DVD Review: The Nine Lives of Christmas

The Nine Lives of Christmas
based on the novel by Sheila Roberts (Hoopla Movies)

 

Every once in a while, all the elements click to make something even more special than it has any right to be. This was the case with The Nine Lives of Christmas, starring Brandon Routh and Kimberly Sustad — a 2014 Hallmark Christmas movie. Routh had not really appeared in many of the “romantic comedy” films like Hallmark’s holiday fare, and at that time was perhaps best known for portraying Clark Kent/Superman in 2006’s Superman Returns (although he’s appeared in a lot of things since then). Sustad was a frequent face in Hallmark movies (and in more recent years has even written or co-written some of them).

 

Routh plays Zachary Stone, a single firefighter (mocked by his co-workers for being featured in a “fireman calendar” as a beefcake entry). Sustad plays Marilee White, a pet store employee and cat-loving veterinary student. Zach is adopted by a stray cat, and in a series of coincidental meetings, he and Marilee become friendly discussing their respective felines — Ambrose for him and Queenie for her. When Zach’s jealous girlfriend gets Marilee fired from her pet store job when Marilee won’t tolerate her abusive behavior, Zach (feeling guilty) invites Marilee to stay in the house he’s renovating (and living in), while she gets back on her feet. Increased familiarity leads to a quietly-brewing romance.

 

The chemistry between Sustad and Routh is perfect. There are a lot of little misunderstandings that lead to drama. The cats are both adorable. Gregory Harrison is terrific as Zach’s boss at the fire station. And the viewer can’t help but root for a happy ending for these two cat lovers. The “Christmas” elements of this one are present but are very minimal. The Nine Lives of Christmas shows up on a lot of Hallmark fans’ “favorites” lists.

 

Note: Sustad and Routh reunited seven years later in 2021 for a sequel, The Nine Kittens of Christmas, which was notably inferior to this first film.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the sequel The Nine Kittens of Christmas.)

 

(Also available: the novel on which this film was based.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official The Nine Lives of Christmas web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats by Kimberlie Hamilton and numerous illustrators

Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats

by Kimberlie Hamilton and numerous illustrators (j636.8 Ham)

 

I’ll have to admit, right off, that I’m not a “cat person” — I grew up with dogs as pets, and am actually allergic to cats. But, I still like cats, even if I can’t have them as a regular part of my life. So, when I saw this charmingly illustrated guide to 30 “courageous cats”, I was intrigued enough to give it a try. Even though it’s aimed at a juvenile readership, I still enjoyed this one quite a lot.

 

Author Hamilton, with the able assistance of 17 different illustrators, shares the tales of 30 different cats who’ve been significant in one way or another — each entry has a single page of descriptive text and a full-page illustration of the cat in question. And then, to fill in between the primary stories, Hamilton has multiple thematic sections in which she shares fascinating historical tidbits, and highlights other noteworthy cats (who didn’t quite get their own full profiles. There’s a terrific bibliography of additional reads, and a glossary of terms that younger readers may not be familiar with. At the back, there’s also a guide to all the illustrators.

A fun read and I feel more educated on feline history after finishing it. Kids will enjoy the colorful illustrations!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron, Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa, or The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory — all of which are referenced in Fearless Felines.)

 

( official Kimberlie Hamilton web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham

The Cat Man of Aleppo
by Irene Latham (j Biography Aljaleel)

Several years back I happened upon a story about a man in Syria who drove an ambulance in the war-torn city of Aleppo. What fascinated me was in the midst of all the rubble and destruction of the city, this man was shown holding a cat. On further investigation, I learned that Alaa, the ambulance driver, had stayed behind as his family and friends left the city, and spent his free time caring for the cats of Aleppo. He would spend his own money to buy food for the strays left when other families had to flee. Hungry himself, he couldn’t bear to see the neglected cats. About the same time that I was reading about him, a young Italian woman who spoke Arabic, also learned about Alaa and his cats. She also cares for cats and those left behind. She used her Arabic skills to contact Alaa and started an organization that connected him to people around the world who also care about small hungry critters. It started as small Facebook group and quickly grew. Donations started pouring in from around the world. Alaa was able to use these funds to establish a sanctuary for the cats, and when his ambulance was bombed, people rallied to replace it. Alaa not only cared about the cats though. He soon was using the donations to provide small bits of happiness for the children who were still living in Aleppo. He used the money to build a playground and to share gifts of toys and food. Unfortunately the war continued and Alaa’s sanctuary was bombed and eventually he had to flee, but in time, he was able to start again in the countryside where he built a new sanctuary and enlisted the services of a veterinarian to help him with his flock of cats and other animals.

