I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship / Wade Rouse

Expected publication: September 6th 2011 by NAL Trade.

* In compliance with FTC guidelines, it should be noted that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Imagine me saying this in a sing-song voice:  “I looooove it!!!”

From the hilariously sweet foreword from Chelsea Handler‘s dog, Chunk, to the very last essay, this anthology put a smile on my face at every page turn.  This book has twenty essays from twenty different writers/dog owners.  TWENTY tales that will definitely warm your heart, brighten up your day, make you laugh out loud and say, “Yes, I do that too!”

I am a dog person and currently dogless so this made me want to get a four-legged best friend as soon as possible.  I mean, how can you say no to adorable eyes looking straight at you, almost pleading to walk with you to a loving home?  I get chills just thinking about it.  The stories about adopting a dog were so touching and it is a helpful look at what happens AFTER an adoption. I particularly like “Dogs are the New Children” by Jen Lancaster.  Because they are.  Couples decide not to have children but they get dogs.  Then the attention they would’ve showered on a child would be placed upon their pet.  Alice Bradley’s “Menage a Dog” talks a bit about that too.

The essays about how their dogs helped them in their lives.  The very touching “Walking My Dog Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death is a Nice Way to Start the Day” by Bob Smith had me in tears.  As well as “The Little Rascal” by Beth Harbison.  I just… love how the authors wrote about their dogs with so much love and appreciation.  Another one of my favorites is “Are You A Rascal or a Ringo?” by Jeff Marx (I love Avenue Q).  It shows how dogs are not just their owner’s friend, but can be to other dogs as well.

If I had to pick ONE favorite, it has to be “A Dog Day of Summer” by W. Bruce Cameron.  HI-LAR-IOUS.  If this is any indication, I cannot get my hands on his book A Dog’s Purpose.  I loved it so much, I read it twice in a row.  Then passed it to my mom and she was laughing out loud too.  A close second would have to be “Scratching at My Door, Tail Between his Legs” by Caprice Crane.  It has WIN written all over it.  I mean, imagine an ex-boyfriend asking for visitation rights for your dog?  WIN!

It would’ve been great to see photos of the dogs with their owners.  You know, to put a face to the name.  A lot of people know who Chunk Handler is but to see Cindy, Maisy, Boz, Rascal, Maeby, and Bridget would have been fantastic.

Rating: 5/5.

Recommendation: Dog lovers!  Pet lovers!  Hell, I want EVERYONE to sit down and read this while your pet is frolicking on the grass with his/her friends.

Get your copy here.