In 2020, I did a Christmas Gift idea series of posts featuring my favorite cat books. Since it has been five years, I am going to revisit a few of those posts each week to highlight some of the cat books that are still my favorites this Christmas season. I’ll wrap up with a post or two featuring the new cat books I have found since 2020 that deserve mention.
Why cat books?
- First of all, I love cats. I love books. So combining the two is a no brainer. I frequently include cats in my own writing.
- They make perfect gifts for cat lovers. I know this, because many have been gifted to me and I have thoroughly enjoyed them.
- They are also good gifts for the cat lover that is otherwise hard to buy for. We all know those people who have everything else they need, but you’d just love to surprise them with something less than obvious that will put a smile on their face.
- There’s just something about the gift of a book for Christmas. It’s mystical. Magical.
- A cat book for Christmas puts me in mind of the Christmas eve tradition that they have in Iceland. I had to look it up because I couldn’t say it or pronounce it to save my life. It’s called Jólabókaflóð, which evidently means the “Christmas Book Flood”. People gift each other books on Christmas eve in this tradition and then everyone reads them that evening. Imagine doing that with your cat on your lap. And the book itself is about cats. Perfection.
I’ll start out my recap with “i am maru” bu mugumogu. This one is still available in ebook, and is perfect for any Maru fans that you know, especially since Maru has recently passed away. It is a lovely memorial to everything that made Maru a joy to spend time with. Check out the original post for the full review. And if you haven’t checked out Maru on YouTube, be sure to give him a visit.
Another cat book that is still a classic is “Fat Cat Art,” by Svetlana Petrova. Zarathustra the Cat is immersed into all of the great works of art. It’s a tongue in cheek delight (this gets at the ‘whimsical humor’ in my tag line, so of course I love it). Zarathustra has also passed away in the last few years, but these images are a timeless tribute. Check out the website also for other great cat gifts.
Finally-for this post, at least-I am going to recommend “Homer’s Odyssey,” by Gwen Cooper. Cooper is a great animal writer, and Homer is an amazing cat to read about. In one incident, he saves Gwen from a serious crime. He and Gwen also lived blocks from the World Trade Center, so the collapse figures heavily in the narrative. This is a wonderful and heartwarming story. If your cat lover hasn’t read it, I highly recommend it for them.
I look forward to revisiting more classic cat books from my 2020 review series soon, as well as some brand new recommendations. Thanks for reading!
