My Life in a Cat House by Gwen Cooper

Reviewed by Jeanne

Back in 2009, Gwen Cooper published book about her blind cat, Homer, who lived his life with zest despite his disability.  Homer’s Odyssey became a best-seller and Cooper became an advocate for cats with special needs, which is how she came to adopt Clayton, a three legged cat, and his sister, Fanny.  With a strong social media presence, Cooper’s many fans learned bits and pieces about the rest of her feline family.

Interest remained strong, so she began writing down stories that centered just on one or the other of her felines to give them each a chance in the spotlight.  Vashti and Scarlett were already in the household when Homer arrived, but their appearances in Homer’s Odyssey were fairly brief.  Here we learn about their own quirks—Vashti was the “Picasso of pee,” for example. Cooper’s writing is entertaining, personal, and quite often hilarious, as when she is bedridden for a few days and her cats decide to try to entice her to move, preferably in the direction of their food bowls.  

Cat lovers will nod in recognition at many of the feline antics, or do more than nod:  Cooper is often sent tales of her readers’ companion animals.  I think any animal lover will quickly identify with the way Cooper sees her cats:  not just as animals, but as sentient beings with strong personalities.

Not to sound too picky, but I just like the way Cooper writes.  Her sentences are extremely well composed, not short and choppy in the way some animal stories are told; it's  as if the writer is afraid that readers can’t understand anything more complex.  Her vocabulary is also excellent.  It’s not that she’s showing off, but that she avoids repeating the same words so nicely that you don’t even realize she’s doing it.

I’ll confess I did slide over some parts in the book because as with most animal lovers I hate to read about the death of one that I’ve come to know and love. Again, Cooper deals with the subject compassionately, refusing to make the reader wallow in her grief, but ending on an up note inasmuch as possible.

Let me quickly add that there are still living cats at the end, so don’t expect a three hanky experience unless you count laughing until you cry.

Meygan reviewed Homer’s Odyssey in 2014 and you can read her review here; I reviewed it in 2009 and my review is here.

I also reviewed Cooper’s novel Love Saves the Day, a charming story which I think is underrated.

Bad Feminist, Bad Paper, Rock 'n' Roll and More in Nevermore

  Summary by Meygan

Nevermore began with the discussion of Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. This is a collection of essays in which Gay hones in on feminism using pop culture references such as Sweet Valley High and Orange is the New Black, politics, and her own critical opinions. Bad Feminist is a New York Times bestselling book. As a female black gay author, Gay also writes about race, friendship, and body image. The Nevermore reader likes this book but says it is hard to categorize. Still, it was a highly recommended book.

The next book discussed was The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs by Greil Marcus. Nevermore readers discussed the songs that were mentioned in the book, stating whether or not they had heard the songs. One reader said she had only heard of three of the songs; another said she had heard only one. Greil Marcus is an author, music journalist, and cultural critic. This is not his first book about rock and roll music. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was a popular book in Nevermore. The reviewer said she couldn’t put the book down and she just had to make sure that she finished the book before she left her house that afternoon. Gone Girl is about a husband whose wife disappears. After he becomes the prime suspect, he and his sister work together to find his missing wife. This book has been described by a Nevermore reader as being a page-turning thriller!

“Holy mackerel!” was the Nevermore book reviewer’s response to Jake Halpern’s Bad Paper: Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld. In this book, former bank executive Aaron Siegal and former robber Brandon Wilson work in cahoots with one another to purchase uncollected debts for pennies on the millions. Our reader said this reminds him of the movie “Wolf of Wall Street,” which is a movie adaptation from Jordan Belfort’s book The Wolf of Wall Street. The Nevermore reader said Bad Paper focuses on the underbelly of the debt collectors and is mind boggling how they make unbelievable amounts of money from this scheme. 

The Mantle of Command by Nigel Hamilton was highly praised and was described as being a great book. This book deals with Roosevelt during WWII and the reviewer said you are “with” Roosevelt the whole time. He said the author did a good job of presenting all of the information, especially about Pearl Harbor. He also said this is better than any other book he has seen about Roosevelt and WWII. However, the book only covers until halfway through the WWII. The Nevermore reader suspects there will be a volume 2 issued. 

A few weeks ago, a Nevermore reader finished Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty. Another Nevermore reader started reading the book because he found it intriguing. He did say to skip over the introduction though because it will about put a reader to sleep! The same Nevermore reader also read Doctored by Sandeep Jauhar, which was previously discussed in Nevermore. He enjoyed the book even though the content is dark. 

The last book discussed was Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper, the author of Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat. The Nevermore reader stated that she likes the book so far, despite the cheesy title. However, this is the case where a reader should not judge a book by its title. This book is not a love story between a man and a woman. This is a story from the point-of-view of Prudence, a cat, who is being taken to her owner’s daughter’s house to live. She doesn’t understand what happened to Sarah, her owner, but she clings on to the hope that Sarah will be back to get her soon.

