* In fact, she had me in 2012, when she published the dog** parody of Poe's "The Raven." I'll have you know, I am still finding (under layers of dusty dog hair) dried up remnants of my blown mind in the crevices around my computer desk.
** The dog in the Poe parody is named Kekoa, an endearing black lab rescue, who also has a prominent role in the book.
by Dr. Jessica Vogelsang
From the publisher: "ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN is a humorous and touching memoir that will appeal to anyone who has loved an animal or lost hours in James Herroit's classic veterinary stories."
I wouldn't know about the James Herroit thing; I've not lost even a minute in his stories (simply because they've never before crossed my path to read). But I will say this: if Herroit's writing is anything like Dr. Vogelsang's, I'd be smart to click over to the Kindle store as soon as this review is published!
My summary of ALL DOGS GO TO KEVIN: A memoir (meaning real-life, first-person life story/non-fiction) about a self-described nerdy female human who discovers - among other things - she's an animal person (after getting a dog as a kid), grows up, eventually gets married, goes to vet school, has some kids, and gets a job. Oh, and she gets a couple other dogs and a cat along the way, and learns a bunch of poignant lessons (from her dogs) about the life-altering love of animals. (Bam!)
Oh, and *full disclosure* some pets die. And maybe a person. And there are some really gross scenes in a morgue (unless you're a pathologist, and enjoy morgues. Speaking of morgues, Dr. V, what the heck was in that bag?! No, really, I need to know).
Wait a second.
What kind of lame review is this, anyway? I'm trying to convince you to READ this book, right?!
Oh. Kay.
So, it's really funny (I awkwardly cackled and snorted a few times at my neighborhood pool). And I rushed to tell my husband a few of the crazy vet clinic stories.
I also sobbed (in between snort fests at the neighborhood pool), but not because anyone died (I misted a little when those happened). I sobbed because *I* (from about age 12) wanted to go to vet school, too - was accepted and enrolled in a pre-veterinary track at N.C. State University, even. But at the last possible minute - and as a complete surprise - I received an appointment to attend a military academy (100% free education), which started me on a life trajectory as far from veterinary medicine as I could imagine.*** My point being, parts of the book were emotionally hard on me. But I'm better for it, you know? A little ugly cry (while submerged in the 5-ft section of one's pool) can be incredibly cathartic. Also, shedding tears underwater is odd (like my face was all squished up and stuff, but I couldn't feel anything coming out of my eyes. Never mind☺).
*** Until five years ago, when I acquired two corgis, and installed a revolving door on my house for abandoned and misfit cats. Then those events serendipitously necessitated my beginning this blog, with which I have realized my previously repressed dream of being an animal-related comedy writer.
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| Random, subliminal message meme. |
OK, people. Whether you need further persuasion or you're like me, and have a tendency to skim straight to the bullets in blog posts, you're in luck: take a look at this list and see if you (or someone you know well enough to pass a book to) fits any of these types. If yes, then you should probably go ahead and read the book.
People Types Who Should Read "All Dogs Go to Kevin":
- Ladies who work in jobs that require occasional bending, stooping and lifting of large, often squirmy, items.
- People who have had to pick up, wipe/scrub off, smell or look at poop which is not their own.
- Those who've had (or plan to have) babies and dogs at the same time.
- Crossword puzzle and Scrabble fans (you're gonna learn some new words****).
- People who've ever taken a pet to the vet.
- People who've ever been teased.
- Busy people who only have a couple hours a day, if that, to read a book (this one is a page-turner).
- Anyone who's ever wondered about the presence of pets in the hereafter.
**** Including (unless you already know it) "sonorous." (Note: If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you might recall I once denounced the word and refused to speak it aloud in public. Well, as of today, I retract that statement. HOWEVER, I still strongly recommend never using it as your dog's name.)
So, did you recognize yourself (or anyone else) in that list??
Well, hold on a minute! Before you run off to Amazon, the publisher is giving away a hardcover book to one of my readers (who's based in the US or Canada)! Yay!
To enter, LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the name and breed/species of your first (cherished) pet! (Mine was my Siamese cat, Thomas, whom I got when I was in kindergarten.) Once you do, click the Rafflecopter widget (below) and record your entry (I'll use the Rafflecopter to randomly select the winner). One entry per person, please!
Good luck!
(I'll announce the winner on Facebook and Twitter, the morning after the contest closes.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So, did you recognize yourself (or anyone else) in that list??
Well, hold on a minute! Before you run off to Amazon, the publisher is giving away a hardcover book to one of my readers (who's based in the US or Canada)! Yay!
To enter, LEAVE ME A COMMENT with the name and breed/species of your first (cherished) pet! (Mine was my Siamese cat, Thomas, whom I got when I was in kindergarten.) Once you do, click the Rafflecopter widget (below) and record your entry (I'll use the Rafflecopter to randomly select the winner). One entry per person, please!
Good luck!
(I'll announce the winner on Facebook and Twitter, the morning after the contest closes.)
