The Dog That Talked to God Book Review

SUMMARY:  Sometimes the least expected can be the most amazing.
     Recently widowed Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer, Rufus, and her world is turned sideways in the midst of her grief.  It seems that Rufus speaks.  And not just to her.  He also talks to God.
     When Rufus begins sharing advice that could result in major life changes, Mary gets the feeling the pooch might not be steering her in the right direction.  Or is she just afraid to take a leap and discover something she desperately needs?  Only Rufus - and God - knows.

REVIEW:  This book was okay but not what I expected. Having read The Cat God Sent, I had an idea what Rufus might be like.  But he was nothing like Petey's character.  Where Petey seemed educated regarding people and social events and issues, Rufus was completely clueless and had to have Mary explain a lot of things which he still couldn't comprehend.
     The book was written in first person narrative, which was interesting but that may have been the most interesting part.  Rufus didn't seem to give advice as much as suggested in the Summary.  He often had questions for Mary but did make some suggestions when asked questions.  For example, after a friend of Mary's suggested she go out on a date (Mary has been widowed for about three years), Rufus agrees with the friend when Mary asked his thoughts.  He did help Mary from making a mistake when things started getting serious between Mary and her date one evening.
     This was an okay book and might be good for summertime or vacation reading.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

Jim Kraus is a longtime writer and editor who has authored or coauthored 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction.  His best-selling humor book, Bloopers, Blunders, Jokes, Quips, and Quotes, was published by Tyndale, sold more than 40,000 copies, inspired several spin-off books.  Jim and his wife, novelist Terri Kraus, have one son and live in the Chicago area.

The Cat That God Sent Book Review

SUMMARY:  Meet Petey, your not-so-average cat - on a mission from God.
     Disillusioned young pastor, Jake Wilkerson, has just arrived at his new assignment in the small rural church of Coudersport, Pensylvania.  Also new on the scene is Petey, a cat of unknown origins and breed - but of great perception.
     As Jake sets about doing the business of ministry, Petey's continued interference brings chaos to the community of curiously off and eccentric people - residents like the faith-avoiding veterinarian Emma Grainger and Tassy, a young runaway with a secret.  An expert at hiding his fears, Jake wonders if all this - and the cat to boot - is more than he can handle.  What is Petey's real "mission"?  Perhaps something larger than Jake - or even Petey - can possibly know.

REVIEW:  This was an interesting book.  Being that I'm not much of a cat person, I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.  The main human characters of the book - Jake, Tassy and Emma - were each hiding a secret that they did not want anyone to know about it.  Once the secrets are revealed, healing was able to finally take place.  I like how Petey bring about change in the small church Jake pastored, change that was desperately needed.  This change helped Jake discover his true calling and brought needed healing to many lives.  Petey's character was well written.  He did not speak directly to God but the Holy Spirit helped guide Petey in doing what needed to be done.  While he also did not speak directly to Jake with human words, Petey communicated in meows, growls, and purrs to make his ideas and wishes known and made it seemed totally believable. 
    This is a good book that is great for some summertime and vacation reading.  I highly recommend it.  A discussion guide is included for anyone reading this in a book club or just on their own.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spent the last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house.  He has written more than twenty books and novels, including the best-selling The Dog That Talked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey.