Friday Quotes, Dec. 19th

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. 
The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. 

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading.

Book Title: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry

Book Beginnings:

My name's Doug Barnes, and this stuff happened on Christmas Eve in my town, which is Asquont, New York. According to Mr. Purcell, who's my Social Studies teacher, Asquont is an Indian name that mean some Indian thing like "Hunting place in the Green Forest," but sometimes I think it was just a a joke by the Indians to get white people to say "Asquont."

Friday 56:

We were driving on Route 218 when Frank saw a squirrel, and he must have thought it was a really dangerous-looking squirrel because he jumped out the window to get it.

Comments: Dave Barry is a journalist who used to write a humor column for the Miami Herald newspaper. This book is so funny it is an absolute scream, yet it is also poignant and touching at the same time. The "Frank" who jumped out the window of the moving car was the family dog. The story is set in the 1960s and there are many cultural references that I recognize from my own childhood. I gave this book as gifts to everyone on my gift list a few years ago.

Progress: I have read this book something like five times but I haven't read it yet this year. I definitely will read it before Christmas, though, and most likely will read it aloud to my family.