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Guinea Pig
Book
Guinea pigs are a popular pet, 'cute but dim' friends for those looking for an alternative to dogs...
K9 Schutzhund Training: A Manual for Ipo Training Through Positive Reinforcement
Book
A hands-on, practical approach to training your K9 for IPO levels 1, 2 and 3. Learn how to:...
MB
Managing Breeds for a Secure Future: Strategies for Breeders and Breed Associations
D. Phillip Sponenberg, Alison Martin and Jeannette Beranger
Book
Bringing together the experience of three top academic experts in breeding procedure, this...
Littlest Pet Shop
Games and Entertainment
App
Get immersed in the LITTLEST PET SHOP world and collect your favorite pets! Help BLYTHE and her...
The Toy Makers
9.5
Rate It
Book
Do you remember when you believed in magic? The Emporium opens with the first frost of winter. It...
Fantasy fiction
Broken
Book
'A new book from Jenny Lawson is always cause for celebration, and Broken is the party of the year ....
Lindsay (1818 KP) rated An Invitation to Mystery (Deep Creek Detectives Club) in Books
Mar 2, 2026
We learn that a few couples have been invited to the Spencer Inn. But why? What only a few select members.
This brought together all my favorite characters for marking. If you haven't read any of the series by Lauren Carr, you are missing out. Each series is done wonderfully. I have a favorite from each. Once again, they came together for a mysterious gathering.
Will they solve it together, or won't they? What mayhem will the dogs get into?
What lovely adventures and discussions await? Will couples enjoy themselves and make friends? Will there be more of these detective clubs gathering in the future? Can they figure out the clues and put them together, and give the caption some peace of mind?
They seem to be talking about a case while enjoying some downtime. They all seem to be getting frustrated, angry, and tearing each other apart over it. It seems there are no clues.
Did Doris give one because the murderer had shared a grapefruit with someone?
But maybe Jessica found a break in the case as to how Emily Bennett had a Ska slip scarf that was Charlotte's?
Will they find out how Emily got the silk scarf? Will it lead to more clues?
This brought together all my favorite characters for marking. If you haven't read any of the series by Lauren Carr, you are missing out. Each series is done wonderfully. I have a favorite from each. Once again, they came together for a mysterious gathering.
Will they solve it together, or won't they? What mayhem will the dogs get into?
What lovely adventures and discussions await? Will couples enjoy themselves and make friends? Will there be more of these detective clubs gathering in the future? Can they figure out the clues and put them together, and give the caption some peace of mind?
They seem to be talking about a case while enjoying some downtime. They all seem to be getting frustrated, angry, and tearing each other apart over it. It seems there are no clues.
Did Doris give one because the murderer had shared a grapefruit with someone?
But maybe Jessica found a break in the case as to how Emily Bennett had a Ska slip scarf that was Charlotte's?
Will they find out how Emily got the silk scarf? Will it lead to more clues?
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2662 KP) rated Doggone Deadly in Books
Nov 20, 2021
Doggone Fun
Kari Stuart has taken a booth at a regional dog show to promote her newly renovated pet rescue shelter. Her best friend, Suz Holden is grooming dogs for the event and helping to run it. The first night, Kari is helping Suz make sure everything is shut down when they find the dead body of a local dog breeder. The murder weapon appears to be a pair of Suz’s distinctive grooming scissors, so she leaps to the top of the suspect list. Naturally, Kari adds playing detective to her weekend plans. Can she figure out what is going on?
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I’m thrilled to say that the second is just as much fun. The set up before Kari and Suz find the body is good, and things only pick up from there. The background of the rules around dog shows is presented in an entertaining way, so it never feels like a data dump. It’s wonderful to see the returning characters again, and the suspects are just as strong. Plus, there’s plenty of cuteness from the four-legged animals. You are in for a treat when you pick up this book.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I’m thrilled to say that the second is just as much fun. The set up before Kari and Suz find the body is good, and things only pick up from there. The background of the rules around dog shows is presented in an entertaining way, so it never feels like a data dump. It’s wonderful to see the returning characters again, and the suspects are just as strong. Plus, there’s plenty of cuteness from the four-legged animals. You are in for a treat when you pick up this book.
Merissa (14194 KP) rated Gideon (Boyfriend for Hire #3) in Books
Nov 20, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2023)
GIDEON is the third book in the Boyfriend For Hire series but you don't have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one.
