Wanted to love this. I feel like I should have loved it but the writing style just didn't engage me.

Easily one of my favorite memoirs of life with a dog ever. I felt like I knew Gizelle, and more importantly, loved her. The author lays her feelings bare and it is beautiful. If you've ever been fortunate enough to love a dog, don't miss out on this book. If you haven't been so lucky, after reading this one you'll want to be.

3.25 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book! Obviously the author is not a writer; this is a memoir written by a girl in her 20s. As such, the writing style is extremely informal and honestly, completely all over the place. She could hardly stay on track and went off on various tangents about her love life. Which I don't care about. I'm here for the puppy.
It’s a sweet story (the last 25 pages are an intense try-not-to-cry challenge), but it wasn’t super compelling.... and I'm not really sure why this got a movie deal. I don't know that I would recommend this to anyone. If you want to cry about cute, ridiculously massive puppies, go for it.

I am a sucker for bios/ tributes to beloved pets. This one was no exception. I'm not a dog person, per se, but I have owned 2. I have cats now which I love to death and keep journals for! I can relate to what Lauren Fern Watt feels for her dog. Our pets don't live nearly long enough. And dogs really don't have have long lives at all. My cats are no in their mid teens and are healthy, but in not too many more years my heart will be broken again.We become family and best friends with them, they are our children , then, too soon, tragically, we lose them. Heart breaking. But such a wonderful story. Gizelle's been immortalized. She sounds like she was a wonderful companion. Lovely story.

Anyone who knows me well knows I don't like dogs. Dogs and I have a troubled past. I was chased by them as a child, bitten recently when out for a bike ride, and just generally fearful of them. So no one was more surprised than me when I requested to read this touching memoir about one of the largest breeds of dogs. AND when I kept postponing this read--finally purging many of my Netgalley arcs when I had been too eager and requested more than I could possibly read--but this one survived. The reviews were so glowing--and I DO love a good road trip story! I finally picked this one up, and I read it in one day. Lauren's honest storytelling and complete devotion to Gizelle was compelling and so very readable. And I could not believe when I found myself crying over a dog along with her. I'm so glad Lauren decided to share her and Gizelle's story. It's a great reminder to enjoy life, and never stop having adventures!

Cute. Sweet. Easy, one sitting read. There are time jumps and things happen without a lot of detail unless it involved Gizelle directly, and it works. In the background is her mom’s addiction, job hunting/careers, and relationships with roommates and romantic partners. 

 

It’s a perfect dog book and will help certain 20 somethings. But I can’t help but notice how white and middle class it all is. Might be why it doesn’t hit home more for me. *shrug*

Gizelle’s Bucket List
My Life with a Very Large Dog
Lauren Fern Watt
Simon & Schuster, March 2017
ISBN 978-1-5011-2365-8
Hardcover
Simon & Schuster Audio, March 2017
Narrated by Lauren Fern Watt
Downloaded Unabridged Audiobook

I both read and listened to this one and was glad I did because the audio edition added a strong connection between me and the author. This is a true story and, as you can guess from the title, it’s all about this wonderful dog’s last days. Get out a box of tissues because you’re going to need them. Yes, it’s terribly sad but also joyful and uplifting as Lauren helps Gizelle do the things she loves best and those Lauren is sure she’ll enjoy before it’s too late. The love and devotion between Lauren and Gizelle are as real as it gets and I appreciate the time I spent with them.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2017.

If I had thought about the title at all I would have known this book wasn't going to end happy. Since I went into this book thinking it was going to tell funny stories about a big dog, my review is somewhat biased. This book got rave reviews, but I didn't see it. To me it took too long to get to Gizelle's story and then that was sad and depressing, to me.

This is the ultimate book for all dog lovers. It is a love story from the author to her beloved dog. She chronicles their life together and when he is terminal, she decides to take him on a bucket list series off adventures before he passes. She fills his every wish of his favorite things as well as takes him on a series of trips.
It is sweet, heartwarming and sad. Get the tissues as you will need them. I loved it and if you have grieved for an animal this is a important book to read about animal grief. Very well done. My condolences to the author.

