Words on Pets: Seven reads for animal lovers of all ages and interests
We’re always on the lookout for great animal books. Whether your leisure reading leans toward mystery, feel-good stories or nonfiction, we’ve found some books that are perfect for curling up with your favorite cat or dog and getting lost in a world of words.
In “The Hiding Place,” Afghanistan veteran Mercy Carr is looking forward to her grandmother’s wedding at a tony Vermont inn — until her mother shows up demanding that Mercy either take over teaching the promised yoga sessions at the wedding venue or find missing spa director Bodhi St. George, who vanished in the night. Mercy and her retired bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois, Elvis, succeed in finding St. George — wounded — before he disappears again. Author Paula Munier masterfully orchestrates suspense, danger, past crimes and family drama — with Elvis playing a pivotal role — to bring about a satisfying but perhaps not unsurprising resolution.
You know it’s going to be a good read when the dog has you laughing on the first page. I’m not always a fan of books in which the dog talks, but the Chet and Bernie series has long been a favorite. As Stephen King said, “Spencer Quinn speaks two languages — suspense and dog — fluently.” Chet (the dog) and Bernie (the detective) are partners in the Little Detective Agency, and their latest case, in “Bark to the Future,” has them seeking the whereabouts of a missing man who was Bernie’s high school baseball teammate, with only a mysterious switchblade as a clue. Murder ensues, and Bernie learns that the past isn’t dead — it’s not even past. Will he and Chet be able to scent out the answers before it’s curtains for them?
Dogs are often a mystery to us, but in his new book “Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine,” Marc Bekoff takes readers from A (starting with “abnormal behavior”) to Zoomies in an encyclopedic look at the whys and hows of dogs. It includes facts such as the number of living canid species (36); science, including the canine ability to do math; and answers to common and not-so-common questions people have about dogs. A foreword by Jane Goodall and whimsical illustrations by singer and dog lover Joan Baez complete the package.
Apparently, people have even more questions about cats because there are two new books on understanding our feline overlords. In “Being Your Cat: What’s Really Going on in Your Feline’s Mind,” authors Celia Haddon and veterinarian Daniel Mills take readers on an engaging tour of what it might be like to be a cat, based on the latest scientific research in feline cognition and physiology. It’s a valuable asset for both new and experienced cat lovers.
In witty, entertaining prose, cat-loving evolutionary biologist Jonathan B. Losos looks at the rise of cats from the earliest feline ancestor to the saber-toothed tiger to the little lions who have conquered our sofas and hearts in “The Cat’s Meow.” “Cats,” he writes, “are a great example of evolutionary diversification.” Early domestic cats looked a lot like their progenitors, African wildcats, but starting about 2,000 years ago, they began showing greater diversity in appearance. Chapters address the differences and similarities between wild and domestic cats, social behavior, breed development, color genetics, tracking studies and more.
Old dogs are special, and in her award-winning book “Extraordinary Old Dogs,” Laura Greaves shares the joys of living with them and their remarkable capacity for inspiring us, loving us and simply surviving against all odds. “Loving an old dog is different, certainly, but it is a unique and beautiful chapter in the story of their life,” Greaves writes.
Cats provide equally heart-warming reads in “A Cat Named Fatima: Tales of 23 Cats and the People Who Loved Them.” The collection, by veterinarian James Kenyon, highlights the devotion and humor in feline relationships with people. It earned a well-deserved nomination from the Cat Writers Association’s annual writing competition.
— Kim Campbell Thornton
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker. Pet Connection is produced by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, journalist Kim Campbell Thornton, and dog trainer/behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. ©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Pet Connection: Read books about pets to learn more or just enjoy
