlimactic and very disappointing. This is how I felt about the ending of THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon. There was such a great emotional build up to the story and then the ending was a total let down. I saw a l...

It Ends with Us  by  Colleen Hoover My rating:  4 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! My naked truth is that IT ENDS WITH US was very different from the other books I read by Colleen Hoover. Different, yes, but that does not mean I did not love it. I did! The story is raw and very emotional. The characters were well-written and believable. The author’s notes were sad and explained well why Ms. Hoover decided to write this story inspired by her mother’s relationship with her father. This book made me grateful for my wonderful relationship with my amazing husband and for having parents who were role models through their love and respect for each other. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #ite...

The Midwife  by  Tricia Cresswell My rating:  4 of 5 stars 📚Hello Book Friends! THE MIDWIFE is a great debut novel by Tricia Cresswell. I was interested in reading it because my maternal grandmother was a midwife, and it intrigues me to learn more about that important profession. The story of Elizabeth is heart-breaking and fascinating at the same time. Not being able to remember who she is and where she comes from is the first hurdle. But having the medical knowledge to save people and not being able to practice medicine because she is a woman, was shocking. Thank God, times have changed, and women are finally able to become full-fledged doctors. The description of Victorian times felt accurate and painted a very sad picture of these hard times. The POV switches within a chapter were sometimes confusing. Otherwise, the story is well put together and a great read. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandboo...

Tales of Ancient Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology  by  Stefan Milosavljevich My rating:  5 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! I absolutely loved TALES OF ANCIENT WORLDS by Stefan Milosavljevich. This wonderful book is beautifully illustrated by Sam Caldwell. I wish I had read a book like this one when I was a child; it would have inspired me to become an archeologist for sure. The book is filled with stories of great archeological discoveries. The descriptions are well written, and they are often humorous. This is a fantastic book to give to a young reader. All adults who enjoy history will love that book too. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #talesofancientworlds #stefanmilosavljevich...

Fearless Females: The Fight for Freedom, Equality, and Sisterhood  by  Marta Breen My rating:  5 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! I just finished FEARLESS FEMALES by Marta Breen and beautifully illustrated by Jenny Jordahl. What I ride!! I am still processing all I have learned and relearned. This book takes you on the long and hazardous journey of fearless women who fought for the rights of women over centuries. This short graphic novel on the feminist movement is a mix of heartbreaking, eye-opening, challenging, and heartwarming events. It is a perfect gift to give to a young girl to help her appreciate all the sacrifices that were made for her freedom. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #biblioph...

Meet Me in Bombay  by  Jenny Ashcroft My rating:  1 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! I always feel bad to give a "did not like it" review for a book that was sent to me by a publisher. I love being a book influencer and I make it a priority to speak of the best parts of a book to give those who follow my social media accounts an idea of how good the book is. As an influencer, I also have also the obligation to give an honest review and not shy away to say when I do not like a book. Unfortunately, MEET ME IN BOMBAY by Jenny Ashcroft is in this category. It was hard to love. The characters had no depth and were not likable. The story dragged and was uninspiring. I love historical novels but this one was just not for me. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanad...

The Younger Wife  by  Sally Hepworth My rating:  4 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! I binge-read THE YOUNGER WIFE by Sally Hepworth in one evening; I could not put it down. This is a solid domestic thriller with well-written characters. Ms. Hepworth started the book with a grand mystery and builds the plot to reveal bit by bit what happened on the wedding day. I loved the way the story came together, but I have to admit that I was annoyed every time Heather (the younger wife) doubted herself and believed Stephen’s lies. I guess if she believed him from the start, there would not be much to the story. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and do not hesitate to recommend it to the mystery/thriller lovers out there. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #c...

The Daughters of Ys  by  M.T. Anderson My rating:  2 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! Again… never judge a book by its cover!!! I should know this by now! THE DAUGHTERS OF YS by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Jo Rioux has a gorgeous and whimsical cover. From it, I thought I was about to read a light and fluffy graphic novel. Well, I was wrong. This novel is dark and quite violent. The characters are selfish and evil. I was shocked by the level of violence in many scenes in the book. This is not for a young reader. The illustrations are wonderful and kept me reading. Unfortunately, the book left me with too many questions to really enjoy it. Don’t let this review stop you to read it. You might like it more than I did. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcana...

American Stonehenge  by  Mike Goldstein My rating:  4 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends AMERICAN STONEHENGE is the first book in a new series entitled The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew by Mike Goldstein. This middle-grade illustrated novel is about Jimmy, a nine-year-old boy, and Andrew, his four-thousand-year-old dog. You read right… four-thousand-year-old. They can communicate telepathically, and this gives them a huge advantage in this non-stop action story. They will meet all kinds of people and creatures who will make this exciting adventure quite interesting. If you are looking for a fun action story for your middle-grader, I recommend this book. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile ...

The Great Gatsby  by  F. Scott Fitzgerald My rating:  1 of 5 stars 📚 Hello Book Friends! First of all, this is the first time I read this book and I have not seen any Gatsby movies. Secondly, I went blindly into reading this book, and thirdly, I did not like it. ☹ I am really trying to think of something positive to say about this book, but I come up totally blank. I found the book confusing, the characters were despicable, and did not think that J. Gatsby was great at all. It was not for me, but it does not mean that it is not for you. I want to watch one of the screen adaptations and see if it will help me comprehend and like this book better. #bookstadog #poodles #poodlestagram #poodlesofinstagram #furbabies #dogsofinstagram #bookstagram #dogsandbooks #bookishlife #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #books #booklover #bookish #bookaholic #reading #readersofinstagram #instaread #ilovebooks #bookishcanadians #canadianbookstagram #bookreviewer #bookcommunity #bibliophile #thegr...