A big little life, by Dean Koontz

 

I really loved this account by Dean Koontz about his and his wife Gerda's adoption of Trixie, a highly-trained, three-year-old golden retriever who had to retire from a companion dog program because she had to have elbow surgery and wouldn't be able to reliably pull someone in a wheelchair to safety. Trixie was an extremely intelligent dog who made a significant impact on the lives of his adopted family and their friends. As someone who read a lot of Dean Koontz novels throughout the 1980s and 1990s, I really enjoyed reading this account of how he works (he treats writing like a job, 9-5), and how Trixie had an influence on the themes of several of his books. Like all good dog stories, this one has a sad ending, with Trixie succumbing to cancer. Reading this shortly after losing my dog Bailey to cancer was a bit cathartic, and I was surprised by how closely their cancer diagnoses paralleled each other.

Blue pills: A positive love story, by Frederik Peeters

 

In an exploration of my library's graphic narratives, I came across this 2001 account of a young man who falls for a young mother of a three-year-old, both of whom are HIV positive. The story is told in black and white ink drawings that clearly show the emotions they all feel as they come to terms with their situation. They go through a period of anxiety, concerned about transmission; they consult a doctor multiple times; they surmount the challenges of telling family and friends; finally, they come to an acceptance and peace with their lives. This is a touching, heartfelt, and introspective look at the challenges faced by HIV-positive people who want a "normal" life.

Rivethead: Tales from the assembly line, by Ben Hamper

 

I first learned about this book when my boss mentioned that he'd listened to a review of it (I believe on NPR, of which he was a big fan). I thought it was something that my dad would like, so I gave it to him for Christmas or his birthday that year. I later bought myself a paperback copy, but didn't get around to reading it until just this month, 30 years after I bought the book for my dad. 

Ben Hamper was the eldest child in a large family with an alcoholic father who was negligent and mostly absent. He struggled with his studies, and when he finished high school, he didn't have many options. After working a few jobs, he was hired by GM to work on the assembly line during the night shift (which is where all new hires were placed). This book is an account of the various jobs that Hamper had on the assembly line, how he was alternately laid off and then re-hired, the drugs and alcohol that he abused in and out of the workplace, and the various hi-jinks that he and others got up to at work. 

This is a fascinating look at work on an assembly line, although some of the tales he tells are so tall that I have to think that he's exaggerating for comedic effect. Hamper worked for many years on the assembly line until he developed a medical/psychological condition that led to his departure from GM. This book paints an informative picture of life at GM, working on an assembly line in the 1970s and 1980s, and life in Flint, Michigan, when the only game in town was GM.

Close encounters of the bovine: Recollections of a rural veterinarian, by Rosalie Cooper-Chase

 

When I was growing up, I was determined to become a veterinarian. After reading All things great and small, by James Herriot, I read every memoir by a veterinarian that I could find in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. These included both zoo and rural vets; I volunteered at the Pittsburgh Zoo, so the zoo vet memoirs were very interesting to me as well. I really enjoyed this account. Dr. Cooper-Chase worked primarily with cattle, horses, dogs, and cats, but this book focuses on her experiences with cattle. Many of the stories she recounts have to do with birthing difficulties, although some are about other common dangers. She shares her observations about the ranchers as well, and her stories show the wide variety of people who go into ranching. This book would be of interest to anyone interested in animals and their care.

Copycat, and a litter of other cats, by David Yow

 

This is a really fun collection of drawings by David Yow, otherwise known as the vocalist for the bands Scratch Acid and Jesus Lizard. Yow draws in his spare time, and he created this collection of cats, along with their pun-filled names. All of the cats in his drawings are named with a word or phrase that has the word cat in it. For example, the image of the cat named Catastrophe is of a cat sitting in front of a trophy labeled "1st prize Ass." The cat named Catholic is sitting in a cathedral with a bishop's mitre on his head. All of the images are cute and clever; it's very fun to look through, especially for cat lovers.

The perfect storm, by Sebastian Junger

 

I appreciated this account of the October 1991 storm that caused so much havoc and tragedy, later made into a film starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. I saw the film when it came out, and remember being so shocked by the tragic ending. I hadn't read the book, and since the film related the last moments of the people who died, I assumed most of the way through the film that they had been rescued. I bought the book not longer after having seen the film, but just got around to reading it now. It's a well-researched and compassionate account of the storm and how it affected so many: the fishermen, other boaters, rescue swimmers, and all of their families. The jobs these people do are so dangerous that it makes me question the ethics of supporting the fishing industry at all. Not to mention that one of the things that makes the job so dangerous is that they have to fish so far away from port because of centuries of over-fishing. A storm can brew in just days, but it takes a week to get from the fishing ground to a safe port, and sometimes it's just impossible. I know the money can be good, but do I really want people risking their lives so that I can have a swordfish steak at a restaurant? This is a very well-written and researched book; it's a shame Junger hasn't written many more long form non-fiction (I believe he only has one other).