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“Occasionally someone will tell me that they won't have pets because they're messy, and I suppose there's some truth to that, between the fur and the slobber and the occasional puddle on the floor. I have to choke down the temptation to respond that life is messy, and its vagaries go down hardest with those who fool themselves into thinking they can keep it neat.”
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“When you have dogs, you witness their uncomplaining acceptance of suffering, their bright desire to make the most of life in spite of the limitations of age and disease, their calm awareness of the approaching end when their final hours come. They accept death with a grace that I hope I will one day be brave enough to muster.”
― A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
― A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
“Dogs makes messes, it's true, but they clean them up as well.”
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“The conclusion I have reached is that, above all, dogs are witnesses. They are allowed access to our most private moments. They are there when we think we are alone. Think of what they could tell us. They sit on the laps of presidents. They see acts of love and violence, quarrels and feuds, and the secret play of children. If they could tell us everything they have seen, all of the gaps of our lives would stitch themselves together.”
― The Dogs of Babel
― The Dogs of Babel
“One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they evoke in us. The disappointments of life, the injustices, the battering events that are beyond our control, and the betrayals we endure, from those we befriended and loved, can make us cynical and turn our hearts into flint – on which only the matches of anger and bitterness can be struck into flame. By their delight in being with us, the reliable sunniness of their disposition, the joy they bring to playtime, the curiosity with which they embrace each new experience, dogs can melt cynicism,and sweeten the bitter heart.”
― A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
― A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
Mary’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Mary’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
276 books
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53 friends
1,915 books
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452 friends
57 books
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28 friends
1 book
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31 friends
131 books
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55 friends
6 books
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13 friends
16 books
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322 friends
1 book
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29 friends
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