Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World Review

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Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World ReviewRemember Marley: A Dog Like No Other, a canine greatly loved by his master? Well, here is Dewey, an abandoned orange kitten not only beloved by his mistress but by the entire town of Spencer, Iowa.
Dewey's origins were questionable as was his introduction to library director Vicki Myron. January 18, 1988 was a frigid Monday in Spencer. "It was a killing freeze, the kind that made it almost painful to breathe." When Vicki arrived at the library that morning her assistant told her she had heard a noise coming from a metal slot, the library's after-hours drop box behind the building. Soon, they both heard the noise and thought it was an animal. The opening of the box was only a few inches wide, so whatever it was had to be very small. Being metal the box was even colder than it was outside, and there in a corner of the box was a tiny kitten.
It was the most pitiful thing she had ever seen, so thin she could see every rib, and she could feel its heart beating, its lungs pumping. "The poor kitten was so weak it could barely hold up its head, and it was shaking uncontrollably. It opened its mouth, but the sound which came two seconds later, was weak and ragged." But one look into his big eyes and she was Dewey's and he was hers.
Dewey was not the only one who had endured hardship - Vicki was a single mom who had lost the family farm and survived an abusive husband. The people of Spencer were going through tough times during the farm crisis of that time. Depression, ennui seemed to be everywhere.

Nonetheless, Vicki was determined to capture the interest of those who came to the small library and hopefully make them a little happier. With the help of Dewey she did that and more. For 19 years he returned the affection of the townspeople twofold, amusing them, enchanting them, rubbing against many hands in gratitude for their caresses.
What difference can one small animal make? Dewey's story spread across state lines and even around the world. In 2003 Japanese Public Television filmed Dewey, and his obituary ran in well over 200 newspapers. His story will warm your hearts, make you laugh and cry. Don't miss it.
Highly recommended.
- Gail Cooke
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Drinking with Miss Dutchie: A Memoir Review

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Drinking with Miss Dutchie: A Memoir ReviewIt's not a spoiler for me to say that the author has to euthanize his precious black lab, Miss Dutchie, at age 12½, because he tells us himself on the second page of the book. That doesn't make it any easier to read about it, though, when he actually describes the process at the end of the book. In between is a wonderful read, that I couldn't put down.
Knowing the ultimate outcome didn't make this story any less compelling and, in fact, may have made it more so. Breslin does a good job of interweaving the story of Miss Dutchie's life with his struggles with alcoholism (hence, of course, the title ... ) But he really doesn't "drink" with Miss Dutchie; rather, she helps him stop doing just that. To find out how, you just have to read it.
Anyone who thinks this is primarily a "dog story" might be disappointed; it's more a story about the author's middle-aged life and marriage. It reads like a coming-of-age story in some ways, and he is quite open in discussing his struggles, flaws, idiosyncracies, etc. This had me at times either rooting for him or wanting to say "hey ... just grow up and deal with it!" It's almost like reading someone's diary and, actually, much of it was created from Breslin's journal writings.
If you've ever had to euthanize a beloved pet, there are parts of this book that will make you cry out loud; it is very painful in spots. However, anyone who's ever loved a pet will also be nodding in agreement through much of it, as the author describes his deep relationship with Miss Dutchie and how she changed his life.
I was especially happy to find a couple of photo inserts in the book; I always find it helpful when reading non-fiction or memoirs to be able to actually "see" the characters who are central to the story.
I'm a person who looks up any unfamiliar words I encounter while reading. Maybe I was just in "intellectual down time" while reading this, but it seemed I had to do that more often than usual with this book. I was stopped by, for example: contumely; dipsomania; pitons; spalls; termagant ... and (gulp) sententious and casuistry in the same sentence. I'm impressed by the author's knowledge and correct usage of these types of words, but I frankly think it's a bit distracting to encounter so many of them in casual reading, and it's my only real criticism of the book.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Stock up on tissues before you read it.
(FTC disclaimer: I reviewed a copy of this book that I obtained free of charge, by winning it in the Goodreads.com Firstreads Giveaway.)Drinking with Miss Dutchie: A Memoir Overview

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No Buddy Left Behind: Bringing U.S. Troops' Dogs and Cats Safely Home from the Combat Zone Review

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No Buddy Left Behind: Bringing U.S. Troops' Dogs and Cats Safely Home from the Combat Zone ReviewAs a soldier who recently rescued a mom and her puppies with the help of Operation Baghdad Pups, I can't wait to read this book!!! It's also at the top of my list for Christmas presents this year. What a GREAT organization to have worked with.No Buddy Left Behind: Bringing U.S. Troops' Dogs and Cats Safely Home from the Combat Zone Overview

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Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou Review

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Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou ReviewLou was found on top of a hill in Mendocino County, with his family, a pack of wild dogs born from guards dogs on a nearby marijuana grow. He was covered in fleas and ticks, had an infected gash on his neck and a limp. But in his eyes, Steve Duno saw his new best friend.
He took Lou to a nearby vet who treated his injury, removed half a cup full of ticks, vaccinated and de-wormed him. The vet warned Steve that his bowel movements would be interesting, and was right: during their first day together, Lou eliminated a squirrel skull, sock string, foil, pebbles and a gum wrapper.
This was the beginning of their friendship, as told by Steve at his book signing for "Last Dog on the Hill" at Barnes & Noble last night. I attended assuming it would be the usual book signing, i.e. "buy my book" with little talk of the book itself. Instead, I left feeling transformed by the bond of love between Steve and one very special Rottweiler/Shepherd mix.
After a childhood of hunting for road kill and trash, Lou was not used to being confined to a house. The first time Steve left him alone for a five minute trip to the store, he returned to find the carpet ripped from the floor, a door unhinged, and the kitchen window shattered. On this day, Lou taught Steve his first lesson - that he needed to become a dog trainer. Since then, Steve has trained 8000 dogs and become an expert behaviorist and author. During his 16 year life, Lou also helped teach deaf children sign language and helped train other wild dogs how to behave in society, saving hundreds from euthanasia.
Steve was an in-house tutor for celebrity children, including Allysa Milano and Sidney Poitier's children, but the real star was Lou, whom he compared to Antonio Banderas and Al Pacino. A real Rin Tin Tin, Lou saved Steve's life twice, prevented a rape, foiled a robbery, survived cancer, comforted war veterans and sick patients during their last days, acted in a Washington State Lottery Commercial, graced the cover of a book, and knew over 200 words and commands. Even some of his friends were celebrities, like Jonathan Harris, Mr. Smith in "Lost in Space", who befriended him while tethered outside Steve's health club.
In the opening paragraph of the book, Steve relates how he could invoke the presence of the departed Lou from the smell in the carpet, his furs in the floor. I felt this way at the book signing, as if I had met Lou. His spirit lives forever through the memories of his owner, which are now being expressed in book signings across the US. In the words of Lou, "Arugula" (the sound of his bark).
"Last Dog on the Hill" is a wonderful tribute to a dog with a very powerful soul, the tale of the purest of love between dog and man and their mission together. You may want to include a box of tissues in your order. My eyes welled up three times in reading just a few pages.
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True Blue Review

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True Blue ReviewThis is part of a trio of stories about a young girl and her families work with horses. It is stupendous! The girl has her issues, the horses have theirs and the family too, but this is a great example of how to work through them! I LOVE these stories and I am 67! I recommend them as gifts to ANY age horse lover, but especially for the younger girls with horses.True Blue Overview

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