Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron. I've had this book in my possession in one format or another since it was first published in 2008.

I am thrilled I finally listened to Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron as it's really good. I love nonfiction books about animals, libraries, and small mid-western towns, especially small towns in Iowa! So, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World fits the bill in spades for all three categories.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World not only tells the story of Dewey's humble beginnings and his life after arriving at the Spencer Public Library, but the book also talks about the history of Spencer, Iowa as well. Plus, we learn about some of the patrons of the Spencer Public Library, some of the employees of the Spencer Public Library, and about Vicki Myron's life as well. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World is well written and organized. I loved this book!!

Below is the publisher's summary for Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron from Chirp's website:

Experience the uplifting, “unforgettable” New York Times bestseller about an abandoned kitten named Dewey, whose life in a library won over a farming town and the world – with over 2 million copies sold! (Booklist)

Dewey’s story starts in the worst possible way. On the coldest night of the year in Spencer, Iowa, at only a few weeks old–a critical age for kittens–he was stuffed into the return book slot of the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming community slowly working its way back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

I am giving Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Drawn to Freedom!!!

 

Happy National Library Week - April 6 - 12, 2025!

 

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

I found the above definition of National Library Week.

New to Me Little Free Library in Fremont, California!!

 

On Friday, April 4, 2025, my hubby and I visited the Mission in Fremont, California. We loved visiting the Mission in Fremont, which is ironically called San Jose. They'd remodeled the Mission since our last visit there in 2015.

After visiting the Mission, we discovered this cute Little Free Library, which is located outside the Museum of Local History and is near the Mission. We didn't go inside the Museum of Local History. Maybe next time.

The Little Free Library also happened to be located across the street from the Joyful Dim Sum restaurant where we had lunch! It was our first time eating at Joyful Dim Sum and the dim sum was delicious.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Secret Agent Granny Cozy Mystery Series - Books 1-3 Mini Review

I enjoy reading cozy mystery novels every now and again. 

Recently, I'd finished reading a few nonfiction books and decided I needed a change of pace. Cozy, mystery novels make for fun, light reading. So, I listened to the first three cozy mystery novels in the 'Secret Agent Granny' cozy mystery series by Harper Lin. Harper Lin is not a new to me author. I've enjoyed a couple of her previous books and reviewed them here on my blog. 

I'm glad I decided to give the first three novels in the 'Secret Agent Granny' a try as they were a delight to read. I listened to the unabridged audio versions of Granny's Got a Gun, Granny Undercover, and Granny Strikes Back. All three novels are short, quick fun reads. I enjoyed the writing, the humor, the characters, and the storyline. I especially loved the main character, Barbara Gold, who is a 70 year old retired CIA agent and is feisty as heck. Barbara is a widow and she lives in a small town to be closer to her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Barbara is trying to stave off boredom and in the process stumbles upon crimes that need to be solved.

If you're into fun, light, cozy mystery reads, then the 'Secret Agent Granny' cozy mystery series may be for you. As of this writing, there are 11 books in the series. I haven't decided quite yet if I will continue with the series or not as I have so many books in my 'tbr' pile as it is right now.

I am giving all three novels a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Throwback Thursday - Historical Fiction Novels I Enjoyed Reading!!

I am a lover of historical fiction novels!! I'm hoping you are too!! If so, please feel free to peruse the list of 31 novels I've read and reviewed here on my blog over the years. I've really liked or loved each of the following books listed below novels. Each of the below books have been books I've rated with either a 4 star review or higher. 

1. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

2. I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith

3. Murder As Fine Art by David Morrell

4. Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

5. The Taster by V. S. Alexander

6. Romanov by Nadine Brandes

7. The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama

8. Euphoria by Lily King

9. Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

10. The Ruby In The Smoke by Philip Pullman

11. The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull

12. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

13. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: A Novel of War and Survival by Louise Murphy

14. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

15. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

16. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

17. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

18. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

19. The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian

20. Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

21. Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole

22. Aphrodite's Island by Hilary Green

23. Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters

24. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

25. The Whisky Sea by Ann Howard Creel

26. The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

27. News of the World by Paulette Jiles

28. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

29. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

30. The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

31. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Have you read any of the historical fiction novels I've listed above? If so, please let me know what you thought of the novel(s) in the comment section below. Also, please, share some historical fiction favorites you've enjoyed reading over the years as well. I'm always on the lookout for my next great read!

