My Life Among the Underdogs by Tia Torres is a memoir about Tia's life and all the great dogs that have been part of it! This woman has been blessed. Each dog has its own chapter and are all different. It is a short book, but the story is told very well! I wish she would have included pictures of the dogs, but that is the only criticism I have. If you love dogs, you will find this hard to put down.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 28: At that moment, I made the decision to protect her at all costs, always. I never wanted her to leave my side, and right there, on the floor, in an embrace that felt like forever, it became Tia and Tatanka. Together we would change the world.
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In A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier, Mercy got shot and her fiance got killed. His last words to Mercy were to take care of his dog, Elvis, who also got sent home. Mercy will do anything to make sure Elvis is safe. But when events happen, Mercy and Elvis know they cannot stay on the sidelines. They are befriended by a game warden, Troy and his dog, Susie Bear.
I thought this book was way better than I expected it would be. Mercy and Troy are both good characters and Elvis and Susie Bear are major players in this mystery. This is going to be a series--yay!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Teaser from page 23: She crossed her arms, whether out of annoyance or aggression, he wasn't sure. The Belgian shepherd growled softly, sensing her change in mood.
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Tomorrow is told by a dog named Tomorrow. He shares a secret with his master and what that is you will find out if you read the book. When they become separated, Tomorrow will search for his master and will not stop until he finds him. But does he?
I really enjoyed Tomorrow and especially the parts in the book with his dog friend, Sporco. If you love dogs, I think you will enjoy this book as I did.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 16: I tore across the courtyard, up the steps, then drove through the door into our room--and relief. A shape still lay beneath the blanket, and that smell that was vital to me--like midnight in a tall forest, stiff parchment paper and a whisper of pine sap. My master.
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Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland is about Malinois dogs used in battle and how they are trained. It is pretty fascinating and was interesting reading about the different dogs and how they helped in battle. It was also eye-opening to see what the trainers and handlers go through to prepare the dogs for battle.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson is all about second chances and is a heartwarming story involving two Pit Bulls who used to be used as fighting dogs but got rescued. Skye and her daughter Cody are trying to start a new life after Skye’s husband got killed in a drive-by shooting. Skye decides to go after her dream of running a hotel but her daughter does not share that dream and resents having to leave all her friends and move to a little town. Cody has a secret that she cannot tell anyone because it is a matter of life and death. Adam is a widower who visits Skye’s hotel with his dog, Chance, a therapy dog. Chance leads Cody to Mingo, a street kid who overdosed, and his pit bull, Dawg Chance and Dawg become friend;, Cody and Mingo become friends. Cody’s strange behavior is all related to the big secret she feels forced to keep.
I loved this book and it went by quick. I was sorry to see it end because I really liked Mingo and would have liked to see how Cody would continue to mature and grow. I also would have liked to know if Adam and Skye would actually marry, but the book ended before any of that happened. I still enjoyed this book very much and liked all the main characters. I thought Skye, the single mom, was also an interesting character who I felt sorry for throughout the book because of all the trouble her daughter got into.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
Gerard's review, 5/25/17: In Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson, single mom Skye runs a hotel with the help of her daughter Cody but when Cody falls in with the wrong crowd, she needs help. Adam and his dog check into the hotel and Skye befriends him. When Cody befriends a street kid named Mingo and his Pitbull, can these four form a bond? I thought this book was pretty good. The story line kept me interested and I really enjoyed both dogs in it! (4 stars)
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Angels on a School Bus--How a Community of Volunteers Saved Two Hundred German Shepherdsand Huskies by Dr. Roberta K. Ray is a true story. Over 200 dogs were being held in a school bus by a man who hoarded them with the intent to sell them to make money.
I loved this book because it shows that there are lots of people willing to do what they can to help! I especially enjoyed the stories of the dogs that found their good forever homes!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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Susie's Senior Dogs by Erin Stanton tells the true story of senior dogs that have been given forever homes by people. I loved reading all the joy the dogs brought the people and the people gave their dogs. The pictures in the book are really good too! You can follow Erin and the Senior Dogs on Facebook and Instagram at "Susie's Senior Dogs."
