For those of you who don't know, I'm in the homestretch of my pregnancy (8 weeks and 6 days, but who's counting?!). So the LAST thing I should be wanting right now is a dog. But it's time to admit that I've secretly been harboring a desire for a four-legged friend. When I see a dog being walked down the street, my heart skips a beat. I'm not sure where this burning desire for a canine is coming from, but it really makes no sense considering in just two months, I'll have a two-legged baby demanding all of my attention. But that rationale flew out the window when I read You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught Me The Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam.
Let's start with the cover. The most precious Boston Terrier you've ever seen is staring at you, big eyes, cute little face, asking you not only to read the memoir, but to go out and get a dog just like him. (Ok, so maybe that's just what he's saying to me...) I'd seen many positive reviews of You Had Me At Woof and after reading it in one day flat, I agree with many that it's honest, funny, entertaining and emotional (I cried- and I don't blame the pregnancy). It's more than just another book about dogs- it almost reads like a diary- Julie's personal connection to her dogs as she works as a rescuer. (Can I just take a second to give a shout out to Julie and all dog rescuers and rescue organizations out there?) Anyway, back to the book. It's the story of Julie Klam, in her thirties and still single. Hoping to meet the man she can spend the rest of her life with. But then she meets Otto...her first dog in a long line of Boston Terriers. And she falls instantly in love. Whether you already own four dogs, are toying with the idea of maybe getting one dog or if you prefer to simply visit the dog your brother owns, I recommend this book. Because we've all had a pet or a passion or a person in our lives that has made us feel the way Otto made Julie feel, the way Boston Terriers made Julie feel. And that is reason alone to read this magnificent memoir!
Stay by Allie Larkin is a heartwarming love story between pup and master that I wrote about here over the summer. And I feel it deserves another mention because it's a fabulous book about a fabulous dog. The cover is brilliant. And just like the Boston Terrier on the cover of You Had Me At Woof, the German Shepherd on this bright blue cover is calling to me, persuading me to get a dog. (Did I mention it's Allie Larkin's own dog, Argo?). Stay is the story of how heartbroken Savannah”Van”
Leone, in love with her best friend’s husband (ouch!), finds comfort in a
dog “Joe” that she adopts from Slovakia. Best part? She buys the
dog over the internet while in a drunken vodka and Kool Aid haze after watching a Rin, Tin, Tin marathon. I highly recommend this novel and can't wait for Larkin's next. Although if it's about a cat, I can't promise I'll have the same reaction 
City Dog by Alison Pace also has a cover that pulls at your heartstrings. Are you seeing a trend here?) What I found incredibly unique about this novel is that it's narrated in part by Carlie, a West Highland White Terrier. It's the story of Amy Dodge, who after her divorce, thought she'd finally write the Great American Novel. Instead, she's the bestselling author of children's book series, Run, Carie Run!, starring none other than Carlie. This book is charming, clever and funny. I can't say enough good things about this novel or Alison's others, including a novel about the joy of pugs, aptly titled Pug Hill.
I could go on and on as there are so many fantastic books about dogs. From memoirs to fiction. So stay tuned for more posts on the subject and be on the look out for my review of Free to a Good Home by Eve Marie Mont, the story of Noelle Ryan who works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find homes.
What books about dogs do you love?
