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.

This book was about so much more than a girl and her dog. It was about family, addiction, friendship, change, relationships, growing up, letting go, and living life.

I have not read a dog book in ages, especially a true story narrative, and I enjoyed it exceedingly more than I presumed I would. In the beginning I thought it was going to be a nice quick little read about the misadventures of a young woman and her massive dog, but it turned into a meaningful and heart grabbing story. You will laugh and cry and be thoughtfully reflectful while reading this book.

Lauren's mother bought her a English Mastiff puppy on a whim when she was 19.  That puppy, Gizelle, grew into a 160 pound dog and became Lauren's best friend.  When Lauren went to college, Gizelle went with her.  Then they moved to New York together.  It was an adjustment for a huge dog from Tennessee to move to the big city and live in a tiny apartment but they made it work.

Everything seemed to be going well ... Lauren had a "real" job, her best friend was her roommate and she was dating a professional who loved her dog.  When Gizelle was about six, one of her legs starts bothering her and it was discovered that she has cancer.  Lauren was determined to make Gizelle's last days the best they could be, hence the bucket list.

I like reading stories about animals and that's why this one caught my eye.  Gizelle sounds like she was an awesome dog and a fabulous companion to Lauren.  It's always tough to say good-bye for our furkids.

I liked this book.  I liked the writing style of this book and I found the author made Gizelle come to life for the reader.  Gizelle was there for Lauren when she was dealing with her mother's drug addiction and alcoholism, her parents' break-up, looking for a "real" job, dating and more.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

This is a beautiful heart-felt book about a story of love and friendship between a girl and her dog and their adventures on their bucket list. 

I can truly say this book has taken me on a journey of emotions, I have shed a few tears, laughed alot, but most of all been on a huge journey with Lauren and Gizelle of discovery, love, friendship and adventure.


This book is very close to my heart as I have had 3 dogs since I was a baby and my current cockerpoo is now 6years old and he is my baby boy I love him unconditionally. 

Nothing ever prepares you for the loss of a furr baby so the bucket list is a great idea. 
Although it is a heart breaker to read so be warned! 

Lauren gets Gizelle her Mastiff when she was 19.
Gizelle plays a massive part in Lauren's life and helps support her through good and bad times.
Dogs truly do give unconditional love and support. They are always there no matter what.

Lauren creates a bucket list for Gizelle and is determined to go through each one making every day as special as can be before its too late and she loses Gizelle.
She creates as many happy and loving memories as possible.

This book is a tear jerker, but it has some beautiful and funny moments.
I highly recommend reading especially if your an animal lover.

I adored this book! It was heartfelt, hilarious, and sweet. As the owner of two smaller dogs, it was so interesting to read about how life with an extremely large dog is, especially in a big city like New York City. I can't imagine the amount of food, slobber, and poop. Of course it was hard to read about Gizelle getting sick and eventually passing away but since the title talks about Gizelle's bucket list I knew this would be the outcome. Even though it was sad, it was fun to read about Lauren and Gizelle's last adventures together. The author does a great job reflecting on how important Gizelle has been to her and the great love that they had for each other. I highly recommend this book for dog lovers.

This is one heart-wrenching story between a girl and a very large dog. My eyes were gushing out with tears like a faucet. I have had the same experience as Lauren so I can relate very much to the story. I also lost a very good dog, though the circumstances were a lot different with what happened in this story. I was much younger than Lauren when it happened. I was in Grade School. Daisy was a mix between a Labrador and AsPin (Asong Pinoy, native breed of Filipino dogs). She did not die of a disease but all the same, all deaths, no matter what the cause, are all heartbreaking. There is no way to downplay the hurt and loss and the longing and emptiness that came after.

I think I signed up to review this book because of the dog on the cover. I am a dog-person. I always preferred dogs over cats or any other animals. Dogs are just smart, sympathetic, loyal and instinctive beings. They can smell your mood even a mile away and will be there just as you need them to be. When you are sad or had a bad day, they will cheer you up. If you are happy, they will share in your happiness and multiply it. They love unconditionally.

