Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge

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So, it is 2 AM. I cannot sleep because the day was really bad, so I get to thinking, what can I do with myself. (And, yes, that is me in the picture at right... It's old, so I don't necessarily look the same. For starters, I have different glasses. It was also back when my house consisted of four cats and a dog.) I am going to have a reading challenge, that's what. I don't know if I get enough readers to my blog to have a large turnout, but regardless, the challenge can very easily just be for me. (Just so you know, the title is subject to change... I am not really at my most creative right now.)

If people plan to join in, here is the run down:1. This challenge is in memory of my four-legged friend. I have put down four animals this year, and they were all very loyal animals. Sandy was the hardest because she was my best friend. I know they say 'mans' best friend, but that is sexist, she was my best friend.

2. In memory of Sandy, this challenge will begin on September 20th. That was the day that I brought Sandy home for the very first time. Then, I had to come up with an end date. Three months puts it too near Christmas, so we are going to have a weird end date: February 26th. That was Shelby, Sandy's older sisters, birthday. So, the challenge runs for 5 months.

3. The books? Read books that have animals as the main character or an important character. They do not have to believable, in other words if they talk that is fine, but let's keep it with animals of the 21st-century. I am a huge fan of fantasy, but in other words, let's leave the dragons out of this one. So, the animal does not have to be the main character, but they have to play an important enough role that you remember them afterwards. The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks, for example. It is one of my favourite books because of the dog. And, no, this is not a dog challenge, other animals count as well. (Authors like Robin Hobb and Philip Pullman also count.)

4. The aim? 3-5 books. Page limit does not matter, so if you read a picture book to your child at night and it is Bambi, count it. The point is just to honour our four-legged friends. Do the animals have to have four legs? No. If you want to read a book about a monkey and count it, go for it. When you read a book, review it in some manner on your blog and then I am not sure. If get a lot of participants, I will start a blog for it, if I don't get a lot of participants, then just be sure and comment on my blog and say that you reviewed or make a wrap up post before February 26th and post the link in my comments.

5. The prize? I have five months to figure that out. I figure it will probably be a book, likely something like Marley and Me because I really like that book and it reminds me of Sandy. There will be other things too, and they will all be Sandy inspired. All you have to do is read some books to be entered.

6. So, what now? Think about your lists, if you don't have them finished by the 20th, that is no big deal. You don't even have to have a list at all, just comment and let me know you are joining in. If you want to join after the 20th, that's fine, there is no deadline for joining in. I know the 20th is short notice, so I am being flexible.

7. The button... did I mention it is 2AM? If anyone gets ambitious and wants to make me one, I would be very thankful. If not, I will play around with photo shop in the next few days. I have done some thinking about the button, and you know what, I am not going to have one. You guys can be creative. You can either take the picture of Sandy with the snake or worm or whatever you want to call it in her mouth, or you can post a picture of your own pet, both living or deceased. As I say in the next section, this is supposed to be about your pets, not just mine. I think it will make it more special if people post their own.

8. Bonus portion: Think of this challenge in memory of your pets that have gone on before you or even those that are still alive. When you make your intro post, tell us something about your pet. Why they were special, some fun story, how much you miss them, etc. Posting pictures is also good. I like pets. Especially dogs, I am very much a dog person.

9. Now, I bet you are thinking, what does Sandy have to do with books? Everything! Some of my most special memories of me and Sandy are of her laying beside me while I read. At night before bed, in the afternoon on the couch, outside on the patio, etc. Me and Sandy spent a lot of time together that way, and I will always think about her when I read.

10.My suggested food while you are reading? Baby carrots. I used to much on carrots and never really think to give them to Sandy, but she loves them! So, baby carrots turned into half the bag for me and the other half for her. Actually, that's what I did with her for her last night. I ate carrots with her. She did not eat a lot, but I think baby carrots will always remind me of her.

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Date Completed: September 23, 2007
Pages: 272
Publication Year: 2007
Received from Random House.

Reason for Reading: Short-listed for the 2007 Booker Prize.

After the trouble starts and the soldiers arrive on Matilda’s island, only one white person stays behind. Mr. Watts, whom the kids call Pop Eye, wears a red nose and pulls his wife around on a trolley, and he steps in to teach the children when there is no one else. His only lessons consist of reading from his battered copy of Great Expectations, a book by his friend Mr. Dickens.

For Matilda, Dickens’s hero Pip becomes as real to her as her own mother, and the greatest friendship of her life has begun. Soon Mr. Watts’s book begins to inflame the children’s imaginations with dreams about Dickens’s London and the larger world. But how will they answer when the soldiers demand to know: where is this man named Pip?

Set against the stunning beauty of Bougainville in the South Pacific during the civil war in the early 1990s, Lloyd Jones’s breathtaking novel shows what magic a child’s imagination makes possible even in the face of terrible violence and what power stories have to fuel the imagination.

When this book was first put on the long-list for the Bookers, I was not sure if it was going to be something that I want to read, but I really like Great Expectations, so I thought I should see what I thought about this book. I am so glad that I did. There were a few moments during the book that I was not really sure about, but they all came together into one of the best books that I have read this year. I have only read one other Booker book, On Chesil Beach, so I am not in any place to judge this in the grand scheme of things, but if this book won I think it would deserve it.

Set on a South Pacific Island, civil war comes to play with a blockade that keeps the people on the island isolated from the outside world. For many people, this is how life is anyways, they do not go anywhere. With the blockade, the teachers have left the island, so the children are left with no schooling. There is one white man left on the island, he met an islander when she was in Australia and ended up coming to the island with her after she goes through some difficult periods in her life. He becomes the island teacher. Life is hard for these children, but when they are in the classroom with their teacher he transports them to Victorian England through the pages of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. These children are transformed, they are so captured by the novel that they think of Pip as a friend that they know.