This is a true story and memoir told by 20 something year old Lauren about her life with her pet dog a 160 pound English Mastiff called Gizelle and the adventures they go on.

Lauren moves out of home and takes Gizelle with her to College and then onto a tiny apartment in New York City, they job hunt together, go through boyfriends and Lauren grows from a teenager to a young woman along the way as they tackle life together side by side.

Their story is written by Lauren in a diary style of their adventures together, a girl and her dog, best friends and companions. It's a lighthearted and easy read, although there is sadness as to why Gizelle has a bucket list, it is written in such a way that embraces and sees the good and simple things in life between a girl and her four legged best friend.

Being a fur mum to a rescue dog myself I was drawn to the cover of this book instantly and it reminded me in some ways of Lily and the Octopus another brilliant read for dog lovers (you can read my review here) and it has also be likened to the movie Marley and Me.

I recommend this book to dog lovers who like reading memoirs.

I'm probably in the minority here, but this book did nothing for me. Watt behaves immaturely and selfishly in almost every decision she makes. She yells at her dad and hangs up on him for not divorcing her mom the second she relapses into alcoholism. She tries to cut her mom out of her life every time she starts drinking, but then expresses anger that her mom doesn't come visit her more often. She continues to date a guy she doesn't have any feelings for because she doesn't want to figure out how to be on her own. She expects her roommates to help take care of her giant dog so she can sleep in. She moves a giant English mastiff into a tiny New York apartment, and then, after said dog is diagnosed with cancer (not a spoiler, you know from the beginning the dog's not going to make it) and can barely walk, Watt sets out to drag the dog around to complete a bucket list that is clearly designed for her own enjoyment (I can't imagine that a dog cares too much about going antiquing or finding the best donuts in New England). Despite not being a dog person, I'm usually somewhat emotionally affected by stories of dogs dying, but I was too busy feeling annoyed with the owner to feel much about the dog.

As a dog lover, I could not resist reading this book. So glad I did. It is a touching and delightful tale. Author Lauren Fern Wright shares her journey through life’s joys and challenges accompanied by her loveable and loyal 160 lb. dog Gizelle. At times laugh out loud funny and other times sad, Lauren writes from the heart and pens a wonderful tribute to her best friend and confidente. Well-done.

I am a big crying mess as I write this review. This is a sweet, very heart-wrenching story about a girl, Lauren, and her very big dog, Gizelle, that is her dearest companion and friend, and making the best of that big, beautiful dog's last days. The book was well written and really kept me captivated from the time Lauren first brings Gizelle home, their time in college together, their move to New York City and trying to find an apartment large enough to fit an English Mastiff, to their last days together. I managed to read this in one and a half days, reading late into the night. I didn't know if I would actually be able to read to the very end as I knew what was going to happen, having recently lost my own precious fur baby, but I did read to the end and it did bring on the tears. Gizelle seemed like such a wonderful dog. With all the love from Lauren, her family and close friends, I feel Gizelle lived a beautiful and happy life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This really is more about Lauren than it is about Gizelle. The degree to which you like this will be the extent to which you are open to reading about a 20-something woman's issues with lots of things- her family, dating, her life. Some of this comes off annoyingly while other parts of it are well worth reading. I would have liked more Gizelle - especially since that's how the book is sold. It's a quick read. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

This was a sweet story! Leaving home, finding your first apartment and job is a big task for a young woman. Throw in a 160 pound dog and you know there are going to be some interesting adventures. With the help of her huge mastiff - Gizelle, Lauren grows up and learns some important life lessons - what love is and what it is not. And she learns the hardest lesson of all - how to say goodbye. 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy and the opportunity to review this book.

Because I love dogs and prefer their company to most humans, I couldn't wait to read this story. But I was afraid that this might be a difficult book to read… turns out, it was an incredibly easy book to love. A wonderfully charming true story about a young woman who struggles with an addict mother, surviving college, making a courageous move with a very large big-boned canine comrade, a new roommate, new job, and soon a new relationship with a sometimes perfect, sometimes not-so-perfect guy. It’s a coming-of-age story about a girl growing up alongside her best friend and the lengths she goes to make sure her best friend’s last days are days to remember and treasure.

