Book Reviews for National Read A Book Day September 6

National Read A Book Day: September 6

In honor of yesterday's holiday, here are three books that I think you may enjoy.

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Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home
Author: Mikael Lindnord
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Greystone Books (September 12, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1771643374
ISBN-13: 978-1771643375

Arthur is an amazing dog

Click here to watch ESPN.com's 15 minute video about Arthur

What do you do, when love strikes you, even at the worst possible time and place?

Mikael Lindnord and his three companions were in an extreme adventure race in Ecuador, which included biking, walking, and kayaking through mountains, jungles, and huge expanses of wild terrain for days.  The racers barely sleep, live on starvation rations, and push their bodies and minds to endure hardship, just to get to the finish line.  When a scruffy dog shows up, the foursome share some of their meager food stores with him.  Then, as they set out on the next leg of the race, the dog follows.  And follows.  And follows.

This book is written by the man who found a way to embrace the gift of the dog's love, at the harshest and most unpleasant time, and what he did to make sure they were never parted again.

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Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey

by Dion Leonard

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published June 1st 2017 by HarperCollins UK

ISBN 0008227950 (ISBN13: 9780008227951)

Seriously, isn't this doggie simply the cutest?!?

Ultramarathoner Dion Leonard, originally from Australia but living in Scotland, is running an four-day race in China.  A little dog starts to follow him, as he strides out huge distances over sand, rock, mountains, and woods.  Extreme heat, lack of hydration, and the sheer brutality of the race is enough to wear down a grown man, but a little dog?  Dion tells us of his desire to bring Gobi back to Scotland, but what ensues is more of a test than any ultramarathon he's every encountered before.

The combination of human competition and compassion, the ups and downs of finding a life-form that fills you with happiness and unquestioning love, and the technology of bringing a world-wide group of supporters together while solemnly walking door to door in a Chinese community, really drew me into the book.

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Ellie's Story: A Dog's Purpose Puppy Tale

by W. Bruce Cameron

Hardcover: 208 pages

Publisher: Starscape; First edition (April 14, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0765374692

ISBN-13: 978-0765374691

Okay, this book is written for the youngsters, but I've enjoyed several W. Bruce Cameron books, so why not another?  The book is told by Ellie, first a puppy then an working search-and-rescue dog.  Her handler Jakob trains her, but when he is wounded, she works with Maya who also shares her household with three cats!  Maya and Ellie go out on one mission where Ellie's impressive sniffing skills are damaged by chemicals.  So they begin working in classrooms and schools, to teach children what to do if they get lost or cannot find their family.  One day, a little boy is lost while Maya and Ellie are at the school; does Ellie still have what it takes to save that boy?

I didn't know this was a children's story, until just now as I researched the publication information!  It's a good story, and I gulped down a lump in my throat more than once.  I recommend it to anyone.

Two true stories, and a fictionalized one, and YES, I know these are about DOGS, but four-footed, furry love is what we are all about, right?!?  RIGHT!?!

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Happy National Read A Book Day!