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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The Midnight Dog Walkers--Positive Training and Practical Advice for Living with a Reactive or Aggressive Dog by Annie Phenix is non-fiction. The author works with overly aggressive dogs and their owners. She tells about the way she trains dogs. The best part of this book was when Annie told about the dogs she owned. If you have an aggressive dog or just love dogs in general (like I do), this you would probably like this book too!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)
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Fast Into the Night by Debbie Clarke Moderow is a true story about Debbie and her dogs doing the Iditarod race in Alaska. I really enjoyed how Debbie connects with her dogs. This was the best part of the book to me. I enjoyed it and thought Debbie told her story very well.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)
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In Lawyer for the Cat by Lee Robinson, the story centers around Sally Baynard, an attorney who is appointed enforcer of a trust which makes it her duty to choose the best caretaker for the dead lady’s cat, Beatrice. According to the trust Lila set up, she named three people who she would like to see take care of her beautiful black cat, Beatrice. The stipulations were that the caretaker would have to live in her house with the cat until it died, and allow the cat to maintain its routines. When the cat dies, then the grown son will inherit the plantation but not before. The story also includes Sally’s other responsibilities, including her job, her mother who has Alzheimer’s and lives with her, and her relationship with Tony the vet who she met when she previously worked on a divorce case involving a dog.
This is a quirky quick read that I enjoyed. Beatrice had only a small part in the book which was a bit disappointing to me. I was happy with who the lawyer picked to be the caretaker for the cat though and enjoyed Sally’s mother and their relationship. This is a book I happened to see while browsing at the library and the title and cover called out to me! I found it to be a light, entertaining read and would recommend it for anyone interested in animal's rights or family court law.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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The Underdogs by Melissa Fay Greene tells the story of Karen Shirk, who was so disabled that she was not even allowed a dog. Some nurses encouraged her to raise her own service dog though and she did! Now, 1,000 dogs later, she runs 4 Paws for Ability, placing dogs with children and their families.
This is a WONDERFUL book that tells the stories of kids and their dogs. The stories are so good and heartwarming! Look up 4 Paws for Ability and you will see the great work they do. God bless you, Karen, for the work you do and thanks so much for sharing the stories!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne is about a young boy named Pierrot who becomes an orphan around the time of World War II. When he is 7 years old, rides three trains by himself to go live with his aunt whom he never even met. While living with her, he is influenced by the people he meets and soon he sees things far different than he used to.
I thought the second part of this book was better than the first part and the ending was very well done. However, I do not think this was as good as this author's first book (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) but still is a very good read.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)
(Karen's review 6/17/16, 5 stars)
I was eager to read The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author who also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an amazing story! The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is also set during World War II. It shows how a nice, innocent 7-yr.-old boy, Pierrot, with German and French background is faced with a whole new life when his aunt takes him in to live with her after his parents both die.
This story kept my interest all the way through and didn't have any boring part. I finished it in just two days and liked how the author made Pierrot's struggles so clear. This too is a sad book but thought provoking. As Pierrot gets a new identity, he fights to keep his memories of "the good old days" and is torn apart when he realizes what he did was really wrong. I thought the ending was great and recommend this one! I hesitate saying any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for you. Just read it and be shocked like I was! I don't think I'll easily forget this book, just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is lodged in my memory.
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Our dog Abby is a rescue--found her on Petfinder when she was 5.
