All About Animals discussion

Welcome to the group. Please go and read about which folder to place your comments in before posting.

Since your here, please go ahead and tell us about yourself. What animals do you have at home? Favorite reads. What city and or state are you from? Do you live in the US or another country? Anything you'd like here.

Hi, I'm Wendy. I have 2 children, 2 (rescue) dogs, and a rabbit. In the past 5 years, we've also had 2 guinea pigs and 2 chinchillas, but they all went to homes that were better suited for them (and they thrived there!). We've also said goodbye to 2 dogs who were each with us for more than 10 yrs.

All that being said, even though I am an animal lover, I haven't read many books about animals, unless they were about raising or training them. I'm excited to see what types of books are suggested and read here.

In addition to reading, I also love crafts, (especially paper crafts), and I do a little knitting, too. I love gadgets and enjoy music, a little TV, and watching a good movie now and then. I read many types of books, but Sci-Fi/PNR/UF are especially fun.

Hi Wendy, Glad to see you here. I know sometimes it's hard finding a book you absolutely love about animals even though we love them. But, I've been finding more and more good books lately about animals. I'm not limiting it to just dogs or cats but all animals. Hoping this group will take off.

I was going to make it an overall book group about any genre but there are so many of those already. So we'll see how it goes.

Do you do scrapbooking? I love to do that hobby. I've been doing that for about 12 yrs now. I also love taking photos which go hand and hand with scrapbooking.

Oh, and P.S. I have two rescue dogs right now and have had other dogs in the past who have passed away over the years. They all have their own personalities.

I also volunteer at an animal shelter and have been there for about two years now.

Let's see - I have one rescue cat at the moment. Lost two last year.
Love to read of course, Esp books with food and animals (cozy mysteries are a wonderful place for that).
Also love cross stitching and watching movies and cop type shows.

Hi, I'm Gay but not really--not that there's anything wrong with that. :)) I'm all things animal, including writing narrative nonfiction about animals and for adults and young adults. See my books, TOUCHED BY ALL CREATURES:DOCTORING ANIMALS IN THE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COUNTRY and LOWELL:THE TRUE STORY OF AN EXISTENTIAL PIG and LIONS & TIGERS & MARES--OH, MY! My latest book is an ebook, THERE'S A BEAR IN THE BASEMENT, VOL. 1. VOL. 2 due out next week. See excerpts from my books at www.amazon.com.

Thanks Gay for joining the group. I will have to check out some of your books.

Terri, Thanks for adopting your cat. Welcome to the group.

Hi, I'm Dallas. I have two dogs of my own A Labrador Retriever and A German Shepherd mix. Star and Sampson(recently adopted from the vet where I work). I also have 4 family dogs. A full blood long haired chihuahua, A miniature long haired wiener dog. A miniature chihuahua/ weiner dog. And, a chihuahua/wiener/poodle. Their names are Chico, Ruby, Houston, and Maggie. :)

Hi Dallas and welcome. Sounds like you're really busy at home with all your animals. That's wonderful.

hi has anyone heard of the canterwood crest books

Brodie wrote: "hi has anyone heard of the canterwood crest books"

I haven't but will check into them.

ok you will love them thay are 100% good. all about dreama and horses. anyone that loves horses will love the books.

Hi all my name is Maryam Faresh and I just found Goodreads and finally had a moment to search the site. I am an author and my books were inspired by my rescue pets, my dog Daisy born deafblind and Louie our three legged cat. I can't wait to read the books you currently have up for review and I look forward to the discussions!

Maryam wrote: "Hi all my name is Maryam Faresh and I just found Goodreads and finally had a moment to search the site. I am an author and my books were inspired by my rescue pets, my dog Daisy born deafblind and ..."

Hi Maryam, Welcome to the group. Thanks for adopting your pets and being kind as to adopt animals with disabilities. I love all animals. There has never been an animal I've ever met that I didn't like. Love them all.