It starts off with both Gideon and Rowan attending the wedding of a friend when Rowan makes a comment about getting married himself. For some reason, Gideon takes that to mean Rowan is leaving and starts to imagine just how dull his life would be without Rowan in it.
This is a low-angst book that takes place over the Christmas period and you mainly get to see Gideon with Rowan's crazy but wonderful family. Chaos incarnate but coming from a place of love. Personally, it would drive me insane but there you go! 🤣
There are some steamy moments but mainly it is that first-blush time when everything is new and shiny. This was a great seasonal read with wonderful characters (especially the dogs) who help make the story shine.
Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 20, 2020
It starts off with both Gideon and Rowan attending the wedding of a friend when Rowan makes a comment about getting married himself. For some reason, Gideon takes that to mean Rowan is leaving and starts to imagine just how dull his life would be without Rowan in it.
This is a low-angst book that takes place over the Christmas period and you mainly get to see Gideon with Rowan's crazy but wonderful family. Chaos incarnate but coming from a place of love. Personally, it would drive me insane but there you go! 🤣
There are some steamy moments but mainly it is that first-blush time when everything is new and shiny. This was a great seasonal read with wonderful characters (especially the dogs) who help make the story shine.
Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 20, 2020
Alice (12 KP) rated War Dogs: Ares Rising in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review</i>
War Dogs was so far out of my comfort zone I expected to not enjoy it. I’m pleased to say that I did enjoy this, not only was this a new style of writing for me, it was also a new author. At first I was a little sceptic of a book set on Mars (I haven’t read The Martian yet so the topic of being stuck on Mars is new!) this book was set in the perspective of Master Sergeant Michael Venn (Vinnie), a veteran Marine trained in off-world combat.
The book opens with Vinnie being back on Earth after a shit-storm of a Mars mission throws everything for a loop:
<blockquote>I’m trying to go home. As the poet said, if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are. Home is where you go to get all that sorted out.</blockquote>
The chapters flick between Earth now and Mars then which is, in reality probably only about 2 weeks or so. Michael Venn has been on multiple tours of the Red Planet in his six years as a Skyrine and this is likely to be his last. There’s a good setting of Seattle in the beginning of the book where he’s just got out of the military base he touched down in a little while ago, it’s told from first person perspective and lots of memories are forth coming to the reader.
The basis of the Skyrine and their missions to Mars is from the Gurus – an alien race who made their presence known thirteen years ago when they touched down in the desert and spoke with some camel herders, it then progresses to the Gurus sneaking into the telecoms and satlinks, making a lot of money and then being “spotted” by some really clever computer folks. The Gurus then provide us humans with lots of technological advances for seemingly nothing, at least until they break the news that they have their own enemies – the Antagonists or Antags – and it’s now up the humans to go to war with the Antags.
After this little bit of background the story flicks to Mars with what has got to be one of my favourite lines in this book:
<blockquote>Physics is what kills you, but biology is what wants you dead.</blockquote>
Another favourite is:
<blockquote>…and share a silent fear that here, buckaroos, there are far too many cowboys and not nearly enough Indians.</blockquote>
The story then continues with Michael Venn’s tale of how their mission went tits up and describes various settings on Mars where they are thrown in the deep end and are at risk of dying. I didn’t quite understand why the book was called War Dogs until page 75 when it was explained to a point:
<blockquote>We’re all War Dogs, adopted by a very tall, strong ranch wife.</blockquote>
The descriptions of the characters and the settings in this book are wonderfully done and you actually feel like you’re there on Mars suffering along with Venn, Tak, Kazak and the rest of the Skyrines (a Skyrine is a Marine who is ‘sky-bound’ to Mars) while they wait out the possibility of death before Teal the ranch wife from the above quote comes to their rescue and then while they discover that their mission was compromised from the very beginning long before they actually launched.
Throughout the book there is a character called Alice who comes to Seattle on behalf of Joe (another Skyrine) who is there to help Michael come to terms with being back on Earth after the blow out of Mars. She’s a sort of psychotherapist I suppose who is there to listen to Michael’s story of what happened on Mars (which is basically how the book is written, the storytelling of what happened on Mars but through visions or flashbacks) and she eventually takes him to see Joe only they get caught by the military police. Michael ends up being taken “prisoner” as a fugitive.
This book was – though short – incredibly well written and I definitely want to read the next one which is lucky as I have that as well. This one book has made me want to read more of Greg Bear’s work and I’m on the hunt for the next series to read. As mentioned before the characters were brilliant although there is lots of unique jargon that both does and doesn’t make sense (SNKRAZ for one), the Muskie lingo (Teal’s people) is a little hard going to understand.