Rescue Road by Peter Zheutlin is a true story about Greg Mahle who was down on his luck. Things were not going his way. When he decides to go on rescue road trips to deliver dogs to their forever families, his whole life changes! I loved this book! The people Greg meets while he is driving are remarkable. The dedication they have to dogs is something to behold. However, the dogs steal the show as you would expect. I read a large print book so it went very fast, but being a dog lover helped too!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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Reporting For Duty—True Stories of Wounded Veterans and Their Service Dogs by Tracy Libby contains 15 separate true stories about veterans, true heroes who have a lot to deal with just to get around day-to-day. They were united with dogs and their quality of life is so much better! I loved this book! The stories are so good and the pictures are wonderful! There is also other parts of the book that deals with how these dogs are trained and how dogs and people have a special bond.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is a children’s story about a hard-working, determined boy who loves to go coon hunting with his two hound dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann. He lives in the Ozarks on a farm with his mother, father, and three sisters and a cat. He also has a close relationship with his grandfather who helps him out and encourages him.
I have mixed feelings about this book because I like all animals so felt a little sorry for the poor raccoons who got hunted down by the boy and his dogs. It was interesting though learning habits of the raccoons. I didn’t like the boy or the parents in the beginning when he set his traps and caught his cat several times! That got me mad. Then he redeemed himself when he loved his dogs and had great adventures with them which included some suspense. At certain parts I cheered but thought the ending was horrible. This story has its ups and downs. If you enjoy sad books, you have to read this one! Yes, this is a tear jerker. I think the story should have ended sooner, like after the big coon hunting contest, and I would have liked it much better. The title of the book isn’t explained until the very end which I thought a bit strange. Get your tissues ready if you choose to read the whole book!
It is similar to the Shiloh series which I loved!
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
Gerard's Review 8/30/15 (4 stars):
Billy Coleman is a little boy living with his family in the Ozark mountains. What he wants most of all is two coon hounds so he can go hunting and to keep him company. It does not seem he is going to get them, but then he decides to do something about that. The first 100 pages I did not think this book was all that! From page 100 to the end though, it got really good. That is because the dogs became the focus on the story, and what a story it is!
I really loved Billy and how he would do anything for his dogs! The dogs were fantastic! I did not like the ending though--too sad. Anyway, based on Billy and his dogs, I give this 4 stars.
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The Hand That Feeds You by A. J. Rich is about a lady named Morgan. She is living with her fiance named Bennet and her dogs. One day she comes home and her fiance is dead. it looks like her dogs did it, but has a hard time accepting that. On further investigation it turns out the name of her fiance was false and this man has a history of wrong doing.
This is a real page turner that I enjoyed. I loved how the dogs were kept in the story for almost the whole book! (Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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What the Dog Said by Randi Reisfeld is a fun little YA read about a 13-yr-old girl, Grace, who is grieving the death of her father who was a cop and was shot on his way to her softball game. When they go to pick out a shelter dog to train as a service dog, she pics a mutt named Rex who actually talks to her! The plan was for her sister to be able to write about training a service dog for her college entrance essay. When Grace hears the dog talk, she wonders if she’s going crazy, but Rex helps her resolve the mystery of who shot her dad and helps her through a difficult time.
This is a good story about doing the right thing even if it’s hard. It’s a quick, enjoyable read that also shows what service dogs get trained to do and the different people service dogs can help—they are not only for the blind!
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
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What Comes Next and How to Like It by Abigail Thomas is a collection of outlooks by the author. Some I enjoyed, especially the ones about her dogs (she has a lot); some not so much. Most of the book is about her friend, Chuck. I liked this book somewhat. I would say it is worth reading to be sure.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
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Ellie’s Story by W. Bruce Cameron is told very well
by a dog named Ellie. She talks about the people she comes in contact
with and the work that she has to do. What is her work? You will
have to read the book to find out! This is a very short, enjoyable read
under 200 pages. The pictures are nice and the ending is the best and most
exciting part of the book. If you love dogs, you will enjoy this book for
both kids and adults.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)
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Survivors--Storm of Dogs by Erin Hunter is about a group of dogs called the "Wild Pack." They live a good happy life and they all have their role to play to help the pack. They live in fear of another pack of dogs called "The Fierce Dogs" who are killers.
This is a fantastic read! The writing is very well done and the interaction between the dogs in the Wild Pack is really good. It's a page turner and I enjoyed the action in it very much as well as the ending! I certainly plan to read more by this author!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
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