This story reminds me of my one and only dog. We never got any other dog after Daisy died because my mom would not want us to go through the same pain of loss again. Even more so when that loss was due to selfish people who have no care for other forms of life, especially animals. Daisy was killed by our neighbors because they wanted to eat meat. Asusena is the Filipino term for dog meat. Daisy had a golden orange fur and was big and healthy. Our jobless neighbors had been just biding their time to get a hold of her. Animal rights protection was not yet popular in the late 80's and 90's.  In as much as I remember the gory details of Daisy's death, I can also still vividly recall the happy and glorious times we had together. I think I was able to survive being bullied in Grade School because when I get home, she was there waiting for me bounding and full of energy. She would kiss all my cares and tears away. She made me forgot whatever happened to me at school when I get home.

I always believed that the personality of the owners often manifests on their pets. Vicious pets are likely to have been maltreated or neglected by their owners while good ones are well-cared for and loved. So for me, a good dog always equals a good dog parent, because if you are a pet owner who cares and values your pet, you will make sure that it is clean, disciplined and tame.

The best and the most hilarious part of the story was the one where Gizelle was dragging the soccer goal with her. It was so funny. I was laughing out loud. I can still picture it in my head.

I bow to Lauren for being the best dog mom ever. She has done great for Gizelle. And if good dogs go to heaven, I am sure that Gizelle has put in a lot of good words for Lauren. I think she has done all that she can for Gizelle on this world and has made her as comfortable and happy as she can be. If all pet owners are like Gizelle, then there would be no need for the city pound or animal control. All pets would be happy and well-cared for.

I give this book 5/5 pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. This is a very inspiring story of giving back the unconditional love and unfading devotion our pets have given us. In spite, of what happened to Daisy, I still want to have a dog. One of these days, when my financial conditions are a lot better, I will adopt a dog from the pound. 

If you are a pet lover or not, you should read this book. There is a lot to learn from the relationship between Lauren and Gizelle.




I guess, when you bring a dog into your life, you are setting yourself up for a heartbreak, aren't you?
- Lauren Fern Watt, Gizelle's Bucket List - 
 
Thank you again, Lauren Fern Watt and Netgalley for the review copy.

I am an unabashed dog lover. I firmly subscribe to the view that your life isn't complete until you've got a furry canine companion to share your days with. My family got our first puppy when I was still very tiny. And then our second came along soon after. These dogs were my childhood. They were there every step of the way. And when they died, as dogs inevitably long before us do, my young heart didn't know if it could ever love as much again. But my parents gave me another dog, a gorgeous west highland white terrier, my Westie. And this time it was different. I was a teenager, older, more grown up. Westie was my responsibility and mine alone. 

Why am I telling you this? In this book Lauren tells us about her beautiful mastiff Gizelle, named for Giselle from the Disney film Enchanted but with a 'Z' because she was spunky! Lauren was 19 when she got Gizelle. A little older than I was with my beauty. But I could see the similarities. Gizelle was there for Lauren through those years when we go from childhood to adulthood. Gizelle was the one who taught her great lessons about life. 

In her early 20s Lauren followed her dreams and moved to New York with her 'giant' dog and in this book she candidly relates tales (or is that tails!) about trying to figure out who she is in this world all in the company of her dog. There are stories of apartments and friends, odd jobs and Tinder: all are told in a natural and unfussy manner that really makes the reader identify with Lauren and feel like they understand her.  Lauren also bravely shares with us difficulties in her family life. Her mother lives with addictions and this unsurprisingly has had a huge impact on Lauren and there are many touching insights into the difficulties of loving someone suffering from such a cruel disease. 

However, as the title of this book and the blurb both allude to (and therefore not a spoiler), this is a story about the end. About a bucket list of things to do with your dog before they get too old and leave your side. It's about the lessons that a dog can teach us. How they just live in the moment. How they can let things go. And how they are much more human than we can ever be. 

I said goodbye to my Westie after 16 years of loyal and faithful companionship. It remains one of the most devastating days of my life. 
But I would not give up that devastation. 
For that grief means that for 16 years I had a best friend. I had a snuggle buddy with a stinky butt and a slobbery muzzle. I had a dog that was there for me on good days and on bad. A dog that didn't care if I spent the day in my pjs or if I was dressed up to the nines. A dog that just wanted to be with me. To go for walks with me. To veg on the sofa with me. To curl up on my bed. To steal the potato peelings as they fell on the floor when preparing dinner. 

This was a great little book. It was more than just another dog book because of the honesty that Lauren imbued her anecdotes with. The book felt very rounded and as if we learned a great deal about the writer. I laughed. I most certainly cried but above all I remembered. 
Reading this brought back such happy memories, and some terribly painful ones too, but above all it made me glad to be a dog owner. Yes, unsurprisingly I have another dog since Westie. Not a dog that replaces her. Our hearts are much bigger than we give them credit for. No dog replaces another for they are all as beautifully unique as we are as humans. But I now have another canine companion to happily share my days with as Lauren does too. 