The chapter switches between past and present, with the past represented as memories or hallucinations/visions; ultimately War Dogs is a humorous but dramatic tale of Mars from the POV of a Marine that can’t swear. Michael Venn is a great main character with plenty of well presented secondary characters and a good ecclectic mix of plots.
I will leave you with a parting quote:
<blockquote>Ant farm stories are just like life. We have no idea why we’re here, what we’re doing alive, or even where we are, but here we are, doing our best to make do.</blockquote>
War Dogs was so far out of my comfort zone I expected to not enjoy it. I’m pleased to say that I did enjoy this, not only was this a new style of writing for me, it was also a new author. At first I was a little sceptic of a book set on Mars (I haven’t read The Martian yet so the topic of being stuck on Mars is new!) this book was set in the perspective of Master Sergeant Michael Venn (Vinnie), a veteran Marine trained in off-world combat.
The book opens with Vinnie being back on Earth after a shit-storm of a Mars mission throws everything for a loop:
<blockquote>I’m trying to go home. As the poet said, if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are. Home is where you go to get all that sorted out.</blockquote>
The chapters flick between Earth now and Mars then which is, in reality probably only about 2 weeks or so. Michael Venn has been on multiple tours of the Red Planet in his six years as a Skyrine and this is likely to be his last. There’s a good setting of Seattle in the beginning of the book where he’s just got out of the military base he touched down in a little while ago, it’s told from first person perspective and lots of memories are forth coming to the reader.
The basis of the Skyrine and their missions to Mars is from the Gurus – an alien race who made their presence known thirteen years ago when they touched down in the desert and spoke with some camel herders, it then progresses to the Gurus sneaking into the telecoms and satlinks, making a lot of money and then being “spotted” by some really clever computer folks. The Gurus then provide us humans with lots of technological advances for seemingly nothing, at least until they break the news that they have their own enemies – the Antagonists or Antags – and it’s now up the humans to go to war with the Antags.
After this little bit of background the story flicks to Mars with what has got to be one of my favourite lines in this book:
<blockquote>Physics is what kills you, but biology is what wants you dead.</blockquote>
Another favourite is:
<blockquote>…and share a silent fear that here, buckaroos, there are far too many cowboys and not nearly enough Indians.</blockquote>
The story then continues with Michael Venn’s tale of how their mission went tits up and describes various settings on Mars where they are thrown in the deep end and are at risk of dying. I didn’t quite understand why the book was called War Dogs until page 75 when it was explained to a point:
<blockquote>We’re all War Dogs, adopted by a very tall, strong ranch wife.</blockquote>
The descriptions of the characters and the settings in this book are wonderfully done and you actually feel like you’re there on Mars suffering along with Venn, Tak, Kazak and the rest of the Skyrines (a Skyrine is a Marine who is ‘sky-bound’ to Mars) while they wait out the possibility of death before Teal the ranch wife from the above quote comes to their rescue and then while they discover that their mission was compromised from the very beginning long before they actually launched.
Throughout the book there is a character called Alice who comes to Seattle on behalf of Joe (another Skyrine) who is there to help Michael come to terms with being back on Earth after the blow out of Mars. She’s a sort of psychotherapist I suppose who is there to listen to Michael’s story of what happened on Mars (which is basically how the book is written, the storytelling of what happened on Mars but through visions or flashbacks) and she eventually takes him to see Joe only they get caught by the military police. Michael ends up being taken “prisoner” as a fugitive.
This book was – though short – incredibly well written and I definitely want to read the next one which is lucky as I have that as well. This one book has made me want to read more of Greg Bear’s work and I’m on the hunt for the next series to read. As mentioned before the characters were brilliant although there is lots of unique jargon that both does and doesn’t make sense (SNKRAZ for one), the Muskie lingo (Teal’s people) is a little hard going to understand.
The chapter switches between past and present, with the past represented as memories or hallucinations/visions; ultimately War Dogs is a humorous but dramatic tale of Mars from the POV of a Marine that can’t swear. Michael Venn is a great main character with plenty of well presented secondary characters and a good ecclectic mix of plots.
I will leave you with a parting quote:
<blockquote>Ant farm stories are just like life. We have no idea why we’re here, what we’re doing alive, or even where we are, but here we are, doing our best to make do.</blockquote>