Welcome to bookchat where you can talk about anything...books, plays, essays, and books on tape. You don’t have to be reading a book to come in, sit down, and chat with us.
Note: Thank you so much, Emmet, for subbing last week! It was an interesting topic. Thanks to everyone for good wishes sent my way. I am doing well with my new knee. I am so glad to have two good knees, now. I began writing this diary a couple of weeks before surgery because I knew my brain would not be working well this week so this is not some kind of weird answer to Dumbo’s comment last week. lololol
My middle sister loved cats. Almost everyone in my family has a cat. I have a cat and a dog, but not too long ago we had three cats. I have lots of cat stories about my own cats, but my sister was the one many, many years ago who mentioned a book with a cat in it that I really enjoyed. It was Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams. I admit that I need to re-read it.
Tailchaser’s Song
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
Fifteen years ago, a young author surprised and enchanted readers with his first novel—the story of Fritti Tailchaser, a courageous tom cat in a world of whiskery heroes and villains, of feline gods and strange, furless creatures called M'an.
T. S. Eliot wrote
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and Andrew Lloyd Webber turned it into the delightful
Cats. Hubby, children, and I listened to the songs (on tape back then) when we were on a long drive until we knew them by heart. Of course, my sister loved them, too, and gave me the cd later.
http://allpoetry.com/...
The Naming Of Cats
T. S. Eliot
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
I used to enjoy Lilian Jackson Braun’s
Cat Who books because Qwilleran’s Siamese cats, Kao K'o-Kung (Koko for short) and Yum-Yum were so much fun. When he made the special cat runs for him in the apple barn it was just pure joy.
The list of the books is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/....
The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal was one I liked especially. I also had fun with the place names as the stories are set in Michigan. We have Bad Axe and she has Pickax, for example.
Tamsin by Peter Beagle was pretty good, but I gave it away to a friend.
I enjoyed this YA story many years ago:
It's like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Winner of the Newbery Medal 1964
Overview
My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.
Dave Mitchell and his father yell at each other a lot, and whenever the fighting starts, Dave's mother gets an asthma attack. That's when Dave storms out of the house. Then Dave meets Tom, a strange boy who helps him rescue Cat. It isn't long before Cat introduces Dave to Mary, a wonderful girl from Coney Island. Slowly Dave comes to see the complexities in people's lives and to understand himself and his family a little better.
I don’t remember if there is a cat in the story, but I liked this one, too, many years ago. Yes, I read a lot of children’s books with pleasure.
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
Marcy's life is a mess. Her parents don't understand her, she feelslike a fat blimp with no friends, and her favorite teacher just got fired. Ms. Finney wasn't like the other teachers, and she was helping Marcy feel good about being herself. Now that she's gone, Marcy doesn't know what to do. She's always thought things would be better if she could just lose weight, but the loss of Ms. Finney sparks something inside her. She decides to join the fight to bring back her teacher, and in doing so, she discovers that her voice might matter more than she ever realized.
Hat tip to ccc who did a cat diary and gave me the idea. It is interesting even if it was quite a while back:
Sat Jul 19, 2014 at 08:19 PM EDT
Saturday Night Loser’s Club, Vol. CDXXXV: Internet Cat Video Festival Edition
by chingchongchinaman
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I tried two of Miranda James’ Cat in the Stacks mysteries:
Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks #1)
Classified as Murder ( #2)
They were OK, but just a little too bit cozy for me. I did like the main character’s struggling to understand his son. Very poignant.
I enjoyed this very cozy book after surgery. It was perfect for those first days home. I am going to order the other two in the series.
Lending a Paw (Bookmobile Cat Series #1) by Laurie Cass
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
With the help of her rescue cat, Eddie, librarian Minnie Hamilton is driving a bookmobile based in the resort town of Chilson, Michigan. But she’d better keep both hands on the wheel, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride…
Eddie followed Minnie home one day, and now she can’t seem to shake the furry little shadow. But in spite of her efforts to contain her new pal, the tabby sneaks out and trails her all the way to the bookmobile on its maiden voyage. Before she knows it, her slinky stowaway becomes her cat co-pilot!
Minnie and Eddie’s first day visiting readers around the county seems to pass without trouble—until Eddie darts outside at the last stop and leads her to the body of a local man who’s reached his final chapter.
Initially, Minnie is ready to let the police handle this case, but Eddie seems to smell a rat. Together, they’ll work to find the killer—because a good librarian always knows when justice is overdue.
This one was not as good as Lending a Paw. A bit dull.
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (Magical Cats Mystery Series #1) by Sofie Kelly
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen's fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there's something more to these felines.
When murder interrupts Mayville's Music Festival, Kathleen finds herself the prime suspect. More stunning is her realization that Owen and Hercules are magical-and she's relying on their skills to solve a purr-fect murder.
Readers have mentioned these stories, but I have not tried one, yet.
Wish You Were Here (Mrs. Murphy Series #1) by Rita Mae Brown, Sneaky Pie Brown story
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town-until its secrets explode into murder. Crozet's thirty-something post-mistress, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh Corgi (Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her. When Crozet's citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message "Wish you were here" on the back. Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues. Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware her pets are one step ahead of her. If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before the murder occurs--and before Harry finds herself on the killer's mailing list.
The people at Goodreads seem to like this series:
Into the Wild (Warriors #1)
by Erin Hunter
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying-- and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
For those who prefer
dog stories, here are two:
The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side by Damien Lewis
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
…this is the true account of a German shepherd who was adopted by the Royal Air Force during World War II, joined in flight missions, and survived everything from crash-landings to parachute bailouts—ultimately saving the life of his owner and dearest friend.
In the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man’s-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey that would turn them into lifelong friends. One was an orphaned puppy, abandoned by his owners as they fled Nazi forces. The other was a different kind of lost soul—a Czech airman bound for the Royal Air Force and the country that he would come to call home…
A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home by Sue Halpern (I have this on my TBR pile)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
…Funny, moving, and profound, A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home is the story of how one virtuous—that is to say, faithful, charitable, loving, and sometimes prudent—mutt showed great hope, fortitude, and restraint (the occasional begged or stolen treat notwithstanding) as she taught a well-meaning woman the essence and pleasures of the good life.
I am currently reading this story:
Wolves at Our Door by Jim and Jamie Dutcher
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Overview
For centuries, wolves have haunted the human imagination. It has been accepted as conventional wisdom that they are savage predators, creatures of nightmare. Determined to overcome such misconceptions, Jim and Jamie Dutcher spent six years in a tented camp on the edge of Idaho's wilderness, living with and filming a pack of wolves. Now, in this lyrical memoir, the Dutchers share their experience of life among these intelligent and elusive animals.
By socializing with the pack from the time they were pups, the Dutchers were able to gain the wolves' trust and observe their behavior in a way that few people ever have. What they witnessed was remarkable: a complex nature oriented toward family life and strong social bonds…
What are your favorite books about animals?
Diaries of the Week:
Write On! The Turkey City Lexicon
by SensibleShoes
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Borrowing bookgirl's words of welcome:
Big news for Readers & Book Lovers: Chrislove is joining us as the new Editor for LGBT Literature. He will be hosting the series on the last Sunday of the month at 7:30 PM ET. Please welcome him to the Group and check out his inaugural diary on Sunday, September 28, 2014!
Robert Fuller says:
Planting the New Tree
The epic novel is almost done. The Rowan dynasty has passed the torch.
http://www.rowantreenovel.com/....
As usual, the whole novel may be downloaded for free here:
http://amzn.com/....
I've added another small work to my free offerings on Smashwords - a book of quotes I'm calling "The Wisdom of Science". I thought I might offer some of these to Bookflurries after The Rowan Tree is done.
https://www.smashwords.com/....
...................
NOTE:
plf515 has book talk on
Wednesday mornings early