Turn The Page ... Tuesday

"Here's why I would be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot speak, so I listen very well. I never interrupt, I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own. People, if you pay attention them, change the direction of one another's conversations constantly. It's like having a passenger in your car who suddenly grabs the steering wheel and turns you down a side street."

And so it goes - intellectual insights from a dog named Enzo. I'd say he is pretty on target. Well, at least the author of the book The Art Of Racing In The Rain made him so. The entire book is written from Enzo's perspective which is quite humorous and had me looking at my cat quite differently. I know you all have heard the cliche "a dog is a mans best friend" - well this book thoughtfully and lovingly gives us the best friends perspective. Jealousy when a 'competitor' for affection enters his masters world, fierce protection when a 'pup' joins their family, tenderness when there is affliction, and loyalty when there is sorrow. It is also a story of life and death, of living in the moment and accepting the inevitable for both man and four legged furry friend.

I'm so glad I pulled this book off my shelf. If you are an animal lover you will certainly appreciate the different perspective ... and I guarantee when you look at your pet you will certainly wonder what they are thinking!

I had to laugh when I looked this book up on Amazon to find a picture of the cover and to link to it. Two stars. That's all the accolades it received. Know why I laughed? I liked The Phantom of Manhattan. I had been hesitant to pull this off my bookshelf because it did appear a bit cheesy. I thought it was going to be some cheap dime store type.Well, if you read the reviews, some certainly thought so. I however, having no loyalties (unlike some of the Amazon reviewers) to The Phantom of the Opera, enjoyed the 'what happened to Erik' the phantom. Just goes to show you can't always judge a book by it's cover.

Now I should clarify - this is no deep read. Surprise! You already knew that though didn't you. The story begins with with Madame Giry on her death bed soliciting a lawyer to deliver a letter and a large sum of money to Erik in the United States (she is in Paris) and she has no address. The adventure is on. There are quite a few colorful characters - a young-know-it-all-NYC-tabloid reporter, a soulless-idol worshiper, a jolly Irish priest, a rosy cheeked just-like-his-father boy, Christine-the-pined-after-beauty, and of course, Erik - still the masked man but now a multimillionaire.

If you are not offended by spin offs and can stand to read a book that only received two stars on Amazon (don't let anyone see you - I won't tell) ... I think you might enjoy this book too.  Dime store isn't always a bad thing ;-0

So tell me, what have you pulled off your shelf?