Hi all! I love animals and am very happy to find this group. I currently have 3 cats, all adopted from shelters:Toby, Arc en ciel, and Delilah. I also have a Basset Hound named Buddy, he's adopted too (I have always found all my pets in shelters, even my chinchillas and birds) I love to read, I like mysteries the best but will read about anything. I knit and do cross stitch too. I'm looking forward to lots of good reads and discussions!

o cool do you love horses

Maryam wrote: "Hi all my name is Maryam Faresh and I just found Goodreads and finally had a moment to search the site. I am an author and my books were inspired by my rescue pets, my dog Daisy born deafblind and ..."

WHAT YOU HAVE 3 LAGGED CAT WHAT HAPPENED IT HIM. IS HE OKAY NOW?

Hi Diane, Welcome to the group. Glad you adopted. Please feel free to start or jump into discussions with the group. I just started this group several months ago and trying to get it going.

Hi my name is Maggie I love all animal I ride every fortnight on a cheeky pony Travis I have a dog named Danny who is 4 months old and 2 birds

Hi Maggie and welcome. It sounds like fun to ride. And, sounds like you have a house full with your dog and birds.

Hi Brodie, I do love horses. I live in the city now but for many years I would go riding with a friend who had several horses. I'm hoping when I retire I move to a more rural location. :)

Hi Barbara,
Thank you for the welcome. I'm glad you started this group! I will try and contribute to the discussions and maybe start some too.

Diane wrote: "Hi Barbara,
Thank you for the welcome. I'm glad you started this group! I will try and contribute to the discussions and maybe start some too."

Thanks. Seems like everyone who has joined is quiet so I need a way to get this board moving.

Diane wrote: "Hi Brodie, I do love horses. I live in the city now but for many years I would go riding with a friend who had several horses. I'm hoping when I retire I move to a more rural location. :)"

My sister has two horses.

Thanks for the welcoming

Hi, I am Alice and I guess I did not introduce myself. I have a little black Pomeranian named Georgia. Maybe I can add her picture to photos here? She is a rescue we got at the Shelter two years ago. When we got her she had been sick with what was probably dog flu. She got sick a few weeks ago again and the kind woman vet did an X-ray showing that she has damaged lungs and an enlarged heart. I have been very worried about her running vaporizer but the latest antibiotic is really helps. Today she felt much better and was playing with her toys.

poor little dog, people shoudl turn them into shelters when they can no longer keep not just let them go stray.

Alice in Colorado

Hello Diane,

How are you today? Well I trust. I realized that I hadn't told you and in turn the group about me.

I am an author, I have been writing books, screenplays and jokes for nearly 40 years. Recently I started writing in the voice of a Cat, in fact The Cat, as his name suggest he is a little bit more that a bit of a megalomaniac. You can read more of The Cat's adventures in both of his books, "Getting Out - Excerpts from a Cat's Diary" ISBN-10: 1441445609 and The Cat's Travelogue" ISBN-10: 1466357223.

When The Cat was a Kitten he was sleeping on the sofa while the TV was on playing the Steve McQueen movie 'The Great Escape,' hearing this unconsciously not only implanted the belief that he was a prisoner but also gave me a never ending supply of ideas for cunning and ever more complicated escape attempts.

To fill idle moments when I was recovering from yet another escape attempt and literally licking my wounds I wrote a diary to record the things, or "injustices," as I thought of them, that happened to me while I was being held prisoner and in doing so also kept a record of my disastrous escape attempts.

These escape attempts included digging a set of tunnels, making a glider in the attic and not being able to fly to freedom because it was too big for the windows, and dressing up in drag, complete with makeup and garish lipstick, though I don't believe Steve McQueen or the prisoners Stalag Luft III tried that one!

"Getting out - Excerpts from a Cat's Diary," is now the subject of a bid to turn it into a 3D animated feature film we are looking for crowd funding here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1... and talking to conventional movie investors as well.

