Hi. How is everyone doing? We are having mild weather here this week, and it feels a bit like spring but that could change next week. Still March is just around the corner, yay. Are you ready for spring?
It turns out my husband and I are planning a road trip at the beginning of April to visit my parents and stay in Southern California for a few weeks. We have never driven there from Canada and plan to bring our dogs and take four or five days, stopping for sights and walks along the route. It’s going to be a humdinger of a trip, lol. Have you ever taken a long road trip and where did you go?
Meanwhile, I saw a neat article in The Washington Post today about the return of an author who wrote a peculiar and captivating tale in 1997 called Lives of the Monster Dogs, which was sort of a cult hit back then about a colony of talking canines trying to find their place in the world. Now after 27 years, the author Kirsten Bakis has finally written her second novel called King Nyx (due out Feb. 27). It’s not about the Monster Dogs this time but is a feminist gothic tale set in 1918 about a paranormal researcher. I’ll have to add it to my list as I’m glad the author is back.
It reminds me though — back in the 1990s, I wasn’t reading a lot of novels because I was working full-time in D.C., doing grad school, playing tennis, and having a social life too, lol, but Lives of the Monster Dogs was sent to me by my Canadian boyfriend at the time — now my husband — and I read and loved it. The particulars of it are now murky, so a reread is soon in order. I still have my original copy, pictured above, despite two moves and twenty-five years later. Ha, funny how things go. Have you read it?
And now I’ll leave you with a couple reviews of what I finished lately.
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spenser-Ash / Celadon Books /368 pgs /2023
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this debut novel about 11-year-old girl Beatrix who is sent by her parents to live with a volunteer family in America after the Germans begin bombing London in 1940. The parents are conflicted about sending their daughter but feel it would be safer. Meanwhile the Gregorys, who live in Boston and have two boys (ages 9 and 13), welcome Beatrix into their family and really take a shine to her, especially when they get to their summer place on an island in Maine.
As the years go by during the war, “Bea” comes to feel more at home with this family than with her own parents and their spare life in London. The novel alternates short chapters among the various characters including: Bea, her parents in London, the parents in America, and their sons William and Gerald, which gives a variety of interesting perspectives.
I found it really drew me into their world and I especially liked the first half of the book when Bea and the boys are teens and the Gregorys are loving their summers in Maine on the island: swimming, boating, and hiking in the woods. It felt so carefree and fun before America joined the war and they become more involved. The two boys become quite close to Bea.
But then when the war ends and Bea has to leave to return to her parents, things become harder for them all. Their ties with one another become less as the years go by and the kids start careers but is still formative to them all. Years later, they become in touch again after a loss … with visits in America and the UK and their ties develop anew.
I found this poignant story well written and well done and I got caught up in their lives which felt quite real. I didn’t realize there was a program during WWII where parents sent their kids abroad for safety reasons. I’ve read other novels where parents in London sent their kids to the country in the UK during the Blitz, but this abroad premise opened another facet to that circumstance. I found it an accomplished debut and a touching family story.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain / 270 pages / 1876
What can you say about Tom Sawyer? He’s mischievous and imaginative — a cunning orphan boy (around age 12) who often gets himself into trouble and then by some miracle comes out on top looking good. He’s a regular brighter Dennis the Menace of the 1840s … in small-town Missouri along the Mississippi River. I thought the tale of his adventures, which I listened to on audio, was fun and I laughed at times as Tom goes about his ways, turning boring days into adventures.
He makes white washing the fence look enjoyable, falls for classmate Becky Thatcher, and runs away and plays pirates with his buddy the vagrant Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper to a nearby island. But later when they’re missing for days and the town thinks they’re dead, they come out awashed with love when they reappear at their own funeral.
Tom and Huck also come up against Injun Joe and witness the crime he committed in the graveyard, with Tom later testifying in court. Later they go in search of buried treasure … and Tom and Becky get lost in a cave for a few days. It’s scary then and Tom cuts it a bit close in that misadventure with Becky falling weak.
On the whole, the tale is good fun and draws interest for being written in 1876 … of how town life and boys were back then, often like boys are now. Twain was already well on his way with this his first solo novel. His writing and language are often a marvel.
I revisited this classic tale because author Percival Everett is coming out with the novel James in March with reimagines Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, which I hope to get to as well as the original.
That’s all for now. What about you — have you read these and what did you think?
