The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron... A Review

Sometimes you just need a "feel good" book. A story that just warms your heart and that you can casually read without too much effort. The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron is such a book. And if you are a dog lover, this book is a hands down winner and something you should be buying right now!

A geeky, but hunky guy finds himself stuck with a pregnant dog, and eventually 5 puppies. He's never had a dog before, let alone a pregnant one, and tries his best to get out of the situation, but is such a nice guy that he resolves himself to temporarily "helping" out, until finally he is totally in love with the dog, the puppies and the girl from the animal shelter that he turned to for help.

A little romance, a warm your heart story, a little heart break and a whole lot of fur, makes this a must read for every dog lover I know. It is a sweet story that will make you smile, and if you enjoy "dog stories" you will enjoy this. It's a small book, perfect as a stocking stuffer or gift, and under 240 pages. I read it in a few days and loved it! It was chosen as my reading groups Holiday read and everyone that I've talked to has enjoyed it too!

5 stars from this animal lover! 

The Sunday Salon... The Dog Days of Summer and Then Some!

The Dog Days of Summer make a landing at Chick with Books this week. What are the "Dog Days of Summer" anyway? 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) were responsible for the extreme heat that is experienced during the middle of summer....

The Dog Days of Summer have come and gone, but great books with a doggish theme don't follow the stars, they follow the hearts of the authors who write them and today's Sunday Salon is about some great books with a "doggish" theme.

Oogy by Larry Levin... In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen--one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue--ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy's charms, and decided to take him home. Heartwarming and redemptive, OOGY is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him "Oogy" (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own.

When I read about Oogy it brought tears to my eyes. Animal abuse is a topic that really affects me. Oogy is definitely one of the lucky guys who beat the odds. I'm looking forward to reading this heartwarming story of Oogy and his amazing ability to love after all that he had gone through. Watch the YouTube video of Oogy and see for yourself what an amazing guy he is, and what a wonderful family the Levin's are for adopting him. This book will be released Oct.12th, 2010. *P.S. This Book will be Kindle Ready!

To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn... This is the third book in the Chet and Bernie series featuring a lovable and wise dog narrator, Chet, and his P.I. owner, Bernie. This time the pair "go under the big top to solve the most unlikely missing persons (and animals!) case ever." Here's an short sample of Chet & Bernie from To Fetch a Thief...

We were outnumbered, some big number against two. When it comes to numbers, two is as far as I go, but it's enough, in my opinion. . . .

"Sit," Bernie said.

I sat. Bernie would think of something—he always did. That was one of the things that made the Little Detective Agency such a success, except for the finances part . . .

Chet has smelled a lot of unusual things in his years as trusted companion and partner to P.I. Bernie Little, but nothing has prepared him for the exotic scents he encounters when an old-fashioned traveling circus comes to town. Bernie scores tickets to this less-than-greatest- show-on-earth because his son Charlie is crazy about elephants. The only problem is that Peanut, the headlining pachyderm of this particular one-ring circus, has gone missing—along with her trainer, Uri DeLeath. Stranger still, no one saw them leave. How does an elephant vanish without a trace? At first there's nothing Bernie and Chet can do— it's a police matter and they have no standing in the case. But then they're hired by Popo the Clown, who has his own reasons for wanting to find out what has become of the mysteriously missing duo. After Chet takes a few sniffs in Peanut's trailer and picks up her one-of-a-kind scent, he and Bernie are in hot pursuit, heading far away from the bright lights of the traveling show and into the dark desert night. Some very dangerous people would prefer that Chet and Bernie disappear for good and will go to any lengths to make that happen. Across the border in Mexico and separated from Bernie, Chet must use all his natural strength and doggy smarts to try to save himself—not to mention Bernie and a decidedly uncooperative Peanut, too.

With a wry sense of humor, Spencer Quinn gives us a great mystery with some doggie sensabilities. The Chet and Bernie mysteries are a mix of thrill and light-hearted fun, and I look forward to reading this latest entry into the series. The first book, where we first meet Chet and Bernie is Dog on It, and the second book is Thereby Hangs a Tail, which is coming out in paperback Sept.7th. (Both of these books are Kindle Ready!) To Fetch a Thief will be released Sept. 28th, and will be Kindle Ready!

