Does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Here it does. Let’s discuss your favorite reads — or listens.
All tagged animals
It’s hard to judge “Carl” as a standalone, because it barely wants to be one. This is a long opening act. Still, I’m impressed by Dinniman’s imaginative reach and curious how many of the seemingly throwaway details will later reveal themselves as deliberate groundwork. As the first entry in an eight-book (and counting) series, it’s clearly doing foundational labor but that doesn’t always make it enjoyable.
A poetic Japanese novel about a married couple whose quiet life in Tokyo is transformed by a visiting cat, “The Guest Cat” explores love, grief, routine and impermanence with quiet beauty and cultural depth. Perfect for fans of literary fiction and animal stories with emotional resonance.
A charming premise wears thin in this whimsical novel about a Kyoto clinic that prescribes cats for emotional healing. Sweet but repetitive, with a standout first story and a touching finale.
High-concept fiction always walks a fine line between bold and baffling, but “The Bees” topples into the latter. If you like your dystopias with a side of entomological fever dream, by all means. Otherwise, buzz past it.
"Woe" serves as both a touching tribute to a beloved cat and a comforting reminder to those who have lost a four-legged friend that their sorrow is valid and shared.
While Eliot Schrefer had admirable intent in addressing long held and incorrect theories about how we perceive sexual behavior in the natural world, the execution was a hodgepodge of personal anecdotes and pontifications that showed the author’s biases – even though he frequently maligned scientific bias.
Expectation: A straight-forward espionage thriller about a man inheriting his uncle’s dirty deeds.
Reality: An outlandish, action-packed sci-fi comedy that won me over with talking animals and some solid social commentary.
Expectation: An exploration of the trials and tribulations of a queer mountain lion navigating an increasingly difficult life in Los Angeles.
Reality: Not necessarily queer but highly engrossing with a wonderfully executed ending.
While it may be too in-depth for those seeking general information – honestly, it sometimes felt like reading a textbook – the editors, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson have compiled a primer on the vernacular, key issues and political lightning rods.
As a whole, I found the series sweet but slight. At times it was repetitive and boring – especially when the human characters were the focus instead of the cats – but Sakurai completely nails the understated joy and endorphin boost of sharing your life with a quirky cat.
Expectation: High concept horror drivel, if the incredibly low user ratings on Goodreads are to be believed.
Reality: Uneven but creative, I was entertained throughout.
Expectation: A high concept buddy dramedy exploring the human and animal connection.
Reality: Marcellus and Tova are the strongest parts of the story, so whenever it shifted to someone else the narrative lost steam. Still, I was charmed overall.
While a fascinating microhistory of humans and animals surviving through the ISIS occupation of Mosul through much of the mid-2010s, Callaghan never quite found the right balance between history, politics and humanity.
Expectation: A fun-filled adventure that celebrates reading and the human-animal bond.
Reality: A disjointed and heavy-handed mess.
Expectation: A quasi-cozy romance with enough sass and drama to keep you interested but a firm ground in reality.
Reality: A sometimes far-fetched but utterly engrossing story of chosen family. I was surprised by the emotional depth of the characters and how their journey unfolds.
Expectation: A dramedy about second chances with a strong main character and a colorful supporting cast of the non-penguin variety.
Reality: Predictable and outlandish, it is saved by a solid foray into Veronica’s past, but the contemporary chapters and almost every other character are unforgettable.
If you’re a fan of Bukowski, this collection is likely a must read as it features many previously unpublished works. But if you’re a cat lover looking for saccharine sweet stories, you won’t find them here.
Expectation: A science-fiction version of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Reality: A deeply emotional, highly philosophical and ultimately feel good “what if” story.
Neither is a masterpiece, but “The Art of Racing in the Rain” film changed one key plot point from the book, which helped elevate the overall story. Does that make it better than the book?
