Give the dog-lover on your gift list a treat.

Rick Bragg and Speck / Meredith Bragg

As the book editor of a large newspaper, I used to have to compile an annual list of holiday gift books — often a fearsome task, given the cascade of worthy titles. But one type of book was so popular, it was usually an easy call: a story of a lovable but unruly dog, like Marley and Me.

So if your gift list includes a dog-lover, you might check out The Speckled Beauty, a memoir by the…