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Nov 12, 2008

Cathleen rated it:

Wow, am I in the minority with this one. I like cats, I like libraries, and I've even known a library cat or two. I didn't expect to rave about this book quite as much as many others have done, but I also didn't expect to think so very little of it.

A few cute anecdotes notwithstanding, there is just nothing special about this book. Any pet owner could write as much (and many would do it markedly better). The tone of the author was grating to me, and her experiences were not nea More...

15 comments like (49 people liked it)

Oct 21, 2008

Amanda rated it:

As I walked out of Penn Station this morning, the proverbial country mouse blinking in the early morning city sunshine, the homesick hole in my heart was filled with a glorious and familiar sight--Borders Bookstore! Oh thank god, finally somewhere I can navigate with familiar ease. And familiarity is an understatement. Every table and shelf looked exactly the same as every table and shelf in the bookstore back home--Cormac McCarthy alongside Love in the Time of Cholera. Jane Green sidling up to More...

9 comments like (17 people liked it)

Jan 16, 2012

Reese added it

Ignore the "to-read" following "never-got-to-the-last-page." Only 210 more pages to go the distance and earn the right to give one star to DEWEY -- but I left the ring. Another ten pages -- and I might have been "down for the count" in Spencer, Iowa. Sorry -- kitty lovers. By the way, I'm one of you. Sorry -- Simple Simon lovers. And sorry -- small-town, out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere, lovers. This book may be for you, but it's not for me.

When I hated g More...

36 comments like (10 people liked it)

Jan 08, 2009

Madison rated it:

Purely a feel-good story (which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you like to read). I can't help but feel the author was prone to over-romanticize Dewey and attribute absolute intent all of the time to all of his actions.

Don't get me wrong--I am a cat owner/lover myself... But, as a resident realist, the fact that Dewey lived so long, generated so much publicity, and obviously soothed a lonely woman who seemed to have a host of physical (and possibly emotional?) More...

1 comment like (12 people liked it)

Jun 29, 2008

Tom rated it:

Vicky Myron's "Dewey" is a book about many things: life in small town Iowa, Vicky's own life history, the important role a library can play in the life and identity of a community and, of course, Dewey Readmore Books, one of the best known and well loved cats in the world.

Despite the variety of topics Myron writes about, her book holds together so well through her decision to write honestly about everything. Some of her personal and family history was obviously difficult t More...

2 comments like (16 people liked it)

Feb 12, 2009

Carmaletta rated it:

I thought I was reading a book about a cat, but I wound up reading a book about a woman with a lot of troubles in her life. For every chapter that was actually about Dewey, there seemed to be 2 or 3 that were just about her. I'm very sorry for the losses in this woman's life, and the things she went through, but that's not what I set out to read. I expected a good, light-hearted story about a cat, but every time I reached a point where my spirits were lifted, Ms. Myron brought it all crashing More...

14 comments like (23 people liked it)

Oct 18, 2008

Grace rated it:

This book is certainly a tear-jerker, and one that will appeal to anyone who has a heart, but especially to anyone who works at a library. The book is one of those wonderful experiences where the story may be about a cat, but there are lessons to be learned throughout that can apply to anyone's life.

But the main character is, of course, Dewey himself, who springs to life in such endearing ways. I never tired of hearing about the behavior and antics of this amazing library cat.
More...

1 comment like (10 people liked it)

Sep 29, 2008

Johnny rated it:

If you ever had a cat growing up then you have to read this book. Much like pets, embarking on this comparatively short 275 page journey, you're signing up for the little guy to warm you over, make you smile, and eventually break your heart (after a 19 year run). With pets, we know what we're getting into and but we just have to do it anyway. To outsiders our pets may be labeled "just a stupid cat" or "just a dumb mutt." However, if you've grown up with one before you've felt More...

