Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Monday, June 22, 2009

The Dog Days of Summer... or what kind of books to read if your in a 'doggish' mood



THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER.......


Summer is typically referred to as The “Dog Days” of Summer because it’s so hot that it’s not fit for a dog. But where did the phrase really comes from? Well,the Dog Days refers to the period of July 3 through Aug. 11 when the Dog Star, Sirius, rises with the Sun. As a result, the ancients felt that the combination of the brightest luminary of the day (the Sun) and the brightest star of night (Sirius) was responsible for the extreme heat that is experienced during the middle of summer....


Well, the first day of summer finally came! Here in Connecticut I hope that it marks the beginning of some sunny days, because it seems like all we've had here is rain, rain, and more rain for the past month!


In honor of "The Dog Days of Summer" and my love for all things dog (including my adorable Keeshond BJ)... here are some great Dog Books....




The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein is a wonderful book! All told thru the eyes & nose of Enzo a dog who is part philosopher, part social worker and who on the eve of his death recalls all that he and his family have been thru. His family is Denny, the up and coming race car driver who is his master, friend & hero, Denny's wife Eve, and little Zoe their daughter. A heart wrenching and yet laugh out loud story that has Enzo learning most of his 'philosophy' from watching TV but is amazingly more human than some people. If you are a 'dog person' you will love this book! Enzo teaches us what the meaning of loyalty, love and hope is. Read more at Garth's Website! And remember that box of tissue's before you start to read!


Dog on It by Spencer Quinn is a kind of "dog noir".First meet Chet, the narrator of the story, who "works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school ("I'd been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn't remember exactly, although blood was involved"), but he's a detective through andthrough." A Book with a lot of positive buzz! Read more about: Dog on It!





Tails of Love by Lori Foster, Stella Cameron and 8 other New York Times Best Selling Authors... "From Seeing Eye dogs to the cat who cuddles in your lap,

animals are there for us in more ways than we can count. Helping us get through the day with a wag of the tail and a tilt of the head, they let us know that someone is on our side—no matter what. They also have an amazing ability to break down barriers between people; bringing families and loved ones closer, and giving strangers an excuse to strike up a conversation. In Tails of Love, each writer draws from her own unique perspective on our loyal friends—exploring the many mysterious ways they bring love into our lives." And what is especially nice about this book is that All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the AAF - Animal Adoption Foundation - a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio. You can find out more about this book at Lori Foster's website!


9 comments:

Harvee said...

I didn't get any doggie books but came away from the library with Library Loot - six books of mystery, intrigue, and travel!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Oh Tails of Love sounds cute. I am a big animal lover.

I know what you mean about rain, rain , rain --us too, and i just heard on the news NYC had 17/21 days of rain this month.

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Book Bird Dog! Don't you just love the library! What books did ya get??

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Diane!
The nice thing about Tails of Love is that all proceeds go to the animal shelter! I'm a big animal lover too!

Today we only had a sprinkling with a threat of more! :D

Lori Foster aka L. L. Foster said...

Suzanne! Thank you so much for the nice mention.
Yes, each of the authors and their agents are donating ALL of their proceeds to the Animal Adoption Foundation - www.AAFPets.com
It's a wonderful shelter local to me, and I've always tried to support them. This way I can support them even more. :-)

Happy reading, everyone!

Lori

Stella Cameron said...

Hi Suzanne: You are so kind. Thank you for mentioning TAILS OF LOVE. This anthology was a work of love for all ten of us--we're animal nuts!

Hugs,

Stella

Patricia Sargeant said...

Hi, Suzanne, thank you so much for helping us spread the buzz about the Tails of Love. We appreciate the shout out. The other books sound delightful as well. Thanks for telling us about them.

Happy reading, everyone!

Patricia

Donna MacMeans said...

Hi Suzanne -

So I went to a Home Depot today to get some paint for the deck and a lady came back with four of the most adorable dogs in her basket. Not puppies, dogs, and so well behaved. She said they were all rescues and had been horribly abused in their puppyhood. Can you imagine that?
I think she had a halo over her head. I gave her and the paint mixer person a bookmark for TAILS OF LOVE. It's a gift of love to anyone who loves animals and wants to do good for the animals as well. Thanks for your support.

Donna MacMeans

Marcia James said...

A belated "Thank You" for mentioning TAILS OF LOVE! It was great getting the opportunity to donate a story to this great benefit anthology. ;-)
-- Marcia James ;-)

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