{"id":1216,"date":"2012-06-05T16:31:42","date_gmt":"2012-06-05T20:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/heavenlycreatures\/?p=1216"},"modified":"2012-06-05T16:39:17","modified_gmt":"2012-06-05T20:39:17","slug":"summer-top-10-reading-list-dogs-dogs-and-a-little-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/heavenlycreatures\/2012\/06\/summer-top-10-reading-list-dogs-dogs-and-a-little-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Top 10 Reading List – dogs, dogs and a little mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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\nAs summer nears, we bloggers here at Patheos have been asked to share our summer reading lists. Let me tell you, when you\u2019re talking about books, you\u2019re talking about my biggest love.<\/p>\n

I try to average a book a week every year; sometimes I make it. Sometimes I don\u2019t. But I always have several dozen books next to my bed, either in various stages of reading or in the \u201cto read\u201d pile. And I\u2019m always adding more.<\/p>\n

So let me whittle my bedside pile down to a few books I\u2019d love to read this summer, along with a few suggestions for books my animal-loving readers might also like. Some are new, some are old:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 \u201cA Dog\u2019s Journey\u201d, by W. Bruce Cameron. This is the sequel to his beloved bestseller, \u201cA Dog\u2019s Purpose\u201d. I confess that I\u2019ve been\u00a0hesitant about reading this one;\u00a0\u201cA\u00a0Dog\u2019s Purpose\u201d\u00a0had me in tears the entire time (inbetween bouts of laughter), but since losing Scout in January I\u2019m particularly sensitive to dog books and sad dog story endings in particular. But since Cameron is such an excellent author, I\u2019ll definitely be reading this over the summer. I\u2019m stocking up on tissues.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"2) \u201cWallace\u201d, by Jim Gorant. I just recieved my review copy of\u00a0 Gorant\u2019s book about Wallace the frisbee-champion pit bull. I loved Gorant\u2019s book about the Michael Vick dogs in \u201cThe Lost Dogs\u201d and his ability to weave such a feel-good story out of a tragic situation, so I can\u2019t wait to dive into this one. (\u201cWallace\u201d releases in August, so check back for my review.)<\/p>\n

3) A few months ago, I started reading Temple Grandin\u2019s \u201cAnimals Make Us Human\u201d but set it aside because I got distracted by \u2026 who knows. I have three or four books going at once. But that\u2019s on my list to finish, along with Alexandra Horowitz\u2019s \u201cInside of a Dog.\u201d I am deeply interested in dog communication and behavior.<\/p>\n

4) One of the benefits of doing what I do \u2013 in addition to sitting in my pajamas drinking tea most of the day while I write and think about writing \u2013 is getting to check out new books (see \u201cWallace\u201d, above). And I just got an email about a new thriller by Norb Vonnegut called \u201cThe Trust.\u201d The pitch? \u201cNorb has combined his wealth management expertise and intuitive,\u00a0 darkly humorous writing into a fast-talking, suspense thriller that\u00a0<\/span>burrows inside the world of big-money philanthropy and reveals how\u00a0<\/span>financial criminals hide behind the First Amendment.\u201d Oh yes, that\u2019s right up my alley. The book releases in July, so stay tuned for a review.<\/span><\/p>\n

6) And in the \u201cmystery of a different form\u201d department, I\u2019ve been deeply involved over the last year or so tracing my family tree. It\u2019s fascinating. (You can read a little about my experience in this post on my personal blog.)<\/a>\u00a0I\u2019m not content to just find the names of my ancestors; I want to know who they are, how they lived, what their world was like when they were alive. So in that spirit, you won\u2019t be surprised to learn that in that pile next to my bed there are many history books. And right now, I\u2019m reading \u201cAt Home\u201d by Bill Bryson. If you\u2019re at all interested in why average life is the way it is \u2013 why our houses are designed the way they are, what life was like before electricity, where appliances came from \u2013 then you should definitely check out this book. Bryson has a way of telling a story that not only educates but amuses, even on the most mundane of topics (like candles). And\u00a0if you\u2019ve never read his\u00a0\u201cA Walk In The Woods,\u201d about walking the Appalachian Trail,\u00a0by all means, put it on your reading list, too.<\/p>\n

7) While we\u2019re talking about history, I just found out that Erik Larson\u2019s book \u201cIn the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler\u2019s Berlin\u201d is now out in paperback. Oh, yay for me!\u00a0Larson is the master of historical narrative; I first got hooked on \u201cIsaac\u2019s Storm\u201d, the recounting of the 1900 hurricane that nearly wiped Galveston off the map. Larson managed to make a book about weather a thrilling page turner; I\u2019ve loved everything I\u2019ve read so I can\u2019t wait to get a copy of this one.<\/p>\n

8) And since we\u2019re talking about my favorite authors, I just found out A.J. Jacobs has a new book, \u201cDrop Dead Healthy: One Man\u2019s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection\u201d. Jacobs is one of the best at the genre I love to write, namely \u201cI do stuff and write about it, you don\u2019t have to do the same stupid things yourself.\u201d Definitely on my summer reading list. (And I have no idea why, at #8, rather than showing a number you may be seeing a smiley face \u2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"9) I\u2019ve already read this but have to recommend it for animal lovers: Jackson Galaxy\u2019s memoir, \u201cCat Daddy: What the World\u2019s Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean\u201d. Galaxy is the host of Animal Planet\u2019s \u201cMy Cat From Hell\u201d and is hand\u2019s down the expert on cat behavior. In his book, he shares \u2013 very intimately and honestly \u2013 how his own addictions, bad choices, and generally screwed up lifestyle led him to\u00a0his own ability to understand the brokenness in felines and help cat owners help their cats. Happier cats = happier cat owners = fewer cats in shelters. There are tips for cat lovers and owners, but it\u2019s definitely a deeper book about battling our own demons.<\/p>\n

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\n10) With the kids off school, it\u2019s the perfect time for the entire family to spend a little time training the family dog. If you can\u2019t make it to a class, get yourself a clicker (available at any pet supply store for under $5) and a copy of Dogtown\u2019s \u201cRelationship Manual For You and Your Dog\u201d. It\u2019s an excellent primer on dog care,\u00a0behavior, and training,\u00a0written in super easy to understand language with lots of diagrams. Basic training is first step to solving almost any behavior issue, so head the problems off by engaging your pup in some fun exercises that will also build your relationship.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always reading \u2013 not on an e-book reader, but actual books, books\u00a0with pages I can mark up, books I can read in the bathtub or the backyard, books I read in bed while eating goldfish crackers. So I\u2019d love to know what\u2019s on your reading list this summer!<\/span><\/p>\n

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