The way Lauren Fern Watt wrote her book, just her whole approach, was a perfect way to tell their story. I felt as though I was hanging out on the couch, listening to her share her life. Lauren is a southern girl who is living in Tennessee – something this southern girl can totally relate to – and she moves to New York – something this girl can totally NOT relate to but loved reading about! The adventure that follows these two girls during that time was so much fun! Ms. Watt injects just the right amount of humor and heart throughout the pages. But when Lauren receives devastating news about Gizelle, one of the ways she copes with her heartbreak is by making her a bucket list. You might have read their story on Yahoo – I remember seeing it and admiring the lengths someone would go to for their beloved furry friend. As Lauren deals with heart-wrenching family issues involving addiction, a breakup, and the last days with her constant companion, she does it with an incredible amount of love and grace.

And the best friend who saw her through it all? Gizelle. A beautiful 160-pound English Mastiff as “enchanting” as her name. I have never loved a dog I never got to meet as much as I love Gizelle. She was absolutely amazing. I related so much to Lauren and Gizelle’s relationship. I have loved and lost several dogs in my lifetime; and though my heart shattered into a million pieces each time I had to say goodbye, I know that my life is not complete without a dog in it. They bring so much joy and that joy along with their unconditional love is worth every tear shed when their time here comes to an end. I am currently owned by a black pug named LulaBelle aka Lulu. She is my constant companion and shadow. When Lauren shares Gizelle’s sweetest moments – like never wanting a door between them, inviting herself into any room or situation to be near Lauren, always having to have a part of her touching a part of her human, and looking at Lauren like she loves her more than anything in the entire world – I couldn’t help nodding and saying loudly, YES! I know this feeling! That’s my Lulu! And when Lulu was diagnosed with cancer… I was gutted. So, yes. There were parts of this book that were incredibly heartbreaking for me to read, and I lost count of how many times I had to lay the book down so I could pull Lulu even closer and shower her with extra kisses and snuggles. But I also found so many pearls of wisdom in what Lauren shared and in her last days with Gizelle. Like Lauren, I will know when it’s time to say goodbye to my best friend; and when it’s time to let her go, I know I’ll turn to this book for comfort so I can be with someone who understands.

I adored the pictures of Gizelle throughout the book, and I found the author’s writing to be so endearing. Her thoughts on addiction are eye opening, and the lessons she learns from Gizelle are invaluable and heartwarming. May we all be the kind of people our dogs believe we are. This is definitely a book you need to pick up. Don’t shy away because you think it might make you cry – it won’t! It probably won’t. Fine, I’m lying… it will. But I also found a lot of comfort in its pages and a wonderful adventure that I don’t think any reader or animal lover should miss out on.

Okay, so I’m a sucker for a book about a dog. And, obviously, I knew going in that the dog is going to die because otherwise the book wouldn’t make sense. But, yes, I cried when it happened. Other than that, it was an odd experience to read about a 160 lb dog and try to relate it to my own 12 lb dog. Dolly, my dog, is all the things Gizelle is to Lauren: running companion, cuddle mate, etc. But I can easily pick my dog up whenever I need to and while I joke that she weighs 300 lbs when she lays across my lap, I can’t imagine the feeling of 160 lbs of fur holding me down. Hearing how Gizelle squished into a New York bathroom to spend quality time with Lauren while she brushed her teeth and how Lauren had to pick Gizelle up to help get her in the car made me stop a bit and think. That definitely brings a different level to the human-dog relationship. Additionally, I was impressed by how open Lauren was about the other aspects of her life: her mother’s addiction, her questioning her relationship with her boyfriend, and questioning herself. This story isn’t just about Gizelle, but also about how loving her helped Lauren mature and come in to her own.

What a wonderful tribute to a girls best friend... 160 pounds of fur, slobber and poop that needed it's own zip code... Beautiful book that will have you crying that last 25% of the book.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.