Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Winter in Montreal can be very cold and snowy indeed, and Agnes Aubert is desperate to find a new place for her cat shelter.  The old shelter sustained a great deal of damage when some out-of-control magicians (are there any other kind?) staged a duel in the streets.  It’s said that one of them might even have been the Witch King himself, the notorious Havelock Renard, already wanted for nearly causing the end of the world a few years back.

It really doesn’t matter who was involved. The results speak for themselves.  The cat shelter had already been struggling; people tend to see cats as vermin, not pets, and while her sister helps as she can, Agnes has to carry most of the load.  Agnes is also still grieving for her late husband, Robin, who helped found the shelter. Now they’re almost out of money and have to find a place to stay before winter sets in in earnest.

But Agnes is on a mission to find them all a safe place to stay. She finally finds someon who is willing to rent a space to her at a surprisingly—perhaps suspiciously-- reasonable rate. It isn’t long before Agnes begins to wonder if illegal magic is going on, but as long as she can care for the cats and help them be adopted into loving homes she will turn a blind eye.

Which Agnes is able to do until the shop comes under attack from a witch who believes Havelock Renard himself is on the premises. That’s bad enough but what’s worse is that she may be right.

Despite the admonition not to judge a book by its cover, I totally chose this book because of the delightful artwork that adorns the front. I was not disappointed.  It accurately portrays the feel of the book, the 1920s time period, and the charming contents.  Agnes is a no-nonsense, highly organized woman whose courage and determination have seen her through many trials.  Her sister Elise is much more glib and silver-tongued, but intent on seeing Agnes safe and settled.  Havelock is abrupt and darkly handsome, or Agnes thinks he would be if he weren’t such a scoundrel.

He is also allergic to cats.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vividly realized setting of the book.  I could almost smell the baked goods from the oven, feel the cold wind and snow down my neck, and enjoy the sights in the shops along the street. 

Then there were the cats: the haughty and sometimes malicious Your Majesty, a regal long-haired tuxedo who only tolerates Agnes; the somewhat addlepated Banshee who silently yowls; and dear old Thoreau, an elderly cat who endeared himself to Agnes and to me.

This is a light but fun tale of magic mixed with adventure, danger, spells, and most of all, felines. Please forgive me but I have to say it:  this book was like catnip to me.

Jane on Her Own: A Catwings Tale by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrations by S.D. Schindler

 

Reviewed by Kristin 

Book Bingo can make all of us here at the library read outside of our usual fare. I have a square for “…with an animal on the cover” and I was charmed by the juvenile fiction book featuring Jane, a flying cat. 

Jane lives on Overhill Farm with her siblings, all of whom have wings. Big sister Thelma doesn’t know why they have wings. Their mother didn’t have wings, but she still lives back in the city. One day, Jane flies up, up, up, and goes out on her own for some adventures. 

This small chapter book has delightful illustrations. Jane is solid black with yellow eyes, and of course, wings. After a brief brush with fame (and captivity) Jane’s “Homing Instinct” takes her back to reunite with family. 

Of course, there is a happy ending. If there wasn’t, it would have scared this cat lover off before the end of the book. 

Catwings Tales include: 

   Catwings (1988) 

   Catwings Return (1989) 

   Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings (1994) 

   Jane On Her Own (1992) 

   Tales of the Catwings (1996) 

   More Tales of the Catwings (2000) 

   Cat Dreams (2009) 

The Cat’s Eye Charm: A Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery by Clea Simon

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Becca’s life seems a bit fraught right now.  Business has been slow at Charm and Cherish the magic shop where she works, and the owner is making noises about turning the place into a (sigh) craft shop.  Becca doesn’t seem to be making much progress in honing her own magical skills, which truth to tell seem to be pretty much non-existent. Well, except for that pillow she conjured, but that was a long time ago.  Even the coven seems to be slowly falling by the wayside.

So it seems like a good omen when Trina comes into the shop wanting to hire Becca in her other capacity as a witch detective. Maybe all Becca needs is a good focus, a challenge, to help her bring out her powers.  The cause is certainly a worthy one: Trina is desperate to find her beloved cat, Mr. Butters.  He was an indoor cat, but has gone missing.  Can Becca do a spell or something to bring him home?

