New friends!

Spent the day visiting the sleep lab doctor, the oral surgeon and the podiatrist. I've reached an age where all my friends last names end in MD!

My new favorite book is...........

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Get settled into a comfortable chair, make a pot of tea, turn off the ringers on your cell and house phones and lastly, put a box of tissues near you. Enzo is a lovable dog adopted by Denny, an auto mechanic and skilled race car driver. Enzo's dream is to be human, to have opposable thumbs, a thick tongue and an ability to communicate to his loved ones what he hears, sees and knows. Denny marries, a baby is born, tragedy hits, Denny finds his fortitude and courage and Enzo is part of it all. Enzo, who spends his days watching TV while the family is gone, yearns to be human and one day, while watching TV, learns that Mongolians believe when a dog dies, he comes back as a man. Enzo, ever wise, holds that as a truth and a dream. Won't tell you much more than that except to say through all the hardships, frustrations and heartbreaks, you will find joy in this book. If you've ever loved and lost a beloved pet, Enzo's fate will break your heart and lift you up at the same time. The Epilogue will leave you beaming and wanting more story to come but the author wisely leaves the future to you and your imagination. Don't miss reading this amazingly tender book!

Books you might enjoy!

When I first heard about "Untold Story:  A Novel" by Monica Ali I was doubtful it'd be anything more than tabloid writing.  It's based on how Diana's life would be now if she hadn't died in the car crash.  I was pleasantly surprised how well-written the book was; good plot line but based to some degree on what we've read about Diana and her emotional instability and how her life would still be because of those issues.

A book I thoroughly enjoyed was "Cutting For Stone" by Abraham Verghese.  If you have time to read only one book this summer, this is the one!  It's a story that covers generations and continents, a story about love, betrayals, compassion and redemption.  It's about twins born of an illicit love affair between a nursing nun and a doctor and what the boys' lives become.  Kleenex warning, however, for the last pages!  It's a beautifully written novel and one you'll not want to put down.