Set during a war, there is a lot more than just a class reading a novel going on, and I think that Lloyd James does a wonderful job combining several themes. Told by an islander named Matilda, she captures an isolated world through the eyes of a young black girl that. until she is older, has never stepped off an island. Race issues are also at play during this novel.

This book was really good!

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda

Date Completed: September 22, 2007
Pages: 224
Publication Year: 2007
Received from Random House in 2007.

Reason for Reading: It was a must read after reading his other memoir, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, earlier this year.

On the heels of his acclaimed memoir, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, beloved actor and bestselling author Alan Alda has written Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, an insightful and funny look at some of the impossible questions he’s asked himself over the years: What do I value? What, exactly, is the good life? (And what does that even mean?)

Picking up where his bestselling memoir left off–having been saved by emergency surgery after nearly dying on a mountaintop in Chile–Alda finds himself not only glad to be alive but searching for a way to squeeze the most juice out of his new life. Looking for a sense of meaning that would make this extra time count, he listens in on things he’s heard himself saying in private and in public at critical points in his life–from the turbulence of the sixties, to his first Broadway show, to the birth of his children, to the ache of September 11, and beyond. Reflecting on the transitions in his life and in all our lives, he notices that “doorways are where the truth is told,” and wonders if there’s one thing–art, activism, family, money, fame–that could lead to a “life of meaning.”

In a book that is candid, wise, and as questioning as it is incisive, Alda amuses and moves us with his unique and hilarious meditations on questions great and small. Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself is another superb Alan Alda performance, as inspiring and entertaining as the man himself.

I do not know what it is about Alan Alda, but I have always liked him as an actor. I was not really around when M*A*S*H was on television, but yet I have always liked Alda. I watched him when he guest starred on ER and West Wing, watched reruns of his old show, and now I have read both of his memoirs. I am not even a big fan of comedians. I like humour that is believable, and for some reason I mostly find the humour on television what it is obviously is; fake. That is not to say that I do not laugh, I just do not necessarily like all the shows that other people like to make themselves laugh with.

This book takes place right where the last one leaves off, but it does not only talk about the couple of years following that experience, he goes back and talks about things that he did not mention in his previous books. He really does talk to himself in this book, and not in the way that makes people crazy, but by talking about speeches he has made throughout his career. Instead of just hearing what the audience heard, he interjects and talks about what he was thinking and why he said what he said. I have to say, some of his speeches were amazingly poignant, but yet funny at exactly the same time. This book will make you think while you laugh. It was also refreshing to see that me and Alan share some of the same ideals about how the world should be, and he is at least 40 years my senior.

He gives speeches at university convocations, and talks to the adults of tomorrow. He writes speeches for scientists, actors, and just regular people. He talks about his experiences with the 9/11 disaster, moments with his children and grandchildren, and other things that strike his fancy. He also talks about his wife, who he has been with for a great deal of time. I found this book very enjoyable, a nice balance of the serious with the humourous. I actually can say that I learned a lot from this book by thinking of it from a different perspective.

I recommend this book!

24-Hour Read-a-thon

So, I was not really the cheerleading type in high school, I usually stay away from activities that involve flips and dives, neither of which I am very good at, but Dewey has came up with a 'sport' that I can be a cheerleader and skip the short skirts! She is hosting a 24-Hour Read-a-thon, which is a very cool idea, I think! It is happening on October 20th, and you can go to her blog to learn all the details.

Why am I cheerleading instead of reading? Because I am lucky I know what I am doing tomorrow let alone in several weeks time, so cheer-leading is something I can do. So, if you do not think you can read for 24-hours, you can also promote, like I am doing, or be a cheerleader, like I am also doing.

Good luck to all the readers! I will likely read that day, but not for 24 hours.

I Knew This Was Going to Happen

Across the Universe, the movie I have been looking forward to for months did not open here this weekend! I have to drive at least an hour to find it, so I need to decide if it is worth that. This is so typical, I must have weird movie interests. Stardust was only here for a week so I did not get a chance to see that either. I am so disappointed.

Nevermind, I just searched and the only place Across the Universe is playing this weekend in Canada is British Columbia... And I went up to next week to see if it was opening next week, it does not look like it.

Giller-a-thon: Book Number 2: October by Richard B. Wright

Completion Date: September 20, 2007
Pages: 240
Publication Year: 2007 (Harper Collins)
Received in 2007 from Harper Collins

Reason for Reading: Another book in my attempt to read as many of the Giller-nominated books by the time the short list is announced on October 9th. I don't think I will get as many read as I had hoped, but I am aiming for ten out of the fifteen.

A new novel that Richard B. Wright's Clara Callan fans will adore, October effortlessly weaves a haunting coming-of-age story set in World War II Quebec with a contemporary portrait of a man still searching for answers in the autumn of his life.

In England to see his daughter, Susan, who is gravely ill, James Hillyer, a retired professor of Victorian literature, encounters by chance a man he once knew as a boy. Gabriel Fontaine, a rich and attractive American he met one summer during the war, when he was sent on a holiday to the Gaspé, is a mercurial figure, badly crippled by polio. As an adolescent, James was both attracted to and repelled by Gabriel's cocksure attitude and charm. He also fell hopelessly in love with Odette, a French- Canadian girl from the village, only to find himself in competition with the careless Gabriel. Now, at this random meeting over six decades later - as he struggles with the terrible possibility that he could outlive his own daughter - James is asked by Gabriel to accompany him on a final, unthinkable journey. At last, James begins to see that all beginnings and endings are inexorably linked.

