Book Reviews: The Year of Magical Thinking & Stargazing Dog

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Didion tries to make sense of loss in the midst of her privileged and entitled lifestyle. Her lucid writing shines through illuminating the truth that death is the great equalizer.



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Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The quote, "A dog is a man's best friend", very much applies to this melancholy story. A man's downward spiral to isolation is narrated in a matter of fact style. It is a statement of reality on the human condition.

Illustrated in black white, the whole experience of reading the novel is sentimental and avoids the sappy drama that goes with the usual broken heart-rejected formula of many life drama stories like this. While the dog is the true hero of the story and its presence in the whole narrative is the redeeming value of the main character's journey, the end shows a bit of hope for people who've loved and lost.

Read it when you're emotionally stable.



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Book Display: Paws for Reading

PAWS for READING

It was Chinese New Year last February 16, 2018! Because it is the Year of the Dog, my staff, Flynn, set up this book display to highlight library books about dogs and the canines we love.

My personal favorites from the recommended books on display are Laika and Stargazing Dog, graphic novels that show man's relationship with his best friend, the loyal dog.

In Stargazing Dog (Takashi Murakami), an old man retreats from the world and dies in a field of sunflowers. He is survived by his pet dog, who stayed with him until his last breath. Laika (Nick Abadzis), is a historical fiction about the first living creature sent into outer space by the Soviet Union during the space race. Issues on animal rights and the ethics behind scientific experiments are subtly discussed in the graphic novel.

We got good comments from members of the community who are dog lovers. Here's hoping they pick up the books on display.