Well if I'm supposed to count I won't do well because I'm sure I'll lose track. It's fascinating to see the variety through all the posts so far.

First I read this year was "Herding Dogs: Progressive Training" by Vergil S. Holland. I found plentiful insights into not just herders but all dogs with a "strong eye."

Next I read "Dog Problems by Carol Lea Benjamin"--found a nice bit of clarification there for my pre-existing dog awareness & knowledge; I'd recommend it highly for anyone thinking of getting a dog. A better title would be 'Understand Dogs.'

There's definitely a pattern here: I'm about 3/4 through "Aggression in Dogs" by Brenda Aloff. BEST book describing how dogs communicate by body language! Yes she talks about aggression, but in the context of human-dog or dog-dog communication gone wrong. Her approach and telling is easy to understand. BEST description of how to break down training into manageable bits, and then break it down even more for dogs who need to do things in small or tiny steps.

Other non-fiction: Last month I read "Angel Mo' and her Son" by Roland Hayes, an autobiography of the singer who some say paved the way for Paul Robeson; I have no opinion on that tidbit but enjoyed the story and the early 20th century American social history it contains.

Fiction I have on the go right now is from a boxful I kept from my mother's library--"Native Son" by Richard Wright (1940). This is highly enjoyable so far, a largely well written (though not always pleasant) character-driven story that gives a lot of insight into the cultural roots of violence.

This has been a busier than normal reading year for me so far.