Dog-gone good reads: 10 books for dog lovers
If dogs are man's best friends, books are a close second.
These books about loyal canines and loveable pups will charm, delight and have you reaching for tissues. Curl up with your favorite, or take it for a long walk.
This list is by no means complete — there's many more in the pack! Add your favorite furry reads in the comments below. (If you add "Cujo," though, I have some questions.)
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10 great books about dogs
1) "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Grab the whole box tissues before you pick up this childhood classic — one won't be enough. The book follows young Billy, who saves his money to buy two hound puppies, Old Dan and Little Ann. The three become inseparable, hunting in the woods of the Ozarks. The only thing the hounds can't sniff out, however, is a happy ending.
2) "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo
When lonely 10-year-old Opal finds a big, ugly dog in the Winn-Dixie grocery store, it's the start of a long, furry friendship. The dog, who she names after the store, charms the town and helps Opal find a way to fit in.
3) "Timbuktu" by Paul Auster
This novella is told from the point of view of a dog, Mr. Bones, as he narrates the last days of his dying owner's life. The two take a final journey together to Baltimore, and Mr. Bones thinks back on their life together.
4) "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
London's four-pawed adventure story is one of the oldest and most beloved entries in the dog book genre. When Buck is dog-napped from his home in California and forced into service as a sled dog in Canada, it's only the beginning of a tale that includes a gold rush, a wolf pack and a human-dog bond that not even death can break.
5) "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein
Here's another entry in the "narrated by a dog" category. Enzo is the beloved pet of race car driver Denny Swift, and he's determined to be reincarnated as a human in his next life. This book captured the hearts of thousands of dog lovers — it sat on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 150 weeks.
6) "Dog Years" by Mark Doty
Dog books and tissues go hand in hand, it seems. Doty's memoir about adopting a golden retriever as a companion for his dying partner is a beautiful meditation on love and loss.
7) "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
Burnford's classic book, based on the true story of two dogs and a cat who banded together to survive the Canadian wilderness, has spawned two beloved family films: 1963's "The Incredible Journey" and 1993's "Homeward Bound."
8) "Dogs" by Catherine Johnson and William Wegman
The Internet may have made dog videos a phenomenon, but people loved snapping photos of their pets long before social media. Johnson and Wegman's book contains more than 450 vintage photographs of dogs in all kinds of settings.
9) "Floss" by Kim Lewis
"Floss" is the story of a city dog who must learn to adapt to life in the country when she's adopted by a farmer. Floss settles into life on the farm and learns how to round up sheep.
10) "Harry the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion
Harry the dog will do anything to avoid a bath — even make a break for it. One day he runs off before bath time and ends up so dirty not even his family can recognize him.