Book Review: Homer's Odyssey

Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life

with a Blind Wonder Cat

Author: Gwen Cooper

Release Date: August 25, 2009

Penguin Random House Audio

Narrated by Renée Raudman

How many times have I read and reread this remarkable story?  At least a handful of times...maybe even a dozen!  It doesn't get old, and the emotions are as fresh as the first time.

This occasion, however, I listened to the audiobook, and was surprised by a long conversation at the end, between Gwen and her husband.  Obviously recorded before Homer passed in 2013, the engaging way the two of them banter about Homer, and their other two cats at the time, Scarlet and Vashti, is wonderfully intimate and delightful. 

I consider "Homer's Odyssey" a MUST READ book for anyone, least of all for cat-lovers and dog-lovers (yes, there are dog's too!).  Home's tale takes us from Florida to New York, through unemployment and marriage, to the events on 9/11/01 and beyond the normal bonds of friendship, love, and pet-ownership (if there is really such a thing!). 

Gwen Cooper has recently issued new stories, available only online.  Although I've purchased a subscription, I haven't yet read any, so I will report on them in a future post.

The Craggy Hole is Missing!

Author: Roth, Geneen.
Title: The craggy hole in my heart and the cat who fixed it: over the edge and back with my cat, my dad, and me
1st ed.
New York : Harmony Books, c2004.
Description:
238 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
LCCN: 2003023599
ISBN: 1400050839 (hardcover)

I am very fortunate to live in an area where the public libraries have a collective, meaning I can check out a book from any library in the group, and they bring it to my home library for me to pick up.  This is fabulous, because no one library has all the titles that it's surrounding community needs.  Trust me, I scour the card catalogs for cat books!  Weeks ago, I checked out Geneen Roth's "The Craggy Hole In My Heart And The Cat Who Fixed It" from the library near my office, read it and returned it to my home library. Unfortunately...somehow... the book is now missing!  Neither my home library nor the one it belongs to can find it, and kind librarians are now searching for it.

The book was only so-so, therefore I chose not to do a book review on it for this blog.  The cat is only a bit of the story, not a lot of the story, like "Dewey, The Library Cat" or "Homer's Odyssey".  Both of these are great books, and I highly recommend them!  But now, I'm calling libraries, asking if they've seen 'The Craggy Hole'! It's embarrassing, for one because I AM NEVER EVER LATE WITH MY BOOKS, and two...that weird title!    

Oh well, things could be worse.  I am fortunate to have a librarian friend at my home library, a nice woman who recognizes my voice when I call.  And many of the desk attendants are curious to see what new cat book I've found to check out.  Cats and books go together, doncha know!  This is NOT a slam at the collective part of the library system in my area; please do not even consider that.  It's just one of those things, and "The Craggy Hole" now has a BOLO (be on look out) in Metro Detroit!