cats

Review of Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch

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Synopsis:
In the whimsical world of Tangleroot Valley, magic flows like the seasons, and every witch has her cat dragon – except Aloysia Papplewick.

She’s far from bonding with her fiery feline familiar, and with her magical farm in chaos, her prattling pumpkin patch meddling in her life and the annual Harvest Festival to prepare for, Aloysia has enough to handle – even before her best friend’s insufferable brother, Hollis, brings danger and distraction to her door.

When she and Hollis are whisked away on a quest to a mysterious mountain, Aloysia must contend with magic, mayhem – and a spark she never expected.

Review:
“Aloysia (A-lo-wish-a)(noun) A famous warrior. A plant used mainly for brewing teas, though rumoured to have some topical healing effects; smells faintly of sherbet lemons.” (Page 3)

This book is marketed as being something Studio Ghibli, Harry Potter, and cottagecore people will enjoy and for me it hits all the marks. There is a great depth to this story that while not necessarily giving a full background on the character we find ourselves on a journey with, it is possible to deduce that she’s the last of her family line. It’s interesting to see how she navigates having to do everything to keep her family’s lineage and homestead intact while trying to keep up relations and hope that she will reach the witchy milestone that every witch has had by her age–except her.

I love how Hollis constantly trails between being a protective authority figure/older brother to someone who sees Aloysia for all she is and can be. I absolutely loved the banter in this book; all of the characters were well fleshed out. I loved all of the animals/creatures, the Guardians, and the way that magic could be used, if by a skilled practitioner in the way that we are almost over reliant on technology to do for us today. There was never a time that I skipped ahead/was bored of what was happening; I was fully engaged and always wanted to know what was going to happen next! Even during the misunderstandings, I couldn’t wait to see Aloysia hopefully rise above circumstances. There were multiple times at night that I mentioned to my husband before going to bed some random tidbit about what was happening with the Cat Dragon book and how I really hoped they managed to accomplish their task!

I would highly recommend this book to those who love: found family, magical creatures, coming of age/coming into one’s self, fantasy and witches. I was incredibly sad to finish this book, but I am so ecstatic that a new book is coming out November 16th!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Wizard’s Cat by Nathan Lowell

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Synopsis:
It started with a dandelion.
Innocuous. Ubiquitous.
Who knew it was a warning?

After claiming his big bonus, things are coming up roses for Roger Mulligan. A job he loves. A house that feels like home. Money in the bank. A solid roof over his head and job security.

But when he finds a dandelion on the pristine grounds of Shackleford House, he starts down a twisted, garden path. Old man Shackleford says the fairies have a problem, the pixies keep falling down on the job, and the house seems to grow weaker by the day.

He’s soon tossed into a confusing mixture of fact and fantasy, accompanied by Shackleford’s cousin and – of all things – a stray cat. Surrounded by the fantastical, it’s hard to tell magic from mundane.

Review:
I loved how Barbara got to become front and center in this novel, and how Roger, while changed, has become more resilient than he ever thought possible. While following Roger was always amusing, it was clearly the cat who was the star of the show. I really enjoyed this novel, but in some ways I felt like it didn’t feel as extravagant and all encompassing as the first in the series. In the first novel there were a series of different things that Roger, the house and family had to overcome. In this novel, while there was technically more to be overcome, most of the discourse and nitty gritty of such things (Barbara’s turmoil, the company issues) were done off the page and only vaguely mentioned or referenced. I don’t feel like we are done with the Wizard, his Apprentice, or the Cat so I really hope there will be another book in the future.

I would recommend this series to anyone who loves the average guy using his wits to save a situation (especially the magically people involved), people stepping out of their comfort zones and finding their true place, and in the second book- cats!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Holy 2025 Catch Up

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As expected, I did not finish or stop reading in August, but as tends to happen- my attention was diverted elsewhere. While I didn’t stop reading, ending the year with 24 physical books read and 62 books read on kindle, there were plenty of bumps along the road this year. They say things happen in threes: my basement flooded from an unseen window that had dry wall in front of it, my car transmission went out 5 hours into a 7 hour trip (luckily before crossing any borders!), and my most beautiful love at first sight cat, Abby, lost her battle with kidney disease in September.

