Book #7: Stories of Cats We Love: Seventeen Tales of Unforgettable Feline Companions by Various Authors

One of the first books that I bought after the fire was "Stories of Cats We Love", a collection of 17 short stories about cats. I had only read one of the stories included in the book: "Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. I was hopeful that the other stories were just as good and would keep my mind off of what we were going through.

I was disappointed. There were a couple of stories in the book that I enjoyed, but the rest I just muddled through. In fact, I began the last three stories in the book, but didn't finish any of them.

I think the best part of this book was the cute little kitten on the cover. Unfortunately, that's the best thing I can say about it.

Book #28: Haunted Pet Stories: Tales of Ghostly Cats, Spooky Dogs, and Demonic Bunnies by Mary Beth Crain

I was shopping shortly before Halloween and saw Haunted Pet Stories: Tales of Ghostly Cats, Spooky Dogs, and Demonic Bunnies on a table amongst other horror books. What could be more perfect for a lover of both animals and Halloween?

The book is a compilation of stories put together by author Mary Beth Crain. The stories range from animals coming back in spirit form to animals who sense spirits to animals who are possessed by demons. Some stories are modern, some take place over 100 years ago; some are told first-hand by the people who experienced the haunting and others are more legendary tales.

I really enjoyed reading Haunted Pet Stories. I liked that the chapters were made up of several short stories and they were all entertaining. It was a fun read and something that would be appropriate for adults and older children alike. I also think that it would make a great Halloween gift (if, like me, you give gifts for Halloween!).

Short Stories

My husband picked up "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" by David Sedaris on a shopping trip to Borders one day. When he showed it to me, I said, "Great, I've been wanting to read that." I figured he would finish it quickly and would be in my hands in no time. I listened to him reading it, laughing loudly at the stories, wanting to share them with me. I refused, however, not wanting to spoil the fun for myself. Unfortunately, he does not read as often as I do, so I had to wait a while before I got my turn. It ended up being my 28th book of the year.

My first impression was about the illustrations by Ian Falconer. They are wonderful! Each story has at least one illustration, some of them have several. They are simply drawn, in black and white, sometimes with a touch of orange.

The book was a little disappointing though. After hearing my husband cracking up, I was sure I would do the same, but it didn't happen. I never laughed out loud at any of the tales, not even once. Some of them were cute, many of them were odd, but none of them were hilariously funny like I had hoped.

The stories are all centered around animals in curiously human situations: dating, parenting, relationships, everyday life. Sounds pretty good, right? I thought it would be, but other than making me think "How weird", they didn't have much of an impression on me.

Obviously, some people will love this book, it just wasn't for me. I would suggest reading a story or two in the bookstore before you buy it to make sure it fits your taste.