Julianne wrote: "So, I've read both [b:Marley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog|12691|Marley & Me Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog|John Grogan|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21WJGBBGBYL..."

I can't do animal books or movies. My mom kept trying to tell me about "Marley & Me", and I would hang up on her. It all started when I was 3 y.o. and my Dad took me to see the "Incredible Journey", and because we had a Siamese cat, I totally freaked out in the theater. Since then there have been other books and movies where I had a "very emotional moment."

My husband is still learning this history...my relatives warn him.

I second The Guardian by Sparks.

I didn't read this, but my mom LOVES dog books and said this one was really good: Lost & Found.

Thanks for doing that Julianne! Much easier :)

How about Red Dog by by Loius de Berneires?

To summarize for those who are jumping on this thread (since I started it), here's the list of the books mentioned thus far, in no particular order:


A Dog Year Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me
Dog Days Dispatches from Bedlam Farm
The 101 Dalmatians
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Starlight Barking
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A Novel
A Dog Called Perth The True Story of a Beagle
The Bad Dog's Diary A Year in the Life of Blake Lover... Fighter... Dog
Merle's Door Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
The Incredible Journey
Watchers
The Dogs of Babel
The Plague Dogs A Novel
Marley & Me Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog
Along Came Dylan Two's a Crowd When You've Been Top Dog
Because of Winn-Dixie
No More Dead Dogs
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Call of the Wild
White Fang
Old Yeller
Sounder

I just purchased 2 Jon Katz books: Dog Days and A Dog Year. Short reads...I'm looking forward to them.

Another great book that features a dog is The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. It's a beautiful and sad too. The story is worth the read. =)~

I have recently read " The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Gareth Stein. The dog is the narrator of this book and after reading it I often wonder if my dog sees things the same way ... I really enjoyed this book and would read it again.

101 Dalmatians and The Starlight Barking by Dodie Smith are both fabulous. I prefer 101 Dalmatians the best!

A Dog Called Perth: The True Story of A Beagle by Peter Martin. Similar in many ways to Marley and Me. :o)

Thanks guys! Just added to my to-read list!

I love the Bad Dog Diaries by Martin Howard.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a "must read". Great story about a boy and dogs. You can discuss this book or any book at www.ExplainMyBook.com.
Very simple to use and straight to the point.

Here is a good article on dog books from Abebooks:
The Dog and the Novel:Loyal Companions
http://www.abebooks.com/books/famous-dog...

Merle's Door, Lessons from a free thinking dog. This was great. I couldn't put it down.

Yes its a kids book, but very nice "The Incredible Journey". "The Watchers" is a super great oldie too.

I loved "Bad Dog Diaries" by Martin Howard, hilrious. The sequel is coming out soon as well.

OK - a good kids book is "Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo (one of my favorite kid's authors. The dog is named Winn Dixie because that's where Opal, the little girl in the book, found him.

Completely different and an oldie, is "The Watchers" by Dean Koontz. Here's a synopsis I cut and pasted from Amazon and originally a review from School Library Journal (it's not a kid's book but an adult one also recommmended for young adults. "A book that incorporates elements of both the horror tale and the action thriller, and the result is an intriguing and enjoyable novel. Watchers is a retelling of the Frankenstein theme with a twist: two creatures, quite different from each other, roam the land. Two animals who are unlike any other animals as a result of DNA research escape from a top-secret laboratory. One is divinely inspiring, engendering love and caring. The other is a hellish nightmare that leaves unspeakable slaughter in its wake. The two creatures and a supporting cast of charactersa government agent, a hired killer, a decent recluse, and a lonely womanare inevitably brought together in a climactic and satisfying showdown. " I'm not a big Dean Koontz fan, but I really like this one.

Of course, the oldies but goodies:

Where the Red Fern Grows
The Call of the Wild
White Fang
Old Yeller
Sounder

A pretty funny YA book is No More Dead Dogs - which doesn't have a dog character, but is about a boy who is tired of reading books where the dog dies - LOL!

I concur. Every dog book that I have ever read, I have absolutely loved. Dogs are so special and intelligent. I love how The Art Of Racing In The Rain is from Enzo's perspective. For you dog lovers out there... It is a must read.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A Novel is ensconced in dogs!

The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst is pretty good. I read it a long time ago but I remember that it was sort of a mystery. I think the dogs were the only witnesses to a death(possibly murder) of some sort.

I love Jennifer Aniston. Hooray!!The Plague Dogs: A Novel, Richard Adams, is very good! Not the same type of book as Marley and Me though.

I went to the pictures this weekend and saw a trailer for Marley and Me. It's going to be a film with Jennifer Anniston in it.

I've been hearing a lot about Along Came Dylan: Two's a Crowd When You've Been Top Dog around here. Maybe give that a try?

So, I've read both Marley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog and The Art of Racing in the Rain, and would chalk both up as favorite reads of all time.

Any other books that feature dogs as major characters that people would recommend? I've seen quite a few out there, but would love some feedback before trying.