The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly

Penelope Thornton-McClure finally felt like she was getting somewhere in her life. She had moved back to live with her aunt and help her run the mystery bookstore. She has also lined up an author who would hopefully bring in profit. Penelope had no idea that he would drop dead in the same spot as a P.I. had done years before. How did she know this? The ghost of the P.I resides in the bookshop. He is unable to leave the place. Pen wonders if she is imagining it all or is he really there?

Alice Kimberly is a fantabulous writer! I was pulled into the story immediately. The characters were not out of the ordinary but yet I felt like I was among friends. The setting was real and I truly felt for the characters. It was not an easy thing to do but Penelope was really trying! I applauded her so much. The scenes were real and I could not get over the fact at how it all played out. I had an idea of who was behind the whole scheme but when revealed it all seemed to fit really well. There was nothing that didn’t seem plausible to me.

Penelope really thinks she has lost her mind. She has never talked to ghosts before but this is certainly a new experience. She has to figure out how she is going to deal with this and if she will accept this into her life. The ghost is a wonderful man. He wants to help her and only hopes she will see that the advice he can give her can truly help her. I loved her aunt Sadie. She was a great woman. Sadie had her head on straight and could tell Pen things that no one else could.

A haunted bookstore was a concept to me that didn’t seem so far-fetched. I love bookstores since I have worked in one. I could not put this book down. It pulled me in from the beginning and I cannot wait to read more in this series!!! I am on pins and needles to see what will happen next!

261 pages/New Author/ Alice Kimberly/ Cozy Mystery/ 5 out of 5

This was a wonderful quick read that I lost myself in! I hope to read the next one soon!

Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote

The friendship that man and dog share has always been wondered about. We only know so much. Mr. Kerasote explores this in his book, Merle’s Door. He not only talks about what he gets from his dog but the evidence that backs it up. It is really interesting since I have always thought about having a dog. This book has confirmed it for me. It is truly an emotional book but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is amazing how they were even able to find each other in the first place. I loved reading about the journeys that they took together. They had a full life of good and bad experiences.

Mr. Kerasote really gets to the heart of the matter and shows how the relationship is different than most. They learn how to talk to one another and communicate. It takes some time but they also learn how to just be with each other. Their time line for their day is not always the same but they seem to figure out how to deal with things. Mr. Kerasote always lets Merle know that he will come back. It is like working with a child almost but at the same time they truly respect each other. All the research that was presented in this book made me think about my views of dogs. They really do become part of the family.

There were places that were not easy to read when it came to thinking about Merle’s life before he met Mr. Kerasote as well as a few other things but do not want to give anything away. This was a true heart felt book that I really enjoyed! I highly recommend it for all you animal lovers. It is a great book that shows you a different way of looking at things. Merle was quite the dog and I enjoyed reading about his experiences with bison, coyotes, and other animals he met along the way!
416 pages/ Ted Kerasote/New Author/ Chunkster/Non-fiction/ 5 out of 5

This was a great book! I am definitely interested in reading more by this author. Off to read The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly.