The most recommended veterinarian books

When I was young, James Herriot’s hilarious, insightful, and touching memoirs about his experiences as a vet in rural 1930s and 1940s Yorkshire made me both a reader and a writer. Happily, he adapted some of his dog stories for children, gathered here in an appealing illustrated anthology. I’ve read them all to my own kids, many times. I love that they’re long enough to allow kids to settle in and focus (short and snappy picture books have their place. So do long and dense ones!). The writing is eloquent and entertaining, and the stories are absorbing. Good luck not tearing up at several of these—when you’re not laughing or wishing that you, too, lived in the scenic English countryside!

With millions of cats around the world living on the streets or ending up being euthanized in pounds and shelters, simply because they are unwanted, the plight of the rescue cat has come to public attention. Many more people are choosing to ‘Adopt not shop’ and save lives in the process. This is a wonderful book for anyone starting out on the cat adoption journey. It covers everything you need to know about bringing a cat companion into your home and taking responsible care of it. It also includes lots of lovely rescue cat stories. I would give this as a gift to anyone considering adopting a cat and it would also make a great coffee table book for vet surgery waiting areas.

David Lurie, an English professor, seduces an undergraduate after he tires of sleeping with sex workers. He proceeds to lose his job, his social status, his home, and his dignity. Along the way, he also loses his solipsism and his vanity. I’ve never messed around with a student, thank God, but the story is true to my life experience nonetheless. When you make mistakes, and suffer losses that seem to erase who you are, you discover a self you didn’t know was there.

Cymbeline Barnes is one of the most unconventional female characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Not only was she a veterinarian in the early 1920s, but she also had the aspiration to become a world-champion ski jumper during the Gilded Age. Talk about gumption! I fell in love with her character immediately and rooted for her as she fought against preconceived notions of her family and peers. Her sweet, slow-to-develop romance also drew me into the story. Like myself, she struggled with the right balance between a career and family, at a time before that became a normal struggle for women. I loved how the balance played out, making this another of my favorite stories.

Sophie Bellamy has lived an exciting life as an international lawyer working to protect human rights. But it came at the cost of having little time to be with her children as they grew up.

Her childhood memories of times spent at Willow Lake in Avalon bring her back to the small town where she hopes to make up for the time she spent abroad. Sophie was determined to repair her relationships with her children, but a twist in the story brings a happy surprise when she meets veterinarian Noah Shephard.

Their immediate attraction is at first unwanted, but prompts her life to take another turn. I like to piece together stories so I loved the unexpected twists.

The romance in this is story is lovely, and is mixed with intrigue and hope in the darkest hours. I like stories I can snuggle up with, and this story gave that… show more.

I had to recommend a book published in the nineteenth century. There is none better than The Dog by William Youatt published in 1845. It was the most popular book of the era and is my favourite.

Youatt ran the most successful veterinary practices for dogs in London. The main work of veterinarians then was with horses and Youatt was looked down upon as a mere ‘dog doctor’. But his expertise was widely recognized. He was veterinarian to the RSPCA and London Zoo and wrote influential books on farm animals, the horse, and the humane treatment of animals.

The Dog is now available online, see the links below. I recommend the Introduction and browsing what he has to say about individual breeds. Many will be familiar in name, if not ‘look,’ others have disappeared.

This book had a huge impact on my life into exploring so many different healing modalities filled with love and compassion for animals we share our lives with. He eloquently explores the healing power of the human-animal bond with deeply personal stories. He changed my life and will impact your connection to the animals that you share your days with. 

To little grade school me this book was high fantasy. A healer with amazing powers walking through another world. A vet doing his rounds in Pre-WWI Yorkshire. I laughed at every absurdity. The poodle that believed she was pregnant. The boxer that wouldn’t stop farting in his high-class lady’s house. Everything made me laugh while transporting me to a world where old men drink pints in pubs while their “wee bron doggie” sits under their stools.

As entertaining as the PBS series about Yorkshire veterinarian James Herriott (pseudonym for author James Alfred Wight) is, the book is even better.

A blend of memoir, travelogue, and journal, Herriott’s tales of life among the farmers of England’s Yorkshire Dales are heartwarming, hilarious, and riveting. From his familial relationships with the Farnon brothers, with whom he lives, to the sometimes endearing, sometimes mercurial encounters with his patients—both the 2-legged and 4-legged variety—reading the adventures of this country vet is both informative and engaging.

You’ll go places you never imagined, want to watch the series—original and remake—all over again, and will, if you’re like me, make a solemn pledge to visit the Dales before you die! 

I have a soft spot for books about communities of supernaturals that live among mortals and this is another book that hit the spot. I read it years multiple times and it’s one of the books I think of when I need a paranormal romance fix. The hero is swoon-worthy, the heroine is engaging and the worldbuilding is inviting. There’s drama, romance, a bit of mystery and danger, and none of the story is sacrificed for the story which I’m always happy to read. I love the slow burn of the romance between the hero and heroine that allows you to see the attraction grow as the story advances. One of my faves!

I love reading books by authors whose passion for a topic bleeds into their writing. You can tell when you read this book that Mormino loves her chickens and has spent a lot of time working with and thinking about how to best raise them. There are many books out there about raising chickens, but for me, Mormino’s book was just the right length and detail and covered all of the topics you would need to bring some feathered friends into your life.

Doesn’t every kid want a pet? Most kids think of a dog, a cat, a hamster, or a hermit crab, but this story is about trying a new kind of pet: A skunk.

Bixby Alexander Tam, a.k.a. Bat, has his work cut out for him. His mom is a veterinarian. That’s how the skunk got into the house. (At our house, it was Stretchy the Leech. We have a zoologist in the family.) Watching Bat convince his mom that a skunk could be his pet, instead of a ticking time-bomb, was lots of fun. (I love the author’s note about the skunk scientist. Science magic.)