Warning: If you can't handle sad dog stories, walk away now. Lily & the Octopus is the story of a lonely man whose life revolves around his beloved dachshund Lily. He constructs elaborate fantasies to narrate their life together (including interactive games of Monopoly and pizza nights), and simply can't face reality when he spots what he calls an "octopus" on her head. As the story progresses, his battle against the octopus to save Lily's life becomes increasingly complex -- but ultimately, this is the story of a man slowly losing his steadiest, truest companion, and it's a tearjerker. 
 The octopus and other pieces of the fantasy were a little too much for me at times, but other than that, this is a moving story of love and connection.