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt... From the Publisher, Attorney Andy Carpenter is about to represent an adorable Bernese mountain dog puppy, whose owner was brutally murdered, in a custody fight. Few can rival Andy's affection for dogs, and he's determined to keep Waggy from falling into the wrong hands. But this playful pup possesses a valuable secret that some people will resort to violence to obtain. It will take more than Andy's usual courtroom theatrics to save Waggy, including help from the lawyer's golden retriever, Tara. Andy soon discovers that everyone around him is in danger, including his longtime girlfriend, Laurie--and only some high-risk new tricks will save those he cherishes most.

I have never read David Rosenfelt before, but after hearing so much great buzz about this latest book of his, I had to take a second look at the author. New Tricks is David Rosenfelt's 7th book in the "Andy Carpenter series" which are books featuring the defense attorney, Andy Carpenter. Dogs seem to play a part in books one through five, but it looks like book 6, Play Dead, and the latest book, New Tricks, features Andy coming to the actual defense of a particular dog, which eventually leads into a courtroom thriller. New Tricks was published earlier this month, and I look forward to cracking the spine on this book. *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

A Favorite book of mine with a great doggie narrator that I HIGHLY recommend (If you haven't read it yet!)...

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 cardriver 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!

Other Bookish News this week... Kindle 3's have officially made it into the hands of anxious readers! Initial reports throughout the blogosphere is that it's "love at first sight"! Len Edgerly whose weekly podcast, The Kindle Chronicles, which covers all things Kindle, has a great podcast this week including some great Kindle 3 info. You can follow the link to TKC Episode 110 to listen. (*BTW, my DH Paul provided the Kindle 3 tech tip this week on Len's show!) And I'll be posting my thoughts about this cute little eReader too, which I received yesterday. My first impression is I Love It! Although I had a defective power switch, Amazon immediately issued a replacement and sent it overnight at no charge to me. Now that's great customer service!

Is Nook your preferred eReader? Then check out my Saturday Post about Barnes & Nobles Classic eBooks that are FREE this week for the Nook! This weeks theme is Tales to Read Under the Covers, and includes such classics as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells.

BTW, next month Banned Book Week comes to Chick with Books! Here's the American Library Associations list of Banned & Challenged Books from 2009-2010. From Sept. 25th - Oct. 2nd I'll be highlighting "Banned Books" and cracking the spine on one to express my freedom of choice. Last year I read Catcher in The Rye, this year I'm leaning towards another coming-of-age story - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Read any good Banned Books lately? Share them here!

Cat Person instead? Stop by Saturday, Sept. 4th when author Helen Brown stops by Chick with Books with a guest post about her insights into dealing with the devastating death of her nine-year-old-son, Sam. Her Book, Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family, is her memoir about the death of her young son and how a small black kitten helped to hold her family together following the sudden accidental death of Sam.

Hope you've found something good to sink your teeth into! Speaking of sinking your teeth into something... this week my "First Lines" post, which is where I share the first lines of great books, came from Murder in Vein by Sue Ann Jaffarian. It's the first book in a new vampire mystery series (a fang-in-cheek mystery) coming out in Sept. Us bloggers just love comments, and we always read what you have to say, so what a thrill and a treat I had when under the comments section Sue Ann Jaffarian left a thank you with a little surprise for her readers! Here's what she wrote:

Thanks so much for plugging Murder in Vein!! I really appreciate it.

Here's the first paragraph from the 2nd book in the series, just to tease you a little:

"The body floated face down in the pool like an inflatable joke, something meant to scare people at parties and on Halloween. But to Madison Rose’s eye, it didn’t look like some plastic gag. It looked real. Dead real."

Thanks for sharing some top secret writing with us Sue Ann! Love the first lines! And can't wait to read the second book! I'll be reviewing the first book for everyone here soon!

So, whether you prefer dogs or vampires, hope you found something great to read today! What are you reading?! Share it all here, I always love to discover new books and authors! Happy reading... Suzanne

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

They say Man's Best Friend is a Dog...

They Must Have Been Talking About Stella!