You wouldn’t know that spring is around the corner by how the temperatures feel here, but your picture looks so pretty… Never heard of The Lives of the Monster Dogs though it must be quirky, judging by the cover art. In the 90s I was beginning to read in English, if only for school homework. Most of the books I read for pleasure were in Spanish though. Beyond that… sounds like a different perspective on the WW stories that have become so prevalent yet indistinguishable one from the other. It makes me wonder that if everyone was in the Resistance why did the war last as long as it did! 😮 Tom Sawyer was my hero growing up… He certainly knew how to make an entrance, or get in hot water! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it so.
Hi Carmen, do you only read in English now or do you still read some books in Spanish? It’s neat to think you have dual possibilities and can read Spanish authors abroad in their native tongues. Who is your favorite Spanish writer?
Monster Dogs was quirky … a gothic tale of a pack of dogs able to talk, lol. Beyond That was pretty enjoyable but the font was a bit small in the book and it took me awhile. I’m glad you liked Tom Sawyer. I need to get to Huck Finn soon. Twain knew what he was doing. Have a great week.
I only read in English now, maybe a book or two in Spanish from time to time. I don’t think I have a favorite Hispanic author; at one time or another Paulo Coelho and Garcia Marquez were favorites, though it’s been a while since that. If I had to choose one right now I’d go for Benjamin Labatut. I’ve only read his latest and it was in English, but I want to explore more of his work. Ah, and Jorge Luis Borges.
Yes I remember you writing a great review of Labatut’s book. And I got on the wait list for it at the library. I have not read this author but he seems like quite a brain. I’m impressed with your English … and that you read now mostly only in English. That’s amazing.
Thanks! 😉
Hi Susan, I did read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn when I was young and maybe it’s time for a reread because neither book grabbed me and I subsequently never gave Mark Twain another chance. And so maybe this year a reread of Tom Sawyer or a collection of short stories by Twain.
Have a great time in California and I hope the rain stops
Hi Kathy, thanks. Luckily we have some time before we start out on the trip in April. I think it’ll be nice by then? Cross fingers.
I hope to get to the Adventures of Huck Finn soon. I think it’s good to try Twain again. I don’t have much recollection of his tales as a youngster, but they are a bit fun now. Have a great week.
How nice that you guys will get to take that long road trip to California! Lots of beautiful places to see in between. Enjoy! I had been aware of ‘Beyond That, The Sea’, but I haven’t read it as yet. Think I saw it at the library and thought about checking it out. Great to hear your thoughts. I’ll see if I can pick it up in the next few weeks because I’d like to read it. And, yes, I am so ready for spring. We’re hoping for a lovely wildflower season this year as we’ve had a bit more rain than usual.
Hi Kay, thanks the road trip should be something. Usually I just like to fly!
I hope you like Beyond That … it’s a good story though the font of the hardback is a bit small — so maybe the e-book is a bit easier on the eyes.
I hope the wildflowers there will be spectacular this year. I think they will be in California as well. Cheers!
Hey, if you all come this way,we would love to see you and you can stay with us! Love that you have your original copy of the dog book. I’ve never heard of it but I’m intrigued. I like P Everett and became obsessed with his book(s) Telephone during the pandemic. I want to read Erasure before seeing American Fiction. Have you read it?
Hey Molly, great hearing from you. & Wow that would be fun to see you on the road trip. I’ll ask Robert if we’ll go the coastal route on the way back. Keep you posted. thanks for reaching out.
And somehow I’ve just recently found out about P. Everett so I have not read him yet. I’m a newbie. But I’m gearing up for his new book James and then I hope to read a couple of his others. Thx for the note about Telephone – I will add it to my pile … as well as Erasure. I have not seen the movie either — American Fiction.
We just watched The Holdovers … did Tim see that parts of it were filmed at Deerfield? We let Peter know. lol. I hope all is well there.
Have fun on your road trip. My family used to do a lot of road trips when I was growing up, from Utah to Oregon, another through Wyoming to South Dakota, a third down to the Four Corners area. They were fun. 😀 And I am very ready for spring! Too bad they’re predicting more snow next Monday and Tuesday. At least it melts fast in February.
Hi Lark, those are good places to road trip to. You have seen a good part of the West. Did you visit Chaco Canyon in the Four Corners area? I’ve been there once but it was a long time ago. I need to go back to the Four Corners area. We are supposed to get a storm too Sunday night …. we’ll see how much. Enjoy your weekend.
Yes we did go to Chaco! It’s so amazing. I’d love to go back and spend more time there. Those ruins just take your breath away.
That’s awesome you’ve been there. I’d love to go back to Chaco Canyon too. I agree it is amazing. I’d love to do a road trip there.
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spenser-Ash sounds like an interesting perspective for a WWII story.
