I'm Bonkers for Books

For some, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but this is not always the case for me. After all, I usually spend the month of December ducking the crowds at the mall and chugging fizzy Airborne tablets to stave off the flu bug.

But this year is different.

I attribute my merry mood to the fact that I just wrapped up a whopper of a writing project (stay tuned for details about the book early next year), finished my Christmas shopping early (thank you, Starbucks!) and hung my adorable personalized stockings above the fireplace with MICHAEL, MISS BELLA, and ME embroidered in elegant script across the front of each stocking (thank you, Pottery Barn!).

Now that the holiday hub-bub is behind me, I’m ready to settle back with a cup of hot chocolate and partake in my favorite pastime: reading. I’ve compiled a list of some awesome animal tales, which are sure to get you giddy about gift giving this year.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my annual “catnap,” a time to relax, reflect, and recharge my batteries. In January, I’ll be refreshed and ready to once again don my animal advocate/columnist’s hat and bring you more wise, wacky, and wild stories about our animal friends. In the meantime, have a purr-fect holiday!

Fifteen Legs: When all that stands between death and freedom is a ride… by Bonnie Silva (Riverbank Press). “It was a clammy day in August when I read Eve Haslam’s article ‘Godspeed to All Those in Transport’ and within a few minutes, I had soaked the newsprint with tears,” writes author and filmmaker, Bonnie Silva. “There was a dog, a black Lab, who needed to get from her foster home in Georgia to her adoptive home in Vermont. She was put on a “transport” and handed off to different volunteer drivers, fifteen in all, until finally she arrived where her new family was waiting—the dog’s ‘forever home,’ as the animal-people called it.”

So begins Fifteen Legs, a superbly-written book brimming with tales of furry passengers who are shuttled—sometimes by car, sometimes by plane—to new homes in new cities by a network of kindhearted, lifesaving volunteers. I was so inspired by Fifteen Legs that I read it in one evening, but I suggest you take your time and savor each heartwarming and heart-wrenching story. Who knows, you might even decide to become an animal transporter in your spare time!

Way of the Horse: Equine Archetypes for Self-Discovery by Linda Kohanov, illustrated card deck by award-winning equine artist, Kim McElroy (New World Library). Kohanov, a writer and riding instructor specializing in equine-facilitated human development, invites readers to ponder the power, perception, and nobility of the horse, while discovering their own spirit at the same time.

Beautifully written and elegantly packaged, the book and accompanying divination deck are designed to reveal the various lessons that horses can teach us about achieving greater physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance in our lives. “The horses are calling us,” the authors say. “Now that we’re finally willing to listen, they have endless wisdom to share.” Answer the call and you’ll be transformed by the magic and the mystery of the exquisitely sensitive equine.

Planet Cat: A Cat-alog by Sandra Choron, Harry Choron, and Arden Moore (Houghton Mifflin). Open the pages of Planet Cat and embark on an unforgettable journey into all things feline. Do you know how to say “cat” in 63 languages? Or the 84 songs about our feline friends? Or how to give your cat an IQ test? How about the top human habits that drive cats crazy? You’ll learn all this and more in Planet Cat, a paw-sitively delightful gem of a book filled with tons of tasty treats sure to please all the cat lovers in your life.

Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? by Marty Becker, D.V.M., with Audrey Pavia, Gina Spadafori, and Teresa Becker (Health Communications). Walk, trot, or gallop to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of this fun and factual book. Not only do the authors answer the age-old question: “Why do horses sleep standing up?,” but readers will learn the answers to other intriguing questions such as: “Why do horses poop and walk at the same time?,” “What is it like to be hung like a horse?,” and “Are horses ticklish?,” as well as more serious inquires like: “Why can’t they save horses who break a leg?,” “Is it fair to ride police horses on noisy, scary city streets?,” and “Do they really send old horses to the glue factory?” This petite paperback will easily slip into the Christmas stocking of your favorite horse lover.

 

Karen would like to remind readers that her book, All for Animals: Tips and Inspiration for Living a More Compassionate Life, can be ordered online at www.allforanimals.com. Order three or more copies and Karen will personally deliver the books to your home or office (Santa Barbara/Goleta areas) free of charge. All she asks is that you have a cup of hot chocolate waiting for her!

 

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By Karen Lee Stevens,
Founder & President, ALL FOR ANIMALS, Inc.
Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved.

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