This year I wanted to make a special list featuring books I read and loved with dogs at the heart of the stories. These six books will all be on my ultimate Best Books of 2019 list next week, but I wanted to give them a special shout out today and recognize the wonderful dogs that graced their pages. To be fair, I’m listing these in alphabetical order! You can click on the titles to read my reviews. Here are six dog-centric stories that are must-reads:
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher. It’s right there in the title, although I have to say the title is slightly deceiving (but I won’t spoil things by telling you why!) This book gave me so many feels, I’m getting goosebumps just writing these words. Dog companions: Jip and Jess.
Deception Cove by Owen Laukkanen. I knew from the blurb that there was a service dog in this story, but I didn’t know she would grab my heart the way she did. This is a terrific start to a mystery series featuring a vet with PTSD who is given a service dog to help her cope. Dog companion: Lucy.
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton. There’s sweet Dennis right there on the cover! This book blew me away with its originality, heart and wisdom. I’m still shell shocked from the reading experience (in a good way) and I can’t wait to read more from Kira Jane Buxton. Zombies, crows, dogs, orangutans and much more, this was a special treat. Dog companions: Dennis and Cinnamon.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. I had no idea a wonderful dog companion lurked in the pages of this book, until I started reading. I love happy surprises like that! This imaginative portal fantasy is about a girl named January who takes off on an adventure with her dog in order to find her missing father. Dog companion: Bad.
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher. Here is another book with a surprise dog companion. A woman agrees to clean out the house of her recently deceased grandmother in backwoods North Carolina, but gets more than she bargained for when she arrives, trusty Redbone Coonhound at her side. Dog companion: Bongo.
The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan. This book has so many wonderful layers and characters, and I’m happy to report that the main character Barrie and her dog have a special connection. Dog companion: Willow.
This is such a fun bookish list! I’ve heard so many good things about A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, and I want to read The Twisted Ones and Louisa Morgan’s work, too. I’m currently reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Bad is so cute!
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Shelf Control #52 & Reading Right Now 18/12/19
I just love Bad, and I didn’t have any idea there was such a great dog in that book until I started reading:-)
This is a great list!
I don’t think I could read any of these though, dogs are my soft spot.
Me too, Nadine! These dogs are all OK at the end of the books. But if you’re really sensitive then you should probably avoid Hollow Kingdom:-(
Haaa, you and I were on the same wavelength with dogs and books, this week Tammy! I think I might want to pick The Witch’s Kind and Deception Cove as the ones — and doggos — who stick out to me on this list
Both are excellent!
You know- I only read The Ten Thousand Doors on this list (though a bunch of them are on the TBR) and I loved Bad. But I didn’t really read many other books with dogs in them. I think it’s a topic I avoid because I’m always worried something will happen to the dog. lol
I know what you mean, I only listed books where the dog is OK, except for Hollow Kingdom, but I had to list that because it’s just that good.
It’s funny because I’m rarely worried about what will happen to the characters. Unless they’re children. Then I avoid it. Adults are fair game. lol
Ha ha yes I don’t care so much about adults either!
I love coonhounds, and The Twisted Ones sounds exactly like the kind of book I enjoy. I feel like I NEED to read the book!
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…December To-Do’s for Writers
I hope you can read it, Prescilla, it’s a lot of fun:-)
Awww, yay for great dogs! I loved Boy & His Dog especially, but Bongo from The Twisted Ones was awesome, and I loved Ten Thousand Doors too. Now I need to read the rest on your list!
I was amazed how many great dog characters there are in SFF fiction, I guess I never realized until I thought about it.
I have Deception Cove on my list because of your review… I’ll fit it in somewhere!
It’s great, Paul! And there’s a sequel coming out next year, so it’s worth reading.
Got a gift card today… decisions, decisions!!!
Ooh, now here’s a list I didn’t know I desperately needed! I loved Bad from The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and of course Jip and Jess are great! I totally forgot about the dog in The Witch’s Kind, but I loved Willow. 🙂 I’ve been wanting to check out The Twisted Ones, so now I’m even more motivated to.
The Twisted Ones was such a surprise, I hope you can read it:-)
More books for my list! These all sound great. I’ve been wanting to read Hollow Kingdom and A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World for some time now
Oh my gosh, I hope you get to read both of them, they are excellent:-)
Oooh, I love this list! I’m reading The Twisted Ones in January for a group read and now I’m even more excited!!
I hope you love it, Laurie! It’s so good:-)
Yes, this was a year for the dogs! I loved Mouse, and I had a feeling I’d see Hollow Kingdom on here as well because Dennis iwas amazing 🙂
I’m looking forward to doing better tagging next year so I can list even more dog books, because I think I forgot some:-)
Well now do I even have to say how much I love this list. I have a similar list planned for favorite animals in books I’ve read this year. DENNIS! I want a Dennis 🙂 And a ST would be rather fun as well. WONDERFUL LIST!
I want a Dennis too!!!
I only read A Boy and His Dog from your list, but I’m happy to see it at the top of the sequence, because it’s one of those stories that stay with you long after you go past the words “the end”. 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Vorkosigan Saga: DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY, by Lois McMaster Bujold
Definitely, I can still conjure up the feelings I had after I read it:-)
I adore dogs and several of these books are already on my TBR so I’m thrilled to hear they’re dog-centric.
And in all of them, you can rest assured that the dog is OK! (Except Hollow Kingdom, which broke my heart but it still was worth reading:-))
OMG, this is the BEST list idea! Bad is a very good boy and an excellent dog.
Caitlin G. recently posted…Top Five Books That Released in 2019
He is! Next year I’m going to keep better track of dog books because I feel like I forgot some important ones:-)
I’ve yet to read any of these, but Hollow Kingdom and The Ten Thousand Doors of January (I love that cover) are ones I’d very much like to.
todd recently posted…The Inspiration of Books
You can’t go wrong with either one:-)
Gonna have to read some of these. I did a similar list last year, you might find some good ideas there…https://wp.me/p3z9AH-3JB
HC recently posted…46% Better Than Dave by Alastair Puddick: Dave meets a better version of himself
Great list, HC! There are definitely some books I want to check out:-)
So glad A Boy and His Dog made your list, I loved that book 🙂
I’ve wanted to read Ten Thousand Doors for a while already. A dog companion definitely puts it further up the endless TBR pile 😀
Pages and Tea recently posted…Booking Ahead: December 2019
I did not even know about the dog before I started reading Ten Thousand Doors, so it was a happy surprise:-)
A Boy and His Dog, I loved that book SO MUCH. Also, I really need to read more Kingfisher! Great list!
Thanks Lisa! I might need to do a reread of A Boy and His Dog:-)
Yay for having some lovely new favourites this year! I haven’t read any of these before but I do really want to read The Ten Thousand Doors of January and it seems like it is going to be such a good read for me 😀
Olivia Roach recently posted…The Space We’re In [Book Review]
I hope you get the chance to read it, it’s wonderful!
This is a genius list! Thank you for all these recommendations!! 😀
Mayri recently posted…Fun for Monday: A to Z for Book Bloggers
Thanks Mayri! I hope you get to read some of these:-)
Oh I had no idea that there was a dog in the ten thousand doors of january. I’m even more excited to read that now.
Annemieke recently posted…Have I Read the Books From My Christmas Hauls Since Blogging?
Yes! I didn’t know either, but he’s a very important part of the story:-)
What a great idea I bet Barb loves this too.
Lynn