An Irish Doctor in Love and At Sea by Patrick Taylor

I'm ten books into this series, but this one is my favorite in a while. 

While we revisit some of the same old haunts, in this book we get our first real look at the wartime love story of young Dr. Fingal O'Reilly and his nurse Diedre. We learn a lot about why the old doctor sometimes acts the way he does, and also that it may still be possible for personal growth.

There's a lot of the war in this book, and I didn't mind it at all. I always think it's interesting to get a non-American view of the European action, and the HMS Warspite sees some action that keeps the doctor hopping.

In the modern story arc, brother Lars gets a job that seems to be leaning into a fresh angle for future books, and there's a new Donald Donnelly dog scheme (and as they would say, it's a real corker!). Barry spends most of the book lurking darkly about the periphery, stewing about his absent fiance.

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Just a book about a lonely guy and his dog with a brain tumor - a little light reading for your enjoyment!

Actually, it's a fantastic book and not as depressing as I thought it might be. Ted's a guy who loves his dog a whole lot. One day he notices something different about Lily (with whom he has entire 2-way conversations) - there seems to be an octopus on Lily's head. Eventually the "octopus" gets bigger, talks to Ted also, and impairs Lily's quality of life.

So Ted does what any sane guy would do: He goes on an octopus hunt! First he tortures the octopus with a visit to the fishmonger, then he rents a boat and goes on an epic Moby Dick quest for revenge. It can't save Lily, but maybe it will help Ted deal with his inevitable loss.

This novel is actually quite funny, and has moments of magical realism (Can the octopus really talk? Can Lily really talk?) I did cry at the end, but it wasn't the big ugly cry I'd expected - more a sweet sad cry about the end of a true friendship.

A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi-Winget

Suddenly every part of Poppy's life is uncertain: her only relative, her grandmother, had a stroke. And then, when running away from the group home to visit Grandma Beth in the hospital, she gets lost, witnesses a burglary, and is the only one to see the guy's face when he flees.

Poppy makes an impression on the detective called to the scene, and Detective Brannigan goes out of his way to accommodate his star witness until they can apprehend the bad guy. Along the way, she even helps the police in another, unexpected way.

This is a wonderful story about a girl living on the fringes. While there's turmoil and upheaval in the story, the book isn't super scary and the message of friendship comes through strongest. There's an interesting thread about kids' desire to act out in various ways when they've lost control of their life, and it's handled honestly and realistically.

Poppy's a middle schooler, but I think this book could be read younger. It's not too scary, and the conflicts and emotional struggle will be familiar for many kids whose parents have divorced or who have lost a loved one.

The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING, or Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog by Jen Lancaster

Most adult women fall into two classes: those who want to be Martha Stewart, and those who are horrified by that idea. Even Martha's daughter is in on the joke with "Whatever, Martha." But you have to admit that if you want to do something right (fold a fitted sheet, grow roses, organize the pantry, throw a baby shower), Martha's got the checklist and recommendations. So it's not surprising that when Jen Lancaster decided to make changes to run her household more efficiently, she turned to Martha Stewart's counsel.

Insane ill-trained animals, drawers and cupboards shoved full of disorganized crap, and a garden that barely grows even with professional supervision - these are the hallmarks of Lancaster's home. But she's also the chick you want to have cocktails with (or get invited to one of her parties) because she's always got a good story featuring her own ineptitude. I love her books precisely because she's so relatably messed up and funny.

In the course of a year Jen hilariously agrees with Martha, disagrees with Martha, skews very far from the mission and then comes back around again. Life happens in the meantime, and eventually she builds her own Tao of Martha (and Tao of Maisy, Jen's dog) based on determining what's overkill, what's appropriate, what's worth the time and trouble, and what actually makes life "a good thing."

And you'll get to enjoy the journey without spending a whole paycheck at The Container Store or making a gift box from an acorn!

Hyperbole and A Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

Allie Brosh is that wild sort of storyteller whose true tales should make you weep for her struggles but instead make you howl with laughter. And they're accompanied with her distinctive kindergarten-style MS Paint illustrations.

Brosh has a wildly popular blog (hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com) that birthed this book; the publisher says half the book previously appeared on the blog, and half is brand-new material. Whether it's the story about her desperate efforts to eat somebody else's birthday cake as a child, or the challenges of adopting "broken" dogs you won't even mind if you've seen it before - it's worth the reminder.

Perhaps her most inspirational work is about her own mental health challenges. Brosh has been very open and outspoken about her struggles with depression and anxiety, and I think her brave, honest descriptions are an important part of the dialog. Plus, did I mention she's got a hell of a sense of humor?

I follow Brosh's blog, and I was anxiously awaiting this book. I'm delighted that the book holds true to her visual style, and I'm certain she'll attract many, many new fans with its release.

Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

When you live above the funeral home, death is just another day. But despite the family business and the fact she's been to 247 funerals, 10-year-old Comfort Snowberger is about to discover she's not as calloused as she believes.