Abby is the only reason my husband believes in love at first sight. She was a cat that only ever wanted, liked, or cared about one person and I was quite blessed to be her person. She is the cat that you see on the header of this website. She had been on medication for a long time, and ended up in the hospital for a while, including a short stay in the ICU. We found out that she had the rarest blood type of cats, making it impossible to get her a blood transfusion. Luckily, she managed to do alright when she came home with a plethora of drugs, continual vet visits, and unconditional love. She would have stayed with me forever if she could, and she’ll always have a chunk of my heart. She had her own chair in my office next to my desk, and I still haven’t had the heart to remove it.

After Abby life continued, and Dakota the paint horse ended up needing his eye removed. He had needed the emergency vet out thrice, eye drops five times, and had already had a big blind spot in that eye since before I had even been in to horses. He had an interesting bandage for a while, and he has since healed up and is ready for more ground work adventures, so long as they involve tricks. Tricks means treats, so naturally he’s a fan.

A bit longer than a month after Abby the most curious thing happened–a fully intact male cat appeared at the barn, where there is a strict NO CATS policy. I had thought I was crazy hearing cat cries, but it turns out that there was one! My husband and I had just put in an application for a kitten the day before, but when this little boy came over and rubbed all over me, talking nonstop I instantly video called my husband. We caught him and brought him to the vet where he had no microchip, posted about him and no replies, so he is the cat of destiny and belongs with us. His name is Samuel L. M. F. Jackson, and yes, that M. F. stands for exactly what you think it does (Leroy for short). While life was surely crazy this year, there is always something that shines despite the darkness. Between a new (used) car, a cat that will salsa dance with me, and new books on the horizon (stay tuned!) I look forward to embracing positivity, adventures, and a productive and brilliant 2026.

But hey, what about the book reviews?!

Yeah… there are about 24 kindle book reviews I need to catch up on from last year before I can start with this year’s, and several paper books to boot! Be prepared for the entry of Manga to the book reviews! While I was very struck by the idea that instead of doing 24+ separate posts and driving everyone batty, I could have posted three times: the kindle book recap, the paper book recap, and my best of 2025, that would make it very hard to search/read in the future so unfortunately we will have my once a year intensive posting to catch up (why does this seem like an annual thing?!)

Saying Goodbye

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The hardest part of loving someone is the inevitable loss that death brings. Some may consider pets superfluous, but for many of us they become the closest part of your family- the heart and soul. Boots was more than just a cat. It took a while for Boots to officially join our family, but Boots was the reason I ever even considered getting cats. From the moment I first met her, with her endless talk, headbutts and cuddles, I knew my heart had been stolen.

Boots had a long and full life with my husband, the other cats, and I. She joined countless vocal lessons with an international rock star, stealing her heart. I always said she was the true star- she never needed any corrections! She always had something to say, usually begging (or yowling) for food. She spoke real words, such as “Yeah Yeah” if she wanted something, “yeah yeah yeah” if she REALLY wanted something, “Mmm yeah!” and “No!!!!” She used to curl up against my arm in bed every night as I settled in to read for an hour or so before sleeping. She never found a person she didn’t love, and her life mission was to snuggle everyone and convert them to cat lovers- she even succeeded with my cantankerous grandfather, who she loved to talk on the phone to. Life and the world in general has been dimmed without her light and there will never be another like her.

Death always seems so sudden, even when you see it looming on the horizon. While it may be a reprieve, those living will never know what that “after” consists of, but do feel the gaping wound of the loss of those you loved unconditionally with all your heart. Make certain to spend time with your loved ones, don’t put off activities you’ve been wanting to do with friends and pets, and always give all the love you possibly can; you never know when a moment together might be the last.