Bookworm in the City

Devoted / Dean Koontz
What it is: a special dog in a sci-fi-ish adventure
Did I like it: to my own surprise, yes

And here we are, the second book about a smart dog in a row! This category was provided by PatsyD, probably inspired by her own two smart dogs who know where the frozen broccoli comes from, but most importantly are two very good girls.

During my search for books featuring dogs Dean Koontz kept being mentioned. I had always associated this author with scary books so as a bona fide scaredy cat I had made sure to avoid these. But if one is not going to broaden their reading horizons, one might as well not partake in a reading challenge, and so I bravely clicked “order” for Devoted.
Devoted starts with a literal bang and introduction of the different main characters.
There is Kipp the supersmart dog, Woody the supersmart child, Megan his widowed mother, and Lee, an up-to-no-good ex of hers.
It’s clear from the beginning that Lee is the baddie and he seems to revel in his role. He is on the run and decides that his one-time girlfriend Megan should come with him. When Megan makes it clear that she is not interested, that is not what Lee wants to hear. He decides to go to her house and explain that in no uncertain terms.
Kipp is a very smart dog and part of the Mysterium. This is a collective of dogs that have an increased IQ meaning that they can read, and communicate with their mind across distance via the Wire. The Wire is like a radio that can be tuned in or out of, and one day Kipp picks up a distress signal from a human child. He doesn’t know how that is possible but does know he needs to act on it. The human child on the brain radio is of course Woody. Woody is an extremely intelligent eleven-year old. He is autistic to the point where he doesn’t speak. He uses his high intellect to uncover the truth about his father’s death, until someone catches him hacking into extremely secretive databases and threatens his life. Terrified about the evil coming his way, he becomes even more frozen and retreats into his imaginary castle. Then one night he starts to dream about people he doesn’t know, seeing them clearly and even knowing their names. He doesn’t know what it means and cannot stop it from happening.

Even though it is clear from the beginning who the bad person is and what is driving him, there is more than enough tension left for this to be a thrilling read. There were a couple of pages where I had to read really fast because it was scary (Lee is a walking nightmare, and there were some impressively corruptive people and businesses popping up as well) but it was doable, especially because the scary parts are intersected by some parts of ultimate goodness (and I don’t think I need to explain who the good boy in this story is).
The story takes place over only a couple of days and it reads very fast thanks to the short chapters, telling the story from the different perspectives. I liked this book more than I had thought I would, although it hasn’t made me a fan as it was just a little too serious scary for me.

This book is a good stand-alone even though it is a follow-up of the book Watchers, which introduced the special breed of supersmart dogs. Or maybe follow-up is not fully the right word, maybe spin-off would be better? If you’ve read Watchers, feel free to let me know in the comments what you think.

Devoted / Dean Koontz

The second-smartest dog that ever lived / Will Pass
What it is: dogs on a quest
Did I like it: yip

A couple of months ago friend E surprised me with a birthday present way ahead of my birthday. Then when it was my birthday she surprised me with Birthday Present : The Sequel. Two birthday presents! Two books! I am so spoiled! And as well as the first book, this second one was also given with the reading challenge in mind with it being a potential fit for two categories! (It’s also a debut, but that category was already filled). I decided to go with “about an animal” instead of “a book in which the dog is wiser than all the humans”, and with a title as this, that felt like a bit of a gamble but there are just so many animals in this book that I wanted to honor them all.

The second-smartest dog that ever lived is the wonderful tale of Rou. Or so he thinks, because it’s actually about Rou and Shakespeare. And Vern.
Rou is rescued after an incident on the highway and brought to a veterinary clinic. Once he is recovered, he is adopted by the animal control officer that rescued him and taken to his new home. One of his new roommates is Shakespeare, a Pug who one day will catch his own tail. There are also Dwid the cat and Antonio the parrot. But Rou doesn’t want to settle in: he wants to find the person that dumped him on the highway. The problem is, he doesn’t remember anything from the accident or before that happened, so until he has a decent plan worked out, he is stuck at the house. Then there is an incident and the animals are set free. Rou is not wasting this opportunity and Shakespeare insists on coming with him. Together they form a true odd-couple: Rou the serious, wary, tall, half-dog-half-coyote and Shakespeare the enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky, short Pug.
Together they set out on a quest that sees them wandering the desert and crossing Dog Destroyers. They join a posse of coyotes and witness a catnip deal gone wrong. They spend time with a good but doomed troll, and bathe in a fountain with Dog Man. Along the way they pick up dachshund Vern (full name Vernold Von Lang Lichaam Grote Hersenen De Derde which is Dutch and translates to ‘Long Body Big Brains the Third’), who is a mix of both their personalities with some added sass.
Their destination is The Palace in Los Velos, a place Rou is drawn to, an instinct telling him that’s where he came from and where he will find Roger. It turns out this place hosts a permanent circus where plenty of animals are being held, made to perform in daily shows. The one good thing about it is Jess, a young girl who rescues the dogs from disaster and cares for them deeply.
In this final act the story definitely takes a darker turn and it is also very much about Rou, with Shakespeare and Vern taking a backseat. Here, Rou learns how he became how he is. Fully prepared to do whatever it takes, he knows this is where things need to end.

I liked this book a lot, especially enjoying the descriptions of the world, and humans, from an animal’s perspective. You can also tell the author is a vet from the way the animals are written.
And then there’s that title. At first I thought it must reflect to Rou, who thinks himself to be maybe the smartest dog that ever lived. Then Vern arrives on the scene and he introduces himself as the second-smartest dog that ever lived (told you, he’s sassy). But in the end I think it might be about Shakespeare because being smart is more than just having a high IQ and Shakespeare might not know what a week is or even a day, but he does know how to make friends, and when it’s time to go home. Or maybe I just want it to be about Shakespeare.

This category of the reading challenge was provided by friend C, who is a proud cat lady (not what the C stands for, just a lucky coincidence). I myself am not a pet owner but sure enjoyed this category and the many animals I got to meet this way!

Of literature and lattes / Katherine Raey
What it is: a cozy smalltown coffee story
Did I like it: it wasn’t as sweet as I had hoped

This category was provided by friend E2 and it had me strolling through different parts of the library and two bookshops before I found something befitting it. Joy!
Unfortunately, that’s where the fun ended for me. A book with a title as this seemed a perfect fit for me: I love books! I love coffee! What could go wrong? As it turns out: quite a bit.
Spoiler alert: this review contains some reveals that might ruin your own reading experience of this book. Continue at your own risk.

First of all, the main characters were not attractive to me: they are stuck in some problems they don’t think they are to blame for and they whine about it a lot. On top of that especially Alyssa has snob tendencies, and is very dramatic (she accuses her mother of this trait and refuses to acknowledge the apple didn’t fall far from the drama tree). Alyssa and Jeremy both move from big cities on the West Coast to a small town in the Chicago area. Alyssa worked for a company that came under FBI investigation and the entire staff was fired. The pending investigation leaves her resume tainted and a lot of failed applications later, she is out of money and options and moves back home. Jeremy moves to be closer to his daughter. He has this daughter from a previous relationship which ended before the girl was born, and his ex moved back home so Jeremy was not really involved in his daughter’s life for years. Then, he decides to become a more involve parent, buys a coffeeshop in the town his ex moved to and expects things to naturally evolve into a normal shared-custody situation. Sure, his ex reads like a nightmare but Jeremy reads as very naïve: he signed divorce papers without reading them, he doesn’t check on his rights and doesn’t communicate like an adult (he doesn’t discuss his plans, just informs about them on the day of his move). He expects people to accept his changes and conform to them without so much as blinking. Also, he brings along a friend he hardly knows to be his partner in the coffee shop but then proceeds to ignore this friend pretty much from the moment they open the doors of the shop.
Both Alyssa and Jeremy are offered help by the people in town which they are unwilling to accept, even though they consistently complain about having to do everything alone. Ugh, these two. I like flawed characters because perfection is boring and it also gives them the chance to grow. The problem with these two for me was that there was not enough likeability to balance out the flaws and to root for them. Their growth also didn’t feel steady, more like a fluke.
But the main characters were not the only issue I had with this book. My next is this: for the first hundred pages or so the story is told from the interchanging perspectives of both Alyssa and Jeremy but then suddenly more people are added to the mix. Alyssa’s parents, a doctor (before he is even needed for the story: he seems to have stepped in from a previous book maybe?), a pastor, the owner of a shop, a member of the men’s meeting group that Jeremy sometimes attends…suddenly it seems everyone is invited to the party. I found this odd and it made the story clunky to read at times, especially the middle part where the “teller” switches every paragraph. I didn’t think this was necessary at all, and it only made it difficult to follow the story.
Then the ending: several of the storylines were left dangling which might have been a tool to set up future books. Before the ending Alyssa and Jeremy had already been together for quite a few chapters without any issues between them. Their problems got wrapped up with a ribbon around them and that felt way too quick and sudden because until three pages before the end these supposedly were Big Problems. It made the ending feel very discombobulated and odd.

