Review: When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail by Chris Pine

Goodreads Blurb

From blockbuster movie-star actor Chris Pine comes his very first children’s book about a delightful duo destined to become a classic.Digz the Dog is certain that he is the king of Ms. Pincher’s garden. There’s just one problem . . . Zurl the Squirrel is positive that she is the queen of Ms. Pincher’s Garden. As a dog and a squirrel, the two are natural enemies.But there’s more to Digz and Zurl than meets the eye. Digz was once a lonely dog left at the pound. And Zurl has her fair share of insecurities too. When the two come face-to-face in a showdown, they realize. . . they might not be so different.Beloved actor Chris Pine has penned a beautiful picture book about love and accepting one another despite our differences. With gorgeous and timeless illustrations from Chuck Groenink, When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel is sure to become a classic read for years to come.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

A dog named Digz was lonely in a pound and found his forever home with Ms. Pincher. He felt right at home, the king of the house. An adorable squirrel named Zurl, along with other siblings, lives right outside, and she is insecure because she has a shorter tail than her siblings. Even with her insecurities, she feels like the queen of the yard. They both have a territory they protect, so they are not looking to be friends. When Zurl called Digz names, and he came after her, she got scared. Digz remembered the time he was in the pound, lonely and afraid. He felt terrible, and they realized how similar they both were. A king and queen can rule together. It is an adorable book about friendship. I loved the illustrations.

Author Biography

Christopher Whitelaw Pine is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016) and Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984.
Pine first rose to prominence for his roles in the romantic comedies The Princess Diaries 2 (2004) and Just My Luck (2006). His roles also include Bo Barrett in Bottle Shock (2008) Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods (2014); Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014); Bernie Webber in The Finest Hours (2016); and Robert the Bruce in Outlaw King (2018). He has also starred in Unstoppable (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), and Wish (2023). Pine made his directorial debut with Poolman (2023).

Review: Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues by Kimberly and James Dean

Goodreads Blurb

Pete the Cat and his friends are having so much fun playing and surfing in the sun, they don’t want the day to end. Pete has an idea–how about a sleepover? Groovy!

As the night gets later, it’s time for bed. This cool cat needs to catch some ZZZs, but Pete’s friends aren’t ready to go to sleep just yet. Then Pete has another idea…but will it work?

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

When sleepovers just need a bedtime story to sleep and relax. Pete had fun at the beach with his friends. He decided to take the fun back home with a sleepover. When it was time to sleep, each of his friends wanted to keep the party alive. Pete is smart and reads his favorite book to his friends. They slept in harmony.

Upcoming Event: Authors in Conversation: Lynda Cohen Loigman and Heather Webb Speak About Two New Historical Fiction Novels

Event Details
Please join us for a special author conversation between two historical fiction/romance writers – Lynda Cohen Loigman and Heather Webb – on Thursday, November 7, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. For those of you who love to get lost inside the world of a book, come prepared with questions to learn how these tales are woven.

Lynda’s book, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, is set in a dual timeline, travelling between 1920’s Brooklyn and 1980’s Boca Raton, FL. It’s not just a page-turner, but a remedy for the soul, sprinkled with a touch of magic, a dash of heartbreak, and plenty of laughter; a must-read for anyone who believes in the enduring magic of second chances and a bit of mystery.

Heather has joined forces once again with her writing partner, Hazel Gaynor, for a fourth collaboration, Christmas with the Queen, which invites readers to spend the festive season with Queen Elizabeth II as she delivers her traditional Christmas message during the first five years of her reign, and traces a tumultuous relationship between a young woman working as a royal correspondent, and a chef in the Queen’s household.

Lynda Cohen Loigman graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School. Her debut novel, The Two-Family House, was a USA Today best seller and a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, The Wartime Sisters, was selected as a Woman’s World Book Club pick and a Best Book of 2019 by Real Simple Magazine. The Matchmaker’s Gift was named a Best New Book by People Magazine and a Best Book of Fall by the New York Post, Parade Magazine, Buzzfeed, and Good Morning America.com. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is her fourth novel and will be published by St. Martin’s Press on October 8, 2024.

Heather Webb is the award-winning, USA Today and international bestselling author of ten historical novels, including her most recent The Next Ship Home, Queens of London, and Strangers in the Night. To date, her books have been translated to eighteen languages.                                       

Hazel and Heather’s co-written historical novels have all been published to critical acclaim. The USA Today and international bestseller, Last Christmas in Paris, won the 2018 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award, Meet Me in Monaco was shortlisted for the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel award, and Three Words for Goodbye was selected by Prima Magazine as a Best Novel of 2021. Christmas With The Queen is their fourth collaboration.

Elm Street Books will be selling copies of both books, which the authors will sign after the program. A portion of the proceeds goes to Wilton Library.

The media sponsor of our author talk is GOOD Morning Wilton.

Registration is requested. Link to register https://wilton.librarycalendar.com/event/hold-author-talk-2801

Book Mail: The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads Blurb

Welcome to Eris: an island with only one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day.

Once home to Vanessa: A famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace: A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge….

A masterful novel that is as page-turning as it is unsettling, The Blue Hour recalls the sophisticated suspense of Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith and cements Hawkins’s place among the very best of our most nuanced and stylish storytellers.

Author Biography

Paula Hawkins is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, which was made into a major motion picture. Her new novel of psychological suspense, Into The Water, is coming May 2.

Review: The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

Goodreads Blurb

Lucy Acosta’s mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They’re inseparable—a family. 

When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she’s ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother’s voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin’s sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Look no further if you are looking for a horror book with vivid, frightening scenes. This is the first time I’ve read a book by Amy, and the gore is real. You know, when you live through a terrifying nightmare and you remember everything, well, you won’t forget what you read. I cannot unsee the vomiting of teeth and everything that makes us human inside.

It was great that the story took place in a Victorian mansion; it gave off those spooky vibes that would drive this story to the frightening scenes. It begins with a death and a disappearance, which leads to the unknown. Amy isn’t afraid to kill her characters; I think she enjoys it. The gruesome deaths are those that should only be kept in nightmares and not real life. The reader’s discretion is advised as this novel also has scenes of self-harm. Two characters will end their life, and Lucy Acosta causes self-harm by making cuts on her skin. This book has many emotions that, as a reader, you will feel. The story revolves around revenge. The character, Mother, manipulates people into doing her bidding. When the evil witch is released, the others will pay. In the end, you will be shocked by the disgusting gore and the fact that the story will not end happily ever after.
If you start hearing voices through the walls and scratches, I recommend you ignore them and leave that location ASAP!!!

Author Biography

Ever since she was little, Amy was especially intrigued by horror books and movies. Raised in a small mountain town in Arizona, she sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother’s bookshelf.

Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.

Meeting the Dark Shadows Actors

Yesterday, I got a second chance to meet Kathyrn Leigh Scott, who plays the role of Maggie Evans and a few other characters.

A few weekends ago, the Tarrytown Music Festival was celebrating Jonathan Frid’s 100th birthday with a Q&A with a few cast members. It was great hearing how wonderful Jonathan was as an actor, friend, and friendly with the fans. If you get a chance, visit the Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, where they filmed the movie Dark Shadows.