Book Reviews
Champion of My Heart’s book review policy is pretty simple, with a few caveats noted below. I’m open to book review pitches — if a book seems relevant and interesting to me and the blog’s readers.
If it’s faster and easier for you, I do have a KINDLE and know how to send Kindle files from email to the device. On the other hand, I find plain PDF files miserable to read, so let’s not do that.
As with dog product reviews, I give my honest opinion about what I like and what I don’t like about books.
Books We Won’t Review
Champion of My Heart promotes positive reinforcement, pain-free, intimidation-free dog training. I do NOT condone the dangerous, debunked, and scientifically inaccurate dominance theory in dog training, including the people who promote it. I simply do not subscribe to the whole “pack leader” thing. I loathe the term “alpha,” and we abhor shock collars, choke collars, pinch/prong collars, and any other dog training tool that hurts or scares dogs.
– Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart
If I come across alpha dog or dog dominance in a book or mention of people (famous or otherwise) who use such methods, and it isn’t done to argue against it, then I will stop reading immediately and NOT review the book. Period.”
I’m simply exhausted with people who should know better using the term alpha / pack leader. I wholeheartedly support this anti-alpha article by Pat Miller, which reads in part … “Why every mention of ‘alpha dogs’ or ‘dominant’ dogs is dangerous to all dogs.”
I don’t like adult books written from the dog’s perspective. Yes, there are some very rare exceptions, but in general, I have a visceral, negative reaction to it.
– Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart
I don’t like books written for adults where the dog is the first-person narrator. Kids books told from the dog’s perspective bother me a little less.
Apparently, now I also need to add a caveat about the use of AI to create books. If a book is wholly or in great part written or edited by a language-learning-model or other AI bot or agent, I will not read or review it. One of my writer pals refers to it as the “lying plagiarism machine,” and I agree.
– Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart
I won’t read or review books written or edited in great part or in their entirety by AI.
I was happy to see that my colleagues at the Colorado Authors League address the AI issue as well. The organization’s statement in April 2026 reads in part … “AI, by definition, does not experience life (at least not yet); it can only steal what others have researched and written. It gives no credit where credit is due. At this point, it can’t be an ‘author.’ Therefore, books written by AI cannot be considered an author’s work, even if they put their name on it. Books written by AI will not be considered as a basis for membership in CAL, nor can they be submitted for the CAL Awards… There are ways, however, to use AI as a writer. Inspiration, prompts, fine-tuning a sentence, etc. are perfectly acceptable. Using it to write the whole thing is not.”
– Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart
I will look around online to see if authors are even real people … because apparently it has now come to that.
I’m also newly concerned about “authors” who aren’t even real people, so as I consider which books to review, I will look into whether or not the author has a legitimate presence in the world. At some point, I may even have to require a live video conversation as proof of life, so to speak. I absolutely hate that it’s come to that, but you would not believe all the fake AI slop out there.
For real, friends, the vast majority of photos, videos, and heart-warming “true” stories you see online are 100% fake. Totally made up and totally created by AI. Look … if you want to write fiction, write fiction, but don’t make crap up and pretend it’s real.
Example Dog Book Reviews
Here are a few examples of dog book reviews we’ve done over the years.
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Book Review Away to Me
While getting through 4 straight days without electricity, internet, cell phone service, and running water due to a massive wind storm, I felt thankful that I’d already bought and downloaded Patricia McConnell’s first-ever murder mystery novel — Away to Me — for my Kindle. Grateful too that my Kindle was 90% charged when the power went out last Thursday. You probably know McConnell from her longtime work as an animal behaviorist and author of many nonfiction books.
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For the Love of Dog Book Review
If you’ve ever wondered how we ended up with the dogs we love at our sides, what we know about their unique abilities (thanks to science), and how they help us survive all the things, then I hope you enjoy this For the Love of Dog book review. The book is part memoir, part research paper, and part life stress and pet loss treatise. It’s written by Maggie Marton, who also authors “Oh My Dog!” She’s a pal and a colleague; a dog and kiddo mom extraordinaire; dog nerd and cancer survivor. She understands and reveals a lot in this book. It’s subtitle is How Dogs Think and the Unbreakable Bond That Connects Us. You will cry a little. I did. But, you will also laugh out loud and learn a lot.
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Fun Dog Book for Kids
Author Jeff Pawlecki contacted me a while back, asking me to review his fun book for kids called The Three Terrier Tales on the Farm – Barking Up a New Adventure. He lives on a farm in Ohio, with family that includes people and several species of animals. The book is cute and pretty funny. If you know young readers who like terriers, it’s perfect for their bookshelves!
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PD the Pug Books
That tiny foster pug puppy from a few years ago came as a revelation. One of the things I love about fostering is getting the chance to experience breeds I’d never know otherwise. So, I felt pretty excited to read some books written by PD the Pug.
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Dog Book for Kids Review
Don’t you love the idea of kids learning about dogs through reading? WT Kosmos asked me for a dog book for kids review for the first book in a planned series. It’s called Maya & Waggers – I have to scoop what? (ha ha) The truth is that I had a few issues with some things in the chapter book for kids ages 8 and up. Let’s clap for Kosmos who took my feedback and made revisions so that kids learn accurate (and safe) info about dogs and dog training, including how to teach sit and the dangers of dogs running loose. Yay! Let’s take a look at the book’s premise.
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10 Things I Learned from Leland Dirks
I got news today (Feb 19, 2024) that my fellow Colorado author and border collie lover Leland Dirks died recently. It’s such sad news, but I know that his beloved (late) border collie Angelo shepherded his crossing. As I often do upon the death of people I love and admire, I wrote a bit of a Leland Dirks tribute that I like to pretend he’d appreciate.
