The Best Dog in the World
Rating: The Best Dog in the World, by Donna Long. Ten Speed Press (2007), 128 pages. This charming and informative work is a collection of 111 vintage portraits of children with their dogs. The photographs are all from 1875-1925 and include fascinating...
Another Cover Art Disappointment
Who doesn’t love a vintage photograph from the author’s childhood on the cover of her memoir? When the image is just right, these covers are among the best. But if a photo that speaks directly to the story does not exist, why force an inappropriate one upon the book?...
Bonding with Your Dog
Rating: Bonding with Your Dog: A Trainer’s Secrets for Building a Better Relationship, by Victoria Schade. Howell Book House (2009), 212 pages. The premise of this book is that no matter how much training you put into your dog, if a strong bond is...
Korgi: Book 2
Rating: Korgi: Book 2, by Christian Slade. Top Shelf Productions (2008), 94 pages. There’s another Korgi book! And it’s even better than the first! There is so much going on here (more than in Book 1), and the story is riveting. It’s quite different from...About Us
The Book Shark began as an independent book review website created by Cindy Pinto and Donna Long in 2002.
From the beginning our goal was not only to write great reviews, but also to recognize the most well-written books we read each year with an award...
Gustine Awards
The Gustine Awards were named in honor of the main character in one of our favorite books—The Dress Lodger, by Sheri Holman. Awards have been given out yearly since 2002 in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and memoir...
Cover Art
A book’s cover is as important as the writing within it. We are aware that this may offend some authors who have toiled for years on their books and believe their words are the only thing that matters...
Reader Reviews
What’s the best or worst book you’ve ever read? What’s the most recent book that you’ve had a strong reaction to? Send us your thoughts, and we’ll post them in this spot.