I had been so busy finding a book to fit this item of the reading challenge that I hadn’t checked the publisher before starting to read. This is a Christian publisher and that’s evident in the story where the pastor has a voice, there are church meeting groups, people quoting the bible and praying. The themes of forgiveness and reconciliation are driven down hard and it is all very chaste. If that’s not your thing; steer clear.
I don’t mind characters of any faith in stories, and I don’t mind if that faith is detailed as long as there is a reason for it, as long as it’s driving something. But I don’t like to read verses from Holy books or prayers spelled out if it doesn’t add to the story itself because it feels too preachy. Unfortunately, that’s what happened here and although it’s limited to a few occasions it was still too much for me.

All in all this book left me feeling disappointed. I was expecting a cozy read featuring coffee, books, and some romance. Technically those elements are all there but it was too clunky and I just didn’t care about the main characters enough to get really involved.
Onwards to the next!

The Time Hop Coffee Shop / Phaedra Patrick
What it is: A sweet tale about the magic of coffee
Did I like it: gulped it down in one go

Thank you friend P, for providing me with a reading challenge category that involves coffee. In my family we solve problems with/over coffee*; I imagine if we had a family crest it would feature a coffee tree and the motto Potus Arabicum problematis solvendis. Which also sounds like a magic spell. And what is coffee if not a delicious kind of dark magic? So yes, it’s fair to say I was eager to dive into the world of coffee-related stories.

The Time Hop Coffee Shop is a fun treat that obviously starts with the title.
The story is about Greta, who, it has to be said, is not my favourite headliner of all time. She’s longing for her glory days, jealous of other peoples’ success, and just when you think she’ll redeem herself…she doesn’t quite. But, I’m getting ahead of myself (it must be the caffeine) so I’ll take it back to the story itself.
Greta is an out-of-work actor who has some difficulty accepting that she’s no longer able to land roles, asked to cut ribbons, or get recognized by the general public. She also is frustrated about the fact her husband, who is an actor as well, still has a solid career. She’s also disappointed that their daughter, once a child actor, is now a moody teenager who wants nothing more than to turn her back on acting.
Greta has the tendency to look back on days gone by with rose-tinted glasses but when her husband tells her that, she gets annoyed. Clearly, this lady can do with some self-reflection and it is offered to her in the form of some special coffee.
Iris is the barista at the Time Hop Coffee Shop and she prepares special blends for her customers. She instructs Greta to make a wish as she drinks the coffee and it’s no surprise that Greta wishes for her life to be the perfect version she pretended to live in the coffee commercials she once starred in, where everything is a little too shiny and nice.
As I said, Greta is not my favorite main character ever. It takes her a long time to turn around. Greta’s desperation for something that’s not real, really annoyed me. Greta is supposed to be a grown-up but her behavior felt more like that of a teenager.
I like flawed characters because perfection is boring. And I think that’s what’s rubbing me wrong about Greta as well; her preferred world of the fake perfection over the real world. Life is not a filtered social media post photo, or a glossy commercial: it’s mostly messy and at times really scary and dark, but that only makes the wonderful, joyous, lovely times stand out even more so. I know my overly optimistic attitude can annoy the Greta’s of this world so maybe we’re just not meant to click.
In any case, I still liked the book enough that I blew right through it. The way that coffee is used to solve problems in this book is less real than I use it, and in my mind Greta would have been better off with some therapy but oh well. No bonus points for people ending up in Portugal, but at one point Greta literally does get lost for a moment so I’m still counting that at least.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make myself some coffee.

