Who Ever Heard of a Horse in the House?: Jacqueline Tresl

"Who ever heard of a Horse in the House?

"That's a question Jackie and Mark Tresl could answer. They've lived with Misha, a full-grown American Quarter Horse mare, for the last thirteen years.

"As a five-month-old filly, Misha suffered from pneumonia and malnutrition when the Tresls adopted her. Fearing that the cold Ohio winter would be deadly for the little horse, Jackie brought the foal inside the house and made a bed for her by the woodstove. Gradually, winter wore on and Misha grew stronger. She also grew more and more attached to Jackie and household living.

"Now, at nearly fourteen years old, Misha enjoys her own porch with a swinging door that enables her to help out in the kitchen, watch television in the living room, and slurp water from the bathtub. She is also fully housetrained. Her unconventional lifestyle and diet (spaghetti is one of her favorite foods) has prompted criticism from acquaintences, but Misha is a happy and healthy horse, defying those who believe her life is anything but perfect.

"Jackie Tresl's story of her life with a house-horse demonstrates that horses are just as capable and deserving of the capable and deserving of the emotional bond we share with our other animal companions."

I work in a library and I've shelved this book several times. Finally, I decided to pick it up and read it. Now, I'm not normally one for this type of book as anyone who has ever read any of my other blog posts will realize... However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

It was unbelievably cute and the stories that Tresl had were so sweet and touching. From one animal-lover to the next, I believe that her story is one of undeniable love for our animal bretheren. The Tresl family is a strong one and I don't know how many people could keep a house-horse and show as much unconditional love as they did for Misha. I recommend this book for anyone who loves horses or animals in general!

Surrender: Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz)

“From the dazzling ballrooms of glittering London society to a magnificent, cursed estate in the distant wilds of Yorkshire, comes the deliciously wicked story of a thoroughly unconventional courtship—and a thrilling midnight rendezvous that could only lead to love….

“At four and twenty Victoria Hintington thought herself quite adept at fending off fortune hunters…until she came under siege from Lucas Colebrook, the darkly disturbing new Earl of Stonevale. Amidst the brightly plumed birds of the ton, Lucas was a hawk. And when he held out the lure of moonlight rides and wild, reckless midnight escapades, Victoria found herself powerless to resist.

“But becoming Stonevale’s companion in adventure was more dangerous that Victoria could ever imagine. For the attractive earl would use her ever weakness to woo her, to win her, and ultimately to wed her. And soon the amber-eyed lady would find herself ensconced in a crumbling mansion deep in the English countryside…where the real reason for her hasty marriage becomes all too apparent…and where the ghosts of her dark-stained past are waiting to rise up in a terrifying plot that will threaten her life, her honor, and the only man she could ever love.”

Sorry that it’s taken me forever to review this book… Anyway, this is another wonderful book by Amanda Quick. The characters are fun and the plot was interesting. I really enjoy her quick-witted writing style and how her characters have such strong personalities. The fact that she’s not afraid to make her male characters somewhat flawed means that she has confidence in her writing abilities and is not afraid to step out of the box for romance writing. I can really admire that.

Of course, I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more.

Dream Chaser (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Twenty-four): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“HADES DOESN’T OFTEN GIVE SECOND CHANCES…

“Xypher has one month on Earth to redeem himself through one good deed, or be condemned to eternal torture in Tartarus. But redemption means little to a demigod who only wants vengeance on the one who caused his downfall.

“UNTIL ONE DAY IN A CEMETERY…

“Simone Dubois is a medical examiner with a real knack for the job. Those who are wrongfully killed appear to her and help her find the evidence the police need to convict their killers. But when a man appears and tells her that she;d more than just a psychic, she’d convinced he’s insane.

“NOW THE FATE OF THE WORLD HANDS IN HER HANDS…

“It was bad enough when just the dead relied on her. Now there’s the seductive Dream-Hunter Xypher who needs Simone’s help in opening a portal to the Atlantean hell realm to fight insatiable demons. The future of mankind is at stake—and so is her life. The only question now is: Who is the bigger threat? The demons out to kill her? Or the man who had left her forever changed?”

***Technically, you’re supposed to read the Dark-Hunter Companion before you read this book, but I’m about half-way through the Companion and picked this up and just COULD NOT put it down long enough to go back to the other book. Sorry for my weakness!***

Readers are initially introduced to Xypher in an earlier book with Katra and Sin titled Devil May Cry. It’s difficult to care for a man (or should I say, god?) with such an acerbic personality and grim outlook, but even then I was able to tell that there really was more to Xypher than Sherrilyn Kenyon was letting on. Obviously, I couldn’t wait to read more. When I got this book and saw that its hero was in fact Xypher, I was so excited! The more I read, the more I fell for the battered man. It was really difficult not to, seeing as how he’d been so wrongfully tortured.

Xypher is truly the epitome of a beaten being—as are most of Kenyon’s characters—but Xypher was made even more interesting by the fact that he is a Dream-Hunter. It was nice to see the world from the eyes of a Dream-Hunter once more. I’ve only read another book and a short-story by Kenyon that were from this p.o.v. and it was really great to see again. However, I will say that I miss the Dark-Hunters a little…

Anyway, this story was full of really GREAT twists and turns and I look forward to reading more, as always!!!

