Apr 12, 2008

Doggy books

Have you read a good dog book lately? I'm so busy writing articles I don't get much time to read any books - at least from cover to cover. However, I'm always going through dog health books for research on various ailments that may be bothering my dogs at the time!

I grew up reading every dog, cat, horse book on the planet. I read 101 Dalmatians about six times and Where the Red Fern Grows at least a dozen times - a beautiful fiction about the extraordinary friendship between two hunting dogs and a boy... that has got to be the best doggy fiction ever written!

We receive all sorts of dog books for review in Dogs Life magazine. Last year, I read Marley & Me in less than two days (a big feat for me!). It's a true story about a Labrador with extreme thunderstorm phobia; so well-written and funny, I actually had trouble putting the book down.

I think I'll visit the local bookstore this weekend and see what's best selling in the world of dogs. I just hope I get some time to read it!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I can vouch for 'Marley and Me' - anyone who has a retriever dog especially will laugh until they cry (don't read, as I did, on a plane . . .). They're also currently making it into a movie for those who don't have the time to demolish it (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston will star as the humans).

I just finished "The Bad Dog's Diary" by Martin Howard, a fictional year in the life of a mongrel called 'Blake' who seeks dog park domination and the female conquest that comes with such a feat - absolutely hilarious, had me in stitches!

I picked up "The New Yorkers" recently from Borders Bookstore, can't remember the author, is a fictional book set in a New York apartment between the dog owners and their dogs, but I couldn't really get into it.

"A Friend Called Henry" has been for sale just about everywhere lately (I got mine from Kmart) and is about how a dog called Henry led to a much more fulfilling life for a little autistic boy.

"A Three Dog Life" (Abigail Thomas)is a lovely fireside sitter which is a memoir from a woman who loses her husband to severe brain trauma (he becomes institutionalised) and the new life she finds in dogs.

Finally, "Acts of Dog" is a collection of stories by famous writers on their own encounters with dogs, and is funny, sad and heart-warming all at once.

Enjoy your new found reading time and good luck whereever you go!

Anonymous said...

Where the Red Fern Grows is definitely a beautiful dog book. Also one to avoid on planes - because you'll be sobbing by the end.

I highly recommend any book by James Herriot. They are about his experiences as a country vet, and I used to think I wanted to be a vet when I grew up so I read every single book I could find on the subject.

He's an excellent writer and captures both the humour and sadness that comes with such a career. The names of some of his books are the lines from an old church hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "All Creatures Great and Small" etc. and a few other titles as well.

Caroline said...

Karen, I read James Herriot's book growing up too and also wanted to be a vet because of that book!

I didn't end up becoming a vet but I love to learn about animal health.