*and duct tape

Three days in June / Anne Tyler
What it is: a sweet, short story
Did I like it: like a breeze on a warm summer day

It’s June! The halfway point of the year. And the month that I finally get to read a book that has the month in the title. Thank you to friend M for providing this item of the challenge!
I accidentally stumbled onto this book back in February but then had to wait some before I got to read it. And then there was a short moment of panic when I wanted to start it but came up empty on my bookshelf: it turned out it was just wedged between two other books and because it’s so thin it had become almost invisible. Panic over, I settled with a cool drink and dug in. At slightly under 150 pages I didn’t even need a refill to finish this book.

This is a sweet and short story that takes place over, no points for guessing here, three days in June. There are three chapters because simplicity sometimes is just best.
Typically weddings are all about the happy couple, some even just about the bride. But in this case, it’s all about the mother of the bride. The story is told exclusively from her perspective and because Gail thinks a little bit differently from most people that not only makes it an interesting point of view but funny as well.
It starts on Friday, when Gail arrives at work and her social awkwardness gets her into a difficult situation. Fifteen minutes later she’s leaving the office, jobless. While she sits at home contemplating the situation, things go from bad to worse when her ex-husband shows up at her door. He doesn’t have a place to stay for the weekend and because Gail knows he cannot afford a hotel stay, she reluctantly allows him to stay the weekend in her guest room. He is a happy-go-lucky kind of person as opposed to Gail’s structured planner personality, for example: he brought a cat with him, but not a decent suit. Adjusting to his high energy and spontaneity is difficult and just when Gail thinks this must be rock bottom, bride-to-be daughter Debbie stops by with news about her fiancé that threatens the entire wedding. It also brings up a lot about Gail and Max’ past and Gail is forced to rethink some things.

I liked Gail a lot. She thinks, feels, and communicates a bit differently from most people. She’s loving and caring but doesn’t come across as such which is frustrating for everyone involved. The events of the weekend have her reflecting on choices made in the past and options for the future. The story is that of family and love and it’s serious and messy and warm and sharp all in one. Though it is a short story it is the perfect length for what it is and I have to admit I was surprised by how much I liked it.

The book of secrets / Anna Mazzola
What is it: a story of poison, death, and intrigue
Did I like it: very much so

Reader123, thank you for providing me with this category because it turned out to be a thrill of a read! I love reading historical fiction so I have to say it was a treat to have this on the challenge!

This story is set in 1659, which is definitely not World War Two.
It takes place in Rome and kicks off when young prosecutor Stefano is appointed lead investigator for the case of a mysterious death. Rome, like most of Europe, is just recovering from years of the plague, and the people in power want to prevent another disease spreading like wildfire. Stefano, eager to prove himself worthy, teams up with a doctor who can help him with the necessary medical insights. They quickly conclude that this isn’t about a disease but poison, and because the list of mysterious deaths keeps growing, the pressure is now on them to track down the poisoner.
The Governor of Rome and the Pope are so eager to get this solved, that Stefano is allowed to have his own taskforce, and a building to house all suspects. This building is an abandoned jail that was used during the inquisition and handily still has the torture rooms intact.
Soon, the prison is filling up with suspects, as Stefano closes in on the source of the problem. As he gets deeper and deeper into the investigation, Stefano slowly starts to lose himself in the process and even though friends and family warn him to step back, quitting is not an option for him, afraid as he is to lose face.

The story is alternately told from Stefano’s perspective, and those of Anna and Giolama. Anna and Giolama are two of his many suspects. All his female suspects astound Stefano, but none as much as Anna and Giolama. Giolama is uneducated and of a lower class yet she manages to outwit Stefano whenever he questions her. Anna is a woman of a higher class, with money and connections. How can she possibly be involved with poisoners or have a reason to want to kill her husband?
Stefano’s views of women are frustrating because although he seems at times aware that society, and especially the law, does not favor them, he refuses to understand that he can make a change and by not doing so he is part of the problem.
I guess that’s what defines the patriarchy even to this day, which is doubly frustrating as we’re four-hundred years on and not enough has changed.

This book proved difficult to put down: it’s well-written, and the buildup around the mystery is well-paced, getting more pressing by the page.
Very impressive that this story is based on true events. Imagine! The author explains a bit about the process of turning such an old event into a story, and provides some further reading materials for those that are interested. I am, but I’ve already got some follow-up material ready so keep an eye out for that!

Slags / Emma Jane Unsworth
What it is: a midlife crisis in a campervan
Did I like it: so glad I didn’t judge this book by its cover!