Earthbound by Richard Matheson

 

I have read and reviewed four previous works written by Richard Matheson here on my book blog. I've enjoyed the four previous books I've read by Richard Matheson. I eagerly looked forward to reading more books written by Richard Matheson.

I decided on listening to the unabridged audio version of Earthbound by Richard Matheson and narrated by Bronson Pinchot as it had been on sale through Chirp Audiobooks website. Earthbound's plot/storyline sounded intriguing enough to warrant my interest, BUT I found Earthbound to be the BIGGEST FLOP ever!! 

In hindsight, I wished I had DNF'd Earthbound after the first couple of chapters. However, I kept reading Earthbound because I'd enjoyed reading Richard Matheson's other books and figured that Earthbound had to get better. Earthbound did pick up and grow somewhat better the second half of the novel, but not enough to warrant a higher rating.

Earthbound is billed as an erotic, ghost story. The plot centers around a married couple taking a second honeymoon in an attempt to rejuvenate their failing marriage. Things fail fast from the very beginning in every way possible. The writing is so painfully, slow and boring. The storyline is repetitious in parts. I found the couple's interactions unrealistic... neither one of them speaks their mind or communicates very well with each other and the husband, David, is quick to anger over stupid stuff. The last half of Earthbound does pick up and grows a tad more interesting when the ghost begins to inhabit Ellen's (David's wife) body, but overall Earthbound is a major dud. Spare yourself!! Skip reading Earthbound.

Below is the publisher's summary for Earthbound, which I discovered on Amazon's website:

A ghost story from the celebrated author of Hell House and I Am Legend, featuring a succubus homewrecker preying upon a troubled marriage.

In 1982, before Matheson had fully achieved the cult-and-grandmaster status that he has today, Playboy Press published a version of his erotic ghost story that was so severely edited that Matheson took his name off the book and instead published it under the name Logan Swanson.

In this restored version of the original manuscript, David and Ellen Cooper’s twenty-one-year-old marriage is nearing the rocks, so they decide to leave Los Angeles for a honeymoon and go to Long Island. Soon after they arrive at their beach cottage, a strange woman, Marianna, appears to David, and he is immediately entranced.

Matheson adeptly explores David’s growing fear and guilt, which becomes intensified after he and Marianna make love in a secret room in the house. Although Marianna is portrayed as an “earthbound spirit” (a ghost who rejects the afterlife, appears real to all senses, believes she is alive, and through psychic attack, sucks life from the living) she’s really more or less a succubus, gussied up in Casper the friendly ghost clothing. With each graphically detailed sexual rendezvous, Marianna pushes David to deeper levels of obsession, loss of will and irrationality. The story reaches an even higher pitch as the evil ghost begins to threaten Ellen, injecting some excellent suspense into unabashed pathos and outright titillation.

I am giving Earthbound by Richard Matheson a rating of 1 star out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books You’d be a Fool Not to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This was a tough list to comprise for me!! Do I pick audiobooks? Do I select nonfiction or nonfiction books? Do I chose from a specific genre? So many choices to choose from when considering which books to add to this week's Top Ten Tuesday post.

I chose to go with fiction novels and no specific genre chosen for the following list of books. I absolutely loved the following novels and wouldn't hesitate recommending them to others. All of these novels are well written and most of them provide thought provoking characters and content. 

Click on the links to read my review of each novel.

1. All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
2. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
3. The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel
4. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
5. The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

6. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

7. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
8. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

9. Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

10. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

I'm curious, have you read any of the novels I've listed in this week's Top Ten Tuesday post?