Today I would like to introduce you to Charlie, Bailey, and Ethan from A Dog's Purpose and Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron. Both books are available at your bookstore and make a great holiday gift for those pet lovers in your lives. Be sure to check them out!

Welcome to the Books in the Spotlight, guys! The weather is constantly changing in Chicago. Do you have a favorite season?

Charlie in Emory’s Gift: I’d say summer except I know I’d get in trouble with the honesty police. The fact is that when summer’s coming I can’t imagine anything better than getting out of school and having three whole months to myself, but when August has pretty much run its course I’m more than ready to get back on the bus and go back to class. You get so you miss your friends.

Bailey in A Dog’s Purpose: Every season is my favorite!

 Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors? What do you like to do?

Charlie in Emory’s Gift: I guess I figure that indoors doesn’t have much going for it. Most days of the year I take the path from our back yard down to the river. It was down at the river where I was stalked by the mountain lion with intent to turn me into an afternoon snack, but then right about that time the grizzly bear showed up, and then I had bigger problems. Or so I thought at the time.

Bailey in A Dog’s Purpose: I love being outdoors. And I love being indoors! And I love going from outdoors to indoors, and I love going from indoors to outdoors!

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Charlie’s father George in Emory’s Gift: I don’t understand why people can’t mind their own business. We had no problem with that grizzly bear until people found out about it, and then the whole thing turned into a real circus.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned?

Charlie in Emory’s Gift: What I’ve learned? You just can’t predict what’s going to happen. I thought I had everything under control; everything figured out. And then things changed, and I realized nothing was under control.

Bailey in A Dog’s Purpose: I’ve learned that I have a purpose in life, a very important purpose. I hope this is true of everyone, because a life without purpose would be empty.

I don't have any pets. How would you convince me to get own of my own?

Ethan in A Dog’s Purpose: When I met Bailey it was love at first sight. Everywhere I went, my dog was at my side, and no matter what I did, he was right there to assure me I was the greatest. When I failed, Bailey let me know my failures were only stepping stones to success. When I neglected him to focus on other pursuits, he always greeted me and welcomed me back without a hint of reproach. When I became angry at him, he begged my forgiveness, and always forgave me any time I may have done him wrong. There is simply no other creature who will love you without reservation the way a dog will. Missing that sort of love in your life is to miss one of the great things this world has to offer.

Thanks for stopping by, Everyone! You can find out more about A Dog's Purpose and Emory's Gift by visiting Mr. Cameron's website, Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.  



  This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?
  Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.
But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?
  Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.   



  After 13-year-old Charlie Hall’s mother dies and his father retreats into the silence of grief, Charlie finds himself drifting lost and alone through the brutal halls of junior high school.
But Charlie Hall is not entirely friendless.  In the woods behind his house, Charlie is saved from a mountain lion by a grizzly bear, thought to be extinct in northern Idaho. And this very unusual bear will change Charlie’s life forever.
  Deeply moving, and interwoven with hope and joy, Emory’s Gift is not only heartwarming and charming coming of age story, but also a page-turning insightful look at how faith, trust, and unconditional love can heal a broken family and bridge the gaps that divide us.