Review of In the Bag by Kate Klise

Rating - 4
Release Date - 5/2012

Daisy and her daughter Zoe are traveling to Paris from St. Louis for Zoe's spring break. Daisy is a top-notch chef and recently left a restaurant job to clear her mind and decide what she wants to do next. Andrew and his ason are heading to Madrid for Andrew's job as an exhibit designer. On the plane, Andrew actually jostled a woman holding a glass of wine which spills on her silk blouse. Andrew feels terrible. The woman is very attractive and Andrew is drawn to her. Uncharacteristically, Andrew composes a note apologizing and asking her out for a drink when they are back in St. Louis. He stuffs the note in her open purse. When the parties arrive at their respective destinations, Zoe and Webb realize that somewhere during their journey, their bags have been switched. From this unpromising beginning, the four characters...Daisy, Zoe, Andrew and Webb...go about their business not realizing that everything they do is connected in some way.

This book is a light, entertaining and funny read. It is told through the POV of each character. The reader sees the interconnections among the characters which adds to the fun and fast pace. It's really two stories...Daisy's and Andrew's, both looking for something more in their lives...and Webb and Zoe's...both on the brink of adulthood and trying to stand on their own. Teens  will enjoy this book as much as adults will. It's a perfect beach book!

Review: Dog Boy by Eva Hornung

Rating: 5

Romochka, a four year old boy is abandoned by his mother and uncle. When he leaves his apartment and begins to randomly wander the streets of Moscow, he follows a pack of dogs to an area of deserted warehouses and is "adopted" by them. For the next two ferocious Russian winters, Romochka lives with the dogs, becomes a member of the pack, and eventually becomes their leader due to his combination of animal and human characteristics. As he grows and spends more time foraging in the city, mingling with other humans, he begins to feel unsettled. He loves his clan, shares their instincts, but he has questions about his human side and certain humans are beginning to notice him.


This is a unique and amazing book. Hornung tells the story as if she's spent time living with a pack of dogs, it's that realistic. The setting is the city of Moscow, Russia and it's hard to envision a major world city where thousands of dogs roam the city and even ride on the subways and where children are abandoned and homeless, living on those same streets. Hornung explores questions about family, what it means to be human. Once started, it is almost impossible to put this book down.