The Coal Miner's Daughter


Maggie Hope - 2017
    But then she falls for Timothy Durkin, a wealthy Oxford student…Following her heart, Hannah sacrifices everything she holds dear and follows her new husband to Oxford. But will her new life of luxury be everything she expected - or will she find that once a coal miner's daughter, always a coal miner's daughter..?

The Practice Wife


Marissa Monteilh - 2016
    Misha, the only daughter of religious parents, cleaned up Carson Rivers for two years, improving him from head to toe, forgiving his bad sides and focusing on his good sides. And just like two of her former boyfriends, Carson is getting married. But instead of getting married within a year or even a month of breaking up, Carson is getting married the very next day, and Misha finds out on Facebook. At 44 years old, Misha is devastated. She yearns to be married with children, and has even gone through the process of freezing her eggs. Will she no longer be the bridesmaid, not wife material, destined to be what her best friend calls, happily single? Maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all. But then, in walks handsome, single father, Dr. Devonta Hill.

A Mayhem Love


Bianca - 2018
    According to everyone in the Windy City, Mayhem has an icebox in place of his heart and no lady has ever been able to penetrate it. That is, until he meets Xenobia Bell. Mayhem falls fast and hard for Xenobia, and in his eyes, their relationship is picture perfect. However, their relationship is ruined when Xenobia does the unthinkable, shattering Mayhem’s heart into a million pieces. That was eight years ago, and the heartache still feels fresh to Mayhem. Olena Hill, the polar opposite of Mayhem, is the free spirit that mothers warn their sons about. She lives her life unapologetically with no concern for what anyone thinks of her. Olena is content with keeping a rotation of male lovers until she is cornered aggressively by Mayhem, who claims her as his woman. The once free Olena finds her bright spirit being diminished by the aggressive Mayhem who craves control and grows enraged when he doesn’t have it. As Olena learns to take the beast as he is, she discovers a new side of Mayhem. That side of Mayhem is keeping a secret from Olena; a secret that has to do with how he become broken in the first place. Will Mayhem set aside his relationship paranoia to be the man that Olena wants, or will he take Olena down the same path of hurt that Xenobia took him down?

How I, Nicky Flynn, Finally Get a Life (and a Dog)


Art Corriveau - 2010
    His parents are going through a messy divorce, and as a result he’s starting a new life, in a new city, in a new school. Now his mom has brought home Reggie, an eighty-pound German shepherd fresh from the animal shelter, who used to be a seeing-eye dog. At first Nick isn’t sure about this canine intrusion—it’s just another in a series of difficult changes. Soon, however, Nick is on the path to finding out why a seeing-eye dog would be left at an animal shelter, and along the way discovers that Reggie is a true friend that Nick can rely on. But when he tries to reconnect with his dad, Nick puts everything on the line, including the life of his new best friend.Art Corriveau is a brilliant new voice for middle-grade fiction. How I, Nicky Flynn, Got a Life (and a Dog) is a heartfelt and honest look at the effects of divorce and the wonders of friendship.F&P Level: TF&P Genre: RF

Living With Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs


Caroline D. Levin - 1998
    Both the veterinary community and dog-owners alike are hailing the arrival of "Living With Blind Dogs".In it, Levin successfully answers the question most commonly asked by devastated pet-lovers: "What do I do now?" Levin came to write this book, when after a decade in human ophthalmic nursing she left that field to manage an ophthalmic veterinary clinic. Here, she was able to meld her knowledge of ophthalmology with her love of dogs, developing badly needed educational materials for clients. Levin took the opportunity to meet many blind dogs and talk with their owners. Caroline Levin is also an award-winning dog trainer. She has an in-depth understanding of canine behavior and the methods used to successfully train dogs. She shows her dogs in obedience competitions and the new sport of musical canine freestyle.

Christmas at the Farmhouse


Rebecca Boxall - 2020
    A wonderful Christmas read." Victoria Connelly, bestselling author of The Rose Girls. As the anticipation of Christmas builds in the Nielsen family’s cosy farmhouse, Jo, Magnus and their grown-up children begin to congregate for a hybrid Danish-Jersey festive season, each with a surprise of their own – though the surprise that arrives over Christmas is the most life-changing of all. Fifty years earlier, in 1969, Susan Jones finds herself being pursued by Mr Jenners, her former English teacher, and at the age of seventeen is packed off to a Home for Unmarried Mothers in London by her uncompromising father. As Christmas approaches, all she can do is desperately hope to be rescued, but will anyone be able to reach her in time?The two timelines of this festive story gradually weave together in a tale that examines whether love and hope can eventually triumph over even the deepest sadness.Rebecca Boxall is the award-nominated author of five bestselling novels – Christmas at the Vicarage, Home for Winter, Christmas on the Coast, The Christmas Forest and Christmas by the Lighthouse.

Dog Gone


Cynthia Chapman Willis - 2008
    Her father is always at work, her mother is gone, and their dog, Dead End, seems to be here one moment and missing the next. And big trouble is brewing. A wild pack of dogs is destroying local livestock and property, and the sheriff has ordered them to be shot. Is this where Dead End has been disappearing to? How far will Dill and her best friend, a boy nicknamed Cub, go to uncover the truth, and hold together the last strands of a family that seems to be unraveling?