Today, as I was walking through the children’s books, a new book, The Cat Man of Aleppo, caught my eye. It’s a beautiful book that tells the story of Alaa and his love for all creatures. The illustrations are beautiful. The artist Yuko Shimizu gathered images from news stories, books, and films; through her watercolors they coalesce into images depicting the wonder of love, at the same time not shying away from the bleak background of a bombed city.

In the harsh reality of a besieged Aleppo, the heart of Alaa shines like a beacon, to demonstrate how together we can make the world a better place.

Learn more about the Cat Man’s sanctuary at www.ernestosanctuary.org

A BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-47473772

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheAleppoCatMen/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2019/aug/06/the-cat-man-of-aleppo-rescuing-battle-weary-syrian-strays

[ official Irene Latham web site ]

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

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Book Review: Space Cat by Ruthven Todd

Space Cat
by Ruthven Todd [currently available from the libraries only as a Hoopla eBook]

“The Moon is only the start,
Says Flyball the Flier
Oh, no one ever can guess
How far we can fly!”

Flyball is a stowaway kitten who by pluck and luck gets to travel to the moon in this first in a series of four books featuring the spacely adventures of a cat and his rocketeer.

Clever Flyball and Captain Fred have a lot of adventures, including convincing Fred’s superiors to allow a cat in the rocket, exploring the moon, and meeting aliens.

The original 1950s illustrations by Paul Galdone are charming and the “futuristic” take on space travel is endearing.

But that leads me to a warning: If your personal space cadet is more into reality than fiction, they might find this book perturbing. In that case, this story could be a starting point for an interesting discussion about “what they got wrong” and how much more we know about the moon and space travel than they did in 1952. For example, I’d love to travel back in time and ask my five year old son if he thinks a hammock would be an appropriate way to travel in a rocket. I think he’d have some definite ideas on the topic.

Space Cat is an easy read chapter book that most children will enjoy (Cats! Space!), and a nostalgia trip for adults. I believe this imaginative adventure would be perfect to share as a read-aloud bedtime story.

I give the book 10 stars because I love books with resourceful heroes that also happen to be cats.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of the other Space Cat series, by Ruthven Todd, or Anatole, Anatole Over Paris or Anatole and the Cat, all by Eve Titus, about another resourceful hero, this time Anatole the mouse.]

[ publisher’s official page for the latest edition of Space Cat ] | [ Wikipedia page for Ruthven Todd ]

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Review: Kedi (on DVD)

Kedi
a film by Ceyda Torun [DVD 636.8 Ked]

I’ll have to admit to two things — I’m much more of a “dog” person than a “cat” person, and I’m strongly opposed to cats roaming loose — I have a hate/hate relationship with several neighborhood cats that have chosen to use parts of my yard as their personal litter boxes.

None-the-less, when I saw the trailer for this film on another DVD I was watching from the libraries’ collection, it looked fascinating. And I’m glad I watched it. This documentary is charmingly look at human-cat relationships in Istanbul, a community which has had thousands of cats living on the streets since the days of the Ottoman Empire. The film cuts between fluid footage following several specific cats on their rounds through the city, to interviews with the humans those cats choose to interact with. The humans don’t claim to “own” any of these feline friends, but several have been adopted by some of the four-legged types. The humans have various poignant observations to make about the therapeutic and even spiritual advantages of relationships with the cats — “They absorb all your negative energy,” one shopkeeper comments. “They do me good.”

But most of the film focuses directly on the lives of the cats, with a calm, soft-spoken narrator offering brief explanations of the different cats’ personalities, and how the changing urban landscape of Istanbul is impacting these furry citizens of the city.

This is a pleasant, low-key stroll through an exotic city, its residences and street-front businesses, in the company of some fuzzy locals who enjoy the company of human beings, but don’t feel the need to be restricted to one patch of ground. Recommended for cat lovers and anyone interested Istanbul, Turkey.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Tamed and Untamed: Close Encounters of the Animal Kind by Sy Montgomery, To Catch a Cat: How Three Stray Kittens Rescued Me by Heather Green, or Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Love and Life From a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Kedi web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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Fit Cat by Arden Moore

Fit Cat: Tips & Tricks to Give Your Pet a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life
by Arden Moore [636.8 Moo] 

I recently adopted a cat and not having had a one before, even as a child, I needed some sort of guide. This one was laid out really well and covered basics and more specialized topics. It was the basics I was after and I found it very helpful in understanding body language, grooming, and the different stages of a cat’s life. It also covers more particular topics including traveling, introducing new pets and living with more than one cat. It uses a lot of bullet pointed lists with quick information on a number of cat topics, so if you are looking for in depth information then this is probably not the ideal pick. I’m novice enough that I’m not sure how useful it would be for people who have had cats before, but for a new cat owner, I highly recommend it.

