These Animals Are Killing Me: A Year of Ridiculous Interruptions - Courtesy of Pesky Wildlife, Quirky Pets and Two-Legged Mammals is a non-fiction collection of humorous accounts written by Katrina Morgan. The author's life is sometimes completely taken up with the non-stop and often bizarre caretaker duties she's somehow ended up with. It's not just her three children who keep her busy and expecting the unexpected, but it's also the twenty-something cat and younger Labrador retriever mix dog, who just don't get along -- and not for the lack of efforts on the dog's part. Then there's her husband, and that's another story entirely. Somehow, between all their minor crises, first steps and family life in general, Morgan gets a moment here and there to breathe and even a chance to get away with a girlfriend for a few days. But then, surprisingly, she realizes that her car is much too empty as she drives on her own travel adventure, and that she's grown to crave the craziness of her family life.

While I was somewhat perplexed when I realized that Katrina Morgan's non-fiction humor collection, These Animals Are Killing Me, was actually much more about her human family and life than the typical animal-focused book I usually look for, I found much to enjoy in this author's recollections of a year in her family's life. Some of the episodes drift dangerously close to slapstick, especially the time when Morgan decides to stalk her youngest son's bus driver on her rounds in an effort to make sure the beleaguered driver functions as she should. Others veer towards an unusual mix of the dramatic and absurd, and I'm remembering the author inching along on her stomach on wet ice to try to save her dog from a cold and watery doom as I write this. Then there's the road trip from hell, complete with an ever-present awareness of the sounds and smells in the family car that only a mom can probably appreciate. Morgan's stories are breezy and fun, and I suspect her target audience, other moms and perhaps some dads as well, will find themselves nodding and appreciating every word she writes.

These Animals Are Killing Me is a humorous collection of anecdotes written by Katrina Morgan. Described as ‘Chicken soup for the animal lover’s soul,’ the stories depict a year in Katrina Morgan’s life, which shows that some animal antics are stranger than fiction. With her oldest son attending a new school, her youngest having to catch the bus alone for the first time, and a frantic moment during a pelvic exam which scares three lives out of the doctor, Katrina’s anxiety is through the roof, while tickling her own funny bone in order to see the lighter side of things. Other misadventures take place in the form of bloodied gifts from the cat, chew toys of the dog which freak out the neighbors, large eagles swooping to grab stray rabbits from nearby, wrangling the cat for a vet appointment, and more.

I literally had to take a break from reading this book in some places, as I was unable to see through my tears of laughter. Katrina Morgan can spin a yarn better than most, with her unique gift of the gab. The riotous hilarity of most of the stories is off the charts. Everyday innocent situations go wrong for all of us at some point in our lives, but reading about them in such detail, inclusive of the thoughts inside Katrina Morgan’s head as they happen, is side-splitting. These Animals Are Killing Me is truly a champion of all humor books. If you are not afraid of reading about a woman’s most personal thoughts which accompany mild screw-ups, this is most definitely the book for you. While I caution readers that some aspects of animal welfare gave me pause for thought in a few chapters, the tales which featured mishaps of the two-legged species had me in stitches. I recommend this book to readers of all ages who enjoy a bit of a giggle.