A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber

Goodreads Summary:

Lydia Hoffman owns the shop on Blossom Street. In the year since it opened, A Good Yarn has thrived-and so has Lydia. A lot of that is due to Brad Goetz. But when Brad's ex-wife reappears, Lydia is suddenly afraid to trust her new found happiness.Three women join Lydia's newest class. Elise Beaumont, retired and bitterly divorced, learns that her onetime husband is reentering her life. Bethanne Hamlin is facing the fallout from a much more recent divorce. And Courtney Pulanski is a depressed and overweight teenager, whose grandmother's idea of helping her is to drag her to seniors' swim sessions-and to the knitting class at A Good Yarn.

My Thoughts:

I would say that I mostly enjoyed this book but it isn't anywhere near as good as The Friday Night Knitting Club which is in the same vein. The book was cheerful and sweet and a nice easy read that didn't demand anything from me.

But then, it didn't demand anything from me, including my full attention. I admit that I got distracted more than once while trying to get through this read. This isn't to say that the characters weren't likable but I just never got to the point of feeling fully invested in these people. 

I have not read the first book in this series so I think that has made a difference for me since I never grew an attachment to Lydia so I kind of didn't care what happened to her. Also, I am tired of cliched female characters and why does the fat one always loose weight in order to truly like herself? Can't fat girls love themselves? The answer is yes. I love myself and I am a fat girl. I just think it perpetuates this societal norm that fat is ugly and worthless. I just don't accept that idea.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy chick lit. I would say there are better options out there but this is just fine for a rainy weekend.

While writing this review I was listening to my neighbor's pugs going wild running all over the place and barking at god knows what. How can such little dogs make so much noise? The husband and I call it the daily round of "Pug Wild." My bestie thinks I should call them Thunder Pugs are Go! Either way those little shits make a lot of weird noise.

Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout

***I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy, this in no way impacts the review I give this book***

Goodreads Summary:

When Dr. Cyrus Mills returned home after inheriting his estranged father's veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the last thing he wanted was to stay in Eden Falls, Vermont, a moment longer than absolutely necessary. However, the previously reclusive veterinarian pathologist quickly found that he actually enjoyed treating animals and getting to know the eccentric residents of the tiny provincial town-especially an alluring waitress named Amy.

So Cyrus is now determined to make Bedside Manor thrive. Not an easy goal, given that Healthy Paws, the national veterinary chain across town, will stop at nothing to crush its mom-and-pop competitor. And the rival vet practice isn't Cyrus's only competition; a handsome stranger shows up out of nowhere who clearly has a mysterious past with Amy. To top it off, Cyrus finds himself both the guardian of a very unique orphaned dog and smack in the middle of serious small town drama.

This charming sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a wild and delightful ride through one jam- packed week, where Cyrus must figure out how to outsmart the evil veterinary conglomerate, win back Amy's heart, solve several tricky veterinary cases, find a home for an orphaned dog, and detangle himself from an absurd case of mistaken identity. DOG GONE, BACK SOON brims with Nick Trout's trademark humor, charm, and captivating animal stories, and is proof that all dogs, lost or not, on four feet or two, deserve a second chance.

My Thoughts:

I did not read the first book in this series. I will be looking for it from the library or amazon as soon as I finish this review. I did not feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first book about Dr. Cyrus Mills. I got enough background information throughout the read that I never felt left out of the story. Additionally, I wasn't hit over the head with it all at the beginning like normal series books.

I liked this read quite a bit. I loved the way the story naturally unfolded and I liked that it was told from the male perspective. Sometimes it seems like only female narratives can capture quirky and relate-able characters. I liked that this book referenced pop culture via movie quotes and each character had a distinct voice and personality within a cohesive story. Cyrus is likable even though he is a bit awkward and weird. From the first chapter you can relate with Cyrus and you want him to figure things out. Cyrus likes puzzles in his medical practice but it was nice that this book showed how hard it is for vets to figure out diagnoses and sometimes they are wrong.

Also, I love factoids about animals and when someone can accurately describe pets and their owners. I giggled more than once while reading this book, and as a bonus these giggles happened when Nick Trout intended with his writing. You can tell that Nick Trout is a vet, but we won't hold that against him in this case. He might be one of the rare vets that seems to like people and animals equally and therefore has figured out how to capture both on the page.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read that makes you feel good.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Castle and my husband making soup.

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

Goodreads Summary:

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

My Thoughts:

I wanted to love this book when I heard that it was JK Rowling releasing a non fantasy book. As it turns out, I only half liked it. It was a bit slow for my liking and the characters didn't give me a reason to like them. I found that this book was a perfect example of why I am always a little freaked out by small towns and I will never willingly live in one if I can help it. The back stabbing and constant calculations were exhausting to me. Not only is this a picture of local official politics but it is also a picture of social politics. JK points out how much people suck and how evil we are to one another, she does this quiet well. In that respect the book is excellent, I really hated most people by the end of this book. 

The character development was good, I just didn't like any of them. I did like that the first part of the book tied into the ending of the book but they were both really depressing. I have to wonder if anyone who lives in small towns is at all happy or normal. Do any of these people have anything to enjoy or look forward to?

The writing was what we have come to expect from JK Rowling but I just didn't love the story. 

I would recommend this book to the curious JK fan but beyond that I would only recommend this if you like unlikable characters and sad situations.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Lost Girl.