In November of 1987, Dan Dye found Gracie tripping over her feet and struggling to get his attention. For an albino, deaf Great Dane, Gracie was unfortunately not the most attractive or desirable dog ever.. but she was the most amazing.
Dan and Mark had a lot of trouble raising Gracie. Being deaf, she had to learn sign language commands and being albino meant her sight wasn't that great. Being a Great Dane with both of these disabilities hindered her but she never fails to live each day with grace and love. However, the most inspiring disability was Gracie's sensitive stomach. Gracie couldn't eat a lot of things, she had many allergies and most of the dog food they bought for her still gave her trouble. Finally the vet suggested that they bake for her. Yes. BAKE. See, dogs can eat a lot of baked goods you just want to stay away from things like salt, garlic, sugar, and chocolate. Dan started to bake for Gracie and that's what started it all. Well that, and the dog bone-shaped cookie cutter they received for Christmas.
In 1989, Dan and Mark started the chain Three Dog Bakery: a bakery for dogs! And it was all because of Gracie. Gracie and her two sisters, Sarah and Dottie, were the bakery's mascots and Official Taste Testers. With stores all over America (Hong Kong, Japan and some in Canada too!), the Three Dog Bakery is greatly adored by thousands of dogs and their people. All because of Gracie.
This book will make you laugh hard and it will make you cry even harder. Gracie goes through so much in her life, but all she ever does is show us how to handle it all with charm and grace. It's amazing what dogs can do, but even more amazing when they teach us how to be a better person. If you were to pick up any of these books I review.. This is in the Top Five of MUST. Please, please, PLEASE take the time to read this and you won't regret it.
In this book Maya Angelou relives events that have happened in the 80 years of her life, and reveals to you what she has learned from them. Whenever I read Maya Angelou I'm always lost in her words and beautiful poetic flow. I also borrowed the Audiobook from the library and to hear this amazing woman speak of her life lessons in her regal voice made it sink in so much more. She talks on several different items and it's amazing what she has taken from every person she's ever met.
I can't talk much more about this book without giving away all the best parts! There is nothing about this book that I can complain about. Angelou never fails to deliver and in this book she delivers a message as well: life is nothing unless you take something away from every situation. Maya Angelou is able to look at every mistake as a lesson and does her best to never regret any of them. This is the beginning and probably my favorite part because even in this book Angelou is always teaching us that no matter what we are all equal and important:
"I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian and Spanish-speaking, Native American and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you"
Jane is a little girl that's living a lonely life with a mother that's never there. So like most little children, she creates and imaginary friend. Michael is her only friend, and is a handsome, charming, and funny man that never leaves her feeling alone. Every Sunday Jane's mother takes her to look at jewelry at Tiffany's and they always stop to get ice cream afterwards. Jane's mother, a Broadway producer, is always too busy so they never stay long, but it's still a tradition that little Jane adores because it's the only time she spends with her mother. Sadly, on Jane's ninth birthday, Michael has to go "to where Imaginary Friends go" and tells Jane she'll never seen him again. He comforts her by telling her she will forget him, so there will be no sorrow in her loss.
Fast forward about twenty-five years, Jane is still trying to get close to her mother. A successful playwright, Jane shouldn't want for anything. However, she's still as lonely as ever and every day her mother becomes more and more overbearing. Then she sees a man that looks just like Michael....
An amazing, beautiful story. I had never read any James Patterson books before this but the title and tag line reeled me in so fast that I bought it the moment I found it. It was completely different from anything that I have ever read, and I found myself relating to Jane so much. While she and I have very different lives, I was able to understand how lonely she was and that all she craved was someone who cared for her. I can't say much more without giving anything away.. but it's a definate must-read and one that will leave you longing for the connections that Jane craves as well.
It is well-known that pets can have a huge impact on your happiness and well-being. Dewey the Library Cat, proves it. In this biography/autobiography, Vicky Myron opens p a world of wonder for any and all animal lovers. I call this book a biography/autobiography because it is set with the main focus on Dewey and his amazing ability to touch even the toughest of farmers living in the hard times of an economic decline in a small town Iowa farming community. However, Vicky Myron also allows us insight to her life as well. Hers is a life that has seen much hardship and grief.
