Book #25: 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.

Book #24: Our Lives Have Gone To The Dogs by Audrey Spilker Hagar and Eldad Hagar

"Our Lives Have Gone To The Dogs" is a lovely coffee table book full of uplifting stories about dogs (and other critters) that have been rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed by the book's authors Audrey Spilker Hagar and Eldad Hagar.

Although some of the stories start out sad, describing abandoned or abused animals, the ending is always uplifting. The stories are brief; a synopsis of the time they spent with the animal. The book is full of before and after color photos of the animals that have been in and out of their lives.

The book is self-published, but you would never know it from the quality of it. There are some editing mistakes, but I really enjoyed reading the true voice of the rescuers. I felt like I was sitting down with them and going through photo albums of all of their success stories.

The book is available on their website: www.hopeforpaws.org. It would make a wonderful gift for dog lovers, rescuers, vets or shelter volunteers. The purchase of a book helps to support their cause so even more pets can be rescued and adopted.

Book #23: Flip Flop Fly Ball: An Infographic Baseball Adventure by Craig Robinson

My most recent read is yet another gift from my thoughtful friends @kayakgal and @BlueberryCat. They know what a big baseball fan I am and sent me what I believe is the most unique baseball book ever. "Flip Flop Fly Ball" has relatively little text; it is made up mostly of infographics. It was so much fun to read!

In order to make the whole thing even more interesting, the author, Craig Robinson, is English. He didn't even grow up with baseball! I am amazed how he has taken the Great American Pastime and combined it with American pop culture. If he had not described how he began watching and learning about baseball, I never would have guessed that he wasn't American himself.

This book gave such a fresh perspective on the game of baseball. It compared teams, players, stadiums and uniforms in ways I never thought about. A few of my favorite infographics from the book were: A comparison of players homeruns and their involvement with performance enhancing drugs; outlines of each of the Major League fields (I picked out Fenway with no problem!); Green Monster height comparisons; and Kevin Costner's baseball movies vs. his non-baseball movies.

If you are a fan of the game of baseball you really must take a look at this book. It not only looks at Major League Baseball, but Minor League Baseball, Independent Leagues, Japanese Baseball and even the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

On his website, FlipFlopFlyBall.com, Craig Robinson mentions that Kauffman Stadium is his favorite stadium that he has never visited. I want to offer Mr. Robinson an open invitation to come to Kansas City and visit the K with me (it could even be for a Yankees game). That way I can tell him in person how spot-on he was with his infographic "Ichiro Is Awesome."

Book #22: To The Nines by Janet Evanovich

Here I am, halfway through the Stephanie Plum series and I finally figured out who the bad guy is before the end of the book! Don't worry, I won't give it away, but I'm feeling quite proud of myself.

Janet Evanovich hit the mark once again with "To The Nines". Stephanie is out to find a skip AND the dog he disappeared with. This leads to a trip to Vegas with Connie and Lula. Stephanie thinks she will be safer there since she seems to have a stalker in Trenton. That turns out not to be the case.

In order to keep her safe, Morelli and Ranger take turns as Stephanie's bodyguard. Along the way, a couple of Ranger's Merry Men fall victim to Stephanie's bad luck, but her yellow Escape stays intact throughout the book!

As I always say, you don't have to start at the beginning of the series to enjoy the books, but I highly recommend doing so because they're so good!

Book #21: Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir by Steven Tyler

The title of this book is quite accurate. "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" by Steven Tyler, lead singer of the iconic American rock band Aerosmith, clearly displays what is going on in his head.When you read this memoir, you'd better buckle up, because this is not a gentle journey!

Having been an Aerosmith fan for many years, I couldn't wait to read Steven Tyler's book. I read the band's autobiography "Walk This Way" when it first came out, but not to worry, this is certainly not a rehashing of the stories in the previous book. This is very clearly a book about the author, not Aerosmith. Of course, Steven Tyler IS Aerosmith, so the band is discussed, but only as far as he is related to it.

It starts out with his childhood in Sunapee, New Hampshire and works through his different bands, relationships, drug addictions and songs he has created. It's fascinating to read how he writes a song. It is beyond anything I can really grasp because he seems to think musically, live musically. It's like songs are all around him and he's made up of music.

He discusses his feelings toward the rest of the band, stating that they point fingers at him for his behavior when they engage in the same behavior. It looks like a love-hate relationship, that neither side can live without. They're so good together, making music and performing, but off-stage they cut each other down.

The part that touched me the most was his love for his mother. She passed away 3 years ago and his recollection of that time is both heart-wrenching and beautiful. I almost get the sense that she was his one true love.

If you are a fan of rock music in general or Aerosmith in particular, this is a book you need to read. It's not a linear read by any means, but once you get used to the way Steven Tyler thinks (there really is a lot of noise in his head!) it's a fun ride.

Book #20: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun

"The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" is the first book in the lengthy series by recently deceased author Lilian Jackson Braun. First published in 1966, this book kicked off a series of 29 books featuring newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran.

In this first book, Koko the Siamese cat (who can read newspaper headlines backwards) does not actually belong to Qwilleran, but belongs to his landlord and art critic at the Daily Fluxion, George Bonifield Mountclemens. Qwilleran also works at the Daily Fluxion but he is in the Features Department, writing feel-good pieces on the artists that Mountclemens has offended with his harsh criticisms.

Qwilleran is used to writing more serious articles, at one time working as a police reporter. When a local art gallery is the scene for a brutal murder, Qwilleran's old instincts kick in and he begins to ask questions, trying to figure out who might have committed the crime. When two more deaths occur, Qwilleran develops new theories and is even assisted by Koko, who leads him to clues.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book is the fact that it was written in the 60s. There are no cell phones or computers. If someone wants to make a phone call, they must track down a telephone. Articles are typed on manual typewriters, not emailed or dropboxed in. Qwilleran notes at one point when visiting a local wealthy artist how his house is "wired to do all kinds of tricks" such as having electronic gates and an intercom at the driveway.

There are lots of potential suspects in this book. Artists who are angry with the local critic along with the galleries and museum in town that connect them all make for a labyrinth of possible scenarios. I developed my own theories along the way, but never considered the way in which it actually turned out.

"The Cat Who Could Read Backwards" is a fun mystery that I would recommend to fans of cozy mysteries. If you have read the series, I would love to know what you thought of the books and whether the series should be read in order or if you can skip around.

Book #19: The Meowmorphosis by Franz Kafka & Coleridge Cook

"The Meowmorphosis" is a mash-up by Quirk Classics based on "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. Coleridge Cook (a pseudonym used by a fantasy author) puts his twist on the classic dark novella. Instead of Gregor Samsa, salesman, waking up as a cockroach as in the original, he wakes up as a kitten. The book is essentially the same as the Kafka story, but with a section in the middle that seems to include a twist on another Kafka work (unfinished at the time of his death), "The Trial".
As much as I enjoyed the original work, I had hoped that this new mash-up would have a bit more of a change to it. Instead, it was pretty much the same story with "kitten" replacing "cockroach". I must say, though, the "biography" and Discussion Questions at the end are quite humorous and certainly worth reading!

This is a dark, rambling work that not all readers will appreciate. I'm not sure that I would recommend it if you aren't already familiar with Kafka. Then again, if you're familiar with Kafka, I don't know that it needs to be read.