"The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" by Susan Wiggs

In The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs, Brenda had a bad Christmas Eve.  Her dog almost died and she divorced her husband.  A year later, her Christmas spirit is nil.  She does love dogs so decided to go on a road trip to place 14 dogs with their new owners in time for Christmas.  Can she do it in the dead of winter?  Will this get her Christmas spirit back?  Brenda was a good character and I enjoyed the dog parts.  This is a light, happy read with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Show Me the Bunny" by Laurien Berenson

In Show Me the Bunny by Laurien Berenson, Melanie agrees to organize Easter festivities.  When a woman falls to her death at the house where the Easter hunt is to take place, cops think it is no accident.  This is a good quick read.  It has a good storyline with lots of dogs.  Give it a chance.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"A Dog Like Daisy" by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

A Dog Like Daisy by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is about a veteran who is getting a dog to train to be a certified service dog to help him emotionally.  His son, Micah, doesn't like the dog he chose, but their relationship grows friendlier throughout the book.  Then ending was a pleasant surprise, but I liked Stay by Bobbie Pyron much better.  (Karen's review, 2 stars)  

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"Stay" by Bobbie Pyron Inspires Children to Help Others

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is about a family that has to live in a homeless shelter and a woman who lives on the street with only her small dog to keep her company.  It also shows how people can rally around for a good cause and help others who are going through hard times.  I especially loved the parts where the dog tells the story. (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is a heartwarming, children's story about a girl, Piper, who is homeless but whose heart is set on helping someone worse off than her--an old homeless lady with a little dog, Baby.  I really enjoyed this book about the homeless, friendship, adventure, and helping others.  The dog had a big part in it and it has a good lesson about not judging others on the basis of their appearance.  I think it's a great children's story and highly recommend it.  I had trouble putting this one down!  (Karen's review 6/12/23, 5 stars)

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"Dog Friendly" by Victoria Schade

In Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade, Morgan is a veterinarian who really needs a vacation.  She gets a chance to go to Nantucket and become a dog sitter for a special-needs senior dog.  When she meets a guy, she is torn between going back to her old job or staying put where she is.  This book reminded me of a Hallmark movie--happy and predictable which provided me with a nice change of pace from my usual thriller mysteries.  The characters were okay and I enjoyed the dogs in the book.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"A Midwinter's Tail" by Bethany Blake is a Cozy Mystery

In A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake, there is a murder in a small town and Daphne is out to solve it with a little help from her dogs.  This book was okay, but needed more action for me.  I enjoyed how the dogs were used in the story though and liked the storyline.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

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"The Speckled Beauty...A Dog and His People" by Rick Bragg

The speckled Beauty...a Dog and His People by Rick Bragg is the true story about the heartwarming relationship between Rick and his dog.  When Rick comes across a dog that is barely alive, he does what he can for him and then takes it to the vet.  In time the dog gets better and he is a handful to take care of.  No matter how many things the dog destroys and gets loose, Rick will not give up on him regardless of what his brother and mother say.  If you have a dog or simply just like dogs, you will enjoy this book which contains lots of funny stories that Rick tells very well.  I loved it, especially since the dog does not die!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Silent Creed" by Alex Kava

In Silent Creed by Alex Kava, Ryder Creed and his team of dogs are called in for a search and rescue mission for a mudslide in North Carolina.  However, there is more than just a mudslide that is causing people to go missing.  This book explores the strong bond between first responders and their dogs.  It has a good story line and an interesting finish.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Meet Bear (pictured), our new cat.  This is his debut on our book blog.

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"No Ordinary Dog" by Will Chesney, U.S. Navy Seal

No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  When I first decided to read this book, my plan was to just skim the first part to get to the dog part of it, but I ended up reading every word because the writing was so good and it was so interesting!  I liked how the author shared his personal feelings about what he went through trying to become a Navy Seal and how he wound up being a dog handler for the Seals.  Cairo was the dog Will was matched with and what a great dog Cairo was!  It was exciting to read about the battles they fought together, especially the one where Bin Laden was finally killed.  I enjoyed reading about Will and Cairo's wonderful relationship and of course cried at the end when Cairo had cancer and had to be put down.  I just brought back the memory of when we had to let Abby go and how we were so selfish, letting her be in such pain for so long.  I also felt bad for Will who suffered injuries and had to wait for so long to get a medical retirement.  This is a book I won't soon forget!  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review March 25, 2022:
No Ordinary Dog by Will Chesney tells the true story of Will, a Navy Seal and his dog, Cairo.  What a great read!  The first part tells how Will became a Seal and soon after he was matched up with Cairo, a very special dog!  What they have the dogs trained to do is amazing!  It makes me glad to know these people and their dogs are defending us.  (5+ stars)

