by Karna Small Bodman

As the economy continues to open and many people return to a work site instead of working from home, it means leaving a beloved pet who had become accustomed to having us around all day long.  So, we all have to take care to spend whatever time we can with these animals, especially dogs (cats seem to be a bit more “independent”). 

It turns out there are SO many dog lovers and authors who write about dogs, it seemed like a good time to tell you about a few of these books that have remained on the bestseller lists. A brand new memoir, London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency by Kate MacDougall “Sparkles with humor, joy and wit, along with the energy of a rambunctious pup and exudes the wisdom of a beloved canine with an old soul,” according to BookPage. And “With gentle humor, this charming coming-of-age story captures the ups and downs of a young woman defining life on her own terms…warmly uplifting and wise,” writes Kirkus Reviews.

An incredible story about a dog being separated from its beloved owner and a subsequent four-hundred-mile journal through a dangerous Colorado wilderness to get back is A Dog’s Way Home, by W. Bruce Cameron, a New York Times bestselling author. This is a beautifully told tale that explores the unbreakable bond between us and those we love. It was such a poignant tale it was made into a feature film from Sony Pictures (I saw it and almost cried watching some scenes where the dog fought so hard to find her way).  Here’s the trailer – you’ll love it!

One of the film stars is Ashley Judd who has had quite a varied career.  The daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd, she was a Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kentucky where she majored in French and   minored in Cultural Anthropology (!) Putting that aside, she decided to travel cross-country (much like the dog in the story) to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Named (3 times) one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People Magazine,  she went on to become quite the star (and so was the dog!).

Next on the list is the novel, Pug Actually by Matt Dunn published just last month to rave reviews. An Amazon Book of the Month and named Parade’s Best Canine Book for Summer, 2021, the Washington Post  writes, “You’ll be rooting for this lovable dog—you might even wish you could weigh in on your own relationships,” since this is the tale of a wise pug who is determined to play cupid to fix his owner’s love life with his own four paws. Library Journal gives it a starred review and says it is: “A delightful quirky novel about a dog and his girl…A word of caution: Reading this in public may cause uncontrollable laughter and create a scene.”

A novel that’s been out for a while, but still ranks as a bestseller in Animal Fiction Books is Hello Love by Karen McQuestion. The story is about two strangers who endure heart-breaking issues at first, but are then brought together by one extraordinary dog. A USA Today bestselling author describes it this way: “Karen McQuestion just keeps getting better! Hello Love is an enchanting impossible-to-put-down novel about big hearts and second chances.”

Finally, on a personal note, I don’t know what we would do without our loveable Labradoodles.  When we got them, a friend suggested the name “Gambit” for the larger dog since that’s the title of one my novels.  For his little sister, I didn’t feel any of my other book titles would fit a dog, but then my husband said, “What about the characters?” The heroine in the story of Gambit is Cameron, also called Cammy in the book. So “Cammy” is the pup’s name.  They seemed quite happy to be photographed when this thriller was released.

Here’s a great quote: “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” Do you have a dog who makes your life whole . . . or would you like to have one? Tell us about your favorite pets and any books about them that you’d recommend for our readers. And thanks for visiting us here at Rogue Women Writers.