books, movies, music & more... OUR FAVORITE DOG-THEMED BOOKS FOR SUMMER/FALL READING
The books we’ve selected for review are set in three very different towns, each location playing a significant role. While in our real worlds, travel plans may have been postponed or cancelled, that doesn’t mean we aren’t able to get away. With a little help from some fun, light-hearted reading, being transported to another place is actually pretty easy and satisfy- ing. All three of the books offer up some really good story-telling. So, pour yourself something
cool and refreshing, make sure the dogs are nearby, and prepare for your fantastical journey. The Magnolia Sisters by
Michelle Major is set in Magnolia, North Carolina. It’s a sweet and messy love story, in that the book’s protagonist, Avery Keller, is living life on the rocks, but she hasn’t hit rock bottom. After leaving a bad relationship in California, Avery travels to Magnolia to help settle the estate of a father she never knew with her two half sisters she never knew about either. Their father left behind debt, an art gallery, and a run down mansion with plenty of memories to uncover. Grayson Atwell, a handsome firefighter, is divorced and takes care of his little girl, Violet. Avery, Grayson and Violet don’t hit it off very well, but that’s where the fun begins. Oh, and there is a rescue dog, whom Avery fosters and also falls in love with. Uncomplicated, predictable and
fun, The Magnolia Sisters is the first in a series by Major. The Magnolia Sisters By Michelle Major HQN Books
Where The Magnolia Sisters was a predictable story,
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, by Beth Morrey, is anything but. Everything from the descriptions of the London, England neighborhood, where Missy lives, to the character developments, made it difficult to put the book down. Finishing it was even harder for this reader, who just did not want the journey to end.
70 THE NEW BARKER Missy, whose beloved hus-
band is no longer with her, is living alone and frightened by what she believes is in store for her. A friend brings over another friend’s dog who is in need of being looked after for a few months. The dog’s name is Bob and she (yes, she) is a mutt, described by Missy as looking like a small Alsatian. “I’ve never been keen on
dogs,” says Missy. “Too dim and needy. What would I want with a dog, for goodness’ sake? I was far too old. Dogs were smelly, stupid creatures, always bounding off to sniff disgusting things.” Of course, Missy finds out
otherwise about dogs when she reluctantly takes in Bob. Her lonely world begins to come alive again as she starts going out with Bob in tow. She rediscovers things and makes new friends. “I’d met a number of other dog walkers who were friendly
and full of advice, wildly contradicting one another as they offered their words of wisdom,” said Missy. This is truly a love story, not a dog
story. A dog just happens to be one of the book’s main characters. One para- graph will have the reader laughing. Then, three paragraphs down, crying at the heartache described on the pages of the book. How is it that mere written words,
staring up from a page, can make a reader fall in love with someone she has never met? It’s such a beautifully written story that I actually hugged the book upon finishing it. I just did not want to let go of the story.
“To Bobby, everything was black and white. If I left, it was forever; when I came back, it was for good. She worked in a world of absolutes,”
said Missy. From The Love Story of Missy Carmichael By Beth Morrey G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Random House
www.TheNewBarker.com
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