A classic Richard B. Wright novel, defined by superb storytelling, subtle, spare writing and characters who travel psychological territory as familiar - and uncharted - as our own, October is an extraordinary meditation on mortality, childhood and memory.

I find it a bit interesting that the marketing for this book is saying that this is a book that Clara Callan fans will adore, or something along those lines. I am not saying that I do not like this book, I just liked Clara Callan way better. I think that is my problem with Wright, since he won the Giller and Governor General's Award for Clara Callan, none of his other books have been anywhere near as good. This book is better than others, but I am still waiting for him to rise above Clara Callan. That being said, I did like this book, just that if you are going to compare it to his previous Giller-nominated book that he went on to win for, I have to say it is found lacking.

This is a novel about an older man living out he last few years of his life. The book all takes place predominately in October, but there are flashback scenes to a summer when he is 14-years-old. In this October he receives a phone call from his middle-aged daughter with very bad news, setting in motion all the events that happen during the course of this book. His wife died in her 50's from cancer, and now it looks like his daughter is battling the same thing. When he goes to England to visit her, where she is a headmistress at a boarding school, he encounters memories from his past. All this happens because after he leaves his daughter, he decides to stop off in another England town that is very fond of and he runs into a man that he has not seen in 60 years.

Seeing this man for the first time in all those years leads him to think back to the summer where they met for the very first time. They have not seen each other since, but his friend is still very obviously him. He had polio as a child and is cooped up in a wheelchair, this has made a very cranky, proud, and self-centred individual. During the course of the book we learn what he was like then, but also get a taste of what he is like now. They meet under strange circumstances, and go on to travel to Switzerland together for even stranger ones. This book deals with a few moral issues, and not everyone that reads it will agree with what occurs.

Overall, not a bad book, but I liked Michael Ondaatje's book better. It is probably comparable with Helpless, though, a good book, but not as good as some of the books that have come before from the same author. Of course, the Giller's are not based on passed books, but I cannot help thinking of them like that. Even if I did not compare them to other attempts, I think that Ondaatje's the best so far. Next up is The Book of Negroes because I am waiting for the others to arrive in the mail. I was hoping for some today to read over the weekend, but looks like I am waiting for Monday.

Giller-a-thon: Book Number One: Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje

Completion Date: September 18, 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 273
Received from Random House in 2007

Reason for Reading: My attempt to read as many of the Giller-nominated books as possible before the short-list is announced.

Michael Ondaatje's eagerly anticipated new novel, Divisadero, unravels a haunting story that ranges from northern California to central France, introducing characters who become part of our own lives. Divisadero brings together all of the elements for which Michael Ondaatje's fiction is celebrated.

When I started this book earlier today, I was not sure if I was going to like it, but as the book got going I was hooked. It is probably obvious in the fact that I read it in a matter of hours. I have only read one other Michael Ondaatje book, but now I plan to move his other books up the the to-be-read pile. I immensely enjoyed this book.

I find myself trying to pinpoint why I was captured with this book, and it is hard to put my finger on it. I liked the writing style. Not too much description that you got bogged down, but not so little that you were not aware of what was going on. I really liked how all the little pieces came together and how the lives of the characters were related not just by knowing each other, but just by moments that occurred in more than one life. The most unrelated characters could be so much the same in just a few pages, surprising me in how they came together so easily.

This book starts out being about two sisters and their adopted handyman. He was never thought of as their brother, but their father did in fact bring him in and raise him. At the onset of a storm, though, this happy unity is destroyed and the characters are pushed out into the world to create their own stories. The two sisters, Claire and Anna, and the handyman, Cooper, would appear again to tell their stories. Their lives would become intertwined with other characters that would lead to more stories being told. In many ways, this is not a predicatable book at all. There is thought behind each line and sentence that goes far in making a very brilliant framework for a story that is only revealed to the reader as they flip through the pages.

This book is relatively short, just under 300 pages, but the reader gets the chance to be caught up in a story that I was very sad to see end. It will leave you thinking as you flip to the last page, and it will capture you in such a way that you do not want to put it down. Ondaatje is a literary genius in many ways, and I look forward to reading the rest of his books.

My Giller-a-thon is off to a very good start!

Other Reviews I Posted Recently:
A Book I Recommed: Baptism of Fire by Nathan Greenfield.
One I Do Not Recommend: Mademoiselle Victorine

Giller-a-Thon

Okay, so 'Booker-a-thon' sounds better, but I am more interested in the Giller list than I was in the Bookers. I still plan to read the Booker short-list, though, I notice that the two books I could not find before are now available on Amazon.ca.

Anyways, I always like the Giller Winners, so this year I thought I would try and read as much of the long-list as possible. I have already read Helpless by Barbara Gowdy. That was a must-read because I love The Romantic, one of her earlier books. It was a good book, but I think I would be very surprised if it won. The second book I am reading off the Giller list is Michael Ondaatje's book, Divisadero. I have read one Ondaatje before, In the Skin of the Lion, but I own his other books. Reading so far, though, I am not enraptured, so I don't know if it is good enough to win. I am still newly into it, though, so my thoughts can change.

After finishing Ondaatje I am going to move on to October by Richard Wright. I am worried. I really really liked Clara Callan by him, but then anything I have read since I have not really liked at all. I have been humming and hawing over whether I want to try again, but I have heard good things about October, so I am going to give it a try. Plus, October is one of my favourite months of the year, so why not read a book with it as the title. (October is my birthday month, the time of the leaves changing that we are sort of famous for, and Halloween.)

After that, we will have to see. I really want to read Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes. Then, some of the others I have either heard good things about or never even heard of before. Some of the authors I have been meaning to try for years, so this gives me an added push. Anyways, back to Ondaatje. Remember, two days until my reading challenge officially kicks off!

