Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

Review Update: as of today (6/21) Following Atticus has made one the New York Times Best Seller Lists!


I am not a wordsmith. After teaching K-12 art for thirty years, I can safely say visuals are more my style. I only write about books if they personally moved me.  Following Atticus touched me.

Atticus caught my eye at our school’s spring book fair. The little dog on the cover looked pretty snazzy in his red, white and black Muttluks. The back blurb described this overweight journalist who climbed all these mountains with this little guy. I like dogs (heck, we have six) and have rarely seen a mountain (been to the Rockies three times), so I thought I would give it a read.

“Never judge a book by its cover,” they say. In this case, the book did not disappoint.

This twenty-pound Schnauzer and best bud, Tom Ryan, mountain-climbed mostly during the winter. The mountains are mostly background ( for stories about love, friendship, redemption, forgiveness, letting go, becoming at peace with oneself, and following dreams. I probably missed something. And parts of this story will probably cause you to weep.

Do I recommend this book? Yes, whole heartily. You can find it on Amazon but if you want to support independent bookshops, please go the White Birch Bookstore. If you want, Tom Ryan will sign your book. 

A Few Following Atticus Links

Tom Ryan's blog, The Adventures of Tom and Atticus 

Following Atticus's Facebook page 

White Birch Book Store, Conway, NH.

We are participating in two blog hops today, Thoughtless Thursday and Barks and Bytes. Check out the other blogger's link up down below. 

That's it for today, Terri and the Pack

Book Review-A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog's Purpose

A Novel for Humans

by W. Bruce Cameron

W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans is a wonderful read, leaving me smiling at times, crying at others. This is a story about a dog and his quest across multiple lifetimes to find purpose in life.

Bailey, his name for an important part of the story, is reincarnated three times after a short first life. I am not going to say much more and risk spoiling the story for you--unlike some other  blogger/reviewers. (Be forewarned about checking out other reviews. A few are downright spoilers. I hope you can take my word that not a single reviewer I came across disliked the book. Cameron really is a superb writer.)

Eventually all the lives are woven together. Things fit.

I started this book and pretty much didn’t put it down until I was finished. I kept on crying though. If you have a heart, you will need tissues. You will go around and hug all your animals after this one.

I predict that you won’t be forgetting doodle dog and his boy for a while.

This book was published in 2010 and was on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Click here to see new and used copies on Amazon.