John Grogan Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Marley Picture Books Books

Publication Order of Collections

John Grogan is a memoir, biography, and nonfiction author that was born in Detroit Michigan in 1957.

Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Harbor Hills away from the Orchard Lake Michigan neighborhood. It was this neighborhood in which he set “The Longest Trip Home” his second memoir.

While he was growing up, his father worked for General Motors as an engineer even as his mother was a stay-at-home mother. His mother had a huge gift and passion for storytelling which seems to have worn off on him.

According to him, he got into writing by default since he was terrible at everything. The only thing he could have fun with at school was writing as compared to subjects such as science and mathematics.

When he was in high school he used to write for the school paper and even came up with his own tabloid that got him reprimanded by the school principal.

Following graduation from high school, John Grogan majored in English and journalism at Central Michigan University. He also worked for the university paper before graduating in 1979.

When he graduated he began working for the St. Joseph Michigan-based Herald Palladium where he was a police reporter. It was here that he would meet Jenny a fellow reporter that would later become his wife.

In 1985, he won a fellowship to study at the Kiplinger Mid-Career Program at Ohio State University.

Following his graduation from Ohio State with his master’s degree, he won another fellowship and went to the St Petersburg Florida Poynter Institute for Media Studies.

John would then decide to make his home in Florida working for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. He would rise through the ranks to go from bureau reporter to metropolitan columnist which he loved a lot.

Soon after he got married to Jenny and the new family adopted the Labrador retriever Marley. He was a lovable and rambunctious puppy who would provide Grogan with material for some of his bestselling books and columns.

John Grogan would then move on and start editing Organic Magazine and as a result, he moved to Pennsylvania. Three years later he was missing the chaos of working at a paper and quit to go for the Philadelphia Inquirer as a columnist.

In 2003, Marley the family dog died of old age and he penned a column in his honor. He got such a huge number of comments from the Inquirer readers and this prompted him to pen a book.

He came to realize that maybe he had a much more interesting story to tell about Marley. John Grogan began waking up at 5 am every morning to pen the manuscript for Marley & Me.

The work would sell more than five million copies and become an international bestseller that was also translated into more than thirty languages. The work also earned several awards including the 2006 Quill Biography/Memoir Award.

It would also be made into a motion picture starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Grogan has also made a children’s book from the series which has more than 15 books.

Grogan has a clear passion for writing that can be seen in his interviews and his works. He has said that he is all about telling stories truthfully, candidly, and honestly without holding anything back.

Given that he for the most part pens memoirs, biography, and fiction this fidelity to factual accuracy is particularly important. Nonetheless, he seems to have managed to remain brutally honest and candid.

John Grogan and Jenny his wife currently have three children and make their home in Pennsylvania alongside Woodson their pup labrador.

Bad Dog, Marley is John Grogan’s first work that brought him into the limelight. It is all about a family desperate for a dog until the father comes home one evening to surprise them all with Marley their new puppy.

While the family lavishes the dog with love, he turns out to be a badly behaved canine. He eats everything he can find, destroys shoes and clothes, and is always making a mess.

When he ultimately destroys the couch the mother has had enough and decides it was time they gave him away. The only problem is that being the bad dog that he is no one else wants him.

One day, Louie the family canine clambered onto the refrigerator looking to retrieve some cookies. Marley grabbed the baby and safely got him down just as she was about to fall from the high surface.

While they have been dead set on giving him away, his latest action makes them decide that he is part of the family no matter how many mistakes he has made. Ultimately, they decide that they will keep him.

The overall theme is one of forgiveness and the importance of family. The author asserts that everyone is bound to make mistakes but this does not mean that we should give up on them.

John Grogan’s A Very Marley Christmas is set a few weeks before Christmas and there could not have been more excitement in the air. As is expected Marley the puppy has been getting in on the action.

Anticipating Santa’s arrival and the first snowfall, Marley jumps in and is eager to help the family in any way they can. But being who he is Marley always finds himself in trouble.

It does not take long before he is playing wuith the twinkle light which he tears down before he goes to the toilet on the Christmas tree and destroys some paper snowflakes.

Will his good intentions ruin everything even before Christmas arrives or will they share some Christmas magic after all?

It is a heartfelt and sometimes hilarious story that will have readers intrigued from the first page to the last.

Marley Goes to School by John Grogan is the story of Marley the dog and Cassie his best friend. Cassie just joined the school and could not have been more excited.

Marley her dog is also very thrilled and believes he will get into school with her. In fact, he escapes from the backyard and somehow finds his way to Cassie’s school.

Trolling through the different classes he causes all manner of a ruckus until the day ends. The principal and the teachers ultimately corner him and chase him back home where Cassie is waiting to take him into her arms.

It is a very humorous but very relatable children’s book.