REVIEW: DEWEY The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Dewey - by Vicky Myron with Bret Witter

This book found its way to my hands via Hachette Book Group (THANK YOU!!!)  and what I love most about it is, without question, that cover.  I mean, would you just LOOK at that CAT??!  And yes, that really is the actual Dewey on the cover posing for a photographer. 

"Dewey" is a pleasant read, but not exactly a page turner.  If I were being honest here, and I think you would like me to be, I would say that throughout most of the book I was thinking, "What's the point?"  I understand that this poor little guy was dropped by someone in the book return slot on one of the coldest nights of the year in Spencer, Iowa, and that the Librarian, Vicky, found him and instantly he became a fixture at the local library.  Got it.    But the book does lay it on a little thick on how much of a super hero this cat is.  Don't get me wrong, I AM a cat person.  I HAVE a cat.  And I love her to pieces.  And one of the best things about reading this was the very typical cat shinanigans that Dewey would partake in in the library.  You know, the finding of Dewey in various boxes, some too small so half of his body would be lazily overflowing; the paw lashing out at the typewriter carrier everytime it loudly gets clacked to the other side.  That kind of thing.  And Vicky had a hard life, she is a breast cancer survivor, and also got through a horrible divorce, and her relationship with her daughter is strained to the max.  That is until Dewey comes along. 

And the book goes even further with Dewey becoming uber famous (which he did) and claiming that through his noteriety he, quite literally, saved the town of Spencer.  That through Dewey throngs of tourists came to the local library and thus spent money and brought world-wide attention to the town.  I'm not doubting this happened, it was just the way in which the author wrote about it that had me rolling my eyes a few times. 

Boy, do I sound like a crabby reviewer or what?  What kind of reviewer doesn't like a nice heartwarming book about a library kitty! 

Okay, maybe this is all sounding a little harsh.  The thing is I didn't NOT like it so much as I have no feelings about the book whatsoever.  It just left me... meh.  You know what I mean?  In fact I'm staring at it now thinking, "What actually happened in this book?" 

But hey, what do I know, considering it was #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list! 

The book was good for the cat shinanigans, good for the heartwarming parts with Vicky and Dewey and other patrons of the library.  The sections where Dewey helped kids with special needs, for example, were so sweet!  And he really did seem extraordinary in many ways. 

I'll leave you to judge for yourself, if you decide to pick it up and give it a go.  And let me know your thoughts! 

RATING:  2/5

Here is the CBS piece they did on Dewey:

SUNDAY SALON

Aaaaahhhh, Sunday.....  I LOVE Sundays.  And this Sunday in particular is awesome because we had our first snow fall!  So, at 730 this morning I put on a fire and read the paper while the rest of my house was sleeping. 

This week turned out to be a great reading week!  After several weeks of not a whole lot of productive reading, I finished Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden and started and finished Susan Higginbotham's "Hugh and Bess", which I LOVED.  I will be reviewing it on Tuesday after hopefully being able to arrange for a giveaway of the book!  (fingers crossed!) 

I carry Echo in the Bone around with me everywhere, and have not been able to read as much as I like of it.  It's not a book I want to read with distractions around.  Because I love this series so much, I want to savour every single word of this latest book, knowing the next (and LAST) one will not be out for 3 years or more.  Sigh.  After following on Diana Gabaldon's blog for the past year, I still stare at its cover in awe that it is finally here in my possesion.  Yes, I love it THAT much.  Sad, really.  What is cool about following an author's blog such as Diana's is that all along while writing Echo she shared with us little excerpts AND even described in detail HOW she wrote a few bits.  We even were let in on the stress of the final weeks of the "final frenzy", as she puts it, where she basically did nothing but write.  Diana also kept us apprised of the discussions over various cover designs and posted the final cover long before anyone else knew about it.  She also replies often to comments, and is very approachable to her readers.  Here is here blog in case you would like to follow her too:  Voyage of the Artemis

This week I will be reading "The Christmas Cookie Club" by Ann Pearlman.  I recieved this ARC back in the summer, but have been waiting until now to read and review it.  It looks like a fun read, and I think it would be a great gift for the women in your life! 

I'll also be reading "Dewey - The Small Town Cat who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron.  This book is already very heartwarming, and Dewey is quite possibly one of the cutest cats I have EVER seen in my LIFE.  EVER.  

I may add one more book to the pile, James Patterson's "The Murder of King Tut."  It was also a review copy from the lovely folks at Little Brown Publishing co., and it looks like a fascinating read. 

Other than that, I am going to go BACK to my fire and knit while my 9 year old daughter watches "That's So Raven" and enjoy some scream-free moments before our 2 year old wakes up!

Have a WONDEFUL Sunday!

For more Sunday Salons visit here.

MAILBOX MONDAY

This week, once again, I actually DID recieve some books in the mail!  And one package from Hachette was a total surprise!  Not only was I not expecting it, there was 4 books in there! 

The first one from the Hachette pile is Robert Ludlum's "Bourne Sanction".  I have never read any of the Bourne books, but not because I didn't want to.  I just never really thought about it!  Now I totally will! 

The next one from Hachette is "Dewey The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched te World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter.  This book has the cutest cover in the entire universe.  The story sounds so heartwarmlingly sweet, I think it would be a great book to give for Christmas.  I'll post a review when I read it.  It starts on the coldest night of the year when Dewey, only a few weeks old, is stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library in the town of the same name in the US.  "He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband.  Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks of love.  For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most. " (from the dust jacket)

Tell me that isn't the cutest most heart swelling story EVER. 

Also from Hachette is Larry King's biography entitled "My Remarkable Journey".  Not much to say about this one, other than I am curious how "remarkable" his "journey" will be to read.  But I digress.

This last one from Hachette sounds REALLY cool.  It's by Jacques Attali and it's called "A Brief History of the Future - a brave and controversial look at the twenty-first century".  From the dust jacket:  "In the international best seller, world renowned economist and political adviser Jacques Attali predicts how our world will look not only in the coming decades but a century from now.  Will there be global chaos, dominated by terrorists, pirates, dictators, devestating droughts, and rising floodwaters?  Or will the planet be blessed with peace, prosperity, and greater freedom for mankind.   While many unpredictable factors could change the course and timing of events, Attali argues that history flows in a single, stubborn direction that no upheaval, hoever momentous, can permanently deflect. 

I can't wait to read this one!

Here is a beautiful looking book that was sent to me by the author Sarah Stonich (THANK YOU, SARAH!)  She even sent a lovely hand written note inside, which is a very nice touch!  First of all, look at that cover.  Is that not georgous!  And the review line on the bottom of the cover is what really hits home for me, "Any woman who ever had her heart cracked open by a man should read The Ice Chorus."  Nuala O'Faolain.       I started it the other night and so far it takes place in Ireland!  And her writing style is beautiful! 

What's in YOUR mailbox this Monday??