So, maybe you’ve noticed that since John Grogan’s Marley and Me burst out onto the bestseller lists and became a blockbuster movie, and with the popularity of the book Dewey…the Library Cat, the cat and dog memoirs have been flying thick and fast. And trust me, there’s no sign of it stopping, even if you want it to.

Some of the newest books to come out in the dog memoir genre (as I believe it will now be classed for all time) are:

the uplifting memoir, One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Afghanistan, by Pen Farthing. Released in August, this book details a Royal Marines troop’s efforts to combat dog-fighting in a remote outpost of Afghanistan.

Tea and Dog Biscuits: Our First Topsy-Turvy Year Fostering Orphan Dogs, by Barrie Hawkins, released in September. The title and subtitle are self-explanatory: a couple in rural England change the lives of a motley group of canines, as well as their own, when they take the group of orphans into their home and their hearts.

Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog, by Stanley Coren, a psychologist and dog expert who has appeared on national TV discussing dog behavior and human-dog interaction. He describes his relationship with one particular dog, Flint.

Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family, released in October, by Helen Brown, which attempts to be the next Dewey, tells the story of a cat who helped a family through the heart-wrenching tragedy of losing a son.

An actual dog training manual: Tamar Geller’s, 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog, released in October

And there is more to come for the upcoming holiday season:

a new book by Dewey author Vicki Myron: Dewey’s Nine Lives: the Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions. This book is full of more tales of Dewey and other inspiring cats Myron has encountered.

Katie Up and Down the Hall, by Glenn Plaskin, a journalist who discovers adopts a cocker spaniel and alters his view of the concept of family.

Pukka: The Pup After Merle, by Ted Kerasote, which is a follow-up to the author’s first dog-memoir, Merle’s Door: Adventures from a Free-Thinking Dog

Here’s one with a title that I thought only my pun-driven, father, perpetually obsessed with the word “woof” could up with: You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secret of Happiness by Julie Klam, a single-career girl who, by adopting a Boston terrier, grows up and gets a life of contentment and fulfillment.

Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey, by John Zeaman, which is a set of observations on dog walking (or, in reality, being walked by a dog).

What a Difference a Dog Makes: Big Lessons in Life, Love and Healing from a Small Pooch, by Dana Jennings

(for more detailed reviews on the last four books listed, see November’s Book Page)

Contributed by staffer Shannon Baker