Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

So, after reading The Survivor, by Vince Flynn & Kyle Mills, I needed a book to read.  I spent Halloween with my brother, sister-in-law, and 10 year-old niece Sophia, and 12 year-old nephew, Alex.  Alex and I were talking about the Alchemyst book series he recommended and how much I liked it.  He asked if I had started the Inheritance Cycle trilogy he gave me a while back, and I said that I'd probably start that next.  Sophia asked if she could give me a book to read, and of course I said yes.  So, she picked out Shiloh for me.  How could I refuse my niece and a book with an adorable little dog on the cover.

I fell asleep Halloween night before I even got through 1 page, so I brought it home with me and started for real reading it on November 1 and finished it around November 14.

This book is about a little boy with 2 younger sisters who encounters a little dog one day when he was out walking near his house.  

"...he licks all my fingers and jumps up against my leg, making little yelps in his throat.  He can't get enough of me, like I'd been saying no all along and now I'd said yes, he could come.  It's a he-dog like I thought.  'Hey, boy! You're really somethin' now ain't you?' I'm laughing as the beagle makes circles around me.  I squat down and the dog licks my face, my neck.  Where'd he learn to come if you whistled, to hang back if you didn't?  I'm so busy watching the dog I don't even notice it's started to rain.  Don't bother me.  Don't bother the dog, neither.  I'm looking for the place I first saw him.  Does he live here?  I wonder.  Or the house up on the road?  Each place we pass I figure he'll stop - somebody come out and whistle, maybe.  But nobody comes out and the dog don't stop.  Keeps coming even after we get to the old Shiloh schoolhouse.  Even starts across the bridge, tail going like a propeller.  He licks my hand every so often to make sure I'm still there - mouth open like's he smiling.  He is smiling."

The little dog wouldn't stop following the boy, Marty.  The little dog followed Marty home, and that's when the story takes off.  Marty and his dad figure out that the dog belongs to a mean man who lives nearby, who Marty suspects mistreats his dogs.  Marty has obviously fallen in love with the dog, whom he named Shiloh, and is torn up about having to return the dog to his owner.

All Marty can think about is getting Shiloh back and being able to call the dog his own.  When Shiloh shows up at his house once again, Marty sees this as his opportunity to keep Shiloh.  He creates a pen for Shiloh up on a hill a ways away from his house.  He sneaks food to him, plays with him at every opportunity, and just loves Shiloh to no end.  Of course, something happens, and Marty is faced with several decisions to try and rectify the situation. 

This little book is very sweet, and you can't help but fall in love with Shiloh too.  A quick and entertaining read, any kid would love this.  But be careful, after reading it, they might keep bugging you to get a dog!

The Survivor: A Mitch Rapp Novel, by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

So, after reading two short little eBooks by Michael Scott, I needed a new book to read.  I took a little break, and then when I was at the airport flying down to Southern California for a friend's baby shower, I saw something on a shelf in the airport bookstore that made me stop dead in my tracks.  Literally stopped in my tracks when I saw this:

Why did this book stop me in my tracks?  Well, I'll tell you.  The author, Vince Flynn, died in June 2013 after a 3-year battle with prostate cancer, and I thought his Mitch Rapp book series died with him.  So, it was a complete surprise to me to walk by a bookstore and see a Vince Flynn novel front and center - how could it be?  Another author, Kyle Mills, finished the book after Flynn's passing.  

The Husband and I are trying not to buy books, but rather check them out from the public library, but since I was book-less on this trip, I decided to sidestep our new practice and buy this book.  I started reading it on October 11 and finished it on October 28.

This book did not disappoint.  I honestly couldn't really tell that this was written by someone other than Flynn.  Flynn started this book before he passed and Mills finished it.  I don't know where in the book Flynn left off and Mills picked up.  I really wonder how an author with their own voice and style can pick up and write in the same style and voice as another author.  But, thankfully some can - I was very sad at the prospect of not having any more Mitch Rapp novels to read.

So, before I go further, if you decide you want to read Mitch Rapp novels, you really really really should start at the beginning and read them in order:

Yes, you could pick them up and read out of order, but they will make SO MUCH more sense if you do read them in order.  Characters are introduced, back stories are explained, and each book builds on the previous.  It will be worth it to read them in order.

So, if you are new to Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp character - here's the skinny:  Mitch Rapp is a black-ops CIA agent, total bad ass, ruggedly good looking dude who gets into and out of a lot of shit.  He works directly with the director of the CIA and generally tries to keep the shit from hitting the fan in the world, in Washington, D. C., for politicians, for the President.  He's not without his own shortcomings or skeletons in the closet or tragic life events.  But trust me, if he was real, I'd want him on my side if anything bad or dangerous was going on.

The Survivor picks up where The Last Man left off - shit is hitting the fan (not surprisingly) and Mitch needs to clean it up.  The main CIA guy in the Middle-East has died but not without leaving a mess for Mitch and the CIA to deal with.  I really can't say too much more without giving things away, and I detest spoilers, so sorry - you'll just have to read this series.  Trust me, it is GREAT.

The books are extremely well-written.  The characters are believable.  The story lines are plausible.  Mitch Rapp is super bad-ass and you'll want him on your side too.

I hope hope hope that Kyle Mills or another author continues with this series. 

An aside:  American Assassin, the first book in the series, is currently being made into a movie!!!  Hallelujah that they are starting with the first book rather than picking one in the middle like other series (Jack Reacher, etc.)  CANNOT WAIT TO SEE IT!

Billy the Kid & the Vampyres of Vegas, and The Death of Joan of Arc by Michael Scott

So, after finishing Less Than Hero, by S. G. Browne, I spent a few days reading two eBooks by Michael Scott.  These two short eBooks are a nice little foray into Billy the Kid and Joan of Arc.

The Billy the Kid story gives insight into how Billy and Scatty became friends under shady circumstances, and their adventures with Vampyres in Vegas.  Good times.

The Joan of Arc story gives us a glimpse of how Joan of Arc and Scatty became friends during trying times.

Neither of these eBooks is very long, nor do they offer too much more insight into what Scott published in his novels.  However, they were quick reads, allowed me to learn a little more about the characters from the book series, and they were entertaining.  I expected these eBooks to be longer, so was disappointed when they were so short - each was easily read in one short sitting.

I find myself wanting more after finishing the book series - the books were so detailed and addicting.  I want more!