Lily and the octopus, by Steven Rowley

Lily, a mahogany-colored dachshund, is Ted Flask’s boon companion.  But she is over twelve and no longer quite the active little personality she was.  For that matter, at 42, Ted is no spring chicken either.  He lives alone with Lily since the breakup with his longtime boyfriend, Jeffrey.  It is a Thursday when Ted first notices the octopus attached to her head.  It won’t be giving anything away to reveal that the “octopus,” as Ted immediately and forever calls it, is an ominous growth.  I found a too-long fantasy section in the middle a bit annoying but otherwise loved the book.  Anyone who has ever had a beloved pet age, decline, and has had to finally make the heart-breaking decision to let go, will empathize with this charming, sad, and ultimately hopeful story.  But you will cry.  Lily is a wonderfully drawn character, and I miss her almost as much as if I knew her.  Perhaps I did.  My most recent aged cat was also “Lily.”  305 pp.