Book Chatter

Chloe giving me her winning underbite.

So many of you knew her as “The Otter Pup” so it only feels right to share this sad news here. Chloe was in very bad shape the day before my birthday, Sept 4th. I had to make the tough decision that all pet owners have to make at one time or another. She passed peacefully with the help of an in-home service and I held her the entire time. That’s what she wanted and that is what I gave her.

She had sixteen glorious years and was such a part of our lives. Sure, she was my reading buddy but the care and protection she showed me over my brain surgery and pulmonary embolism recovery was just so damn touching. That pup would not let me out of her sight for fear that I’d faint or fall as I had many times in front of her during that recovery period.

I asked the kids who are both away from home if they wanted me to FaceTime them, they opted not to. I sent them a video of me talking to her beforehand and she seemed to know that relief was coming, she raised her head and put her paw on my arm.

She was the best. She had so much personality and sass. She will always be remembered that way. I can’t wait to have her remains returned to me. I have her favorite corner all ready for her. The house is just not the same.

Hug your babies.

Not with a Bank book cover.

Not with a Bang
By Temi Oh
S&S/Saga Press, July 14, 2026, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Doomsdayers rejoice.

The Rest of It:

The Minton family has had a rough go of it. Marcus loses his job and becomes obsessed with stockpiling resources and digging a doomsday bunker for his family. As his family watches his antics, the family slowly falls apart.

Two daughters and their mother watch in horror as a cataclysmic event turns their world upside down. A magnetic force arrives on the wedding day of the eldest daughter, throwing everyone into panic mode. Anything metal is picked up and tossed, including body piercings, surgical devices, and the like. Bodies lie strewn everywhere, and one daughter has gone missing.

With the family torn apart and scattered in different locations, the bunker Marcus built is not useful at all. Instead, it becomes a target for those who want what is inside. Marcus prepared his family for survival but failed to think twice about boasting about his supplies, ultimately putting everyone at risk.

As each family member does what they can to survive, their internal thoughts keep them moving forward through a situation where a resolution is not immediately apparent.

What was great:

Pacing
Authenticity
Briar’s point of view

Overall, this was quite readable without being dark or depressing. I wanted more of the family’s interactions before they were split apart. I think that would have lent a more personal note to the story. No matter how you imagine the world ending, the way civilization falls apart within minutes is, I fear, accurately depicted.

Recommend.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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