As for me I live in Prague and find that not being able to speak the language is a great boost to my creative writing, but makes it difficult to order Sausages.

I love to read, take long walks in the beautiful Czech countryside and cook especially Italian food, the nation who the French stole all of their best cooking ideas from.

If anyone wants to contact me do reply here.

Johnwoodcock@thecatsdiary.com

~☆ Alice☆~ wrote: "Hi, I am Alice and I guess I did not introduce myself. I have a little black Pomeranian named Georgia. Maybe I can add her picture to photos here? She is a rescue we got at the Shelter two years..."

Hi Alice! Yes, that would be great for you to add your photo. Would love to see it. And, welcome to the group. Please just jump right in when you feel like it.

The wrote: "Hello Diane,

How are you today? Well I trust. I realized that I hadn't told you and in turn the group about me.

I am an author, I have been writing books, screenplays and jokes for nearly 40 year..."

Welcome to the group. Hope you like it here and jump in on the conversations anytime. I hope to read your book.

Thanks Barbara! I am looking forward to the Christmas read and voted. Then I changed my vote as there are several I would like to read.

Hello,

I am a retired Executive Assistant complete with high heels, silk suits and manicured nails who lived and worked all over Europe and the States...and then I retired to Arkansas!

That's when things changed...No, I did not turn into a disheveled misanthrope. But I did shed the above-mentioned trappings and started volunteering at our local animal shelter--just to help socialize the cats (they said). Well, before I knew it, I had become the 'cat lady' that fostered all those kittens too small to survive at the shelter. I also cleaned, cut nails--theirs-- and scooped--also theirs.

I had help though. My 'unplanned third' was an orange Maine Coon who helped me raise 35 kittens over five years...and he loved them all; except one: a perfect Mini-Me. Naturally, I wrote a book about him. It was not in my usual genre which is historical fiction (Ancient Egypt).

My cats taught me patience and tolerance (still, I am a slow learner), and they insist on punctuality, especially when it comes to feeding time.

I know I will be in good company here and hopefully we can share and discover a lot of wonderful animal stories together.

Inge

Barbara wrote: "The wrote: "Hello Diane,

How are you today? Well I trust. I realized that I hadn't told you and in turn the group about me.

I am an author, I have been writing books, screenplays and jokes for ne..."

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for the welcome. I didn't add the details to the books I nominated because I didn't see the email sadly and also because one "Getting Out - Excerpts from a Cat's Diary" was written by me.

It wouldn't be professional to nominated myself ;0) However there is a great Christmas scene and as you may or may not know a Cat's Christmas is almost twice as long as a human's and so it goes on for a nice long time.

Actually we are turning "Getting Out - Excerpts from a Cat's Diary" into a 3D animated movie and all of our friends here can get involved because we are looking for some backers from the crowd funding website Kickstarter.

In return for a pledge (which is 100% refundable if we don't reach our target and we don't get a penny) we are offering a vast array of limited edition and unique rewards.

Anyone can back our project at Kickstarter and here is the web address for anyone interested and kind enough to want to do so.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...

Just click the green button on the right hand side of the page.

Keep up the good work.

Regards,

John

Barbara wrote: "Tell us about yourself. What animals do you have at home? Favorite reads. Anything you'd like here."

Hello Barbara,
I joined the group to see what other people are reading. We have a 1-year old gray & white cat named Casper that loves to go outside.

I enjoy reading animal books and currently finishing "The Elephant Whisperer." Here's a short list of my favorite animal books.

• Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat
• Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom
• The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood
• Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
• The Cowboy and His Elephant: The Story of a Remarkable Friendship
• Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Peggy

I'll have to check some of those out. Sounds good.