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper*

Reviewed by Meygan

*Not to be mistaken for the epic Greek poem, although I did feel incredibly smug when people admired the way I read “The Odyssey” for fun.  

According to the ASPCA, there are ninety million cats residing in approximately thirty-eight million homes in the United States. That is ninety million novels that could have been written, published, and possibly become a bestseller. So what makes Cooper’s story about her frisky solid black cat, Homer, any different? Well, first of all, Homer is blind. What’s so special about a blind cat? you ask yourself. That’s when Cooper’s humor and vivid details come in to piece together the story.  

Cooper wasn’t looking to adopt a third cat when her veterinarian called her about a two-week old kitten that had lost his sight due to an infection. Cooper questioned, just like most of us cat people do, How many cats can I have until people start thinking I am crazy? But as soon as she saw Homer, she fell in love. And by the second chapter, I had fallen madly in love with Homer as well. (I do need to mention that I DO love every kitten and cat that I encounter. So much, in fact, that I believe my husband is currently writing a contract with a lawyer stating that under no circumstances am I allowed to bring home anything else that has a mouth to feed. I wish I were kidding.) Homer is lively to say the least, especially for a cat that sees nothing but darkness. But Homer quickly learns his whereabouts to the many homes he is introduced to. (He especially becomes acquainted with the words, “No, Homer!”) The first chapters are mostly about the many adventures of Homer and his two “sisters”, Vashti and Scarlett. If I had to title these chapters, I would name them Homer and the Case of the Buzzing Fly; Homer Learns Not to Jump So High; Homer and the Case of the Burglar; Homer, Vashti, and Scarlet and the “Something Stinks, Who Done It?” Mystery. 

Although I loved hearing about Homer, Vashti, and Scarlett, I have mixed feelings about the ending of the book. Don’t get me wrong—I know that Cooper had to talk about herself every once in a while to lead readers to Homer’s next extravaganza, but I was disappointed in the ending. The first twenty chapters or so were superb. Cooper writes with such honesty with a hint of humor that will captivate readers. Then the narrative takes to turn. 

Throughout the book, Cooper plays with the idea of meeting Mr. Right, falling in love, and living happily ever after. She expresses the fear that this might never happen. Cooper is sweet and hilarious and someone that readers will want to find true love. Well, that day finally came for Cooper, and I couldn’t have been more disappointed in her choice. 

Do I think Cooper “used” her blind cat to gain attention for this novel? No, honestly, I do not. At least, I don’t think that was her intention. I do not want to give away any major spoilers, but Homer’s disposition changes towards the end and although I realize he is no longer the spunky kitten he was once, I believe the major change is because of Cooper’s love interest. There were parts of the book towards the end that made me so upset that I felt like ripping the book in half. However, the copy I was reading belonged to the library; needless to say, Cooper’s book was unharmed. I guess in the end I wanted more cats and less Gwen Cooper. Was that too much to ask for? 

Please don’t let my review of the ending deter you from reading the book. Cooper is an admirable writer. She’s witty, gets to the point, uses great sentence structure and vocabulary choice, and will probably make you want to adopt a cat after finishing Homer’s Odyssey. (No more cats, I repeat my husband’s words.) 

Unlike Old Yeller *spoiler alert*, Homer’s Odyssey ends on a happy note with

Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper

Reviewed by Jeanne

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  I’d like to add, “or its title” to that saying.  The case in point is Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper.  Just looking at the cover, with its adorable cat, seemingly gazing up at the reader and a star-lit city in the background, I figured I could write out the plot without even reading the book.  Lonely single person with cat meets another single, for some reason they bond over cat, fall in love and promise to love, honor, cherish and scoop litter boxes for the rest of their lives.

Only that’s not what the book is about.

The book opens with Prudence the cat waiting for her person, Sarah, to come home.  She’s been gone longer than usual, and Prudence is a bit put out.  Then Sarah’s daughter, Laura, and Laura’s husband Josh show up and start taking Sarah’s things away.  Prudence is upset by this; and by the fact that Laura and Josh have no idea of proper behavior or the correct way to do things. Prudence is as prim and proper as her name suggests, but she’s also an acute observer of human nature and body language.  She’s especially adept at realizing when someone is saying something not true, though Prudence has distinctions for that:  saying that Prudence has socks on when talking about her white feet is an obvious untruth but humans also say other untrue things, sometimes for no reason Prudence can discern.  The reader quickly realizes that Sarah and Laura had become estranged, but Prudence doesn’t mediate on this puzzle.  That’s not something a cat would do. Instead, she’s trying to deal with the here and now, especially all these changes she doesn’t understand.  Just when she’s starting to become less uncomfortable, other new changes threaten what little stability Prudence knows.

So what is the book about? It’s about the relationship between a mother and daughter, once close, who somehow became estranged.  It’s about the baggage we carry with us from our childhoods and how that can affect our present lives.  It’s about how we relate to those we love, both human and nonhuman, and handling change and loss.  Prudence the cat narrators a good portion of the book, but we also hear from Laura and finally from Sarah herself as each tells a part of the story from her point of view. The result is a poignant, often funny, very charming story. The personalities of the three characters really shine through: Sarah the single mother who worked as a DJ and owned a record shop while trying to raise her rebellious daughter; Laura the button-down attorney who tries to keep everything under control; Josh the music-loving husband trying to get his wife to come to terms with a lot of pent-up emotions; and of course Prudence.


And by the way, "Love Saves the Day" is the name of a store where Sarah and Laura shopped.

Of course, being me I particularly enjoyed Prudence’s point of view, and I liked her practical, no nonsense approach.  A couple of times some of the text verged on the precious, but for the most part Cooper allowed Prudence to be a mature, adult character.

Finally, I’d say that while this is indeed a book for cat lovers, it’s also a good story about love, loss and coming to terms with your past.

Gwen Cooper is also the author of a fine non-fiction book Homer's Odyssey, about her blind wonder cat.  Here's a link to a review of that book http://bristol-library-bookblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/odyssey-of-heart.html

Odyssey of the Heart

Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper (636.8 COO Main)

Reviewed by Jeanne

I need to confess something up front: I am very reluctant to read a real life story about an animal in which the animal dies at the end. I’m sorry, but I don’t like to get emotionally invested and then bawl my eyes out. I did read the wonderful Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (636.8 MYR Main & Avoca, SSB 636.8 MYR Main) but mostly because I knew about Dewey while he was still alive. I had even bought Dewey’s postcards and the video “Puss in Books,” but reading the book was more difficult because I knew how it was going to end.

So it was with an easy heart that I picked up Homer’s Odyssey and discovered a delightful new feline hero because I knew Homer is still alive and purring.

Gwen Cooper was a newly single girl with two cats when Patty, a local veterinarian, called to ask if she would like to adopt a third cat. No. Definitely not. Not only was she currently living in a bedroom in a friend’s house, but she knew that a single woman with three cats was in “crazy cat lady” territory. No way.

The vet was persistent. This kitten was special. He was only four weeks old, an orphan with a severe eye infection. He’d been brought in by good Samaritans who felt the kindest thing would be to put him down. The kitten was sweet, scrappy, and other than the eye infection, healthy. Patty had decided to take a chance, remove the infected eyes, and find him a home. That was where Gwen came in.

Reluctantly, Gwen agreed to take a look, just for courtesy’s sake. She’d stop by, give Patty the bad news that two cats were enough for her, and leave with a clear conscience. But when the tiny scrap of fur with the plastic cone tried to climb her sweater to rub his face against hers, she was lost. Over the kitten’s purrs she found herself saying, “Wrap him up, I’m taking him home.”

Named Homer after the blind Greek poet who wrote The Odyssey, the kitten turned out to be an adventurer with a zest for life. Gwen’s two resident cats, Scarlett and Vashti, were unsettled and bewildered by the newcomer, but Homer never let that stand in the way of having a good time. Gwen was amazed at Homer’s fearlessness, his boundless love and most of all, his joyful nature.

Life with Homer has been an adventure indeed. The bond between Gwen and Homer has survived numerous changes in households; a cross country move; a burglar; the attack on the Twin Towers, when Gwen was unable to get back to her apartment to retrieve the cats; and even a new romantic relationship for Gwen.

I went into this book hoping it would be entertaining. It most certainly is that, but it’s also a non-preachy lesson in bravery, love and acceptance. It’s heartwarming but not in a sugary way; there are places when I laughed out loud, startling my own cats, and places when I cried. Most of all, I felt uplifted and inspired by Homer. Remember “Our Town”? In the final act, Emily the ghost asks the Stage Manager if anyone ever really lives in the moment, ever really appreciates what it is to be alive. The Stage Manager replies, “The saints and poets, maybe—they do some.”

I’d add Homer to that list.

Homer’s Odyssey is well written and a joy to read. Cooper did a wonderful job of selecting quotations from the “The Odyssey” to incorporate as chapter headings, illustrating some of the things this Homer encounters. I was sorry to see the book end.

The good news is that I can keep up with Homer, Scarlett, Vashti and Gwen through Gwen’s blog at www.gwencooper.com. There are also more photos of Homer and the rest of the family.

Highly recommended!