Becca may not be able to wield a lot of magic but she still has help nearby.  Unbeknownst to her, her three cats do have some supernatural abilities.  That pillow Becca thinks she conjured?  That was luxury-loving Harriet who fancied a new bed.  Siamese Laurel can subtly influence human behaviors (usually to Laurel’s benefit) and sweet devoted Clara can become invisible. Clara adores Becca and often follows her to make sure she’s safe, but Clara is careful to remain unseen so Becca has no idea.

What seems like a relatively straightforward request soon turns out to be more complicated and more dangerous than Becca expected, involving kidnapping and a stolen gem.  Even worse, it’s becoming difficult for Becca to know who to trust.

This is the fifth book in the Witch Cats of Cambridge series, but it can be read as a standalone.  I have to say this is probably my favorite entry in the series. I loved seeing the magical cats’ world expand with the addition of a kitten who may be much wiser than they realize.  Kitten is an absolute peach-toed charmer even if she does have a penchant for knocking things off shelves. There’s also Mr. Butters, who has some surprises of his own.  All this makes for some delightful feline world-building.  On the human side of things, the mysterious Elizabeth takes on a somewhat bigger role.  And even though we’re told not to judge-- I adore the cover!

Cats, magic, gems—what’s not to love?

You Only Live Nine Times by Gwen Cooper

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Rachel Baum came to Coacoochee, Florida to start over.  She landed a great job in a bookstore, and is enjoying not only selling books but creating events to promote the store.  She has an apartment above the bookstore that she shares with her three cats:  Scarlett, Vashti, and Homer, a blind black cat who doesn’t let a lack of vision hamper his fearless nature.

Coacoochee is an upscale community with a thriving social scene.  Rachel’s friends include Tommy aka “Mr. Nightlife,” who works for a magazine, reporting all the gossip and news on the beautiful people; Natalie, an investigative journalist who owns “Hot Mike,” a German shepherd who flunked out of police dog training school; and Daisy, a party girl who knows everybody who’s anybody.  Rachel finds herself rubbing shoulders with a celebrity chef, a wealthy real estate developer who owns at least half the property around, and a high profile newspaper columnist, all of whom have their own agendas. Still it all seems cordial enough—until someone turns up dead outside the bookstore right after an event Rachel hosted.  The police seem to think that it was natural causes, but Rachel isn’t so sure.

Her cats definitely think there is something wrong.  Unbeknownst to Rachel, the three felines have more interests than birds and catnip.  They think something is definitely amiss and they intend to protect Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel doesn’t speak cat—or maybe that’s a good thing, or else she’d know what they have planned could be very dangerous.

Gwen Cooper is the author of the non-fiction book Homer’s Odyssey, which is the real-life story of her blind cat Homer, and Love Saves the Day, a novel about human relationships.  I knew I liked her writing based on those books, so I was interested to see what she’d do with a mystery novel.

As with many of the cozy mystery book series, the author throws out numerous characters all at once.  I was glad there was a list of characters in the front or I might have given up. Some don’t play a major role in the story and could have been skipped.  I understand that the author wants to build up her cast of characters for future installments, but overwhelming the reader with names is off-putting. As I said this is common in first in series books: the author is creating a setting she intends to return to so it seems that the reader is introduced to everyone in town, whether or not that character is going to play a significant role in this particular story.

Once I was past that, the book turned out to be as entertaining as I had hoped.  Part of the story is told from Rachel’s point of view as she tries to prove foul play, and part from the cats’ as they gather clues and enlist helpers including Hot Mike. Incidentally, Hot Mike is a fun character; his name comes from journalism, i.e. a “hot mic” and he adores his human, but he’s welcome to lend a paw or nose to help Homer and the gang.

The mystery was interesting and the cats are a hoot. There’s a good bit of sibling rivalry going on between them, and they all have delightfully distinct personalities.  I just decided to roll with all the characters and soon found the only ones I needed to keep track of.  There were well- placed clues, a bit of romance, and lots of feline frolics—or folly, depending on your point of view.

There’s a second book planned and I am looking forward to it.

Street Cats and Where to Find Them by Jeff Bogle

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

The subtitle of the book is “The Most Feline-Friendly Cities and Attractions Around the World”, which is a good summing up of the contents.  While there was a similar book recently, Cats of the World by Hannah Shaw, this one focuses more on places to interact with cats or cat-related items: cat cafes, museums, festivals, etc.  Bogle does visit some places where street cats abound, including Japan’s Cat Island, Rome, and Istanbul, but he also features lesser known locations as well as a couple of US spots : New Orleans and Tangier Island, Virginia, neither of which I would have thought of as being cat locations. 