Now For All the Things I Wanted to Say Last Night

After posting about the death of Robert Jordan, I decided that was enough for last night, but now I do have a few things I was planning on saying. Three more days until the official start of the Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge. Do remember that if you decide to start after the 20th, you are very welcome!

Did anyone watch the Emmys last night? I thought it was alright, but the people I wanted to win did not win. And, where was CSI? Being a fan of that show, one of few shows I really enjoy, I was shocked that there were was no nominations for it last night! I hope this does not mean it is going to be going off the air after this year because I really like that show. And, can I just say that I thought Sally Field's speech was wonderful, she really is a great actress! I heard it was censored in some places, it was not here, so I got to hear the whole thing. The Sopranos man at the end of the show also made mention of it, though whether it was meant to be taken seriously or not I am not sure.

The Giller long-list was announced today. I am planning on trying and reading most of them. I have only read Helpless by Barbara Gowdy, so hopefully I can get through several of them between now and the 9th of October when the short-list is announced. I generally like Giller books, so I am excited with this undertaking. I should read more Canadian authors, anyways.

David Chariandy for his novel Soucouyant, Arsenal Pulp Press
		Sharon English for her collection of short stories Zero Gravity, The Porcupine’s Quill
		Barbara Gowdy for her novel Helpless, HarperCollins Canada
		Elizabeth Hay for her novel Late Nights on Air, McClelland & Stewart
		Lawrence Hill for his novel The Book of Negroes, HarperCollins Canada
		Paulette Jiles for her novel Stormy Weather, HarperCollins Canada
		D.R. MacDonald for his novel Lauchlin of the Bad Heart, HarperCollins Canada
		Claire Mulligan for her novel The Reckoning of Boston Jim, Brindle & Glass Publishing
		Mary Novik for her novel Conceit, Doubleday Canada
		Michael Ondaatje for his novel Divisadero, McClelland & Stewart
		Daniel Poliquin for his novel A Secret Between Us, trans. Donald Winkler, Douglas & McIntyre
		M.G. Vassanji for his novel The Assassin’s Song, Doubleday Canada
		Michael Winter for his novel The Architects Are Here, Penguin Books Canada
		Richard Wright for his novel October, HarperCollins Canada, a Phyllis Bruce Book
		Alissa York for her novel Effigy, Random House Canada

This Just In

I just heard that Robert Jordan, author of The Wheel of Time series died! How crazy is that! I am not a big fan, but for many people it is one of the definitive series in fantasy! I only heard he died, any specific website is not working so I am unsure of the details. Okay, I just read the details and I do not speak doctor, so I still do not have much to offer, I am just, well shocked! This happens too much, authors dying with uncompleted series and cut off in their prime. I have to say I am so sorry for the family, but you cannot help being sorry for the fans that have been following that series and waiting for the end, just for it to not come. Simply terrible!

I had some other things to share, but I think I will leave it at that for tonight.

I thought since a few people are reading Kate DiCamillo for my Reading Challenge, I would share her up-coming book with everyone:

In her first picture book, America’s beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo reunites with Bagram Ibatoulline to offer readers an unforgettable holiday gift.

It is just before Christmas when an organ grinder and monkey appear on the street corner outside Frances’s apartment. Frances can see them from her window and, sometimes, when it’s quiet, she can hear their music. In fact, Frances can’t stop thinking about them, especially after she sees the man and his monkey sleeping outside on the cold street at midnight. When the day of the Christmas pageant arrives, and it’s Frances’s turn to speak, everyone waits silently. But all Frances can think about is the organ grinder’s sad eyes — until, just in time, she finds the perfect words to share.

Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo pairs once again with acclaimed artist Bagram Ibatoulline as she presents a timeless story of compassion and joy.

This book will be out October 9, 2007

Four-Legged Friend Reading Challenge - The Participants

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all your kind thoughts about Sandy. People that I have never even seen comment before have been commenting, so I wanted to thank you for making that special effort! I also added new blogs to the list that I already read. I really need to update that list in the sidebar...

Anyways, I am going to post a list of the people participating in the contest. It will also include a link to their first post, including their stories about their pets. They have been fun to read and someone even wrote one even though they were not participating. Other people should do that. If I missed you, let me know.

Wendy shared her animal story, but will not be reading along. Hopefully if I bring this back next year she will be able to participate!

Becky who talks about her list and her pets. I love her list, I own all those books from when I was a kid. And, for the themed reading challenge that is making the rounds she is going to try and read all the Beverly Clearly books. I remember when they were so 'in' when I was a kid.

Stephanie, from Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic, is in. I am starting to think there will soon be a blog called 'Challenge-a-holics'. (hehe)

Chris, from Stuff as Dreams are Made of, has his list up now. He is reading Kate DiCamillo books, I love love love her stuff. Because of Winn-Dixie and Despereaux were really good. I have not read Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane yet, but if I decide to buy a book for this challenge in the future, I think that will be it. Oh, right, to see Chris' post go here.

Ames, and Max, from Thrifty Reader is joining in! Since I rarely see her join challenges I feel special.

Heather, aka Orange Blossom Goddess, is in too.

Nymeth is in, you can see her list and her animals by clicking over to her blog.

Zeek is in too, she has her post up about joining in, but no list or story has been posted yet.

Ladytink is in, but I am not sure which blog she will be posting her list on. She does plan on reading Kavik the Wolf Dog, which I have never even heard of before.

Callista is in. She has a great pic of her dog included in her post, it is very cute!

Mollie, from Biblioharlot's Bookshelf, is in. Her list is still pending.

Nicola decided to join in and her list is up now. She is reading some of the authors that I liked as a kid!

Julia, from A Piece of My Mind, has signed up, but I have not seen her list posted yet.

