ARR Movie Trailer Off-leash and Running

Drivers start your engines!

It won't come as a big surprise to long-time fans of Enzo and The Art of Racing in the Rain, but we're not sure Fox Studios quite knew the fanfare they would unleash when they debuted the trailer for the movie adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain. 

The trailer officially debuted the morning of May 20th on NBC's Today Show. The feature included a fun behind-the-scenes interview with co-stars Milo Ventimiglia (Denny),  Amanda Seyfried (Eve), Parker (the sweet golden retriever who plays adult Enzo) and Rupert (the adorable puppy star who plays young Enzo).

Within minutes of the show's airing, Enzo fans old and new started flocking to Youtube, social media, and their favorite booksellers to express their excitement. The trailer was viewed more than 1 million times in its first day on YouTube, and received 15 million hits in 48 hours across all platforms.

Meanwhile over on Amazon, The Art of Racing in the Rain skyrocketed to the #4 bestseller spot in the fiction category. It seems readers and movie-goers are eager to read the book (or in many cases, read it again) before they see the movie.

And of course social media lit up, with thousands of fans logging on to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share their excitement after years of movie anticipation.

In case you missed it, here's the trailer:

They're Back!

ore and they can help you out! P.S. Yes, I WILL sign caps. It'll take a little bit longer, as I have to get to the store, but if you want me to personalize the cap under the bill, let Island Books know. www.mercerislandbooks.com

Farewell to Teton

Thank you for your service

As decade-long supporters of Long Beach VA Pet Therapy Program, we’ve posted stories and updates in social media and newsletters about the therapy dog Ruby, and then after her passing, of Teton.  Now we must once again say good-bye to Teton. He was born at Guide Dogs for the blind (GDB) on September 6, 2010.  After being adopted from GDB as a career change dog on his 3rd birthday by the Weinberg family, Teton was trained and approved as a therapy dog by Independent Therapy Dogs Inc. (ITDI) and became a member of the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center Volunteer Pet Therapy Program. Over the last five plus years Teton provided hundreds of hours of pet therapy and happiness in lifting the spirits of disabled veterans and other patients in Long Beach CA & Brookside Healthcare Center in Redlands CA.  Many veterans affectionately knew Teton as a chow hall or mess hall officer who would return their salutes for a small food reward.

The Weinberg family shared this note with us: We remember how Teton detected emotional & physical disabilities of those from far away, provided emotional & spiritual support to those in need and inspired so many to serve their community and humanity.   In addition, we also recall the many ways Garth Stein provides services to the community and how Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain detected Eve’s illness, provided emotional and spiritual support to Eve, Zoe and to Denny during his trials & tribulations & how he inspires us to be a good person and serve humanity.   

In reflecting upon Teton’s life, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Team provided the following quote  from Hellen Keller.  “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt from the heart.”

Guide Dogs for the Blind empowers lives by creating exceptional partnerships between people, dogs and communities. To find more about Guide Dogs for the Blind, please go to www.guidedogs.com

Pre-order ARR Movie Edition

With the long-awaited film adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain coming to theaters in August 2019, lots of readers are keen to read — or re-read — the book before they see the movie.

Long-time Enzo fans have also been asking about when they can get their hands on the movie edition of The Art of Racing in the Rain — with the the cool new cover featuring Milo, Parker, and that classic Ferrari.

It won’t be in bookstores until July 30, but you can pre-order it now. Just use any of the links below.

Book/Movie Launch Events

If you’re lucky enough to live in Washington state, or might be visiting this summer, there will be a number of events leading up to the launch of the movie tie-in edition of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, and the movie itself.

July 22 Seattle, WA Seattle Mariners game will feature Garth throwing out the first pitch
July 30 Seattle, WA Book Launch Party at Island Books 6:00 - 7:30, with book signing and chatting with Garth


If you can’t make these events, there are also several pre-release special events being held around the country. Exact theater locations will be announced shortly.  Then of course the movie itself will be playing in as many as 3,000 theaters this August, beginning Aug. 9.


Monday, August 5th Dallas TX
Evening:  Movie screening with introduction from GoodReads. Following the movie there will be Q&A with Garth, along with onsite book sales and autographing.
 
Tuesday, August 6th Minneapolis, MN
Evening: Movie screening with introduction from Garth. Following the movie there will be Q&A with Garth, along with onsite book sales and autographing.
 
Wednesday, August 7th Denver, CO
Evening: Movie screening with introduction from Garth. Following the movie there will be Q&A with Garth, along with onsite book sales and autographing.
 
Thursday, August 8th Seattle, WA
Evening: Friends & Family Screening in Seattle with Warren Etheredge moderating the Q&A, followed by onsite book sales and autographing. This is an invitation-only event, not open to the public.
 
 Keep an eye out for more events by checking Garth’s events calendar on his website at http://www.garthstein.com/events, where we’ll keep you posted on the latest activities.

Play Ball!