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"Seven Perfect Things" by Catherine Ryan Hyde

In Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde, 13-yr.-old Abby sees a man dump a bag that has something moving in it into a river.  Abby gets the bag and finds seven puppies inside.  Now what to do?  Home is not an option because her dad is abusive to her mother and would never allow dogs in his house.  

The characters in this book were brought out very well.  I liked Abby the best.  The story was paced well, but there were some parts that were hard to read.  That being said, I still enjoyed it.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Let Me Tell You About Jasper . . . How My Best Friend Became America's Dog by Dana Perino

Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino, is a heartwarming book about her two Vizsla dogs.  She explains how she and her husband met, how they got the dogs and some funny things their dogs did.  Jasper is still alive, but their first dog, Henry, has passed on to doggie heaven.  When reading this it made me feel happy that her dogs were/are so loved.  It's not gripping, but if you're looking for a cozy book, this is it.  It is very short because the second half of the book is all pictures!  My favorite parts were actually written by her husband.  I liked it all right so gave it 3 stars because I've read other dog books that I liked much more. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


Gerard's Review of June 16, 2020:
Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino who works for the Fox News Network is a fun read.  Dana is one smart lady and loves talking about her dog, Jasper!  When I found out she wrote a book about her dog, I had to get it!  I enjoyed this book very much.  I not only learned about Jasper, but also about her and her previous dog, Henry.  Her writing is very good.  I also liked Jasper's account of his day.  This is a short book with lots of pictures.  I give it 5 stars because it is very well done!  
(5 stars)

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A Dog For Christmas" by Linda Byler (An Amish Christian Romance)

A Dog for Christmas by Linda Byler is about Amish twins during the depression. Twins Henry and Harvey were sent away from their family to live with another because they were so poor and had so many children. Rachel and Ephraim who had three girls took them in and Henry and Harvey were well cared for and learned farming. A Newfoundland dog found a home with them and became their best friend. The story about Henry includes fun times and sad times, but his faith in God grows along the way. He finds love and does well. This book seems like a Hallmark movie with some adversity to overcome and a happy ending.
Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Gerard’s review 12/6/19:
A Dog for Christmas by Linda Byler is mostly told by Henry. He was born into an Amish family. This book tells the trials of his childhood and continues into his manhood. The story has a good flow to it and I enjoyed all the characters very much. I also enjoyed the dogs that were involved in the story.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 4: The boys didn’t look back, knowing that what was behind them was something they could never have again.
After the first mile, their feet were cold from snow leaking into the cracks in the soles of their shoes.


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"A Dog Called Hope" by Jason Morgan & Damien Lewis

A Dog Called Hope by Jason Morgan is the true story about a wounded warrior and the service dog who saved him.  It is fantastic!  Jason was hurt during an anti-narcotics raid in Central America.  Months later, he was told he would never walk again.  When he is finally doing a little better, his wife leaves him.  He has three young boys and really needs something to go right!

Napal is in training to be a CCI dog.  Napal is a special dog just waiting to be given a chance to be someone's special helper. 

I really enjoyed Jason and all the stuff he had to battle through!  Of course, I loved Napal, the great dog!  This book went fast and I was engaged from page 1!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 282 (large print edition): 

As I left, Napal threw me a look that could melt anyone's heart.  It spoke to me so powerfully.  There's so much love, devotion, and companionship in here if you'll only have me.  Stand by me, and I'll be your battle buddy until the day I die.

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"Soul Dog-A Journey into the Spiritual Life of Animals" by Elena Mannes

Soul Dog by Elena Mannes tells a true story.  Elena lives life with order.  She knows what she is going to do at work and it carries over into her life away from the office.  Order rules!  Now, she wants a companion and decides to get a dog.  Her world of order is soon to change.