Ex Libris decided to fit one more challenge, and has joined the ranks. That's pretty cool because I 'met' her hosting a Reading Challenge last year for Remembrance Day.

And then we have Debi and her daughter Annie joining in. Annie should make people proud, she just read Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien and she is ten! Very impressive in the days of Gossip Girls, which is a favourite with people up through high school around here.

Sandi, from I Live to Read, will be joining in also! Her list is forth-coming.

Butterfly Amy has her list up, she just joined earlier today.

Kim in Ohio is in too, but I do not know where she blogs from! So, we will have to wait and see.

Bonnie has also decided to join in. She is going to post about her animals with her book reviews, but you can go to that post to see her list and hear about her cat, Duchess.

Carl V. from Stainless Steel Droppings is in, his list will be forth-coming!

Amanda from A Patchwork of Books posted her list tonight. She has some rather, um, interesting animals. Actually, I have never heard of one of them before, let alone knew people had them as pets!

So, anyone else care to join in? Remember, you can join in later if you find that you have the time that you did not think you would have!

My Animals

I mentioned as part of my challenge posting about the special animals in your lives, so I thought I would give you a run down of mine. These are all the ones I have lost recently, I will post about my three surviving cats in another post. This is a rather long post... I have had a lot of animal deaths lately.

It's about time I got around to posting the pictures of all the various animals that I have been talking about lately. On the right, we have Snowball. When she was put down a couple weeks ago, she was 14 years old. We got her from the animal shelter when she was about a year old. I picked her out and named her. She was not a 'lap' cat for most of her life, but the last few years she became very friendly. I was very blessed in that all the animals in this house liked me, they would jump on my lap when I was sitting down or come and sleep with me at night. I was always covered in white fur from quality time with Snowball. This is my favourite picture of her.

On the left here, we have Sam. It is very interesting that I named Sam before we got Snowball. Sam is much more original than Snowball. Sam was my first official pet, but he was the cat that everyone liked all through his life, so I found myself competing quite heavily for his attention. My parents let me get Snowball after I got tired of never officially having a cat because he was always off somewhere. That is not to say that Sam did not like me, he knew where to find me if he was hungry or needed to be let out. We spent time together too, he was a bit of a brat when he was a kitten, but for the rest of his life he was the most lovable cat ever! When we put him down he was 15. He was the lap cat, always was. He was also the hunter, although Snowball tried but never seemed able to catch anything. Sam would come home crying for attention with some present in his mouth. Actually, he left us a present a few days before my mother put him down.

Mittens was the annoying cat of the bunch. He was too lovable, he would not go away and he would get annoying sometimes. He would have his face in your face with the most delightful kitty breath for you to experience. (ha) We got him the same time we got Sam. He was supposed to be my sisters cat, and when he was younger he was, but when he got older he adopted me. My sister is not an animal person, really. She likes them when they are small. He got very thin and sickly when he got near the end, but I still held him and he spent many hours in this very room with me. He was meek as anything, but he LOVED Sandy. I have so many pictures of him with Sandy. It was the cutest thing ever, Mittens would give Sandy baths and rubbed up against him all the time. And, when I was looking for some pictures for my frame I found pictures of Mittens and Shelby sleeping together. I think Mittens was a year older than Shelby, so they were both pretty little and curled up together. Cutest thing ever! The picture is Mittens and Sandy. Shelby died before digital cameras appeared in my house. We put Mittens down at the end of last year.

Shelby was my first dog. I loved that dog so much. When my parents got divorced my father decided that he could not seem to get at my mother, so he decided to get at me. He took Shelby away with him. I was devastated, and one day I went outside and saw him kick Sandy because she was barking. I fought for Shelby, but all I ever got was visitation. My father rather lacks in the parenting skills. He used to make Shelby pick who she wanted to come to. Needless to say, when she died I felt like I had all ready lost her. The official story is that she was outside and slipped on some ice and went out in front of a car. Whether or not that is what really happened, I will never know. Shelby was developing arthritis, so her injuries would have been too much for her to live with. I have to scan a picture of her, I do not have any on my computer. She died, I would have to say, about 7 years ago. She was only 7 or so. I never got enough time with her at all. Sandy always missed her big sister too. (Same parents, different litters, that makes them sisters, right?)

Shelby was interesting. She was very quiet and she seemed to age quickly, she was an adult very quickly. Sandy still has puppy moments in her double digits. Shelby was the more responsible dog, if you will. She did used to steal Sandy's food, though, because Sandy was scared of the noise her food dish made if it was scraped across a hard surface. I shared Shelby with my father because officially Sandy and Shelby are his dogs, but he always liked Shelby better. While I loved Shelby and I still miss her, Sandy was more my dog. My father abandoned her, and my mother used to mention giving her back to him after Shelby died but I absolutely refused. I might not have paid for her, but I refuse to let anyone tell me that Sandy was anyones but mine. I played with her, spent time with her, fed her, took her for walks, slept with her, read with her, and everything else you can possibly do with a dog.

Then, me and Tom decided that we were going to start getting animals. He is the cat person, I am the dog person. Do not get me wrong, I love cats, but dogs are my first choice. Cats are also easier to move around and find housing for, so we got Lana. Lana was the most expressive and active cat I have ever met. She had a personality that was amazing in a cat. She was Tom's cat, though. It's what happens because they see him more than they see me, so I am just a source of food to them. I normally am also the one that yells at them for getting sick everywhere, missing the litter box, or knocking things on the floor. Tom has adopted the strategy of ignore the throw up unless I point it out, only clean the litter box when he has to, and leaving things on the floor unless they are important. (This is why I think the cats are devils and he thinks they can do no wrong. hehe) Lana was taken too soon, though, she had a presence and you can still feel it in Tom's apartment. I have noticed that Tom is trying to teach Tolkien some of Lana's tricks. I am back to thinking we have a devil cat, he is back to thinking that everything bad that he does is cute. Tolkien was exactly what we needed. Lana will always be missed, though, we put her down in January.