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Fun Dog-Centric Mystery Book Series
Are you sitting down? I’m going to recommend a mystery book series that repeatedly breaks my #1 rule about including debunked, outdated, and total BS dog training and behavior details. Shocker, I know. And, yet, these otherwise funny and engaging books have helped me survive a difficult year, and I adore them. FIVE STARS — Highly recommend. I traded emails with the author to share my angst over those mentions of alpha dogs and being pack leaders and other stuff, so they know where I stand. Why on earth am I writing this? Keep reading to find out what I enjoy these books in the Bought the Farm Series by Ellen Riggs (pssst … that’s a pen name).
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Starter Dog Book Review
Let’s get going with my Starter Dog book review. TL/DR Loved it. Perfect read for a long holiday weekend. Also, don’t miss the reason my copy of the book got chewed up.
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Book Review The Queen of Second Chances
Here’s another somewhat overdue book review of Queen of Second Chances by D.M. Barr. It’s a novel with a couple pivotal canine characters who help drive major plot points and excitement. Here’s what I liked about the book, thoughts on places younger readers might feel lost, and a few minor quibbles.
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A Dog of Many Names Book Review
This book review of A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green is so long overdue it’s comical. The book’s publicist first contacted me a year ago. The review copy arrived in March 2021 in advance of a July release date, but I didn’t get around to reading the book until Clover had minor surgery in October 2021. I took a walk on a local trail in town and then sat next to a creek to read until I got word I could pick her up. I nearly stopped reading the book several times for several reasons, but I did finish it in a single day. I tried contacting the publicist again in October with some questions / concerns, but I never heard back. Still, I think it’s worth discussion, so let’s get to it.
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Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets Book Review
Donna Kelleher, DVM, is a holistic veterinarian who works in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Her most recent book Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets chronicles her career path and challenges with the demands of the veterinary profession itself and the pressures (and annoyances) caused by clients. Over the years, she worked in emergency / critical care and even for a veterinary practice purchased by a corporation. The book addresses the high rate of suicide among veterinarians (that I talked about recently in the post about how not to get fired as a veterinary client). Kelleher offers keen insights into how she practices veterinary medicine today — from cancer cases to chronic allergies and beyond. The 2 of us agree in many things. Some things in the book, though, I disagree with, doubt, and bring a heavy dose of skepticism too. She knows that based on our private conversations via email and encouraged me to write a book review anyway. So here you go.
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Long Nose Legacy Book Review
As a dog book reviewer, I maintain a short list of quirks — such as NOT liking books told from the dog’s point of view. So when J.G. Eastman asked me to look at Long Nose Legacy, A Dog’s Story of Royalty and Loyalty (a middle grade chapter book for kids ages 9-12) we shared a little back and forth about if I’d be annoyed by the narration in the book. Eastman explained, “It’s told in 3rd person, but the dogs do communicate with each other, and we hear their thoughts.” So, I gave it a try. Here are my thoughts.
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Book Review You Know Your Dog Loves You Because
If you need a good giggle about some of the silliest (and, yes, documented by science) ways dogs prove their love for us in every day life, check out our book review! You Know Your Dog Loves You Because … by writer Jeff Parks and illustrator Mark Sean Wilson might make a good gift for your loved ones of all ages. Here’s why. [Also, news about our Mr. Stix at the bottom of the page.]
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Book Review 100 Dogs and Counting
100 Dogs and Counting is the latest book by Cara Sue Achterberg about her adventures fostering dogs and about the efforts of so many to save more dogs from places where they face little hope of being adopted. If you’re looking for something new to read as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and you feel strong enough to learn some tough things about the reality of animal sheltering and rescues, I recommend reading this book — with a few caveats (at the bottom of the page).
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Please Support One of My Favorite Independent Authors
Over the holiday break, we received the devastating news that our amazing border collie friend Angelo earned his wings on an ordinary night in his sleep. If you don’t already know Angelo’s story and other tales and images from his epic love story with Leland Dirks — Angelo’s human companion, our friend and one of my favorite independent authors — now is the perfect time to show some support by buying and reading one (or all) of his books.
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Santa’s Dog Book Review
Santa’s Dog ! With the holidays zooming at us, it’s the perfect time to think about the young readers on your gift list. Fans of Santa in your life? Want to teach about adopting dogs through shelters or rescues? Get this book.
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All Hands on Pet Book Review
Here’s our All Hands on Pet book review. The full title is All Hands on Pet – Your How-To Guide on Home Physical Therapy Methods for Pets, and the book is written by veteran physical therapist Susan E. Davis. Inside you’ll find deep information for dogs and later in the book even ideas for cats, birds, and other pets. I only read the dog parts. Here’s what I think about the book.
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Stand-Up Paddleboarding With Your Dog Tips
I met Maria Christina Schultz through a mutual friend recently. She is doing great things — publishing books, speaking at events, representing top dog brands online and such. If you are interested at all in doing stand-up paddleboarding with your dog, you definitely need to know her.
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Book Review How to Get Custody of Your Dog
Brette Sember is a prolific writer on topics as wide ranging as cookbooks and co-parenting to all manner of real-world legal things. Her newest book would come in handy if you’re getting divorced and want custody of your dog. (As if the answer to that question would ever be no.) Here’s my book review How to Get Custody of Your Dog ($3.99 for Kindle).
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Book Review Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog by Jana Rade
Jana Rade is a dog blogger and moderator of a Dog Health Issues Group on Facebook with more than 10,000 members. She has written quick-reference guide that I highly recommend. Here is my book review Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog: How to Tell if Your Dog Is Sick and What to Do Next .
Other Book Reviews
Sometimes, we review books that have nothing to do with dogs because we can. For example, check out this review of a pal’s book about small-town football.