This category was provided by friend E, who had warned me that it would be more difficult than it appears and yes, she was right because one (I) automatically/subconsciously veers towards covers that one does like.
And if I hadn’t heard about this book, I wouldn’t have picked it up: I don’t like photos on covers and I don’t like the amount of text on the cover. But, I had heard about it and eventually I did buy it after all. And promptly enjoyed the heck out of it. Because, it’s the inside that counts of course, and the story itself was really good (even though the font size was a point too small for my liking). I do understand the cover, the image really fits, but I just don’t like it. (My apologies to the cover designer: it’s not you, it’s me.)

This book is about two sisters on a road trip. Sarah has organized the trip to celebrate Juliette’s fortieth birthday, and has rented a campervan which they use to travel around Scotland. The story is told from Sarah’s perspective and the chapters alternate between the now, in which Sarah is sort-of-sober, cynical, and single in the city, and the 90’s, when Sarah is fifteen, desperately in love with her teacher, and getting drunk on peach schnapps.
Juliette is married with children and living in the suburbs and you can sense Sarah’s eyerolls whenever ice-bath loving, tweed cap wearing brother-in-law Johnnie is mentioned.
They both carry some luggage from incidents that happened while they were young, and they are both uncomfortable discussing the past as much as the present. They haven’t really connected in a while and the trip is meant to kickstart their relationship.
Being a sibling is an odd thing: it’s the longest relationship you’ll have with someone, and it’s a relationship like no other because you know each other in ways nobody else ever will. That can lead to a beautiful, contentious or downright warring relationship. Sarah and Juliette’s relationship is a mixture of all of that and it’s wonderful. The trip is full of tense moments, and pranks and confessions alike.
The chapters set in the past are as good as the ones in the now. It gives an amazing insight into how Sarah became who she is, and how she dealt with the typical and not-so typical teenage stuff. Sarah and her best friend are obsessed with sex, they drink and try drugs, and they are both in love with out-of-reach men. It’s hilarious, cringy, and sad at the same time.
Both storylines take place over only a couple of days and are nicely mirrored that way.
Despite the chaos of the trip (hookups, too much whisky, frostbite) they manage to grow a bit and the last chapter felt like a well-deserved and true-to-style ending.

I found this book refreshing and didn’t want to put it down, so luckily I read this while it was unseasonably warm and too hot to do much else than read.

The door-to-door bookstore / Carsten Henn
What it is: a modern fairytale about book lovers
Did I like it: I loved it

Thank you Reader123, for giving me this item for the reading challenge. I love chapter titles in books and I think it’s not available enough. So, I happily spent my time browsing the TBR for titled chapters. And because I couldn’t find any, I moved my task to the bookshop. And that’s how I got to The door-to-door bookstore. Loving the title and description on the back, I crossed my fingers for chapter titles inside. Success! (Not only are there chapter titles in this book, they are in the form of literary references like Great expectations. Bliss!)

This story is about Carl, who is seventy-two and could have been retired but considers it his calling in life to deliver books. He has done this for a local bookshop he has worked at for years. There is a loyal group of customers and after years of delivering their books to them, Carl knows exactly what they like to read. He knows their likes and dislikes where it comes to reading, and picks their books carefully. He has also given his clients literary nicknames which is awesome. There are Mr. Darcy, Effi Briest, Hercules, and Mrs. Longstocking amongst others. (And if that’s not enough, there is also a cat named Dog.)
Carl has a strict routine and route which is how, one day, Schascha gets to meet him. She lives on the town square Carl crosses every evening at exactly the same time, and one evening she goes out to join him. While Carl does his best to scare her off, she delightfully ignores him and simply comes along on his route. Schascha is nine and curious and chatty. Her child-logic and creativity are something that Carl needs some adjusting to, but eventually picks up on.
With Schascha by his side, Carl becomes a bit more free from his strict routine and learns that there is more to life than his own literary bubble. Schascha is quick to point out that Carl gives his customers the books they want, not what they need, which annoys him massively, especially when he later realizes that she is onto something.

Carl is the hero of this story and like true heroes he isn’t without flaws. Every fairy tale needs a baddie and this story is no exception, although the person is granted an option out. The group of support characters assisting Carl on his way to change is just a delight and, of course, as with every fairy tale, there is a morale and happy end.
I loved every page of this book and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sweet story and/or something about the power of books.