3 comments like (12 people liked it)

Jan 07, 2009

Lisa rated it:

This book turned out to be about more than a cute cat. I also learned a lot about corn, family farms, farming and small towns, as well as about the author. She tries to stay out of the book, but that is a difficult task. Dewey is an amazing cat and definatley worth reading about.

8 comments like (7 people liked it)

May 06, 2010

Erin rated it:

This book is in some serious need of editing. The anecdotes about Dewey were cute, but the long winded history of small town Iowa and the author were too much for me.

I didn't finish this book and I wish I had the two hours back that I gave to it.

3 comments like (5 people liked it)

Mar 29, 2010

Kirsti rated it:

OMG I AM O.D'ing ON RURAL CHARM GET TO THE POINT ALREADY.

I am listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by the same woman who narrated five gruesome mystery novels by Julia Spencer-Fleming. So, even though this book is about a pwecious widdle kitty cat, I keep thinking that any minute there will be a disembowelment.

I really don't know if I can finish this thing. It seems to be a Reader's Digest article that has metastasized into a bestseller.

______________ More...

5 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 26, 2008

Laura rated it:

An unforgettable story about a cat and his power to change our lives forever!!

8 comments like (5 people liked it)

Feb 25, 2011

Kinga rated it:

I didn't expect this book to be quality literature and of course it wasn't. It was a feel-good book, only I've noticed that most feel-good books actually make me feel nauseous instead of good. Especially those that idealize small town America.
I thought I was going to scream if I had to read another paragraph about how amazing the town of Spencer, Iowa is. To give you a taste:
"That's another of Spencer's unique and valuable assets: its people. We are good, solid, hardworking midw More...

6 comments like (11 people liked it)

Oct 28, 2008

Sharon rated it:

This is a book that any cat lover with fall in love with. Dewey was discovered as a kitten in a book drop box by librarian Vicki Myron. He quickly becomes a beloved addition to the Spencer library. Vicki Myron shares not only Dewey's story but her own as well and I found both to be captivating. Vicki Myron is the head librarian at Spencer library in Iowa. On the coldest day of the year Dewey crawls into her life. From the beginning Vicki Myron realizes what special cat Dewey is. Despite his roug More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Apr 16, 2011

Alice rated it:

I got this book as a Christmas present, and was finished with it before I had to go back to work. It is, ultimately, the tale of a charismatic, friendly kitty who winds up at a library only because he was found in their book drop the morning after the coldest night of the year.

I would recommend this book to any cat lovers, or to those fond of the library. There are even some tidbits about late-80's, early-90's Iowa some might find interesting. But mostly, it was the cat lover in m More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 08, 2009

Suzanne rated it:

While this is not a great literary book, I give it high rating because it touched my heart and is such a strong reminder of how much animals add to our lives. If you have ever saved or rescued an animal, you know how grateful they are and how much love they give back. They bring us though hard and sad times in such a special way. This little guy touch the hearts and lives of an entire town and, through this book, continues to touch hearts.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Sep 06, 2008

Lisa rated it:

As a librarian and a cat lover, I had to read this sweet book about the world's most famous library cat. The author tells not only Dewey's story, but her own, and those of their library and their town. Some of it was obviously hard to write -- both the tough stuff about her personal life, and the descriptions of just what made the cat so special. There's a lot of repetition, and sometimes more "telling" than "showing." Or maybe I'm just critical because I know how librari More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Oct 14, 2008

May rated it:

Okay, so Dewey didn't quite save the world but he did change the lives of those he came in contact with, namely Vicki Myron, the head librarian at Spencer Public Library. Even Vicki acknowledges that without Dewey, nobody would even care to read her story which I found equally fascinating and a good reminder that a library is more than a building or its books. It's about the people who work there and active members within their communities. A great read for those who love reading about librari More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Sep 30, 2008

Wayne rated it:

A touching and endearing book about a cat that lived for 19 years in the Spencer City Library in Spencer, Iowa. A good read for cat lovers, the stories of cuteness and exasperation will be familiar to anyone who has lived with a cat. The author fills in with history of the town and a lot of her own personal history, so the book feels like a memoir of two people, the author and the cat.
Don't bother reading it if you aren't a cat lover, if you are, you will enjoy it.