A pause (paws?) to note that Bogle has an introduction about these cats, defining street cats, how to safely interact with them, and what to do if you find a sick cat.

This book was a real treat.  The photos are wonderful, and convey a real sense of what a place is like as well as being very attractive. Most of all, though, I really loved the tone of the book. Bogle explains that he had a happy childhood except that he was cat deprived.  More than that, he was the victim of anti-cat propaganda from his parents.  As an adult, he was appalled when his girlfriend announced that she was bringing home a relative’s cat and announced that the cat would ruin his life.  As Bogle explains, “Roughly four hours and two seconds later, I was an unabashed cat dad who wondered, What the hell was wrong with my parents?”

Bogle is also a professional travel writer and photographer, so his observations are helpful as well as entertaining.  For example, he offers specific locations which are conducive to cat spotting, the closest airports to the city, best ways to get around, and where to get food.  While not exhaustive, I found them handy for daydreaming about visiting some of the locations.  I also enjoyed that Bogle didn’t make it sound as if everything was always easy-peasy. On his trip to Cyprus, his international phone service failed and he was forced to find free wifi in a restaurant parking lot to figure out where his hotel was and how to get there.

Most of all, the book was fun. I know I won’t be going to many (if any) of these places so I was happy to travel vicariously.  I will admit to being a tad disappointed that some of the places were brief text only (Catcon in Pasadena or Hemingway Home in Key West) but he introduced me to so many amazing places that I can’t really complain.  Maybe next book he’ll make a stop in North Carolina’s Museum of the American House Cat. I can dream, can’t I?

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

There’s a pet shop in Tokyo with seven unusual cats—the Blanket Cats.   Each cat has its own special security blanket, something familiar.  They need it because these cats are rented out to different customers for a three day periods, after which the cats are to be returned to the shop.  The customer has to agree to certain rules, such as only feeding the cat its specific food and keeping the cat and blanket together.  These are cats who have been chosen for their demeanor and calmness; most are purebred cats. 

The people who come to rent these cats come because their lives are in some way broken.  They come hoping that the company of a cat, even if it’s just for three days, will somehow make their lives better.

Sometimes they’re right.

Lately it seems that there’s been a proliferation of books by Asian authors, mostly Japanese, which have cats on the cover and feature stories about troubled people who come to a certain café or coffee shop or restaurant and have a life changing moment. Some have referred to this as “healing fiction,” since most of these people have a revelation or encounter that changes their lives for the better.  Blanket Cats is in many ways a more realistic take on these situations. People do not miraculously change their hearts or make peace with an enemy, but they do see their problems in different ways. For some, there is a glimmer of hope; for other may find the courage to face a problem-- or else become resigned.

These may not be “feel good” stories found in other collections but they do feel more true to life, and as a result feel darker to me. They avoid sentimentality, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your preferences, but they are also wonderfully crafted, complex tales that leave a reader wondering what happened next.  The translation seems very smooth, not as choppy as some can be, which certainly added to my enjoyment.

Short story fans will find a lot to like in this book as will cat lovers.

Cats of the World by Hannah Shaw and Andrew Marttila

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

“The Kitten Lady” and “The Cat Photographer” (aka Hannah Shaw and Andrew Marttila) are two well-known personalities who both have large social media followings and who have written books about cats. They are also a married couple who love to travel, so they teamed up to produce the lovely book Cats of the World with Hannah supplying the text and Andrew the photographs.

I’ll admit when I first heard about this book I was a bit skeptical.  I have a number of books with cat photos and really wasn’t sure I wanted to add another to the collection.  However, once I picked this book up I was hooked.  It’s divided up by country, many of which are not your usual touristy stops:  Croatia, Finland, Montenegro, Uruguay, and Oman are right there with Spain, Australia, France, India, Greece, and the United States.