Last night I went to an author event at my local Indie Bookstore, Books on the Common,to listen to Pete Nelson talk about his new book, I Thought You Were Dead. Funny, engaging and a real down-to-earth guy, Pete talked about the love for his dog Alice (who was the inspiration for Stella in his book), Seedy bars (research material), and how it took 15 years & 1200 pages to tell the story of Paul, a guy whose life seems to be one disaster after another, and his faithful companion Stella, who gives him unbiased advise on practically everything. Oh, and BTW, Stella is half German Shepherd and half Yellow Lab, but that never stops her from sharing her opinions. Of course over time Pete edited the book down to 261 pages, and this week it was finally published! And Independent Booksellers (Indies) have chosen I Thought You Were Dead as an Indie Next List pick for April! I've started to read this and have found myself laughing out loud at some of Stella's great observations. I'll be reading this book over the weekend, but thought I would share this with you before my "official" review. I just love the idea of Stella sharing her wisdom with Paul and with us readers! But there's more to I Thought You Were Dead than a dog who's a great conversationalist... Here's what the publishers have to say about I Thought You Were Dead...

Back of the Book... For Paul Gustavson, a hack writer for the wildly popular For Morons series, life is a succession of obstacles. His wife has left him, his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, his girlfriend is dating another man, he has impotency issues, and his overachieving brother invested his parents' money in stocks that tanked. Still, Paul has his friends at Bay State bar, a steady line of cocktails, and a new pair of running shoes (he’s promised himself to get in shape). And then there’s Stella, the one constant in his life, who gives him sage advice, doesn’t judge him, and gives him unconditional love. However, Stella won't accompany Paul into his favorite dive bar. In I Thought You Were Dead, author Pete Nelson delivers a novel that is all at once heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heart-wrenchingly funny. Most of all, it's a story that proves that when a good dog is by your side—especially one with whom you can have an engaging conversation—life can be full of surprises.

The "Full" Review coming soon... Happy Reading! Suzanne...

Every Dog Has a Gift: true stories of dogs who bring hope & healing into our lives... A Review

Inspiring Stories of Hope & Healing...

There's a reason dogs are referred to as "Man's Best Friend", dogs have the unwritten power to bring us joy and make our worst days better just by offering us their unconditional love. Rachel McPherson knows this all too well as the founder & executive director of The Good Dog Foundation, a non profit organization dedicated to all aspects of dog-assisted therapy. "Good Dogs brings comfort and joy to people receiving chemotherapy; restore a sense of control to people whose lives have been upended by an illness or disability; serve as the perfect audience to help disadvantaged children practice & improve reading skills; comfort the bereaved and victims of disaster; and much more."

But Rachel doesn't limit her beliefs to dogs just specifically trained to be therapy dogs or "service" dogs, she believes all dogs are therapy dogs in one way or another. In every dog has a gift: true stories of dogs who bring hope & healing into our lives by Rachel McPherson, you will read simple inspiring stories of dogs who make a difference. The stories are heart warming, honest & moving. From the opening story of Chad who changes the life of a little boy with severe autism to Sierra, a three-year-old Lab who helps a wheel-chair bound Vietnam Veteran gain his freedom again you will be touched. There's the story of Fidel a cute little papillon who seemingly absorbs the grief of a woman taking the ferry ride to visit Ground Zero after the tragedy of 9/11 and who thanked Fidel after the trip for easing her pain; and the story of Pixel who makes all the difference in the world to the homeless Veteran who cares for her.

Every Dog Has a Gift is more than just stories though, it's a great resource! There are lists of some wonderful programs, such as The Good Dog Foundation Reading Program, which pairs dogs with children in libraries and schools, or Canine Companions for Independence, which is an organization that provides trained dogs for people with disabilities. Rachel also shares with us advice on choosing a dog, caring for a dog and fun things to do with your dog! (one of which is read to your dog! I already do, do you?) Plus Rachel talks about caring for our own dogs with disabilities and lists organizations that can help us help them.

As a dog lover, I enjoyed this book so much! The stories were inspiring, but learning about the worthwhile programs where the dogs went out into the community was eye opening! So many wonderful programs where dogs help heal our hearts and help us live better lives! Well written and entertaining, eye-opening and inspiring, Every Dog Has a Gift will bring greater awareness to the amazing powers of our four legged friends to bring us happiness. And it's a good read too!

Every Dog Has a Gift by Rachel McPherson will be released March 18th! 5% of all the proceeds will be donated to The Good Dog Foundation! Want to learn more about The Good Dog Foundation? They have a great website at www.thegooddogfoundation.org where you can learn about the organization and learn how you and your furry friend can become volunteers in your community. I want to thank Penguin Books for sending me a copy of Every Dog Has a Gift for review!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

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!