GOOD DOG GREEN DOG by DOMINIQUE de VITO

Earth day is Thursday, April 22nd! Today's book is all about helping the environment and helping your dog....

Green Dog, Good Dog by Dominique DeVito is a short book that offers helpful tips on how to reduce "your best friend's carbon paw print." DeVito does so without being preachy or too technical when it comes to being earth friendly.
Her tips can make a huge difference in saving energy. According to her, if 10% of households with pets chose greener options, 4 million households would be generating less waste and electricity. That is a big difference made just by following a few tips.
Her tips actually come in 4 levels. Level 1 is just making a conscious choice to be greener. Level 2 is making a strong effort, level 3 is living as green as possible, and level 4 is the greenest. She recommends starting with level 1 and working your way through the levels.
For me, the most helpful tips were the home remedies that can be used in place of chemical treatments for things like shampooing, flea and tick prevention, and grooming.
If you have a dog, check out this book and see what you and your dog can do to minimize your impact on the environment.

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER by JENNIFER MCKINLAY

Looking for a fun book to read while on vacation, I found Sprinkle with Murder by Jennifer McKinlay. A new title in the Berkley Prime Crime line up, this book begins the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. The 'star' of the series is Mel Cooper, one of the owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcake Bakery. She works with her best friend and co-owner Angela. The third owner is their other best friend Tate.

Tate is engaged to fashion designer Christie Stephens. Christie is a bit of a diva and demands that Mel bake her some sample cupcakes so she can decide what to order for her wedding. Unfortunately for both of them, Christie is found dead with Mel's cupcake in hand. With rumors swirling of Mel and/or Tate being involved in the murder, Mel decides to take matters into her own hands and solve the case.

This is a fun mystery that will appeal to teens and it's a must-read for all cupcake fans! There are a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, and a brewing romance. I plan on trying out some of the great cake recipes in the back.