I grew up 30 miles south of Hannibal in a small Mississippi River town. Tom Sawyer was a huge part of my childhood, including many trips to Hannibal to visit the cave, the boyhood home of Mark Twain with the adjoining fence where there are still fence-painting contests every year, and the Laura Hawkins (Becky Thatcher) house across the street — that always had a terrific bookstore where I bought my paperback copies of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and other books as I got older.
I want to get to Hannibal again because they have a modern, updated museum minus the creepy wax figures that were there when I was young.
Wow Joy: I’m enamored that you grew up right there … in Twain country and the books are a big part of your childhood. You must know so much about the history and the author and the place and books. Gosh if you get back to Hannibal please do a blog post of your museum visit. My Dad loved Twain b/c he grew up partly in St. Louis but you’re much closer. I hope to get to Huck Finn sometime in the next couple months. Tom & Becky were fun to spend time with. Thx for letting me know about your Twain ties. Really cool.
That will be a long trip! The longest road trip I’ve been was from California to Pennsylvania and back again. It was a long drive but we saw some beautiful country along the way. While I don’t know if Lives of the Monster Dogs is for me, I do like the sound of King Nyx. I am glad you enjoyed Beyond That, the Sea. I will definitely have to check that one out. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Thanks LF, Calif to Penn is a long ways. It’s longer than what we’re doing. Usually I’m always a flyer but my husband talked me into this, argh.
I agree King Nyx seems worth checking out. I’m on the library list for it. And I was impressed with Beyond That the Sea and liked it more than I thought I would. Have a great weekend.
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I just finished Beyond that, The Sea and loved it. You wrote an excellent review. I look forward to more of Spence-Ash’s work. Had not heard of the Monster Dogs book, may I ask if there is any cruelty in there? I can’t abide dogs getting hurt.
Soft hearted 🙂
Safe travels on your trip from Canada to California – that’s a long road trip!
Thanks Tina. Glad the review seems all right. I tried not to give away too much. It seems we finished the book about at the same. I enjoyed Beyond That the Sea quite a lot, especially the family’s early time in Maine.
It’s been a long time since I read the Monster Dogs so I might need to vet it for you when I reread it. I know the author wrote it because she loved dogs — but there might be a couple fights within it — so I better check first.
I’m not a fan of road trips (I prefer flying) so I will see how I do. I still have a month before we go. Have a great weekend.
So glad you enjoyed Beyond That, the Sea. When my mother read it, she noticed that one of the author’s mentors, writer Jayne Anne Philips, lives in her building. It’s a small world!
I am still trying to plan a trip to Alberta but it is more expensive than I thought. My brother is there now – went to see the Bruins-Oilers on Wednesday, then drove to Calgary to see Bruins-Flames, then on to Banff. That sounded like a lot of driving to me but nothing compared to driving to California! Good luck.
Hi Constance, quite a coincidence about Jayne Phillips living there. And I recently received her novel on audio from the library. I hope I’ll get to it in time before it expires.
Your brother must be a big hockey fan. I hope he’s enjoying his time in Alberta. I think Banff is supposed to have a snowy week coming up. But I think it needs snow too. If you come to Alberta sometime, let’s meet for coffee, tea and/or lunch. But it might need to be before you head out to Banff which is a couple hours away. fyi – May & June are good months before the tourist crowds.
Luckily we have on more month before the big road trip. Enjoy your weekend.
That sounds like a wonderful road trip (my favorite thing in the world), and makes me want to start planning something for late Spring. I missed out on a long 2023 drive and that still bugs me.
I’m fascinated by the Monster Dogs book, and I can’t figure out how I missed that one. Is it Canadian? That might explain how I missed it because I’ve never figured out why so few Canadian titles make it to the U.S. in comparison to those from the U.K. Definitely one I’m going to go looking for.
James is another I’m looking forward to reading sometime this year. I really like the concept.
Hi Sam, I remembered that you do long road trips. I hope you’re able to get out on the road in 2024. I always fly instead but this time we’re going for it in April!
I need to revisit the Monster Dogs – it’s been so long. But I recall the author is from NY where the novel is set. So it’s not a Canadian thing, lol. See if your library has it.
I hope to revisit Twain’s Adventures of Huck Finn before getting James but we’ll see if that happens in time. James is due out in a couple weeks and I’m low on the list. Have a great weekend.