Then, another recent loss was Maggie. Maggie was the princess. She was the last animal that we brought into our house, and for that reason she was special. We were older, if she was still alive now she would be about 11, so we remember her better. She loved cheese, she would climb up your leg for a piece of it. Thinking of her is sad because she was put down for the same thing as Sandy. It was just before Christmas, almost two years ago, and I noticed she was acting strange. I picked her up and when I put her back down she almost fell over. Her walk was weird. Sandy was outside on Sunday and when I saw her walk it reminded me of something, but I was so concentrated on her that I could not place it. Yesterday when she was put down and I learned what was wrong I remembered. She hated the snow. Actually, she pretty much hated the outside. She was the reason we had to get a litter box for the first time because instead of going outside she would pee in the furnace vents. She always loved my room for some reason, in both of the houses that she lived in with us. I have tonnes of pictures of her in both, and it is moving back and forth from my book room to my bedroom closet that she spent her last days.

All of these lead up to Sandy. Today was long, last night was long. My house is so quiet. In about two years I have gone from having 4 cats and a dog to having nothing. There are no animals sleeping on my bed, no animals jumping on my lap, no animals looking for food or to be let out. I went to Tom's last night for a bit because we still have three cats there, but none of those cats are lap cats. They just wanted me to feed them and let them out, so I really did not find any comfort there, it was just nice to have animals moving around me. I feel so lost without Sandy, though. I come home and I expect her to come and meet me and she doesn't. I hate the quiet, you have no idea how loud a dog breathes until you can't hear it anymore. I honestly do not know how I am going to do the no dog thing. When Shelby died I still had Sandy, this time I have nothing. And, I am glad that my animals spent so much time with me, but I seem to be taking all of this a lot harder than my mother and my sister. I honestly do not know how they do the no animal thing, it seems so foreign to me. If you did not notice, the last three animals that we were put down were all mine... they might have been family pets, but I picked out and named the cats. Sandy, well, you have heard a lot about her lately.

Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge - My List

Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge
September 20 - February 26

My Books:

I went through my reading pile for animal-related books, these are the ones that I chose. I do want to say, though, that authors like Philip Pullman and Robin Hobb count for this challenge, the connection between human and animal in those books is very important.

Something by Brian Jacques (rabbit)
Catsworld Portal by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (cat)
Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams (cat)
Cat's Crossing by Bill Cameron (cat)
Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations by J.Edward Chamberlin (horse)
Around the Next Corner by Elizabeth Wrenn (dog)

Okay, so I could use some more dog-related books, anyone have any good suggestions? I have others, but I have read them.

R.I.P. Sandy

R.I.P. Sandy
August 1995 - September 2007
You Will Be Missed

Thanks to everyone for your kind thoughts. I have lost pets before, but me and Sandy were really close. The vet told me I am lucky she lasted so long, she had a stomach tumour. In hindsight, I have learned to pay attention to your instinct because I knew it was her stomach but I listened to the people with the degrees. She was in a lot of pain and I am happy to know that she is no longer suffering. If I believe in the heaven ideal, than I know that her and Shelby are together again. Now, if that would only make me feel better, but right now I just really miss my dog.

Today is the Day

Despite all my hopes, Sandy is not getting any better. My mother is going to take her in, she is too worried I will change my mind once I get there. I would love to be able to. Even though I knew this was coming, making that decision today was still hard. So, as long as the vet will squeeze us in, today is the day.

Well, I sort of feel relieved. We decided to go to an entirely different vet and they agreed with me. They think there is something wrong with her stomach too. They are going to check her over, but they were rather shocked that I was told golden retrievers did not have stomach troubles. When we were at the vet the other day they checked everything but her stomach. They also said I am very lucky that Sandy lived as long as she did, golden retrievers have short life spans. She is the fourth golden retriever we have had. One lives with my father, but the other two died before they even reached their double digits. Mind you, it was cancer and a car accident that took them, but still. We had another golden retriever when I was a little kid, before we got Shelby, who was Sandy's older sister, but I do not like to talk about that one. We were told she 'ran away'. Anyways, this vet seemed to take me seriously, so I feel much better about my decision today.

A Dancin' Meme

So, I was tagged for this meme a while ago from Dancin' Fool, so I figured I should finally get around to doing it! Others should do it as well, although I will not tag anyway this time.

1. If you could have super powers what would they be and what would you do with them? (Please feel free to be selfish, you do not have to save the world!) At this point and time, I would just want to be able to make my dog better. It looked like she was feeling better but yesterday she just sort of gave up...
   
2. Were you to find your self stranded on an island with a CD player...it could happen...what would your top 10 bloggers island discs be? um... Something from: Bon Jovi, Blind Guardian, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, Cold, The Rankin Family (yeah, I know, totally the odd one out), Iron Maiden, Beatles, Beach Boys, and Rhapsody or Threshold.
   
3. If you were a smell what would it be? Salt air...
   
4. What bird would you most like to be? A Blue Jay. They are my favourite, have been since I was a kid.
   
5. If you were a bird who's head would you poo on? hm, that's a hard one. It sounds like a bad thing, but isn't getting pooed on by a bird supposed to bring you good luck? If we ignore the good luck part, Stephen Harper.
   
6. Are there any foods that your body craves? Not really.
   
7. What's your favourite time of year? Well, for the most part the winter, but reading-wise, the fall. It's when all the good books come out.
   
