Early Review: Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know by Jeff Johnson, Hy Conrad

Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know
by Jeff Johnson, Hy Conrad


Expected publication date: April 1, 2012 by Sourcebooks

Why do dogs always dash to a rug when they have to throw up? Why do they eat furniture when endless chew toys are nearby? And why are they always absolutely starving? Get the inside scoop on the other half of the conversation in this lively, clever gift book filled with unforgettable canines who will tell you the truth about dogs—every last dirty, hairy bit of it. Peppered with charmingly devious photos and "my dog does that too!" stories that any dog-lover will recognize, Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know is a must-have for anyone who has a soft spot for a pooch. It's a verbal and visual delight that is laugh-out-loud funny.

Genre: Fiction, Humor

Publication Date: April 1st 2012

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Format: eARC, 240 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

When I first saw this book available for review on Netgalley, I just knew I had to read it. I knew it would be charming and fun, but it turned out to be so much better than I expected! 

"Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know: Eleven Courageous Canines Tell All" is a very short, very cute book. In it, we're first introduced to our lovely canine characters, all of different breeds, ages, behaviors, families and opinions. (and, oh, boy, do they have opinions! LOL). Then we get to read their stories. Their narratives are hilarious! You can actually picture your dog thinking like that. 

I, for once, know I'll never look at mine the same way again. They tell us about how they hate their names, how they disagree with humans about parenting, about how they are the ones who run the household, about how confused they are about why they can't eat those awful shoes or drink from the toilet, and about how much they love their human friends... it's very heart-warming. 

The authors were able to really capture the goodness and innocence of dogs. You can't be mad at them when you see the special way they see the world and their own actions. All they want to do is please their owners... but sometimes their naive actions don't get the exact outcome they expected. And they can't wrap their heads around it. Just like us. LOL.

One of my favorite quotes:

"Did I turn up my nose and say "No thanks, I just ate. Why don't I save this for tomorroy?" No, that would have been rude. And dogs aren't rude. Cats are."

Dog lovers will go crazy with this book!!

You know this book is going to be great just looking at the authors. Hy Conrad writes for television (he's one of the original writers for Monk!).Currently he is a writer and consulting producer on the TV show "White Collar." Jeff Johnson works in advertising and wrote THE HOURGLASS SOLUTION: A BOOMER'S GUIDE TO THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

So, if you love dogs and enjoy humor, you'll love Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know. I did. :D

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Early Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

by Jesse Andrews 

Expected publication: March 1st 2012 by Abrams, Harry N., Inc

Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time—when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying brothers— making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for other people. Until Rachel.

Rachel has leukemia, and Greg’s mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand. It’s a hilarious, outrageous, and truthful look at death and high school by a prodigiously talented debut author.

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My Review

The book starts with 17 year-old Greg S. Gaines introducing himself, his school and the chaos caused by the vacuum at the top of said school's hierarchy. 

He explains that once you join a group (Rich, Jock, Smart, Theater, Goth...) you automatically make an enemy of every other group you failed to join. His solution to this issue is to not join any group outright. (because groupless people are simply prey). By doing that, he can, theoretically, be protected and/or accepted by all cliques.

However, this choice may bring many complications, such as having to act as a sort of 'spy', always hiding his presence in one group from the other groups. He also can never really be part of a group, just a peripheral 'participant'. Oh, and he has to be especially careful during all mixed congregations, like lunch or even his classes.

It's Greg's senior year and things are surprisingly not sucking as bad as they usually do. Until he discovers that his childhood jew classmate, Rachel Kushner, has an acute form of leukemia. And their mothers insist that he be especially nice and friendly to her. And, at least in his head, that starts to make his life a nightmare at school.


Things get even worse when Earl, his weird 'best friend' shows their house-made movies to Rachel (which makes her happy and distracted during those horrible chemo sessions) and Greg's childhood crush, beautiful, popular Madison, finds out about his secret hobby. And asks him to make a movie for Rachel. Word quickly travels through school and soon people are calling him 'Spillberg' and telling him how touching what he's doing is and how they also want to be in the movie.... problem is, Greg and Earl have NO idea what the movie should be about. Their plans were hilarious... in very disturbing ways.

This was possibly the weirdest and craziest book I have ever read. There were jokes thrown in  the middle of very serious sentences, there were "scripts" between the narration... and the narrative itself was so very blunt that it was sometimes shocking. But in a good, clever, surprising way.


