Best Dog and Cat Book of the Year

I usually post my reviews of different books on Wednesday.  I won't be able to post tomorrow, so I am writing about books today.  Also, I realized that the next two Wednesdays the library will be closed for holidays.  So, I decided to unveil my choice for the best dog and cat books I read this year.  The dog book was a hard decision.  There were two contenders.  The cat book was an easy winner.

Best Dog Book of the Year

The best dog book I read this year was "Katie Up and Down the Hall" written by Glenn Plaskin.  This book was about how a dog brought three sets of people together who may not have otherwise know each other.  When Katie came into Glenn's life, one of Glenn's friends told him about a woman who lived on Glenn's floor who was experienced with Cocker Spaniels.  Glenn went over to meet Pearl, and a great friendship developed.  Later, Glenn met Ryan and John through Katie.  All of these individuals became close friends and spent many hours helping each other through the ups and downs of life.  In a real sense, they became a family.  This book also deals with the events of September 11.  Glenn, Pearl and Katie lived in a building very near the World Trade Center.  When the buildings were attacked, Glenn, Katie and Pearl had to evacuate.  With the collapse of the towers, Glenn and Katie were separated from Pearl.  I'll let you read the book to find out how everything worked out.  This is the second best dog book that I have ever read next to "Maya's First Rose" by Martin Scot Kosins. 

Best Cat Book of the Year

The best cat book that I read in 2013 was "Pawprints in the Moonlight" by Denis O'Connor.  This is the best cat book that I have ever read.  One night, Denis hears a strange noise in the woods behind his cottage in Northumberland.  Even though it is a cold and snowy evening, Denis investigates and discovers a cat with its leg in a trap.  Denis releases the cat who runs away.  Denis follows the cat to an abandoned building and finds that the cat is the mother of two tiny kittens.  Denis takes the little family to the veterinarian, but there is nothing the vet can do.  One little black and white kitten is stronger than the other, so Denis decides to take him home and try to nurse him to health.  This is exactly what he does, and Denis names the cat Toby Jug.  Toby Jug and Denis have some wonderful adventures during their first year together.  Their great adventure is a horse riding expedition through the Cheviots.  I think that this is a really wonderful book that is well-written.  The writing style reminds me in some ways of the style of my all-time favorite writer James Herriot.  For those who are reading this blog in places outside of the United States, the book is called "Paw Tracks in the Moonlight".

Well, those are my selections.  If someone else has a dog or cat book that they thought was the best of the year, please share it in the comments section.