Oh noes. Another book with a dog on the cover. A cute, adorable, fluffum-wuffum doggy. Loba’s literary kryptonite. Why is it that I can’t stay away from books with canines on the cover? It’s quite sad, really.

However, I must say that I have yet to be disappointed by the contents of such books. And Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain is definitely no exception to this rule.

First, let’s deal with a few things right up front. Yes, I picked up this novel because there was a dog on the cover. I’ve already confessed this particular weakness to you, so it’s not that surprising to hear again, right? Beyond the dog, however, I knew nothing of this story or its author. So imagine my surprise when I realized that it was a story told from the perspective of a linguistically erudite dog named Enzo who loved auto racing.

I kid you not.

To those of you who are cringing at one or more of the things I just wrote, let me reassure you now. First, reading a book written from a dog’s POV is not as disconcerting as you might initially think. In fact, such a story allowed me to discover the brilliance of Paul Auster. When in the right hands, such a story is a gift, pure and simple.

Next is the auto racing angle. Yes, na