Note to Shelf: May 2023

Pat T. exclaims, "Right from the start, there were three reasons I wanted to read Love, Clancy, Diary of a Good Dog: the author, W. Bruce Cameron, the road trip book cover, and the story told from the perspective of a rescued golden retriever named Clancy! For Clancy, it was love at first sniff when he met his new owner JayB. He just knew he had found his forever home...that is until he realized he had to share it with Kelsey, the resident cat who greeted Clancy with her claws extended. JayB decided to move back to his boyhood home of Kansas City and while figuring out his next career move, he offered to help an elderly neighbor by walking her dog. Before long, he was walking a pack of six dogs and was quickly dubbed “the dog walker.” Between the dogs and a cast of colorful characters — some family, a few acquaintances, and a handful of friends, JayB handles all that life can throw at him with level headiness, diligence, and a good dose of humor. Of course, Clancy is always by his side to offer comfort and encouragement. Clancy wants every human to know they should always carry a pocketful of dog treats and visit a dog park to watch in amazement how much fun it is to be a dog. This is an endearing story about the connection between humans and their dogs that makes life joyful. Every animal lover reader will treasure this story!"

Pat S. tells, "A follow up to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, All the Broken Places brings the reader to present-day London where nonagenarian Gretel, enjoying the life of a well-heeled widow, finds herself troubled by the worrying home situation of a neighboring little boy. When weighing her responsibility to help him, she finds herself haunted by a number of events in her dark and hidden past. In a series of flashbacks to postwar Paris and Australia and pre-war Berlin, Gretel struggles with the memories of her own complicity in the sins of her father, a kommandant at an infamous concentration camp. What was her part in the horror of the Holocaust? What were her true beliefs? Where was her courage then and now? All the Broken Places is a powerful illumination of guilt and shame in the human condition."

Mary-Beth asks, "Is your “love tank” running low? Do you want to feel more loved in your relationship? I suggest you read Dr. Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts. This book continues to help millions to improve communication and strengthen love connections in relationships. Chapman shares many examples of couples challenges and how he counseled them to best utilize the knowledge of their love language to get closer and rekindle joy. Take Chapman’s quiz in the book or online to learn your primary love language and that of your partner. Discover how to use your love language to keep both you and your loved one’s love tank filled!