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Nov 18, 2008

Jacqueline115 rated it:

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4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2009

Amy rated it:

I have to admit, I cried and I laughed, and I could not have read this book on the bus or while waiting for an appointment. My brother bought me this book for Christmas, so I didn't know it was a new release. Dewey, the cat, lived up until a few years ago, so the timeframe of the story is actually a timeframe that I am familiar with. The setting, however, is very different from what I know.

The author, a library manager, tells of her small town in Iowa and how a cat influenced a wh More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 27, 2009

Sara rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2009

Janet rated it:

I listened to the audio-book and only when it was finished did I realize that it was abridged. UGH. I should have read the fine print. Abridgment is a crime against nature.

So I had to buy the book and "reread" it to see what I missed. The audio-book includes all the cat stories of course, but it omits the stories that make this not-just-a-book-about-a-cat. Stories about Myron's life outside the library, stories about life in small-town Iowa... those are watered down or More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 24, 2009

Karina rated it:

Wow. I just saw this book at a local Petsmart. This is about a library cat in Spencer Iowa, where I lived for 2 years from 2002-2004. I remember him well - and I had no clue there was a book about him! I've got to read this. :)

Okay, so the book was written later. I guess I met the cat in his "old age" more or less. I don't remember him greeting visitors, but maybe I came in to the library when it was his nap time.

It was very interesting to read the stories abou More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Nov 11, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

A very sweet story of an orphaned kitten taken in by a small town library and the townspeople he charmed in the ensuing years. Amazing how a small insignificant being can affect the morale of a whole town. A nice heart warming story.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jan 01, 2009

Cory rated it:

Wonderful true tale of a single mom librarian in Spencer Iowa thru the 1980s to 2006, finding an almost frozen kitten in the overnight bookdrop, and having him thrive as the library ambassador for 19 years. Her description of Iowa's economic problems & small town changes, as well as library changes (when they switched over from card catalogs to computer indexing, etc.) are interesting. Best, though, are the anecdotes of Dewey's influence on townspeople, particularly his 'sixth sense' about the More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 16, 2009

Indra rated it:

A really sweet book, one of those rare books a reader can recommend to every other reader they know, regardless of age or interests. There are many inspiring stories about pets who are rescued and bring love and companionship despite incredible odds, but as the author points out, Dewey was special; she doesn't just say Dewey is special, but shows exactly how he was. Dewey the cat really belonged to an entire community, and a community such as most of us can only imagine from storied hints that More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2009

Edbdme2 rated it:

I really liked this book because I love cats. This book follows the life of one kitten who was dumped in the 'Return' books slot at a library on a severly cold day.
The start of this book was slow reading for me as the description of the location of the library and the background of the librarian took up many chapters before really getting into the subject. However, it does tie in later.
If you know and/or love cats, you'll be able to mentally 'see' the antics of Dewey. How he seemed More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 04, 2009

Rebecca rated it:

I know some people might argue that this book about a kitten discovered in a library book drop box the coldest night of the year is simply fluff (really, no pun intended), but I think it truly deserves 4 stars. Vicki Myron, the library director, petitioned the board to keep the kitten and his friendly nature captured the hearts of the library patrons as well as the town. Of course, if you are a cat lover, you will identify with as well as laugh and cry at Dewey’s exploits and how he touched th More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 29, 2008

Erikka rated it:

Just a few kernels of wisdom I gleaned from this sweet, wholesome tale of a library and their famous cat Dewey Readmore Books -

"That's what I love about Iowa: it's always changing. Not in the way suburbs change as one chain restaurant replaces another or the way cities change as buildings crowd each other ever higher, but in the way the country changes, slowly back and forth in a gentle motion that is always sliding forward, but never very fast."

"When More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

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