Hello, I'm Jami and I was excited to discover this group! All of my animals are rescues - I currently have a 15.5 year old shih-tzu who I got when she was 3 mos old when her family went thru a divorce and nobody wanted her; a three legged/one blue eyed and one green eyed shelter cat; and an orange shelter cat. I also had a senior rescue beagle/basset mix, who passed away 2.5 years after I rescued him at around age 15-16. He was given up because he was old and fat - I couldn't do anything about the age, but regular excercise and attention fixed the other issue! He was a sweet dog and was happy to spend his golden years as a beloved family member!

I love to read and have found many new animal books since I joined Goodreads - I'm hoping to find even more through this group!

Hi, I'm Cathy, a television journalist and longtime animal advocate. I live in Florida with my three rescue cats, one rescue dog and one husband (debatable whether he was rescued). Its publisher has just released my first novel which allows me to express my passion for animals through a cat's voice and based on her own suspenseful, sometimes scary story.
Taming Me: Memoir of a Clever Island Cat is getting good reviews and it's a new adventure for me! I hope you'll like it if you choose to read it.
Nice to meet all of you,
Cathy

Cathy wrote: "Hi, I'm Cathy, a television journalist and longtime animal advocate. I live in Florida with my three rescue cats, one rescue dog and one husband (debatable whether he was rescued). Its publisher ..."

Congrats on the release of your novel Cathy!!! How exctiting for you!!!!

Thanks, Jami - being a cat rescuer, you would relate to the book! And our rescue dog is a Shih Tzu, by the way :) He's only 3; they live long lives, as you are experiencing.

Cathy wrote: "Thanks, Jami - being a cat rescuer, you would relate to the book! And our rescue dog is a Shih Tzu, by the way :) He's only 3; they live long lives, as you are experiencing."

I will definitely add your book to my TBR list. I am in the final stages of completing a short book about my senior rescue beagle. Not sure what route I am going to go with it once its done, but I had to write it. Awwww, the shih-tzus have awesome personalities! My almost 16 yr old girl surprises everyone (including her vet!!!) when they see us walking and ask about my "puppy." When I tell them her age, they can't believe it. My vet says that nobody told Penny yet how old she is, and that's fine with me! Guess I shouldn't go around disclosing a lady's age, but I can't help it in her case, I'm just so proud of her!!!!

Howdy, y'all--I'm Amy from Texas (cain't you tell from my accent? *s*). I'm a certified animal behavior consultant and "pet journalist" by trade. After writing two dozen nonfiction cat/dog care books, I've just released my first novel, a "dog viewpoint" thriller call LOST AND FOUND and am having a ball!

I also review lots of books for various sites, especially the puppies.About.com site (I'm the Puppies Guide) and occasionally review pet books for Petco (yes, that store). I'm excited that more GoodReads members are discovering the group.

As a kid I read anything/everything to do with dogs and horses--there weren't many cat books. :( Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe, Misty (the whole series), Albert Payson Terhune...loved them all.

A recent favorite of mine is THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN. And I love thrillers, and Dean Koontz writes dogs so very well.

Hello,

I'm Hugh. I retired from the Navy 7 years ago after twenty one years of service. I had to go a long stretch without a dog or cat around the house until I was married (18 years ago). Then, on shore duty, I had a beautiful Basset Hound named Henry who tested my Fiance'e (now wife) in many ways.

Of course when she complained about him, my mother would lean over and go, "does she know he's been here longer than she has?"

Of course I would invite her not to help with any of those kinds of observations. Needless to say, Henry worked his way into her heart and she married me... of course we had a second Basset soon after we were married. Both have sense passed on, but, Dog's make family, right?

Now I'm a Substance Abuse counselor with the Navy and, we have a beautiful Smooth Coat Collie, named "Lance."

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/5...

and a three legged mouser named Sasha (the Gray).

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/5...

And two kids.

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/5...

See, dogs and cats make the house whole.

Welcome to the newcomers to the group. Glad you're here. Please feel free to jump in the book group discussions also. Trying to get this group talking.

