What is summer for if not for reading? That’s my opinion, anyway! I love spending summer nights on the patio, book in one hand, glass of wine in the other, with the herd lounging around. That, to me, is peace. Luckily, I happened to get a handful of books to review toward the beginning of the summer, and now that it’s coming to a close (seriously, HOW is tomorrow August?) I wanted to share four new books I’ve enjoyed.
Without further ado: Four books to round out your summer reading list! And if you’ve read anything great lately (dog-related or not!), I’d LOVE to know in the comments. My “to read” list is never long enough!
For the kids
Lola is a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier and a certified therapy dog. Her little brother–though he’s bigger, he’s younger–tattles on her for making mistakes throughout this charming book. Zeke tells on his sister Lola throughout but learns his lesson toward the end. I love how the illustrations are photographs of the two siblings; it’s a cute and clever way to teach about tattling. Author Marcia Goldman has a master’s degree in special education, and she uses her expertise to add a ton of value to this story. The back pages include a curriculum guide with questions and activities to accompany the book. Even if you’re not using in a classroom but reading it at home with your kiddo, those questions and activities would be a really fun way to spark a discussion about tattling. Loved this sweet book! To buy Lola and Tattletale Zeke
For the science lover
I’m pretty obsessed with reading animal behavior books. It’s fascinating to learn how other animals learn. This book did not disappoint in that regard. It’s full of insights, data, case studies, and history on how dog training has evolved. I will say, though, that you have to be dedicated to excavating those gems as you read. The author is hugely fond of lengthy asides and footnotes that are often unrelated to the topic at hand. It actually took me ages to finish this, even though I’m a fast reader and it’s a passion subject for me. That said, I gained a ton of insights into human behavior from this. Toward the end of the book, she draws parallels between what we’ve learned in animal behavior and the flaws in how we “treat” human behavior (using schools and prisons as examples). I definitely recommend this one because there are tons of great insights, lots of valuable historical data, gobs of fascinating passages… but don’t take this one to the beach. I’d suggest dipping in and out to see what you glean. To buy The Secret History of Kindness: Learning from How Dogs Learn
For the sense of humor
Author Angie Salisbury’s two German Shorthaired Pointers narrate this cute little self-help-style book (Two Dog’s Training Guide for Humans is the subtitle!). It’s a super fast read–count on one or two sittings–filled with silly and sweet advice from her pups that she then translates at the bottom of each page. Some of my favorites include “There’s enough love to go around,” “Be silly for no reason,” and “Warm your belly in the sun.” Plus, pictures of the pups Bimmer and Bertram are sprinkled throughout, and they are seriously adorable dogs. This is definitely a book that will put a smile on dog-obsessed faces. To buy Dogs Know Best
For everyone–absolutely everyone
I am obsessed with narrative nonfiction. When it’s done well, when a true story reads like a novel, I’m riveted. It’s not an easy genre to write–I spent two years working on it in my master’s degree program–but when it’s done well, it’s captivating. This is one of those books. Dr. V, who you might know from Pawcurious, crafts her veterinary memoir to read like the perfect beach book. It’s equal parts tear-jerker and laugh-out-loud. Honestly, anyone whose life has ever been touched by a dog will be touched by this book. If you only have time to read one book for the rest of the summer, make it this one. To buy All Dogs Go to Kevin: Everything Three Dogs Taught Me (That I Didn’t Learn in Veterinary School)
And… guess what!!!
I have one of each of these four books to give away! Taa-daaa!
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Have a great weekend, everyone!
I have a perfect place for reading on the back porch. Sadly, the current humidity and temp levels in GA makes that less than desireable. Fall will be a perfect time for reading one of these delightful editions!!
I finished “The Art of Racing in the Rain” about two weeks ago, and ever since then, I’m like, “GIVE ME ALL THE DOG BOOKS!” That one was a good cathartic cry. Too bad I finished it in a conference room right before a meeting that started late. I’m fine, coworkers. I’m FINE.
Dog book-wise, I really enjoyed “What the Dog Knows.”
I have really been wanting to read The Secret History of Kindness. I read the author’s book about women’s connection with horses. Great list!
Coming back to add (now that I’ve read the contest prompt) – the best book I’ve read so far this summer is Stable Relation by Anna Blake, a memoir about a family made up of horses and dogs and a woman’s journey home.
Those look like some great books, thanks!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
PS – Watch for the addition of our “BAR” page on Wednesday so the latest information on the Blogville Awesome Retreat in June 2016!
I haven’t had any good dog books to read this summer, but I did finally get to finish “Citizen Canine” this spring.
My favorite book that I’ve read so far this summer is the Behavior Adjustment Training book by Grisha Stewart. I have a reactive dog, and this book has really helped me understand his behavior, and dog behavior in general. I would definitely recommend it for anyone with a reactive dog!!
I love this book! I also read it for our reactive dog!
Two others that I like are “fiesty fido” by Patricia McConnell and “on talking terms with dogs: calming signals” by turid rugaas. I learned SO MUCH about dog language and behavior from the “calming signals” book and would recommend it if you haven’t read it- it’s very short but immensely interesting.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t found time to read a single book this summer. However, I’ve added several to my Kindle app on my laptop, so I do plan on reading at least one soon. Which one, however, I can’t say since it will depend on my mood at the time.
A gal after my own heart!!! Dogs and books are my two most favorite things EVER…so books ABOUT dogs? Heaven. I am a librarian and constantly reading, so it’s hard for me to choose favorites. But one of the best dog-related books I’ve ever read is called Cowboy and Wills by Monica Holloway. It’s a memoir about a young boy with autism, and the dog named Cowboy who turns his life around. It was amazing….but heartbreaking.
I also just finished one by Susan Wilson called A Man of his Own, which was wonderful and sort of reminded me of the movie Max. Both are highly recommended 🙂 Awesome giveaway!!
So far I have loved the book Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction.
I really haven’t read any books yet this summer; but I still have almost two months left to do it. I have a few on my Kindle that I started…maybe I’ll get to finish them eventually.
I’ve had no time whatsoever for my own reading this summer–I work with school-aged kids and during the summer we work long hectic days. But I’ve been reading the little ones Harry Potter so that we all get some degree of reading in our summer!
Soon September will be here though, and I’ll have time to alternate between animal behavior books and high fantasy novels again. : )
Can’t wait!
Best book I read EVERY summer : “The Art of Racing in the Rain”. Breaks my heart, but I love it.
And I’d LOVE to win Alll dogs go to Kevin.. Sounds like one I’d read many times, also.
I finally manned up and read “Marley & Me”. Why why why?? I cried like a baby of course, but it was good! I love reading books about and based around dogs. Especially while I’m cuddling with mine.
Thanks for these great book recommendations- they all sound fascinating!
Hi! I read In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall this summer – it was absolutely fascinating and I loved reading about Jane’s work!
Thanks for the opportunity!