I absolutely loved the huge scolding Earl gave Greg about him caring so much about what everybody at school thought about him. In Earl's words: 

"You all worried 'bout what they think about you, man, they don't give a fuck. They don't give a fuck if you live or die, you pussy-ass bitch. (...) Rachel is the only one who do give a fuck. She don't have big-ass titties, so you don't fucking care, but that other bitch don't give a shit about you and, and fucking Rachel do, and you don't fucking give a shit cuz you're a dumb little bitch."

Excess swearing and troubled household aside, Earl is a really good person and Greg totally had it coming, if you ask me. That was probably the only thing that was a bit tiring about the book, the endless self-deprecating and feeling sorry for himself... but at least there was some really good character development, so Greg made up for his annoyance. LOL


Me and Earl and the Dying Girl has a very refreshing take on cancer, friendships, growing up and movie-making. Like I said before (and the author himself repeatedly announces), this a  weird book, but everybody should give it a try. Honestly.


If you like eclectic, funny and bittersweet Young Adult books that are also a quick, interesting kind of realist fiction that is different from everything you've ever read before, this is certainly your book.


*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Sixpence Bride (Timeswept) by Virginia Farmer - Review

Sixpence Bride (Timeswept) by Virginia Farmer

Jilted by her fiance, Tanner had to struggle not to believe that her own value had been somehow diminished. Still she knew better than to let that fear ruin her tour of England. But no one had explained to her that there would be a mock bride auction—or that she would be sucked back in time to the close of the eighteenth century.

Suddenly Jocelyn found herself in another time, another body, and in a real auction—being claimed by a real hunk of a man. Still, her bride price hardly seemed flattering. And the handsome Garren had not yet shown her the attention for which she yearned. But as she began to make this new body her own, she saw interest flare behind the lord's reserved facade. She'd soon show him—and herself-in pounds or pennies, no one was worth more than his...

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My Review:

It was such a quick read, super funny and cute. Loved the heroine Tanner/Jocelyn and the story, but I really would have enjoyed it more if it had a further development.

I would've liked to see how Nelwina fared in the 21st century, what they would feel if they returned to their original time and then traded bodies again, a little more romance between the main characters, a clearer ending for the villain... it felt quite rushed and short, as if the author had to cut a lot of the story out.

Too bad, it could have been a 5 star! :) I will read it again, though.

Mystique - Review

Mystique

by Amanda Quick

A tantalizing tale of a legendary knight and a headstrong lady whose daring quest for a mysterious crystal will draw them into a whirlwind of treachery–and desire.

When the fearsome knight called Hugh the Relentless swept into Lingwood Manor like a storm, everyone cowered–except Lady Alice. Sharp-tongued and unrepentant, the flame haired beauty believed Sir Hugh was not someone to dread but the answer to her dreams. She knew he had come for the dazzling green crystal, knew he would be displeased to find that it was no longer in her possession. Yet Alice had a proposition for the dark and forbidding knight: In return for a dowry that would free Alice and her brother from their uncle's grasp, she would lend her powers of detection to his warrior's skills and together they would recover his treasured stone. But even as Hugh accepted her terms, he added a condition of his own: Lady Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal–one that would soon draw her deep into Hugh's great stone fortress, and into a battle that could threaten their lives...and their only chance at love.

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My Review:



I loved it! From beginning to end I just couldn't put it down. Alice was the bravest heroine I have ever read about. LOL. I really didn't care much for 'I Thee Wed', the first book I've read by Amanda Quick, so when I got to this one I was ready to suffer again... and what a delightful surprise it was. I won't tell you the story because the synopsis makes it all real clear, but I'll tell you my impressions.

The book happens during Medieval Times, and there were very good action scenes. The villains were unbelievably hateful, just as they should be. (I felt like ripping a couple of pages when that annoying priest started babbling macho stuff).

I fell for the hero at once! So dark and charming, Hugh the Relentless scared everyone but the heroine. (He wasn't handsome, but she was attracted to his kindness and honor nonetheless. Oh, and his manliness.).

The heroine had a very abrasive tongue, but I'm a feminist at heart, so I ALWAYS agreed with everything she said. LOL I am pretty sure they are NOT the sort of thing a woman woud say at that time period, but I don't mind. I liked her for saying it and LOVED him for backing her up.

A very good, light and fast reading.