At the start of each section, there is a wonderful two-page photo spread that captures a sense of the place and, naturally, features a cat.  The official language of the country is listed along with the name for cat.  The text has information about the place, the way cats are regarded, any rescues, and interactions with natives.  It gives the reader a nice feel for the place, accentuated by the marvelous photos that capture both cats and ambiance.  There are cats in cities, cats in busy markets, cats at glorious sunset over ancient ruins and modern statues, cats in shops, and cats in loving homes.  I can’t say enough about the photos: the colors and focus are mesmerizing. 

One of my favorite sections was on London, where there were cats in pubs, cathedrals, and in front of the iconic red telephone box.  They met up with Travis Nelson and his cat, Sigrid, who are a familiar sight online.  Sigrid, a white deaf cat, rides with Travis on a bicycle around London and elsewhere. They actually have a book of their own, Sigrid Rides, written by Travis and, yes, the library has a copy.

As an armchair traveler and a cat lover, I found a lot to love in this book.  I may have to break down and get my own copy.

Shock and Paw by Cate Conte

 

Shock and Paw by Cate Conte

Reviewed by Jeanne

It’s Christmas time on Daybreak Island, Massachusetts,  and things are getting festive.  This year Maddie James is determined to stay out of all the holiday planning for the community events and just concentrate on her cat café, JJ’s House of Purrs, named for her ginger rescue cat.  (Who, by the way, is adorable.) Things are being done a bit differently this year, with a cash prize for the best decorated house, a handyman/ electrician on call to help residents do their best, and someone else in charge.

Of course, this is all too good to be true, so when the substandard handyman’s work causes Maddie’s grandfather to fall and hurt his ankle, the decorating is going to fall on Maddie. Then of course, other things start going wrong and Maddie’s mother calls her in desperation.  Maddie is not going to get involved—

But who are we kidding?  Maddie lives for this sort of thing!

It’s just that there’s a lot going on in general. Oh, the café is doing great and the rescued cats are getting adopted, Maddie’s romance is on solid ground, but someone is posting advertisements for pricy designer cats.  There’s even a poster outside of Maddie’s cat café. The Christmas decorating contest has a cash prize this year, and tempers are flaring.  Then a prominent citizen is found dead under unusual circumstances and one of Maddie’s best friends is the prime suspect.  Can Maddie tie up all these loose ends into one big Christmas bow?

This is the eighth in the Cat Café Mystery series, but they don’t need to be read in order.  The series has had its ups and downs, but for the most part I find it entertaining.  I’d saved this one for December because of the holiday setting, and it certainly has helped set the mood.  The plot is competent with a few twists thrown in for good measure.  There’s not a lot of character development and there were a few times when I wanted to give Maddie a good shake, but I give the author credit for introducing an important theme: designer pets created by unscrupulous breeders. (I also liked that for the most part  she avoided listing specific exotic breeds just in case readers decided that it might be nifty to own one.)

If you’re in the market for a light cozy read in between holiday activities, this might be the book for you.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Shuta Kawaga is struggling with his job.  It’s a prestigious company and he should be happy but the long hours, callous treatment of employees, and a horrible boss are weighing him down. He’s having trouble sleeping, he doesn’t want to eat, he’s miserable and yet he can’t bring himself to quit.  What he needs, he thinks, is some counseling to help him cope. That’s how he ends up at the odd little clinic in a narrow alleyway.  It definitely doesn’t fit his view of a highly recommended doctor’s office, but he’s already run through all the local clinics and none have helped.  He’s feeling a little desperate and ready to try something different.

This place turns out to be a little more different than he anticipated.

For one thing, the doctor prescribes him a cat. 

A real cat.

Bewildered, Shuta heads home with his furry medication, only to find out that the instructions for use are not as thorough as he would have liked. . . .

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is a series of stories about different people who seek help from the “Clinic for the Soul” from a frustrated office worker to a designer at an upscale store.  All are struggling with both their personal and professional lives.  All end up at the mysterious clinic with a rather sullen nurse and off-beat doctor. I’ve read and enjoyed several of these episodic Japanese novels, many of which have similar themes of sorting out what one thinks one wants as opposed to what one really wants.  In some ways, this book does follow that theme, providing attitude adjustments in the best sense of the phrase, but it does something a bit different with an overall story line that is gradually revealed.  I hesitate to say more because I don’t want to spoil it, but I was charmed and a bit teary-eyed at the end.  While Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa remains my favorite, I have to say that this book is a very strong second.  It is an absolute delight.  I am buying my own copy, which is my highest recommendation.

Mickey: The Cat Who Raised Me by Helen Brown

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I have been trying to find a way to do a decent review of this book, but it has been a struggle.  Not because I didn’t like it—spoiler alert, I loved it!—but because like many of Helen Brown’s books it isn’t something you can sum up in a quick tag line.  Oh, you could, but to do so would be to miss the depth and nuances which I love and which make all her books instant “must reads” for me. 

Helen is twelve years old in 1966, growing up in a small town in New Zealand.  Her father is an engineer, a champion of using natural gas which is not an easy sell.  Her mother is devoted to theatre and the arts, a mercurial personality who throws herself into preparing for local theatrical productions.  Helen has two older siblings, a sister who has at times been more maternal than her mother, and a brother who is a budding taxidermist. Helen sometimes feels lost and unnoticed.  She doesn’t seem to fit in. She struggles in school, is teased as “Helen the Melon,” and is facing eye surgery.  

Then one day her father takes her to pick up a scraggly kitten, sole survivor of a litter.  Helen names him Mickey but has to hide him from her mother who dislikes cats.  To Helen’s dismay, Mickey seems disinclined to accept her overtures of friendship and instead promises to upend the household.  It’s up to Helen to keep Mickey alive and a secret.

It seems strange to think that a girl in New Zealand would have all that much in common with a girl growing up in Appalachia, but there were so many times that I totally related to what was going on in Helen’s life. While I didn’t see atomic bomb tests on nearby islands, I certainly remember packing sandbags against basement windows and the old atomic signs to show us where to hide in the school in case of nuclear war.  Figuring out who your favorite Beatle was, the benign neglect of parents who let you explore and play without direct supervision, and trying to fit in among your peers is all familiar territory. So many half-forgotten memories appeared as I read this book that I would have to stop and ponder.

While most of her books revolve around a cat—Cleo, Jonah, or Bono, previously—it’s a mistake to dismiss them as “just a cat book.” Not that I have anything against cat books! It’s why I picked up Cleo all those years ago.  But Helen’s books are more than the story of one individual cat; they are mediations on the human experience.

Most of all, Helen Brown has the gift of storytelling, of describing scenes so vividly that the reader can almost see them. She also knows how to find that point of connection between people and make different experiences relatable, and has a delightful sense of humor.  I have always found reading her books to be like talking with an old and dear friend, and this one is no exception.

I now want to go back and re-read her other wonderful books, Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family; Cats and Daughters: They Don’t Always Come When Called; Bono; and her novel, Tumbedown Manor. I know there will be laughter, tears, warmth, and love.

Finding Mr. Purrfect by Codi Gary

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Charity Simmons is a baker with a love for cats, so she and her veterinarian friend Kara pool their resources to open a cat café and low cost cat clinic.  Meow and Furrever is doing well, but needs an infusion of cash in order to update the kitchen so they can take their business venture to the next level.  It’s been a frantic time, so the two plan a vacation to Mexico to unwind a bit—at least that was the original plan.  At the last minute Kara and her fiancé Ben decide to skip Mexcio and spend the vacation with his family, leaving Charity alone. Well, not exactly alone:  Ben’s best friend Will was also invited. The problem is that Will is just the type of guy Charity detests.  He’s a flirt who spends all his time charming women, which is pretty easy because he’s also gorgeous and has a nice guy persona.  But Charity is not fooled, and she’s not going to waste her time on a relationship without a future.  For his part, Will isn’t looking for commitment but he IS attracted to Charity, so when he’s asked to be her pretend boyfriend, it really isn’t a hardship. . . until it’s time to stop pretending.

Romance books aren’t really my thing, but the enticement of a cat café made me decide to give it a try. Also there was a promise of a baking show, so how could I resist? This was an enjoyable enough book, mainly because the dual perspective between Will and Charity was entertaining and there were cats, although I was a tad disappointed we didn’t see more cats.  The scene at the end pretty much made up for it though, as it was delightful.  Both Charity and Will have family hang ups to work through, which made them more realistic characters to me even though this is indeed a frothy romance.  The baking show competition was mentioned in several reviews but didn’t show up until the last 50 pages or so. 

While I’m not ready to give up my classic and cozy mysteries, this was a pleasant diversion. 

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

 

Reviewed by Kristin

One morning, Charlie turns on the news and discovers that his long lost and extremely rich uncle is dead. Not that he actually expects to receive anything from the man he hasn’t seen since he was five years old, when Charlie’s mother died.

Charlie is just an ordinary guy with a string of bad luck. His wife left him, he’s no longer a halfway respectable journalist (he’s now a substitute teacher), he’s living in his dead father’s house co-owned by his much older half siblings (who want to liquidate), and he lost his good pair of shoes. So that explains the black Skechers he is wearing with his black suit as he goes to the bank to ask for a loan to buy McDougal’s Pub, hoping to turn that endeavor into financial stability.

I’m sure you can guess how that turned out.

As Charlie returns home from the bank, he discovers a woman on his front porch swing, a woman who is about to change his life. She tells him that his uncle did leave him something, and now he should come with her to learn about his extensive business holdings around the world. They include an island volcano lair, of course, as Charlie’s uncle evidently was something of a villain.

Talking spy cats, unionized dolphins, whales with questionable motives, assassins, and other competing villains…(oops, I mean, “other totally upstanding business people”), that’s just the beginning of the story.

John Scalzi has a brutally sharp wit and the ability to make the totally absurd seem absolutely believable. As soon as I was drawn into the first few pages, I knew that I was in for an exciting read. I was a particular fan of the super intelligent talking cats. With a broad cast of characters, human and otherwise, Scalzi takes us on yet another wild ride with Starter Villain.

Nevermore: I Could Pee on This; Dracula; Rabbit-Proof Fence

 

Reported by Rita

I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano is a collection of short poems written from the perspective of cats. Clever, and very relatable to anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes around a cat. Delightful! MS

Dracula by Bram Stoker is the classic tale that many cite as the start of the vampire genre. Although vampires were around long before Dracula, this is the novel that frightened and inspired for generations. Our reader said it is very scary and quite enjoyable. MH

Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington is the remarkable true story of three young girls who cross the harsh Australian desert on foot to return to their home. When black aboriginal children and children of mixed marriages are gathered up by whites in Australia in 1931, three young girls make a harrowing escape by following the over 1,000 miles of rabbit-proof fence back to their home. This YA selection is a quick read about determination and resilience. CD

Also mentioned:

We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work by Jimmy Carter

Nation of Victims by Vivek Ramaswamy

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson

Home by Marilynne Robinson

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

All You Have to Do Is Call by Kerri Maher

 

 

New books:

 

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

Pucky, Prince of Bacon by Georgia Dunn

Reviewed by Jeanne

I’ve loved both comic books and strips from even before I started reading.  I can remember my grandmother reading the strips to me from the newspaper, including her favorite strip which was, appropriately, called Grandma. Now I like to start my day with a cup of coffee while reading a selection of my favorite daily comic strips.  Recently, I have picked up two collections in a row, starting with Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians. The next thing I knew, I was reading the new Georgia Dunn collection, Pucky, Prince of Bacon. While these two are very different, I thoroughly enjoyed both. 

Dunn’s daily strip Breaking Cat News runs in some newspapers (not the Bristol Herald Courier, alas) and features the adventures of an assortment of felines and their friends who act as reporters for “news that’s important to cats.” The three main reporters are Elvis, a needy and neurotic Siamese; Puck, a three legged black cat who is very zen except when it comes to bacon or ham; and rambunctious Lupin, a deaf white cat who rushes in where angels fear to tread. They live in the Big Pink House with The Man, The Woman, and The Toddler.  Pucky, Prince of Bacon collects several months of these strips, including the Sunday ones.  This time around, our intrepid reporters take on the terror of pets everywhere, the vacuum cleaner, investigate Fourth of July cuisine to answer the question, “Can cats even eat potato salad?” and wonder why The Woman is getting very round. 

Sweet, funny, and gentle, these books are marketed to middle school students but I know many adults who are also addicted. I think of them as being like Mutts or Peanuts: kid friendly but not juvenile.  I love Dunn’s attention to detail in the panels, from decorations on the walls, and the lovely color palette.

This is the sixth book in the series and while it can stand on its own, for full enjoyment I’d recommend starting with some of the earlier titles where you can read the backstories of some of the other characters.  I’m particularly fond of Tommy, who lives at another house with Sophie, an artistic feline soul who does not care for Tommy’s adoration.  The story arc where Elvis is lost and meets Tommy always brings tears to my eyes.  Yeah, I’m a softy.

Breaking Cat News

Lupin Leaps In

Take It Away, Tommy

Elvis Puffs Out

Behind the Scenes with Burt

Pucky, Prince of Bacon

Hemingway’s Cats: A Novel about Cats and Other Forces of Nature by Lindsey Hooper

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Laura Lange really needed a change of scene. She’s just ended a relationship and needs a job, so she decides to pull up stakes from New York and head to Key West to work at the Hemingway Home and Museum.  Laura was an English major in school and even did her thesis on Hemingway; plus, she loves cats, so this seems like a match made in heaven.

Only she didn’t realize heaven was so humid.

Laura begins to adjust to her surroundings and to make friends with her new roommates and work colleagues. She’s also attracted the attention of a pair of cousins who are hoping she’ll pick one of them to be more than a friend.

While Key West is living up to its reputation as a freewheeling, laid-back, colorful place, there are storm clouds gathering—literally.  There’s a tropical storm bearing down on the Keys and it may do some real damage.

I picked this up because the jacket copy talked about the impossibility of moving the Hemingway cats out of the storm, making me think of Hurricane Irma. The staff at the Hemingway Home made the decision not to evacuate, which could have had fatal consequences.  Even one of Hemingway’s granddaughters publically asked them to leave, but they stayed put:  there was no way to evacuate the cats safely.

While I was disappointed that the story ended up not being about that particular storm, I still enjoyed the book.  Laura and the cousins are fairly stock characters, but there were enough colorful folks to round out the tale. There was a good bit of romance, too—not usually my thing, but again, some of the romances were unexpected.  I liked the good natured tone, the Key West setting, and most of all, the cats who are characters in their own rights.  In fact, parts of the story are told from their points of view.

In short, this was a pleasant tale that kept me happily occupied. 

Louis Wain’s Cats by Chris Beetles

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

While the name “Louis Wain” may not be commonly recognized, his art almost certainly will be.  Wain specialized in painting anthropomorphic cats; indeed, he pioneered the look and certainly popularized the cat as a pet rather than just vermin controller. Born in 1860, he was the eldest of six children, and the only boy.  When his father died in 1880, Wain became the sole support of his mother and five sisters. He became a freelance artist, doing mainly country scenes and especially animals.

His life changed dramatically when he met Emily Richardson, who was his sisters’ governess.  They fell in love and married. Not only was Emily ten years older than Louis, but they were from different social classes so the marriage was considered scandalous.  Unfortunately, Emily developed breast cancer not long after the marriage.  She found diversion and comfort in their pet cat, Peter, whom Wain took to drawing for her amusement.  Emily died in 1886, but because of her encouragement, Wain sought successfully to have his drawings published.  They were immediately popular.  Wain was extremely prolific, but since he failed to copyright his works, he failed to get much of the financial rewards he deserved. 

Later in life, his erratic behavior caused him to be institutionalized in appalling conditions.  His admirers, who included H.G. Wells, came to his aid, getting him transferred to better hospitals where he continued to create art until his death in 1939. Some of the later pieces influenced the psychedelic art of the 1960s.

Wain was one of those individuals who seemed to throw himself into whatever took his fancy at the time and was (mostly) astonishingly good at what he attempted.  His failings were mostly financial—he had no talent for investing.  He championed animal rights and helped create protection societies. 

While Wain’s work has remained popular, much of it has been out of print except in collections.  A recent film, “The Electric Life of Louis Wain,” which starred Benedict Cumberbatch as the artist and Claire Foy as his wife, brought renewed interest to his art and an updated version of this particular collection, for which Cumberbatch supplied the introduction.

Beetles’ book includes a great deal of biographical information about Wain as well as reproducing many of his better known works. His earlier art was very realistic, but his genius was in making the cats reflect humans and human society.  After his illness began, his art became more abstract and included vivid colors and backgrounds.  The book also covers his amazing ceramic abstract cats created in 1914. The book is worth a look for the pictures alone, which are beautifully rendered. 

This is both a browser’s delight and a treasure trove of information about the artist himself.  I found it to be most enjoyable, both as a visual treat and as a source of information about the man behind the art I had long admired. I especially enjoyed seeing some of the work I was less familiar with, and gained a whole new appreciation for Wain and his work.