Bertie the Blitz Dog


Libby Parker - 2017
    Can Bertie reunite everyone before it's too late?Stranded in a war-torn London, pampered Bertie is cold, alone and scared. Now that his owner has passed away he has to learn the ways of a stray dog on the streets. Luckily he has the help of his new friends in the community, both those on two legs and on four.But Bertie doesn't expect the Blitz and the horror it brings, or how some Londoners might start to resent pets in such difficult times. He also doesn't expect to find love again in the arms of one special little boy. When his second chance of happiness is threatened Bertie knows he needs to do whatever he can to protect it, no matter what dangers lie in his path. With bombs raining down on London streets, can this small dog with the big heart help the ones he loves before it's too late?Hopeful, heart-warming and fun, Bertie the Blitz Dog is perfect for fans of Alfie the Doorstep Cat and A Street Cat Named Bob

The Gift of Jazzy


Cindy Adams - 2003
    But one day, a visit from a friend brought just that, in the form Cindy least expected: a tiny dog. Cindy Adams brings her famous wit, smarts and taste for celebrity gossip to a wry and touching story of the bond between a dog and its unlikely owner.

The Gift of the Magi


O. Henry - 2009
    Henry, originally published in 1906, has become one of the best known and most beloved of Chistmas tales. An exuberant couple urged on by their love, make great sacrifices in order to purchase the perfect Christmas gift for the other. The husband sells his gold watch in order to buy expensive combs for his wife's luxurious locks. While the wife sells her hair to the wigmaker in order to buy a chain suitable for her husband's handsome timepiece. When all is revealed on Christmas Eve, the sweet irony of their dual generosity leaves them, whether they know it or not, as the wisest of gift givers: "But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."The artist Joel Priddy employs the same twists of reciprocity in his own work and is well suited to adapting and updating this classic for a modern audience.

I Will See You in Heaven (Dog Lover's Edition)


Jack Wintz - 2010
    Every page is filled with reassurance that we will see our animal friends in heaven.  The death of a beloved animal friend can be one of the most difficult events we face, often surprising us at the depth of the grief and emotion we feel.  It can be very comforting to know that the animals we love so much are safe with God, who created and loves them.  Throughout his many years as a Franciscan friar, Jack Wintz came to know—the Bible gives us many clues that we will be with our pets in heaven for eternity! St. Francis himself shared a close relationship with animals, preaching to the birds, releasing Brother Rabbit from a trip, or letting Sister Raven awaken him for early morning prayer. Franciscan spirituality tells us that all creatures form one family of creation, and God’s plan of salvation includes the whole created world.  This new, expanded edition of the original bestseller includes:  Wisdom from Friar Jack, in 14 short and simple readings Blessings, prayers, and stories from Scripture  Special presentation page to personalize the gift Adorable photos and short memories of beloved dogs Sections of the book include:  Three Prayers of Blessing  The Happiness Principle  Noah, the Ark, and the Dove Jonah and the Whale The Song of St. Francis Jesus and the World of Creation Praying with Creatures The Soul of a Dog With it reassuring message of God’s eternal love and care for all creation, I Will See You in Heaven helps us to know that we are not alone in our grief, and that our “goodbye” is not forever.   Cover photo: Hollie Betzler (2001-2018), Michigan’s first grief therapy dog, served faithfully at her family’s funeral home and area nursing homes for 16 years, giving a comforting paw at just the right time to just the right person. Her family anticipates her serving the same role at the gates of heaven, where she now waits for them.

Jayne Ann Krentz CD Collection 3: White Lies, Fired Up


Jayne Ann Krentz - 2011
    For level ten parasensitive Clare Lancaster, they’re a minefield. The elite few who know her secret call her a human lie detector, and any falsehood, no matter how subtle or well hidden, sets her blood racing. Clare has resigned herself to the fact that everyone, to one degree or another, hides behind a façade.Including her recently deceased brother-in-law. When Clare finds the body of Brad McAllister, the golden child of Stone Canyon, Arizona, the posh residents turn a suspicious eye in her direction. As Archer Glazebrook’s daughter, Clare is shielded from the law, but not the gossip. After meeting Jake Salter, Archer’s “business consultant,” she is convinced that things aren’t what they seem. Something sparks and sizzles between them - something more than the usual electricity between a man and a woman. Caught in a dizzying storm of secrets, lies, and half-truths, Jake and Clare will plunge into an investigation that demands every bit of their special gifts.Fired Up:More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession-fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Jack Winters, descendant of Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts—just the beginning, he believes, of the manifestation of the Winters family curse. The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a monster. But he can’t do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the talent to read the lamp’s dreamlight. Jack is convinced that private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman.

Suzanne and Gertrude: A Novel


Jeb Loy Nichols - 2019
     Suzanne and Gertrude is a tale of intermittent griefs and wonderments. How do we live, not just with each other, but with memories, with impermanence, with the inevitable melancholy of being?   Suzanne and Gertrude is a spare novel with a profound impact.

My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace


David Wheaton - 2014
    The journey begins with David pursuing his dream on the professional tennis tour yet facing the reality that his desire to get a dog will not be possible while being on the road for months on end.A surprising letter received under his hotel room door in a faraway country changed everything. And soon David returned home to an unexpected puppy who would have an unimaginable impact on his life.From the years of joy with his beloved Ben to the crushing grief David experienced upon losing him, My Boy, Ben is a moving story that culminates with the uplifting message of God's grace--a grace that offers comfort and hope.

A Down Chic


Mallori McNeal - 2005
    For a 17-year-old, Amina has a decent life. But after meeting her father and 23-year-old brother for the first time, things take a turn for the worse. Amina ends up alone, trying to fend for herself and save her boyfriend, Kayne, from 3 years in jail. Amina must prove her loyalty to Kayne, but can you be a Down Chick without being locked down yourself? This is a question that never crosses Amina’s mind, leading her to make the ultimate mistake of her life. Author Mallori McNeal began writing Down Chick at age 14, during the summer before she began her first year in high school. She completed Down Chick and was accepted for publishing at age 16. Mallori currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.