The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a heartwarming yet melancholy tale narrated by Nana, a former stray cat now fortunate to live with a young man named Satoru. Nana used to sleep on the hood of Satoru’s silver van, until one day Nana was unlucky enough to be hit by a car. Satoru has had some rough times in his own life, including losing his parents at a young age, but he has a sweet and kind nature. Like most cats, Nana is independent and a bit irritable. They have five lovely years together before Satoru, for reasons he does not reveal immediately, sets out on a journey to find Nana a new home. They visit friends from Satoru’s childhood and college days, and we learn more about Satoru and Nana.

If you are a cat lover, this book will definitely give you all the feels. Nana’s voice as the narrator is amusing, and his relationship with the young man who saves him and takes him in is touching. It’s a short book you can read in a sitting or two. Be sure to have the box of tissues near by.

Recommended for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Charms of Arthur Pepper. I read an advance reader copy of The Travelling Cat Chronicles. It will be released in the U.S. on October 23 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Every once in a while I read a book that is so good I’m not sure if I can write a review. There is something about reviewing an amazing book that is horribly intimidating—nothing I could ever say will do this justice! Frankly, I find it nerve-racking to comment on something so purely awesome. What is there to say besides “wow”? Cheryl Strayed’s autobiography Wild was almost one of those books for me. Is there any aspect could I possibly rehash? How could any explanation of this book be enough? Then I decided I enjoyed Wild so much I had to talk about it, no matter how inadequately.

I remember when I first heard about the book Eat, Pray, Love.  Many of my most beloved friends raved about how spectacular it was. In their words, I absolutely had to experience this journey of a self discovery. Needless to say, my expectations were high. Then a funny thing happened, I couldn’t even hack it to Italy. I disliked the book that much. Who is this whinny, self-absorbed woman? I really wanted to like it, to experience the same camaraderie with the narrator as my friends, but I couldn’t. Where am I going with this? Well, Cheryl Strayed’s Wild is everything I hoped for in Eat, Pray, Love and then some. She is a woman caught up in pain who has made some self-destructive decisions. The key difference is that I found Cheryl Strayed to be likeable and genuine. I also might be impartial to any story about hiking. Might.

Say what you will about Oprah, but her book-selecting minions know their stuff. There is a reason she resurrected Oprah’s Book Club for this title—it’s that good, people. I strongly recommend Wild to any summer reader looking for an adventurous escape.  

Place a hold on Wild

Travels with My Chicken by Martin Gurdon

Martin Gurdon wrote a book called Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance, which I have not read. To publicize that book, he travelled about with one of his chickens (not always the same chicken), and he wrote Travels with My Chicken about those travels. This book won't change your life, but it's quirky and amusing. If you like travel, England, travel in England, and chickens, you'll enjoy Travels with My Chicken.

(Travels with My Chicken can be found at the Galesburg Public Library at 914.1048 GUR in the nonfiction section.)