Another Bad Dog Book

“I just came from the dentist and had two cavities filled and three shots to numb my mouth. I read the book between torture treatments. At least I had something to make me laugh.”

Many people write books about dogs so why shouldn’t this author tell the world about her bad or incorrigible dog too. Everyone thinks their dog is the best, cutest and funniest so why not share her own stories about her dog and many other true life experiences that will not only make you laugh but give life a very needed much pause for thought.

This is a book about real life. Not the kind you make up so that other people want to read your words and be you. This is about one author’s many real-life experiences that she wants to share with you, that’s right you the reader and hopes it will brighten your day and maybe even help you not take life so seriously.

This insightful and humorous book recounts many of the events that are noteworthy in the author’s life. The first is when she fell in love with her rescue dog named Eli/aka Cricket. Rescue dogs have a special place in my heart as my mother-in-law’s dog, my brother Randi is a rescue dog that she got from an animal shelter three years ago. When she passed away last year Randi was lucky enough to get a new home with my mom’s best friend. Eli sounds amazing and the story that she tells about him in the first chapter is hilarious. Imagine wanting a dog and being told by the rescue volunteer that you will have to give him back after spending time with him for an entire weekend. So, our creative author invented Evil Rescue Volunteer and Super Joni had to make sure in her imaginary adventures that everything turned out right. Never giving up on Eli our creative author made sure the end result turned out in her favor. Lucky, for Eli she was persistent and never gave up.

Everyone has good days and bad days. Everyone goes through times when they doubt themselves, their choices in life, their entire existence. Some people start thinking why did I do this, why did I get married, should I find another career? Should I really give a speech in front of so many kids? Will they listen to what I have to say? Author Joni Cole answers these questions and brings to light many everyday issues and questions we all ask ourselves but never say out loud. From her doubts about her marriage, to her realization about how lucky she is to have Steve, to her kids writing a list of Do’s and Don’t for parents to follow at parties, this book is one unique guide to life’s ups and downs and how one author, speaker, mother and wife deal with just being here and living life to its fullest.

Joni includes a story about her husband and why some women deem their husbands their best friend. Not, Joni. She discusses this in detail as she is traveling to two meetings as the guest speaker, has some small accident with coffee on the plane and cannot understand why no one notices her especially the cute guy sitting next to her. Going to a speaking engagement with a women’s group and next with the Junior Girl Scouts she relates her experiences with both.

Old boyfriends, we all have them and relive our moments when we met and more. The author recounts her memories of someone she had a deep crush on, relates her fantasy dreams of their romantic encounters and glances and coming full circle in the present with her friending him on facebook. Where would any of us be without that social network and our Facebook friends? So, friending him and getting to interact with him at first brought back great memories. But, people change and so did he and many harsh realities about him and her own personality come to light.

Next, she tells what happens when her mom has an accident, her visit and the one thing that will endear you to her mother. Some parents rule. Some parents just love to help their children for absolutely no reason. What her mom does is priceless. You have to read that for yourself. Some memories are really precious especially not being allowed to say Shut Up in her mom’s house. Reminds me of my mom too. Talking about her Dad and what caused his stroke, her feelings for him and going to an American Idol concert and sitting in the boondocks brings out the author’s true feelings about how she thinks others view her and how she views herself.

The funniest chapters are the ones where her daughters give her a list of what she is allowed to do and not do in public when they are around. In the final chapters, the author discusses her CPR training, the encounter with women who are Patrons of the Arts and quite snobby I might add plus her father’s death. The chapter that really hit home was the one dealing with her mom’s home care. My mom had Alzheimer’s and she was never in a nursing home. She had care at home. I can identify with your problem with Dawn and learned how to deal with those situations. You have to screen and monitor the aides and there is always one child that has the brunt of the responsibility. That would be me.

Being born in the Year of the Dog took her some getting used to. Having the traits of loyalty and honesty I really think is great. Of course, there are times when we must speak our minds, say what we think and express how we feel as Joni B. Cole does in this insightful, humorous and very entertaining book. Author Joni B. Cole presents a unique look at life’s stressful moments, happy occasions and difficult times in her own voice. Let’s hope this is the year of no violence, peace, understanding, and love. We all need to embrace our own differences, and allow ourselves our own freedom of expression.

Author, freelance writer, wife, daughter, and mother who like most needs to hide at times from her children, follow their rules of what they are allowed and not allowed to do or say, but learn that who you are is just fine and the rest of the world needs to deal with it. Great book. Definitely made my day and made me smile. Life according to Joni B. Cole is quite special, heartbreaking, funny and definitely unique. Meet the author. Hear her voice as she relates some of the best written and best-told true-life experience stories that this reviewer has ever had the pleasure of reading.