P.S. I Love You: Cecelia Ahern

"Holly and Gerry are the kind of perfectly happy married couple that others envy. Then, at the age of thirty, Gerry is diagnosed with a terrible illness. Months after Gerry's death, Holly receives a package of letters that he's left for her, instructing her to perform a series of unexpected tasks. With the help of the letters--and her fun, quick-witted girlfriends abd a raucously endearing family that smothers, loves, and drives her crazy--Holly wobbles, weaves, and jokes her way toward a new life, even larger than the one that she's been forced to leave behind."

I've noticed a trend in my past several reviews. They're all books that have been made into movies!

Anyhow, I saw the last twenty minutes of this movie about a year or two ago (I know...that's cheating...but my aunt and uncle were watching the movie and I was only there to catch the end...still made me sob uncontrollably...) Seeing the movie really made me want to read the book, but I just now actually made the time to get my hands on it and read it. Though the ending was somewhat different from what I remember the movie to be, I loved the book none-the-less.

The characters were fanastic and the story was so unique. It's so difficult not to fall for Gerry and feel for Holly. This book truly shows what love can do. It can overcome death and cripple you, but it can also help you heal from even the keenest of losses. This book is about moving on after lost love and learning to live life to its fullest once you are on your own. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in true love; anyone who's lost someone they held dear in their lives; or someone who needs to get back in touch with what makes life worth living.

I loved this book and will read more from this author in the future.

The Time Traveler's Wife: Audrey Niffenegger

"A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love."

I actually finished this book a few weeks ago...I know...I know...I'm really slacking in my reviews. But, anyway, I LOVED this book! Initially, I only read this book because I saw a commercial for the movie that was based off of it. I wanted to see the movie, but had several weeks to wait for it. I ordered the book and began reading it immediately.

I was very quickly sucked into Niffenegger's unique writing style and her amazing characters. Henry was so easy to love--despite his many faults--and Clare was an easy heroine to feel for. (However, in the movie adaptation, she is made out to be a real bitch, but she's really not that bad. That's another story...)

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with the personalities. I cursed fate right along with Clare and Henry. This book is right up there with some of my favorites.

Marley & Me: John Grogan

“John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

“Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women’s undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, “Don’t hesitate to use these.”

“And yet Marley’s heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple’s joy at their first pregnancy and their first heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

“Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.”

When the movie “Marley & Me” came out, all I can remember thinking is “That looks really cute, but where there’s a dog, it’s gotta die.” I tend to cry in emotional movies and thought that a movie about a dog that you get to love right before it dies was just not for me. Then, I noticed the book at the library where I work. For months, I avoided it. Then, with nothing better to do, I finally picked it up.

I fell in love.

This book is so not what I usually read, but I enjoyed it all the same. The writing style kept me reading. I couldn’t put the book down. John Grogan has such a way of describing things that you can’t help but imagine what it would be like to live through them.

I cracked up and laughed aloud; I cried—actually sobbed. I felt so much for the Grogans and felt like I was there with them every step of the way in their crazy, wonderful lives with Marley the bad-mannered dog. It made me feel so much.

I think that it was made all the more touching because I, myself, have an elderly dog. I’ve had him since my sixth birthday and he’s nearly thirteen-and-a-half. That’s getting up there even for a Maltese. He’s going through a lot of what Marley went through at the end and it just kills me. He—like Marley was to the Grogans—is the love of my life. Though he may drive me nutty and I may yell at him sometimes, I care for him with all of my heart. Cappy (short for Cappuccino) may not be “the world’s worst dog” but he is something special.

This book really made me see things differently. It made me realize the finiteness of life and how I really do need to embrace it. Our pets are beautiful, living, breathing creatures and—though they may sometimes make our lives hell—they love us unconditionally in our own ways. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals—who has ever loved and lost—and even for someone who has yet to know the complete adoration of a pet. This may just change their mind. (Oh, and now I fully intend on seeing the movie that is based off of this fantastic book!)

Seduction: Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz)

“Townsfolk called him devil. For dark and enigmatic Julian, Earl of Ravenwood, was a man with a legendary temper and a first wife whose mysterious death would not be forgotten. Some said the beautiful Lady Ravenwood had drowned herself in the black, murky waters of Ravenwood Pond. Others whispered of foul play and the devil’s wrath.

“Now country-bred Sophy Dorring is about to become Ravenwood’s new bride. Drawn to his masculine strength and the glitter of desire that burned in his emerald eyes, the tawny-haired lass had her own reasons for agreeing to a marriage of convenience. One was vengeance, and in its pursuit she would entangle Julian in a blackmail plot, a duel ay dawn, and a dangerous masquerade. The other reason was dearer to her heart, but just as wild a quest: Sophy Dorring intended to teach the devil to love again.”

(Yay for book 130!) So, this is the first book by Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) that I’ve read and reviewed. I have to admit that her writing lived up to my expectations of an author of her caliber.

Quick’s characters were fun and interesting. Her plot was simple, easy to follow, yet it kept me very interested. At first, I thought to myself, “Just another angst-filled, bitter, back-stabbed husband…” but I was quickly proved wrong. Julian was a wonderful male lead who showed characters that the book’s “hero” doesn’t always have to be perfect. (This vaguely reminded me of Elizabeth Hoyt, though not quite to the same extent.) I must say that I would definitely recommend Amanda Quick for someone willing to put the time into truly appreciating her writing.