A Dog’s Point of View and a Friendship Complicated: This Week’s Book Picks

Searching for a new book for this long weekend? These suggestions from the staff at the Brecksville branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library may help!

This week’s teen book recommendation was written by Teen Librarian Diane Wilson, and the adult recommendations were written by public services assistant Rachel Vaughn.

If you’ve read any of these books, let us know what you thought in the comments.

For adults:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Denny Swift seems to have lost everything. While Denny is in the upswing of his racing career his wife, Eve, passed away suddenly and his young daughter, Zoe, is swept away by Eve’s parents in a grueling custody battle. But Denny still has Enzo and Enzo is determined to reunite Denny and Zoe if it is literally the last thing he does. Enzo is Denny’s dog, but he isn’t just any dog—he has the mind of a philosopher and feels closer to human than canine. Read this heart-touching story through Enzo’s point of view as he contemplates family, love, and his next life.

Friends Like Us by Lauren Fox
Willa and Jane are inseparable, so much so that they are mistaken for sisters all of the time. They live together, shop together, and at times share what seems like the same brain, but when Willa’s oldest friend Ben reenters the picture, will she be able to share this part of her life with Jane? Jane and Ben are falling in love but the consequences seem to include Willa filling the role of the third wheel. Can these three navigate the balance between love and friendship?

For teens:

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
For as long as Tessa can remember, her country has been at war. When Gideon, a local boy, wins an award for courage, a strange chain of events is set in motion; soon, Tessa finds herself in enemy territory and stumbles upon a shocking secret. Recommended for grades 6 to 8.

Summaries may be based in part from information in the library's catalog.