Long road trips are fun, but also exhausting. We’ve driven from our current home in Michigan to Colorado, to Arizona, and to California several times each. There are a few horrible long days (we swore never to drive across Kansas again, even Oklahoma or Nebraska are better) and then you get to the fun part. We did drive up the California coast from Santa Barbara to Washington once, and that’s much better — good towns and parks all along the coast (but then we had to drive across the whole USA to get home). So you should have fun.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae. You’ve taken some long road trips! Michigan to Calif. Oh my! We did drive scenic coastal highway #1 down Calif from SF to LA and went to the Hearst Castle once. Perhaps you went there? Beautiful to drive the coast around Big Sur and SB etc. We are probably doing the inland route thru Montana & Vegas on way there but might do coastal route on way back. Have a nice Sunday!
A long road trip!! How exciting!!! The last one I did was with my German friends from Arkansas to L.A. Other than the constant worry about my cat, it was wonderful, fun, and amazing. Before that all my roadtrips were as a kid in the backseat where I would always get car sick or bored or hungry so I wasn’t that impressed. We went from California and Arizona to Indiana and Kentucky. My Dad was one of those who didn’t stop except to get gas. You ate breakfast upon leaving the motel and you ate dinner upon arrival at the motel. You could beg and plead and cry over all the fast food signs that whizzed by but he was not stopping for any of them. And forget about stopping at any scenic overlooks or historical markers. As an adult I understand. He had limited time off for vacation and he just wanted to get to my grandma’s house and settle in.
Hopefully your road trip will be way more fun than that!
Hi Jinjer, I think I’ll need quite a few stops, lol. You had it tough as a youngster. But I recall your moving road trip to L.A. That was epic. I can’t imagine how hard it was with your cat Marilyn. Did she cry the whole time? We are going with 2 dogs and they’ll need breaks. But it’ll be nice to get out and walk a bit. I’m not a big road tripper … the sitting for hours drives me crazy. I’m mostly a flyer — but my husband talked me into this, argh. We’ll see how it goes. Have a great weekend.
I’m a huge fan of a road trip. When we do one, we always plan in advance for stops at intriguing bookstores and (for mi esposo) rock digs. Good luck with yours.
Hmmm. Lives of the Monster Dogs. Dogs play such a huge role in modern life, much more than twenty years ago, that I can see how this book might have a resurgence of interest in it.
I remember reading Tom Sawyer in seventh grade. Our teacher read a chapter aloud and then we talked about it. It was my first deep dive into literature. I fell in love with reading and thinking about what I’d read in seventh grade.
Thanks Deb. I will visit some bookstores along the way of our road trip in April. Good advice. I hope to find good ones.
Apparently the author was a big dog lover and so she wrote Lives of the Monster dogs in 1997 … I will see if it meets my expectations from back then.
And I’m so glad you were/are a big Tom Sawyer fan. I think I saw that on your Goodreads review. A good teacher can really make great lit come alive – which sounds like what happened to you back in 7th grade. That’s awesome. 🙂
I hope to get to Huck Finn soon too. Have a great week.
We’ve had some nice spring weather this week as well. There’s still now in the mountains and it was snowing a ton last Sunday so we’re not quite done with winter. I’m very ready for spring.
Your road trip in April sounds like fun. I hope you have fun planning and anticipating your trip.
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Thanks Jenni. We might see some snowflakes tomorrow, so winter I guess is trying to come back. Oh well.
I will try to get my mind thinking about the road trip. It was sort of my husband’s idea — I’m too much of a flyer — but I will try to get into the spirit of it.
Thx for visiting here!
Lovely post. I am so intrigued by the book Lives of the Monster Dogs. I will be very curious how it has aged for you if you do reread it. I imagine it did gain a cult following with a title and plot as you described. I will add the Beyond That, the Sea to my TBR. I’d seen it on some list and didn’t really explore it further.
Enjoy your prep for your road trip. We are also taking one soon, end of March, to the National Parks in Utah. We’ve rented a house so the whole family can join us. I am already planning what books to listen to en route.
Hi Anne, great news about your family trip to the parks in Utah. Sounds really nice. Will the wildflowers be out then? Bryce & Zion parks, right? Sounds awesome.
I think you will like Beyond That the Sea. I enjoyed it. I’m not sure when I will revisit the Monster Dogs but I hope this spring. Thanks for visiting. & Have a great week.
I have never heard of Lives of the Monster Dogs, but that cover is fun. I tried to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as a kid and couldn’t get through it. I should try again as an adult. I have more patience now.
Hi AJ: perhaps you might like the Lives of the Monster Dogs or her new novel King Nyx. Something a little paranormal, lol. I can likely vet them in the next month or so. If you read Moby-Dick, I’m sure Tom Sawyer will be no prob. It’s also much shorter. I hope to get to Huck Finn this year too. And I find that audio can be a good option for some classics, which can be a bit daunting to me.
Have a great week.
