Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About | May Book CluB

“Dogs, Boys and Other Things I’ve Cried About” by Isabel Klee

You all know how much I love my critters. So many of them have found their way to me, much like my children, when I wasn’t even thinking about adding to my brood. But when you happen upon a heart needing a nurturing home, what’r ya gonna do???

My May Book Club choice, Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About is perfect for people like me. Though much of it I can relate to from my younger days, the unconditional love and healing one gets from their furry family members is ageless and timeless.

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee—known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue—comes an utterly winning memoir about a twenty-something woman’s search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it.

A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she got her chance, ditching her college upstate and moving into a grungy basement apartment in Manhattan. Dog-obsessed since childhood, her first post-grad job was becoming an assistant to a dog photographer, and something clicked into place: a career focused on helping dogs was the new dream.

Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About

Isabel quickly found a passion for rehabilitating rescue dogs and helping them get adopted. At the same time, she was caught up in a whirlwind of friendships, parties, fickle boyfriends and grand romances, which she recounts in honest, tender, and sometimes devastating chapters about the search for love and belonging.

Isabel’s first true love, though, was Simon, a fluffy puppy who’d been saved from the meat trade. As the highs and lows of her twenties hit Isabel in wave after wave, it was Simon who kept her grounded. Together, Isabel and Simon created a community of dog-lovers and a tight-knit group of friends pursuing their dreams.

In this honest and moving memoir, Isabel weaves together the stories of her foster dogs—and the challenges she helped them overcome—with tales of complicated relationships, hard decisions, and great loves in New York City, all leading to a happy ending not only for the rescue pups, but for Isabel herself.

Order your copy of Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About

Even The Dog Knows | August Book Club

Even before I had my farm animals were a big part of my life. From birth to current day, every chapter of my personal story has had a family pet at the center. They are the other family members whose roles are vastly more impactful and important than we may ever fully realize.

My book club choice for the month of August speaks to that.

“Even The Dog Knows”, by New York Times best-selling author, Jason F. Wright, is about a family who’s been torn apart by grief.

Each member, now distanced, isolated, and lonely… and their dear old pup, who may provide the glue that can bring them together once again. The jacket reads: “A family’s old, beloved dog takes a final road trip to help his people find forgiveness and healing.”

“Meg Gorton finds herself alone and lonely in Florida. Three years earlier, she had packed what she could fit into her sister’s car and asked her estranged husband, Gary, to take care of Moses, their beloved black Labrador. Things between Meg and Gary hadn’t been the same after the loss of their only daughter many years ago. Even after raising their grandson, Troy, it was clear that if Meg wanted a new beginning, she would have to do it alone.

Haunted by the tragedy of his daughter’s death, Gary is stuck in his life in Woodstock, Virginia. He still owns and drives the bus for their hometown minor league baseball team, and he still thinks about the day his wife drove away.

Everything changes when Meg contacts Gary with a request to bring Moses to visit her one last time before the old dog passes on. Gary is reluctant, but Troy thinks it’s an excellent idea. They could even travel together in Gary’s bus. Along the way, Gary takes a detour to visit Troy’s ex-girlfriend, Grace. Gary might not know how to fix things with his wife, but he knows he doesn’t want Troy to make the same mistakes he did.

Although Moses is just a dog, he’s very observant. It doesn’t take long for him to figure out they are going on to see Meg. He knows he’s an old dog and that his time is near, but he also knows his family needs his help.

Even the Dog Knows is a novel that will take readers on a thousand-mile journey to find forgiveness, understanding, healing, and the meaning of true and lasting love.”

At a time when it seems as though every sound bite we come across is simply more depressing news, unplugging and immersing ourselves in feel-good moments are not just important but as necessary as eating healthfully and getting enough sleep.

Give yourself a dose of good medicine this summer. Find a moment, a glass of ice tea, pick up your copy of “Even The Dog Knows,” and travel along with Moses on the journey to unite his people.

ORDER: EVEN THE DOG KNOWS

Oliver | March Book Club

We love the furry members of our families! There is nothing quite like the absolutely unconditional love and devotion they provide, and in doing so, help to calm, to comfort, and complete us, making us better humans in the process.

Imagine, for just a second, if one of your fur babies were stolen… That’s what happened to Steven J. Carino, on Valentine’s Day 2019. Steven, a professional driver, had been in the car for many many hours that day. Oliver wasn’t normally with him on his trips, but it was Valentine’s after all, and Steven felt bad about leaving him at home on such a long work day. So he’d asked his client if she would mind his little doggo tagging (wagging) along. She didn’t.

His client safely transported to her destination and his day coming to a close, Steven made a stop before he got home. He let Oliver out to do his business, then put him back in the SUV and made a quick run into the store he’d parked in front of to make a quick purchase. When he came back out, Oliver was gone.

To say he was devastated to find Oliver missing wouldn’t begin to describe his emotions. But not to worry, this story has a happy ending. A wonderful ending. Actually, it has a beautiful “beginning” due to the unbelievable outpouring of concern and assistance in reuniting Steven with his Oliver.

“In a series of near-impossible coincidences, people from different walks of life crossed paths with Oliver and with Steven. Hard working immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends, close relatives, street cops, gang members, a TV news reporter, social media followers around the world, and one very gifted hairdresser all played a part in Steven’s desperate journey to find Oliver. “

You don’t have to be a dog-lover or animal nut like me to enjoy this book. But if you’re looking for something to restore or perhaps just reaffirm your faith in people, in the magic of kindness, in the power of community, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Oliver. Because, as Steven says, “This is more than just a dog story. This is an everybody story. This is a love story.”

I’m always game for a good story, and especially keen on love stories! I got my copy, and here’s where you can get yours:

BUY ‘OLIVER’