Suggestion page is up and running!

Great news pals! The new #readpawty Suggestion Page is up and running and ready for your suggestions.

I set up a GoodReads group for us called, what else, Anipals Read! You will need a GoodReads account. Then you can join the group and add the books you'd like to suggest.  I've added a couple to get us started.

Can't wait to see what you all suggest. Happy reading!

June 2013 #Readpawty

Hi Pals! I hope you can join us for the next #readpawty on Tuesday, June11. We're reading No Buddy Left Behind by Terri Crisp and Cynthia Hurn. Mom read this one on the plane flying back from Meowsachewsits. It's a good thing she always carries tissues with her - this one will have you eyes leaking like a faucet! Hers sure did!

I'd like to create a page where pals can suggest books to read. I can't decide whether to do separate ones for pet books and not pet books, or just one page. Also can't decide how to make it work. Maybe a page with a Goodreads widget? But would that allow multiple pals to post to it? Not sure I want to have all the suggestions emailed to me for me to post. I'd like to design something where pals can add the books themselves, but I can remove anything inappropriate (like if someone snuck a naughty book on the list). Not that I have anything against naughty books, but this isn't the forum for them. MOL! Anyway, if you got any ideas, send them to readpawty at gmail dot com.

See you next #readpawty!

Duplicity Dogged The Dachshund by Blaize Clement

Here's the second of three book reviews by guest blogger, Amy Palmer. It's 'Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund' by Blaize Clement.

"Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund is the second installment in the Dixie Hemingway Mystery series by the late Blaize Clement. In the series, Dixie, a former law enforcement officer is now a pet sitter in Sarasota, Florida. During her pet sitting duties, she finds herself discovering dead bodies and subsequently involved in the investigation.

In this installment, Dixie is walking a dachshund when the dog finds a body. Dixie is once again in the middle of the case, at times alongside Lieutenant Guidry who is handsome and a bit mysterious. Dixie, not able to fully escape her law enforcement past, begins asking questions and ends up in the sights of a psychopathic killer.

I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first. I felt like Dixie's character was changing a bit and for the better. She was becoming more aware of how she was running away from people emotionally. Toward the end, there were definite improvements in her outlook on life. I hope that this positive change carries on to the next book.

Speaking of the next book, I plan on reading the entire series. There is going to be one more Dixie Hemingway Mystery published (the seventh installment) that Ms. Clement wrote before her passing. After that, it is planned that her son will carry on the series."

Pumpkin here. If you haven't read any of the Pet Sitter series, you should read them. They're lots of fun! I've read the first six books and can't wait to read the seventh!

Reminder - the next #readpawty is next Tuesday, April 9. See you then!

Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski

We have a special guest blogger - @seabasscat's mom, Amy Palmer. She submitted three book reviews for us to enjoy. The first book is Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski.

I decided to read Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski first thing this year. I lost my dear kitty Sebastian last June and have had a very hard time dealing with the grief. I wanted to start the new year with a fresh look at the loss and try to move on.

I'm so glad I read this book. It helped me put things into perspective about my loss. Mr. Kowalski talks about the cycle of life in a way that helped me accept things. He also spoke about the afterlife, which put my mind at ease.

There is a section of readings at the end of the book that can be used in a memorial ceremony for a deceased pet. They vary in length and style. Some are biblical passages and some are quotes from books. Whatever your religious views, you should find something that fits your needs.

I would suggest this book for anyone who has lost a beloved pet. This is also a book that I would consider gifting to a friend who is dealing with this type of loss. The book is short. I read it in just a couple of hours. It's a book that I know I will read again sometime in the future, as our pets just don't live as long as we would like.

Thank you Amy! I think this is an impawtant book for us all to know about. Sometimes humans just need help coping when we cross the bridge. It's good to know there are sources out there to help them.

There are two more book reviews coming up. I hope you'll read them all.

April 2013 #ReadPawty

I hope everyone enjoyed the last #readpawty. I know I did.

For our next book, we decided to pick anything we want to read from James Herriott. His books are easy to find just about anywhere. You can buy them from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can borrow them from the library. If you have a kindle, you can borrow them from Lendle.me or booklending.com. I'm sure there are similar sites for Nooks.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 9, at 8PM ET.  I'd like to have a list of books ready a fewof weeks ahead of time for people to look at and choose from to make picking our June book easier. Please leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll make a list with links to the books about 3 weeks before our next #readpawty.

Happy reading!

February 2013 #ReadPawty

Sorry the last #readpawty was a bit of a bust. My fault entirely. *embarrassed* I promise to do better next time. I set an alarm so I wouldn't forget when it is.

"So when is it?", I bet you're asking yourselves. The next #readpawty is Tuesday, February 12, at 8 PM ET. The book that was chosen is Julia's Cats by Patricia Barey and Therese Burson. There were several requests for it, plus I thought it would be a nice short book to read over the holiday season.

After reading other pals book reviews and comparing them to mine, I realize how bad I am at reviewing books. But since this is a book club blog, we really should be posting reviews of the books we read. So I'd like to once again invite you to submit reviews to the blogs not only of books we've read for #readpawty, but other books you're reading, too. Send your reviews with all pertinent pictures and links to pumpkinpuddy at pumpkinpuddy dot com, and I'll format them and post them. This is your blog. Please don't be shy about contributing to it!

Have a great holiday season everyone! See you in February (if not before)

I'm So Embarrassed!

My pals, I have to hang my head in shame. I totally forgot about #readpawty tonight. I know we were gonna move it back to Tuesday's starting next time, but I guess we're starting this time. So I'll see you all tomorrow, Dec 11 at 8PM ET for #readpawty. I promise not to forget again. *slinks off*