Audiobook Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Author: Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel (Translator)

Narrator: George Blagden

Title: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Animal

Format: Audiobook

Published:  November 2012

Where I got It: Borrowed from Library

Summary: 

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break...

Review:

I had to pick this for book club. I read this a while back and I loved it. I decided to shake it up and listen to the audio. 

We follow Nana the cat and his owner Satoru. The two pack up and head out on an adventure. Nana really doesn't know why, but he doesn't car. He gets to see Japan and meet a lot of different people and animals along the way. Satoru won't say, but there is something up and it sounds like life is going to change. 

Ohhh my heart. 

I didn't sob like I did last time. I had a couple of tears still, but since I know the ending I was ready for it. Still broke my little heart. Oooooo Nana and Satoru. I love them. I would love a prequel one day. That would be fun. See them become best friends. 

This will make you laugh. This will make you cry. Def a great book for animal lovers. 

This time I did the audio and I enjoyed it still. The narrator did a good job. The girl voices were...okay....it did the job.

All-in-all, I enjoyed this. I think I like paper version a hair more, but this was still a great read. I highly recommend it. You will feel all the feels by the end. 5 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #76 for Audiobook challenge

TMST: Favorite Posts to Write

  

What are your favorite posts to write?

OOOOOooooo. I like this question!

I love writing my reviews OF COURSE. Especially when the book was SUPER good or SUPER bad. It's so fun rambling on and on and getting gifs to really show how I feel. FUN!

However....in my heart of hearts...I think my favorite was when I used to cast some of the books I read. It was so fun digging up some actor/musician/somebody that best represented the character I was seeing in my head. Sighs. Not sure why I let that die out...maybe the amount of time I took and I was in college at the time and I had ZERO time to dedicate? Not sure, but I should bring that post series back. It was so much fun!!

Had to give Mimi the bottom game box in order to keep her out of the treasury money.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, & So Forth

And a special holiday wish from Mamyia "Myia" (my new kitty) and the Boys - Rei and Toki. :3

"Chinchillas are so hard to please"....and get a good pic of both together LOL

Book Review: I Stand Corrected by Patricia Asedegbega

Author: Patricia Asedegbega
Title: I Stand Corrected (Rosario & Balou)
Genre: Contemporary, Drama, and fiction
Pages: ebook
First Published: August 2014
Where I Got It: My shelf (given to me for an honest and unbiased opinion by the publisher/author)

"Balou is taken away from his mother at a very tender age and sold to a pet shop where he waits impatiently for someone to pay for his freedom and take him home, just when he is about to give up all hope of it ever happening, he meets young and troubled Rosario who is really not looking for a pet. A strange and endearing alliance is forged between them but he soon discovers that something is horribly wrong in her household. Will he be able to save her?"


There is so much more to the story then the summary gives credit for. There is some funny bits, but the story centers around abuse. However, the story is told in two different POVs: Balou the cat and Rosario the rich heiress. I am honestly glad that they made the main character a rich heiress, because it shows that abuse happens to not only the poor, but the rich as well. Yes, the rich have more options getting out, but it still is hard.

I will admit...I did grow frustrated with Rosario, because she would not leave him, even when the secret of the abuse was out and the whole staff found out. I wanted to shake her and then save her from Javier. Goodness, I loathed him. >_____> I wish that Balou did more damage then he did. No...I will not say more. That scene was an amazing scene. Yes, it was bad and a tough scene, but Balou is amazing and I want a cat like him.

Honestly, I loved the fact that Balou got to have his say and his opinions/views were expressed through his side of the story. When I told a friend about this book and how the cat gets his own POV, she laughed and thought it was silly. No. It really worked and I liked it; it added a new view on situations like these. 

There were a couple spots where it was hard to get through, because it is a tough issue, but it is worth the read. The ending is totally worth it! It was a long road, but I finally got what I wanted to happen to happen. I shall say no more...


My only other complaint is that is was a wee bit choppy in some spots. I hated the random time jumps between paragraphs; there was a lack of transitions mainly in Rosario's POV. Other then that, I did like this book a lot. There characters were great, the two POVs were great, and even though the issue the story revolves around is tough, it was a different and good way to talk about the issue. I recommend this to those that need a change up in their readings and/or who want a serious book with a little comic relief (aka the cat who is adorable). I shall stamp this with 4 stars; more like 3.5, but I don't give decimals. 

Favorite Character(s): Balou, Rosario (even though she frustrated me a few times), the staff, and Javier (I hated him, but he was a good baddie).
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Javier (he deserved to be pushed off the cliff) and Javier's mother (that lady....grrrr)

PS - Random last thought that I had as I returned to this review later - I don't quite understand the title. Does it have to do with Rosario's final thoughts at the end? IDK. Any ideas, thoughts? 

Book Review: The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat

Author: Susan Fromberg Schaffer
Title: The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat
Genre: Fiction, Animal story
Pages: 176
First Published: September 1997
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

"As the irrepressible Foudini M. Cat regales us with his adventures, an exciting story unfolds. After his valiant but frail mother leaves him in search for food and never returns, the starving kitten is taken, hissing and spitting, to a frightening room with cages and men in white coats. Facing the specter of eternal sleep, the homeless cat is adopted by a woman he later calls "Warm." ("All cats like to make up strange names for things.")

From here Foudini enchants us with splendid tales of his unlikely but ultimately poignant friendship with Sam the Dog; their trips between Cold House in the city and Mouse House in the country; his mystical experiences with famous felines of the past; his near-death in a raging river that leads to a profound act of sacrifice; and his introduction to a silly young thing named Grace, which evolves into something completely unexpected."

Stumbled upon this randomly at the library and I seen that Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (author of one of my favorites 'Snow Fox') was the author! ANNNNNNNNNNND it's in the POV of a cat. C'mon? Did you really think I could resist this? haha

Oooooh this was such a great read. It is short and simple and sweet, but there are so much you get out of this. So many life lessons and so much cuteness. I simply love Mr. Foudini! It really made me miss having a cat (since mine passed a year ago) and really made me rethink all that I know about cats. Its a new perspective and made me appreciate the cat breed (and dog breed) even more. 

I also loved Sam the Dog; he was such a loyal dog to not only the owners but to Foudini even though at the beginning the cat wanted nothing to do with him. It's sad what happened to him, but the author added a little something that made me smile up a storm and made me hopefully for my late dog. I shall not say for it would be giving away a lot of spoilers. Just trust me....it was fantastically done. 

This really made me fall in love with Ms Schaeffer's writing all over again. It's been SUCH a long time since I read 'Snow Fox', I really should re-read it. Maybe when it's my turn for the book club again to pick a book, I may make them read this one. ^.^ It's kind of a hard one to find, so I'm not quite sure. :/ But yes, I really want to re-read it and read more of her books. 

In the end, I adored this book. It was so cute, small, and simple, BUT it was written wonderfully. Foudini will make you re-think all you know about cats. I would recommend this book for someone who likes fiction novels and for those looking for something a little different in their to-read shelf. I shall stamp this book with 5 stars. ^.^

Favorite Character(s): Foudini, Warm, Sam the Dog, and Freud's Cat

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Grace (>_> she was annoying)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: What Would You Pick?

Wordless Wednesday

C'mon....they're cute and fluffy!

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<3CaroleRae