"On a cold January morning in 1988, Vicky Myron came into her beloved library and while warming up in the lounge with a fellow librarian, she heard an unusual sound coming from their book-drop. The two women inspected the large metal bin and found a tiny yellow kitten huddling behind books and shivering from the harshwinter wind coming through the slot. The pads on his tiny feet were frostbitten, he was so dirty they had originally thought his coat to be colored gray, and he was extremely emaciated. Vicky gave him a warm bath and wrapped him in a towel where this kitten did a miraculous thing... He laid in her arms like a baby and looked into her eyes and said Thank you. Not literally, of course, but Vicky just knew that was what he would have had he been able to. Then began a whirlwind of 20 years: the library board of trustees finally agreed to let him stay, and a contest held to name the tiny kitten dubbed him Dewey Readmore Books. In return, Dewey opened the community up and brought them closer together."
It was a time in Iowa that farmers couldn't afford their land and the weather was onlyhindering farming more and more. Generations of farms were being sold to large factories and plants and the families had to find new ways of supporting themselves. Vicky Myron did her part by researching job help information, ordering the latest books on job safety, resume building, and so on. She also managed to get a used computer for the community to come and build their resumes on. Most of the farmers that came into the library were reserved and broken, but Dewey always managed to get a smile out of them at least once. He was never pushy, and he was never needy.. but he would let them know that he was there and then be on his way to find someone else who needed his help.
Dewey's Job Description
1. Reducing stress for all humans who pay attention to him
2. Sitting by the door every morning at 9:00 am to greet the public as they enter the library
3. Sample all boxes that enter the library for security problems and comfort level
4. Attending all meetings in the Round Room as official library ambassador
5. Providing comic relief for staff and visitors whenever possible
6. Climbing in book bags and briefcases while patrons are studying or trying to receive papers underneath him
7. Generating free national and world-wide publicity for Spencer Public Library
(This entails sitting still for photographs, smiling for the camera and generally being cute)
8. Working towards status as being the world most finicky cat by refusing all but the most
expensive, delectable foods--- and even turning his nose up at those most of the time.
I absolutely ADORED this book.. Vicky Myron brings you into her world and describes Dewey's antics with such amazing ability that I felt as though I was standing right beside her. I honestly picked up this book just because of the cover but didn't expect much from it. I mean, really... it's a book... about a CAT. I love books and cats! Don't get me wrong, but I wasn't sure how a biography about one would be. Dewey was definitely more than a cat, he became a mascot to the town. Dewey was the one thing this town all had in common with each other and it brought them so much closer together in a time of need. He even touched the rest of the world.. people came from JAPAN to film him for a documentary! And while this book is a biography of Dewey, Vicky Myron also lets you into her life. She has been through so much: a divorce, a major illness, and trials that come with having a teenage daughter. When she thought that things were finally rock bottom, Dewey would "speak" to her and bring her back to reality. Dewey had a way of communicating and Vicky Myron allows us to feel it as well in her wonderful way with words. I would DEFINITELY suggest this to any reader and it is something that will touch your heart. I laughed out loud several times and I cried twice.... And emotional read and so hard to put down! I promise that this book will warm your heart! :)
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking time to read my blog! I'm just starting out so you might have to bear with me while I get a cache of books to review. I've got a few ready to go, I'll get those wrote up and released as soon as possible!
Secondly, a little about me! I've only been a blogger since the first quarter of this year.. and I'm VERY new to it! I have a personal random blog for my own enjoyment, but I'm not very regular with it because I don't have a lot of personal randomness to share everyday since I'm pretty boring! :) However, I have been keeping up on a lot of other blogs and my favorites are all the book blogs out there! (Personal favorites being And Another Book Read... and anotherpageisused, check them out!) So I'm not trying to step on anyone's territory or out-do anyone. The blogs that I follow are WAY more advanced than I am and I don't think I could EVER top them! I just know that the more book blogs out there, the less likely it is for readers to not be able to find a review for the book they want to read! I know that I have read books that I've not found any reviews for so I thought I'd throw in my hat and help cover all the AMAZING books that are out there! I'll try to keep you updated on what I'm reading and what to expect and if you have any suggestions or request feel free to drop me a note! I love ANY and ALL feedback you can give me! And don't be afraid to give some constructive critiscism or debates if you feel the need. I feel that we can all be better than we are and there's nothing wrong with a good debate!
Thirdly, my book selection is broad and random. It ranges from teen to adult, romance to biography and I'm always up for new suggestions! If you have some feel free to let me know! A bare blog is a boring one!
Thanks for reading and ich werde in Berührung sein!! (ten points for translating or guesses on what language, and no cheating! Guesses are more fun!)
In November of 1987, Dan Dye found Gracie tripping over her feet and struggling to get his attention. For an albino, deaf Great Dane, Gracie was unfortunately not the most attractive or desirable dog ever.. but she was the most amazing.
