The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Denny’s wife dies young, leaving him alone with his young daughter, Zoe.  Her grandparents think they can provide a much better life for her than her father.  Denny’s career as a racecar driver is taking off, causing him to be away from home for long stretches of time.  At the same time, he is accused of raping a teenage girl.  Instead of giving up and letting Zoe’s grandparents have custody, Denny fights for his daughter.  This unique book is told from the point of view of Enzo, Denny’s dog.   Dog lovers will enjoy this view from inside a dog’s head in The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Luke Warren lives with wolves and seems to enjoy their company more than humans.  When he suffers a traumatic brain injury after a car crash it is up to his prodigal son, Edward, to decide his fate.  Edward decides his dad wouldn’t want to live out his life in a vegetative state.  His sister Cara, who is a minor and can’t legally make the decision, wants her dad to have a chance at a miracle recovery.   Will they be able to understand each other’s point of view and repair their relationship?  Lone Wolf is another winner from Picoult. 

Ape House by Sara Gruen

For scientist Isabel Duncan, bonobos Sam, Bonzi, Makena, Mbongo, Jelani, and baby Lola are her family.  Along with her fiance, Peter, the new head of the Great Ape Language Lab, she has dedicated her life to studying the apes' acquisition of language.  But after Isabel is horrifically injured in a terrorist bombing of the lab by animal rights activists claiming they 'liberated' the apes, her entire focus changes to getting the bonobos back.  Sold by the university funding her research to an unknown, private buyer, the bonobos have vanished.

John Thigpen is a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and was at the Great Ape Language Lab with his partner, the horrible Cat Douglas, interviewing Isabel the day before the explosion.  Isabel and the bonobos made a huge impression on him, especially after being allowed in to meet them (Cat was not - though it doesn't stop her from stealing John's story).  So when the lab is bombed, John knows this is his story, and he'll do anything to uncover who's responsible for Isabel's injuries - and the disappearance of the bonobos.

Fans of Sara Gruen's bestselling Water for Elephants will love her newest novel.  Though completely different in story, this is at its heart a book about the powerful impact animals have on our hearts, and how, sometimes, their behavior is more human than our own.  Full of amazing details and facts about bonobos and their behavior and language in great apes, check out Ape House today!