Arrgh, I don’t know how I missed this post. Although the last few days have been sort of hectic and I haven’t been getting much done.
I love your question about road trips. I can go way back down memory lane. I am not really a lover of road trips but the ones I had were eye openers and mostly fun.
In my early 20s, in 1973 I think, my first husband and I drove from Alabama to Merced, California. He had just finished pilot training, and we were going to a second training in Merced / Atwater area. I think we stopped in New Mexico to visit another couple we had met in Selma, and possibly in Las Vegas to visit a college friend who was a helicopter pilot in the Air Force. We had just purchased a new VW camper but I don’t think we camped on that trip.
Six years later my second (and current) husband and I drove from Riverside, CA to Birmingham, AL to visit my family. I remember stopping in Texas (El Paso?) midway but the most memorable stop was in the French Quarter of New Orleans for a couple of days. Actually at that time we were not married. After about two weeks in Birmingham, and a side trip to Mississippi, we drove back and stopped again in New Orleans and visited lots of book stores in the French Quarter. The southern states are so gorgeous, so many trees.
Re books and reading, I have been planning to read Beyond That, the Sea and I just found out that it is available on Kindle Unlimited. I have a free trial for three months that came with the Kindle Scribe I just got. Now if I can just be disciplined enough to read it soon.
Hi Tracy, Wow you have had some good long road trips! Both of those trips sounded quite neat. I agree: there’s much tree beauty in the South. I have been to New Orleans a couple times … once driving from Texas and I got stuck in a bad thunderstorm. It was a deluge. I have not been to Merced, but I once went to the Bob Mathias camp as a youngster outside of Fresno.
And that’s good news about the Laura Spence-Ash novel being available on Kindle Unlimited. I tried Unlimited for a while but I couldn’t find the titles I really wanted. Still if Beyond the Sea is on there, that’s a pretty good sign.
I can never get to titles in time either. Enjoy your week.
Lives of the Monster Dogs sounds so bizarre–that one escaped my noticed, but in 1997 I had three kids under 5, working full time, etc. Not something I would gravitate too, but sometimes that’s exactly what I need!
I have been meaning to read beyond that, the sea for awhile now, so you just prompted me to get a copy. Definitely the kind of book I would like.
I remember loving Tom Sawyer as a kid, and I read it a few times. I reread it 10+ years ago, and thought it fun but I am no longer much of a Twain fan, but Tom is part of our Americana fabric for sure.
Hi Jane, I must admit going into Beyond That the Sea — I sort of thought it was going to be a bit of fluff kind of historical fiction but it wasn’t. I was more impressed with it than I thought I would be. And I enjoyed the family story.
You sounded busy in 1997! Your kids must be grown up now. How nice. I need to see if the Monster Dogs novel aged well or not. Sort of fun premise & cover though. And I’m going to check out Huck Finn sometime soon — so I will see what I think of Twain nowadays … along with Percival Everett’s tale based on it called James. I hope your February has gone well. Happy reading.
Oh, I’m so ready for spring but it feels like the weather is getting colder, not warmer! =( I really hope it gets warmer soon. Your road trip sounds like fun! I hope you have a great time!
Thanks Haze. I appreciate you stopping by. The weather is a rollercoaster lately. Unpredictable. The road trip should be an adventure. Cheers!
Oooh! A road trip to CA sounds like fun. Will you be coming our way? We’d love to show you our cove and maybe grab a meal and drinks while you’re in the area, if so! Now that I think of it, though, we’ll actually be on our own road trip in April. We’re heading down in the RV to Santa Rosa. Maybe our paths will cross somewhere along the way. The longest road trip we’ve taken is the one to Alberta and BC when we saw you two! That was so much fun! We’re doing a trip to the Tetons in the fall, which should be fun, too.
Glad to see your high rating for Beyond That, the Sea. I’ll read your full review once I’ve read the book. I tend to enjoy going into books pretty much cold. I find out just enough to know that it appeals to me, but that’s it.
Hi Lesley, I understand about going into books cold. I like that too. I sort of wonder now if I oversold Beyond That the Sea … I liked it but perhaps that’s too high a rating? Hmm.
You two are great with road trips, with your RV it’s perfect. I just hope our car doesn’t die, ha. It shouldn’t. Unfortunately it seems like we will not be going the coastal route this time. We will be going the inland route (both ways) through Butte, Montana, Salt Lake, and Las Vegas into Calif. I think the coastal is much farther so we’ve opted to just go more directly this time. Though it would be great to see you two again … and I think your trip to Santa Rosa sounds nice! We will see how it goes on the road … with two dogs. Perhaps more breaks & walks along the way. Cheers.