8. What's your favourite time of day? When no one is around to bother me!
   
9. If a rest is as good as a change which would you choose? A change.
   
10. If you could have a dinner party and invite any 5 people from the past or present who would they be? (Living or deceased.) Carol Shields (favourite Canadian author that is deceased), Marion Zimmer Bradley (favourite fantasy author that is deceased), Madeleine L'Engle (who just recently passed away), John Bon Jovi (to add some music), and not really sure on the last one.
    

A RIPing I Have Done

I guess I am finished the R.I.P. Challenge! I do not really know how, it surprised me I was on my fifth book. Peril the First was just to read four books from any of the horror subgenres. I was done a couple days ago, actually, because I forgot to count a Star Trek book. I plan to read more, but so far I have read:

1. Mirror Universe: Glass Empires by Various Authors
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
3. Something From The Nightside by Simon R. Green
4. Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green

I am reading another Simon R. Green right now. I am also reading book two in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, The Golden Fool. This will count for the Cardathon as a book he recommends. Then, I have read Ender's Game by him which will also count for this challenge. I did not read the book for this reason, but I was happy to see it would fit in with it when I browsed the list of eligible books the other day (referring to the Hobb, the Card was obvious).

I am starting to think that I seriously need some reading goals. One of my worst reading habits is I have too many series that I have started and not finished because I do not like reading the same author in a row. I have made it a tentative goal to clean up at least a few of them by the end of the year, but we will see how that goes!

It's A Miracle I Don't Have Gray Hair

My mother is the worst at the whole animal care thing, she has a tendency to impulsively put animals down when she thinks that they need it, and we are not always informed ahead of time. Until the recent cats incident, they did need to be put down, so it was not a shock. She just needs time to work up to it, so one day she will just do it. I have been staying home looking after Sandy the last few days, but this afternoon I decided that I was going to go out for a bit. I came back to check on her, and I could not find her! I was freaking out because my mother was missing as well. Needless to say, Sandy missed me when I left and came upstairs looking for me and then took up residence in the living room. She is not supposed to be in the living room, but my mother did not have the heart to tell her to get out once she made her way upstairs. I was also not expecting her to be upstairs because she has not tried that since the other day, but I have been home, so I suppose there was little reason for her to. There is tileing in front of the door in the living room that she likes because it is cooler than the other floors in the house. So, all is well, but man did I have a few moments of panic there!

Thoughts on a Thursday

So, I am still around. I have been commenting on blogs, but have not spent a great deal of time on the computer. Sandy is still here too. If what I think is going to happen is going to happen, I want a different vet, and unfortunately the one I like does not work again until next week. Even if I wanted to, I do not think the vet from the other day would be a good idea, my mother both argued with her at the appointment and then called and complained about her a few days later. I would like a much better vibe, so we are holding off until next week. How is Sandy doing, you might ask... for the most part, fine. She can walk, but she has a limp. She has given up on the stairs, mainly because I have stopped giving her a reason to use them. You see, she follows me around, so I have tried to stay downstairs as much as possible. I only go out for a short period of time when I do go out because I am worried about her using the stairs. The day I noticed she had hurt herself I went out for a bit, and when I came home she was upstairs to greet me. That night, she had to be back downstairs because that's where I sleep, and she always sleeps in my room. I think she discovered that stairs are a bad idea, so she has not climbed them again. Anyways, I am now going to post about other things because this blog has mostly been about my dog lately.

So, reading. I have actually been doing so! To prevent Sandy from having to move around a lot, I have been sitting in the living room with her, and that has meant reading time. I started my fourth book for the R.I.P. II challenge today, so I will soon be done the offical challenge, although I am hoping to read more than 4 books by October 31st. I am behind on my reviews, but what I read for the challenge so far is Ender's Games by Orson Scott Card (my very first Card book), and then I started reading Simon R. Green. The back of the book I have states: "The Nightside books crackle with possibilities...Green cross-pollinates genres with gleeful abandon, juxtaposing pop culture tropes with obscure mythic archetypes, bringing a wild inventiveness to this mix of mystery and horror." (SFRevu). I have owned this book since last year, and horror is not really my thing, but apparently this book is considered a touch of horror, perfect for the R.I.P. Challenge. I have read Something from the Nightside and Agents of Light and Darkness, and I started Nightingale's Lament earlier today. I have a 3-in-1 book called A Walk on the Nightside. I only own these first three, though, so the rest will have to wait until I am allowing myself to buy books. I am not even sure why I was drawn to read these books, they were not on any of the lists I had made both on here or in my head, it just happened.

Update on the Dog Again

In two days Sandy has gone from having trouble with the stairs to not being able to walk. I knew she has arthritis, but I didn't know it was so bad. She was a bit stiff sometimes, but mostly she got around fine. Then, in two days she goes from that to not being able to walk. I am right back where I started, worried that she is going to go to the vet and not come home. Me and my mother are going to talk about it later because I did the vet thing once, got myself braced for the bad news that did not come that time; I am not sure if I can deal with that again so soon.

It's all so crazy, she was outside with me all day Sunday. We were playing and now she cannot walk. If I vanish offline for a while, I imagine it is easy to figure out why...

***Update, an hour later: Sandy managed to get outside to go to the bathroom where she laid down, and refuses to come back in. My mother thinks the vet might have been too much for her, add in the fact that we put our two cats down, and she has just stopped trying. I also decided to write some blog posts while I wait for her to come back in, to read another Star Trek review on Twisted Kingdom, just click here.

***Another Update: My mother called the vet and flipped out on them. After today I don't think Sandy can make it to the other vet, this one is closer. They are going to give us a different vet this time, but they cannot get us in until tomorrow. If we want to see the owner we have to wait until Monday, I am not sure the dog will make it to Monday. She is still outside laying in the garden.