If you are dog owner, you will enjoy this book!  The part of this book I enjoyed most was the interaction between Elena and her dog.  There was also a spiritual aspect to this book that I found interesting.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  I stood there paralyzed, unsure what to do beyond grabbing the newspapers and soaking everything up.  My fight-or-flight response took over and I picked up the phone and dialed the breeder.

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"Never Alone" by Elizabeth Haynes

In Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes, Sarah lives with her two dogs in a farm house.  She has money problems, but when an old friend moves into the guest house and pays a very generous sum, her problems seem to be over!  However, nothing is ever as it seems!  This book is like a slow burn.  You know something is going to happen, you just do not know to whom or what it will be.  This book reminded me of a soap opera with such little action, but somehow it worked for me!  I really cared for Sarah and wanted things to go well for her!  The writing was good. 

(Gerard’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 23:  She won't admit to it, if you ask.  She won't tell you.  It doesn't matter; you know better than to push someone when they're in that vulnerable state.

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We Miss You, Abby!--A Letter to My Dog

Abby with her Daddy, Gerard

It is with great sorrow that we had to help our dog cross the Rainbow Bridge last Monday.  I thought about this book and the letter I wrote to our dog back in November of 2014 so thought this would be a good post to update and post again.    
 
A Letter to My Dog by Robin Layton is a happy, feel-good book that is a collection of notes from people (some well-known) to the dogs which show the value of rescue dogs.  Along with the notes are full-page photos of the dogs and in the back is a summary of the dog-owners with their dogs including smaller pictures of them together.  I enjoyed this book very much and found myself smiling all the way through.  It is a quick-read that I recommend to anyone who is considering getting a dog as well as all dog owners.  This book inspired me to write the following letter to our dog:

Dear Abby a/k/a Abby Dabby Doo or Abby Dabs,

You are the best dog we could ever have!  You won our hearts the first day we met you with your soft thick fur, your big beautiful brown eyes, your sweet personality, your curly fluffy tail, your big smile and your gentleness.  I am amazed at how well-behaved you were from the first day we met you.  You got along with our two cats just fine and fit right into our family with no problem at all. 

I love how all kinds of people are drawn to you.  It was so much fun taking you to dog training classes at PetSmart because you managed to make people laugh and still were the best at following commands most days.  You are so eager to please and easy to train.  We are so proud of you!  I love to watch you enjoy the outdoors and wish we had an area where you could run off leash like you did at the park the one day when the clasp broke off and you got in a good run.  I couldn’t believe how fast you could go and how happy you were that day! 

The bond you have with Gerard is heartwarming to me.  I know you will always be a daddy’s girl, but just hope you know how much I love you too.  I enjoy feeding you breakfast every morning and reviewing the commands you learned.  I like giving you big hugs and belly rubs too.  You are such a good dog and I am so glad we decided to look on Petfinder for you when we did.  You have certainly enriched our lives!

Addendum to letter--5/25/19:  We are so sorry you dislocated your shoulder January of 2017 and that you were in pain for a couple years.  You were so tough and stubborn and we just wanted to have as much time with you as possible.  It was so hard to watch you not be able to enjoy so many of the things you used to be able to do.  Yet, you were a trooper and still wanted to please us!  When you finally reached the place where you could not longer get up or walk through the house even, we knew it was time to say goodbye.  Tell Mr. Moe and Manny Boy we miss them too and say "hello" to them for us.  We know they would be ready to greet you as you cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Karen, Lucky Mom of a Rescue Dog

 (Karen's review 11-6-14, 5 stars)

A Letter to My Dog by Robin Layten is a collection of letters written by people to their dogs.  Some famous, some old, some young contributors all have one thing in common:  they love their dogs!  The pictures in this book alone are a reason to get this.  It is filled with full-page color glossy pictures of all kinds of dogs on every other page!  The letters are very touching, some funny, some sad.  If you are a dog lover, this is a must read!  I'm sure you can agree with most, if not all, of the letters.  I know I did!

What a great book to start off with for November!  I love you, Abby!
(Gerard's review 11-5-14, 5++ stars)

Also read and loved A Letter to My Cat.

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