Edgar Sawtelle in Paperback!

Yes, it's finally here, for those of you who have been waiting for the paperback version of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski. When this debut novel came out in hardcover last year, it was a smash hit. Janet Maslin, in her review in the New York Times, wrote "A great, big, mesmerizing read....Pick this book up and expect to feel very, very reluctant to put it down." The New Yorker had this to say: "In this debut novel, Wroblewski illustrates the relationship between man and canine (at times, from the dog's point of view) in a way that is both lyrical and unsentimental, and demonstrates an ability to create a coherent, captivating, fictional world in which even supernatural elements feel entirely persuasive." And the Chicago Times called it "easily the best work of fiction ever written about dogs." And while I'm on the subject of dogs, don't forget about the "Telling Tales" fundraiser for AnimalAid at Furever Pets on Friday. Click here for details.

Taking Care of our Four-Legged Friends

Once again, I must apologize for the minimal blogging of late. Life has been a bit challenging for me lately. A week ago we said goodbye to Mikey, my 14-year-old kitty, who got hit by cancer. He was a sweet, cuddly playful boy, and I miss him a ton. I adopted Mikey and Joey a little more than ten years ago, when they were 3 and 6, respectively. Their owner was moving to Hawaii and didn't want them to have to go through the mandatory quarantine. So they got a new home with me, and they enhanced my life tremendously. Mikey is the fluffy gray kitty and Joey is the black & white -- they came to me pre-named.

Joey is a survivor. He's slightly brain damaged from pain medication he was given after being hit by a car and he has one eye, a collapsed lung, and a tumor in his abdomen. But he's an amazing cat, 17 years old and going strong. And he loves playing with his Undercover Mouse from Furever Pets.

I'm sharing this information with you because I know so many of our customers are animal lovers. At Broadway Books we are happy to see your well-behaved animals join you in the store -- in fact, we have doggie treats behind the counter, because most of our animal visitors are dogs (although we did get a lovely cat in recently, who is a professional working cat -- she visits people in nursing homes and hospitals).

And because you are animal lovers, I'm sure you'll be interested in an upcoming event in the neighborhood. On Friday night, September 11th, from 8 to 10 pm, our friend Symon Lee, who owns Furever Pets just down the street from Broadway Books, is hosting a fundraiser at his store for Animal Aid, a nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue and outreach organization serving the Portland metropolitan area since 1969. We are proud to be involved in this fundraiser. The event is called "Telling Tales," and Garth Stein, author of the bestselling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, will be there to read from his book and sign copies.

We'll be there selling Garth's book, and other local merchants are participating as well, with a percentage of all sales being donated to Animal Aid. There will be food, wine, music, goodie bags, and a silent auction. Tickets for the event ($25, or more if you wish to make a larger tax-deductible donation) are available at our store, at Furever Pets, or at the Animal Aid website. For more information about the event or the organization, check out their website. Hope to see you there!

Meryl the Librarian?

Several sources are reporting that Meryl Streep is in talks to play author and librarian Vicki Myron in the film adaptation of the hot-selling book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Myron with Bret Witter. Reportedly, New Line Cinema beat out several other studios interested in buying film rights to this book. The book tells the true story of a tiny, near-frozen kitten that Myron found pushed through the book return slot of the library when she came to work one bitterly cold January morning in 1988, in little Spencer, Iowa, a farming community beset with tough times. The kitten, named Dewey Readmore Books, wins the heart of the staff and the community, and helps the town move through its time of crisis. As with the novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which revolves around dogs but doesn't require that you be a dog lover to appreciate it, Dewey will warm your heart and give you a satisfying read, whether you are a cat lover or not. And truly, who could resist that adorable furry face on the cover!