*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Such a fun and heartwarming book, this novel was a great read for a time in your life when you are re-evaluating things and need a pick me up.

Gizelle’s Bucket List was a fun, fast read.  I laughed, a lot.  Ok, right up until I needed tissues and a couple days away from the book for my mental health.  The story centers on Lauren (Fernie) and Gizelle, her 160 LB Mastiff.  Woven around this central pillar are ribbons of side story about family dynamics, friendships, adventure, boyfriends, love (or at least like), loss, self-discovery, and slobber.  Lots and lots of slobber.  Actually, there is really only one story about slobber.  It’s not bad.  
We get to be with Fernie when, at the behest of her Mother, she finds, falls in love with, and brings home Gizelle.  Leave to get doughnuts, come home with a giant breed puppy.  Honestly, it sounds like something I would do.  The story takes us through pivotal moments of Fernie’s life, Gizelle almost constantly by her side.  Stories that involve her Mother’s battles with addiction, her parents divorce, her move to New York City.  We also get to see non-pivotal moments.  All the everyday stories that make up a life.  Things like dressing up in Panda Suits for Halloween with a friend, apartment hunting in New York City, the random interactions she had with the people in her neighborhood.  
Lauren’s writing is very friendly and open.  I felt welcomed into her experience of great love and dedication with her Gizelle.  It made it all that much harder when Gizelle’s bucket list had its final entry.  This book is a lovely homage to a faithful and unconditionally loving companion.  It is also a sweet story of growth, self-realization, and discovery for the author.  If you don’t mind stories that require some tissues then I would highly suggest reading Gizelle’s Bucket List.  Also, it really made me want a Mastiff.

What an amazing story. Totally sad, completely wacky and utterly unlike anything I've ever read before. Amazing x

As predicted there were tears before bedtime with this one!
Probably not helped by the fact that I too share my life with a Very Large Dog, not quite a 75KG Gizelle but a 55KG wee gentle giant!
I adored the bond that Watt seemed to capture effortlessly onto paper and the simple characteristics of Mastiffs, that we owners just accept as the norm but are actually a tad unusual in our four legged companions!
I too know that my girl will not live as long a life as I want her too, because of her giant genetics, but I  know that I have been inspired reading Gizelle's Bucket List to ensure she has a couple more adventures and treats in store!
Touching and for me a true love story.
BRILLIANT.

It's true - dogs are man's best companion, or in this case, a woman's best friend. Lauren Fern Watt captures every dog owner's heart with her story of love and adventure with Gizelle, a 160-pound English Mastiff. This is a true story that will make you cry, chuckle and hug your pet - all at the same time. When the author learned her longtime companion had bone cancer, she made a bucket list of things to do while Gizelle was still able. Things like eating ice cream, chomping on doughnuts, people watching and even a canoe ride. After all, the dog had been by her side through turbulent years, her mom's addictions, a move to a strange city, just to name a few of their adventures together. As Watt illustrates with words, a dog's love is unconditional - and it should be returned in kind by its human.

Gizelle is a magnificent English Mastiff.  At one hundred sixty pounds and with the sweetest of dispositions, she is truly a gentle giant.  She is also the subject of Lauren Fern Watt’s moving new book, Gizelle’s Bucket List.  As you can guess from the title, Gizelle is dying, and Lauren is determined to make the most of the little time they have left together.
This book will so tug at your heartstrings.  It’s written with such tenderness and love; it really comes through the pages.  While the book is a celebration of Gizelle’s life, it’s also the story of Lauren and how she loved a giant dog and in the process learned a lot about herself.   It’s a beautiful story that will will make you laugh and make you cry.

This book is every animal lovers heart in a written format. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and most of all it made me so grateful for my 'fur children.' I am very much of the mindset that animals are part of our lives for reasons and this book reconfirmed that for me.

In this book we get to join Lauren and Gizelle (her Mastiff) recount Gizelle's life and a bucket list adventure. The book is a beautiful tribute to her dear friend and it made me cry. I love that connection they shared and the lessons she learned from Gizelle. What a story.

As mentioned by the summary, this has a very Marley and Me feel to it. I enjoyed the story very much and I am very grateful for the opportunity to read this book.

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from the publisher. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.