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Hello,

I'm Hugh. I retired from the Navy 7 years ago after twenty one years of service. I had to go a long stretch without a dog or cat around the house until I was married (18 years ago). The..."

Hey Hugh, Glad you joined us. Pets do make the house whole!

Alice

Hi Alice, they sure do! When I was single... (I hope that was in this lifetime, it seems so long ago) an appartment just felt like a nice hotel room until I got a dog to keep me company. (Beautiful Tri-Colour Basset Hound).

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Hi Alice, they sure do! When I was single... (I hope that was in this lifetime, it seems so long ago) an appartment just felt like a nice hotel room until I got a dog to keep me company. (Beautif..."

When I was a single Mom my son required that I get him a white rabbit and a black gerbil. Later he demanded another gerbil and soon I had too many gerbils. A pet store took them all. The pet snake was the final straw however. Ever had to feed a snake?

It was yucky, alice

My name is Elizabeth and I'm 24 years old. I joined the group a while back, but have only just now gotten around to introducing myself. Anyway, I haven't read very many books centered around animals unless you count Black Beauty. I live with my boyfriend and we have a cat named Mischief who adopted us and a rabbit named Ruby who was given to us by my boyfriend's sister.

When I'm not reading, I enjoy knitting, browsing the internet, listening to music, and spending time with my boyfriend. I have a degree in Psychology and will be returning to school in August to work towards a teaching degree so that I may teach third grade. Anyway, I look forward to making new friends and participating in some book discussions.

-Elizabeth

My name is Jennifer and it was a book with an animal in it that first got me interested in reading and ever since books about animals have been one of my favorite types of book, both fiction and nonfiction as well as all age levels. I currently own a rescue Chihuahua called Taco, two rescue Mini Rex rabbits called Chibi & Kojikaki, a ten year old Goldfish called Pumpkin that I won at a carnival, and that's it for my pets. I ride horses and have one that I have been working with a lot, and am friends with many cats including one that was formerly a feral. In the past I owned a Toy Poodle called CeJaye, a Dutch Rabbit called Friendly, a Dutch Mix rescue bunny called Oreo, and many generations of fish. Oreo was the second rabbit I ever owned and was the first pet I ever rescued, and ever since owning her I have never bought another pet. I am now rescue only. Besides reading books about animals I like to write them, and draw them. When reading books about animals I prefer to read about animals that have been rescued, if it is nonfiction or if it is a fiction book about someone getting a pet and how they do this. Fifteen of my favorite books about animals that I have read are:

Wolf: The Journey Home by: Asta Bowen

Warriors (pick any) by Erin Hunter

Seekers (pick any) by Erin Hunter

Survivors: The Empty City by Erin Hunter

Scruffy by Jack Stonely

Dog Lost by Ingred Lee

Waggit by Peter Howe

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

The Sight by David Clement Davies

The Trouble With Tuck by Theodore Taylor

97 Ways to Make a Dog Smile by Jenny Langbehn

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

101 Dalmatians The Starlight Barking by Dodie Smith

Bambi by Felix Salten

McGrowl (pick any) by Bob Balaban

Welcome Jennifer and thanks for the list. I'm always glad when people say they rescue animals. Love that.

My name is Mary-Anne and I have been passionate about animals since I was a little girl. The Black Stallion got me hooked on horses and reading a million years ago and have read a million books since. I a registered veterinary technician and specialize in swine. On a personal level I own a horse ranch and breed Paint Horses. In the summers I am on the rodeo and barrel racing trail. I currently have 13 horses, 3 dogs, 7 cats and 4 geese.
I am currently close to the end of the Elephant Whisperer and will say its one of the best animal stories I have ever read. So much so that I have already purchased "Last of the Rhinos" by the same author. Some other good animal stories include Born Free, Merle's Door, Bad Dog (A Love Story) The Blessings of the Animals and The Rescue of Belle and Sundance.