This is a great, quaint book with excellent life lessons; Wiles has found a way to teach gently without preachiness. The characters are interesting and quirky but still seem real, and you wish you could become part of the caring, close-knit Snowberger family. Except for Peach. You don't want to be related to Peach!

Oh yes, cousin Peach. He's guaranteed to mess everything up. His voice and even his clothes make him the most annoying person in Comfort's whole world. He'll carry on like he's got no manners, and nobody ever bothers to remind him that "We Live to Serve."

I loved, loved, loved this book, and despite 250 pages I read it in a sitting. And yes, I cried.

Love in a nutshell

by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

Evanovich lovers who are looking for a Plum-like twist, move on. Romance lovers, settle in. Kate Appleton's life has pretty much fallen apart. Similarly, so has the family cottage which she now wants to renovate into a B&B. Fortunately, she is able to strong arm the owner of the local brewery into giving her a job, mostly because she blames him for the loss of her old one.
Matt Culhane agrees to her proposal but with the caveat that he really needs her to be the company spy. Someone is sabotaging his business.
It's dripping with sappy sweetness, and that's why I liked it. Kate and Matt find themselves on an adventure that is too chaotic to be believable.

I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship edited by Wade Rouse

The subtitle: "Hilarious, heartwarming tales about man's best friend from America's favorite humorists"

Rouse allowed a whole bunch of writers to tell any kind of dog story they wanted - and the resulting tales are a mixed bag: about dog training, childhood dogs, current dog-mates, puppy-sitting, naming dogs, and much, much more.

Every story is good. Really, I was surprised - there's not a weak link in the chain.  While reading, I found myself flipping back and forth to read each writers's bio before I read their story, to see if they were comedians, novelists, magazine writers - it's a nice mix of names you know and new faces to learn.

What will fat cat sit on?

by Jan Thomas

Fat cat is looking for somewhere to sit. Unfortunately, he looks at each of his friends first. Who will find a reasonable solution before someone gets squished? This book ends with another question about the next thing fat cat is looking to do.

A humorous look at the adventures of a few select animals that every child will know. The illustrations are simple enough to make this a great choice for a toddler story time.

Bad Dog (A Love Story) by Martin Kihn

This is a funny, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat drama that's equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking book about recovery and self-discovery. And dog training.

When his marriage crumbled - mainly due to alcohol and an uncontrollable dog - Kihn joins AA and decides to train his Bernese Mountain Dog, Hola, to be a certified AKC Good Citizen. Individually, either of those pursuits seems unlikely to succeed and piled together they're practically guaranteed to fail. But it's the road to the goal that's ultimately an enlightening process.

The book's well-written, and the levity Kihn introduces certainly lightens what could have been a depressing and dark book. The whole way you're on an emotional rollercoaster: rooting for Hola, despite the sinking suspicion things won't go well. But yet, they could be OK! Or, not.

If you've ever loved a dog, you'll enjoy this book (and especially, if you've known a Berner). And if you've ever taken on a challenge despite the fact you knew you couldn't win, you'll root for Kihn and Hola on their epic adventure.

Too good to be true

by Kristin Higgins

Dumped by her fiance, Grace has enough on her plate. Add to that the fact that he chose her sister as the "better" option, and Grace is not only getting sympathy from the whole family, but also pity. Her solution? Make up a wonderful boyfriend and flaunt the fictitious man at every opportunity. This, of course, snowballs into a series of lies to nearly everyone she knows, including her unbelievably good looking neighbor. Callahan O'Shea just happens to be showing an interest in her as well, when she isn't causing him accidental bodily harm. What will it take to bring out Grace's honesty?

This book kept my attention when the story stayed in the present. Grace flitted back in her memory an awful lot as she worked to show the world that the time spent with her ex felt as though it had happened to a different person. I have to admit, there were times when I skipped a page or two to get to the next scene. However, those up to date scenes were a lot of fun. I will definitely not be giving up on Ms. Higgins anytime soon. Grace and Cal did hold my attention very nicely.

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

This would be a pretty typical private investigator story - girl goes missing, family hires Little Detective Agency to find her, car chases ensue, several plot twists and eventually a happy ending.

But the book is instead made extraordinary by its narrator: Chet, a dog who is half of the Little Detective Agency (his human, Bernie, is the other half). While the story is related as if Chet is telling you the tale, at the same time the reader recognizes we're the only ones who can hear Chet: he's just a regular dog. OK maybe not "regular" - he's K9 trained - but certainly not super-powered or talking or anything.

Chet is a great character, and a great dog. He's as likely as any dog to get distracted by treats or cats or other animal invaders (his downfall, as the K9 final exam demonstrated). He understands some things about the human world, and other things leave him absolutely bewildered.

This is the first book in a new series of "Chet and Bernie Mysteries." I just received an uncorrected reader's proof of the second, "Thereby Hangs a Tail" (release set for January 2010).

I can't wait for more Chet!