***So, today was interesting. Sandy finally came in, but she didn't move very much all day. She did go upstairs, though, at about supper time. I had gone out for a few mins and she was there to greet me when I came home. She won't go outside and go around, she insists on using the stairs. The prognosis? It appears she fell down the stairs and hurt her already bad hip. Once she gets going she can walk, but not far. The vet is the problem. I don't think she is coming back home, but I don't want the woman from the other day anywhere near her! The problem is that the owner only works like once a week, so we have to wait until Monday if we go that option. So, not sure what we are going to do, we need someone to lift her into the car because I can't lift her by myself, and my mother and sister are both injured in such a way that they cannot lift anything. I had to half carry, half drag her downstairs about an hour ago. She insisted on coming downstairs and I was too scared she would fall down, so I did most of the work. We ended up at the bottom of the stairs with her on top of me and me trying to lift her so I could have my leg back. It's been an interesting day... The stairs would have been almost funny in another situation...***

Sandy News

Sandy just ate ALL of her supper! I didn't give her any dry, just canned and she ATE! Maybe she has recently developed hatred of the food I have been feeding her?

On the negative side, she almost fell down the stairs today.

It is scary how bad she got fast! A month ago she was running around like she was a puppy, today she could hardly make it down a flight of stairs.

So, the prognosis? Back to the vet. I am not taking her to the same one, though.

Hopefully we can get her on some pills to help her move around a bit more, but after days of gagging and nothing coming up, she got sick twice the other day. I know I am not a vet, but I just feel unsettled about everything, I think a second opinion from the vet Tom uses will make me feel a lot better.

Sorry again about the negativeness about my posts, but it is hard to think of much else when my dog is sick. I can't even read, instead I follow her around and make sure she is okay. I spent Sunday afternoon following her around the yard and examining what she was leaving on the lawn. The vet did say to worry if she is only peeing and nothing else. Happily, she is still doing her business! (You should see her, though, she looks at me like I am a crazy person. lol I suppose that is what happens when she used to be able to just go and now she has a person waiting around to examine. I am not sooo bad, though, I don't watch, just wait.)

August in Review

So, in August I read 18 books. I am behind in reviews, though, so I have not reviewed 18 books. This brings me up to 142 books for year, which is not a bad number at all!

This was sort of Star Trek month. I read a lot of books from that series. I used to read the books all the time about ten years ago. I am not even sure what inspired me to pick the series back up, but I did. My first voyage back into Star Trek was a Next Generation book, The Battle of Betazed. It was a very nice return to a series I have always had a fond spot for. Then, I read A Time to Born which is the first book in a Next Generation mini-series that I have always wanted to read. I read a novelization of the very last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, All Good Things... I have always had a fond spot for this episode, so I am happy to finally read the book. I also started a Star Trek series that I had never read before, The New Frontier series.

In August I read the first four books in the series, and I really enjoyed them: House of Cards, Into the Void, The Two-Front War, and End Game. I read a book in Star Trek: The Next Generation that goes after the last movie, Nemesis, called Death in Winter. It tied up some loose ends left over from that movie. I also checked in with the Voyager crew to read two books that happen after they get back from the Delta Quadrant: Home-Coming and The Father Shore. And, lastly, I read a collection of related stories that take place in the time of Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: The Original Series, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was called Mirror Universe: Glass Empires. It has a sequel about the other three series (including Star Trek: New Frontier) that I look forward to reading.

Other than that, I read these books:
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (cannot wait to read Peony in Love)
The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber
Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick
Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (a reread)
Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood (not a big fan of this book, not reviewed)
Suth's Story by Peter Dickinson (not a fan of this either, review forth-coming)


So, the Star Trek books were fun and enjoyable reads. My favourite read of the month is probably Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. I always enjoy C.S. Lewis, and the Daniel Tammet book was interesting. Everything else was just okay or really bad. If I did not read Star Trek this month it would have been a mostly mediocre month.

Doggie News

I know I keep bringing Sandy up, so sorry for the depressing nature of them lately. I just don't feel right. I took Sandy to the vet, yes, she needs a few tests, but nothing the vet thought was wrong was anything serious. The tests were to test for a thyroid problem, a few x-rays on her throat, she has a bit of arthritis, but the dog doesn't move anymore. I gave her a cookie today, and she loves those dog bone cookies, but she didn't get excited about it like she normally does. It just really bothers me that when I make an appointment we are going to be testing for things that will improve her quality of life more than anything. I recognize that she needs them, and I am willing to take her to the vet for them, but in the meantime what if there really is something wrong and I am not crazy. I just don't want my dog to suffer anymore than she has to. I know her arthritis is bothering her at this point, but quite seriously, I think she has got worse in everything since I took her to the vet.

So, the long and short of it is, I am going to go get some canned food and add it to her dry, see if maybe that will entice her to eat. I will watch her all weekend and if I still feel like I do now next week, I am going to take her to another vet for a second opinion. I know I am not a vet, but I still think what is wrong is her stomach, but the vet never even considered that an option. It didn't really help that my mother chose that day to put the cats down, the vet did not have a very good vibe after that.

Sandy is 12, I have had her for those 12 years, and I think I know her, and I say that there is something seriously wrong. Hearing the vet tell me that she thought she was mostly okay relieved me for a couple days, but I am back to worrying again. I am also worried that it was the vet that caused this. Think about it, dog and two cats go in the vet, but only the dog comes back out. I know there are differing opinions on animal intelligence, but I wonder if she is not worried that she is going to be next and has stopped trying... That's why I have been slow at taking her back, was trying to give her some adjustment time.

Anyways, thanks for listening. I really hope I am just over-reacting, but I have to know for sure.