[ publisher’s official Fit Cat web page ] | [ official Arden Moore web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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A Street Cat Named Bob (the film on DVD)

A Street Cat Named Bob
[DVD Street] 

This 2016 movie (released on DVD in 2017), is adapted from the first two autobiographical books by James Bowen, A Street Cat Named Bob and How He Saved My Life (2013) and The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Streetwise Cat (2014). I loved both of those volumes, especially the first, which was a painfully honest account of Bowen’s struggles to recover from drug addiction and survive on the street of London, first as a street busker (musician) and later as a seller of The Big Issue. Bowen’s life was forever changed when a ginger tomcat adopted him and gave his life focus and a greater purpose.

For this film, the “plot” of the book is streamlined, and a lot of extraneous material, including Bowen’s time in Australia with his mother, cut out, in order to focus primarily on his interactions with Bob the cat, once Bob shows up in his life. Luke Treadaway gives a terrific performance as Bowen, and the actual Street Cat Bob performs as himself (with several other stand-in cats) in this film. There are some other good performances, including Ruda Gedmintas as Betty, the friend who helps James get his life together and develops a romantic attachment, Joanne Froggatt as Val, James’ social worker, and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!) as Bowen’s father.
This isn’t a deep film, but it has lots of nice “moments”, and for anyone who, like me, loved the books, this is a charming little nugget. There’s also some very nice original music that Treadaway as Bowen performs during his busking scenes. I definitely recommend this one for anyone looking for a “feel good” film with an engaging cat!

[If you enjoy this, you should absolutely read Bowen’s book. I found the first book to be far more interesting than the subsequent ones, but they’re all good reads: A Street Cat Named Bob and How He Saved My Life, The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Streetwise Cat or A Gift From Bob.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for A Street Cat Named Bob ] | [ official Street Cat Bob web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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A Gift From Bob by James Bowen

A Gift From Bob
by James Bowen [Biography Bowen] 

I’ve really enjoyed the first two man-and-cat autobiographies written by British author James Bowen, in which he shared how the love a orange tabby cat raised him from his struggles out of drug addiction on the streets of London to becoming a minor international celebrity. In this volume, Bowen reflects back on one of the last Christmas seasons he and Bob shared when they were still struggling to make ends meet, before their literary fame occurred. // Bowen’s writing style is very fluid and conversation — it’s like sitting with a friend and hearing them talk. His gratitude at how their lives have turned out (even before the fame) is tangible, and you feel like you really get to know not only James and Bob, but the people around them. This isn’t a long or complicated read, but if you’ve enjoyed the earlier books, you’ll enjoy this one just as much. If you haven’t met James and Bob the Streetcat, this is a good introduction to them, and you’ll want to follow up with the two earlier volumes as well.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life and The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Streetwise Cat, both also by James Bowen]

[ official James Bowen & Streetcat Bob Facebook site ] | [ British publisher’s official James Bowen web page ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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The World According to Bob

The World According to Bob
by James Bowen [Biography Bowen]

In this follow-up volume to A Street Cat Named Bob, we hear more of the experiences of recovering drug addict James Bowen, struggling to make a better life for himself on the streets of London, with the assistance of the crowd-pleasing cat, Bob. Unlike the first volume, which primarily focued on Bowen's early life and the first steps he took to kick the drug habit, this book takes a look at Bowen's more recent life, including the book project a friendly publishing agent suggests. Bowen has an easy, conversational style and you quickly grow to respect his efforts to improve his lot in life. But, more importantly, you also quickly grow to love Bob, the laconic orange cat who adopted James when they both needed someone to rescue them. This is a fell good book, which should appeal to cat-lovers and anyone with a sense of social justice. You can now follow Bob's adventures on Twitter and Facebook, too! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [ see Scott's Reviewer Profile and more of his reviews ]

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Street Cat Named Bob and Dewey 

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I Could Chew on This: and Other Poems by Dogs

I Could Chew on This: And Other Poems by Dogs and I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats
by Francesco Marciuliano [817 Mar]

This pair of humor volumes, released in 2012 (Cats) and 2013 (Dogs), are perfect little bon mots of hilarity for anyone who considers themselves to be either a dog-lover or cat-lover at heart. Marciuliano pairs gorgeous photos of individuals dogs or cats, with poems, ostensibly written by a dog or cat, and therefore presented in the pet's mindset. If you've ever wondered what's on the mind of your household fur-covered companion, you'll find these little gems to be right on the money. The photos are perfect pairings with many of the poems -- the expressions on the animals' faces perfectly match the subject matter and attitude expressed in the poetry. Although both of these books were quick reads -- 30 minutes each at most, I laughed longer and more continuously at each of them than at many so-called "humor" books by stand-up comics. The only drawback -- if you're not a "pet person", you may not get as much out of these! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Marciuliano web site ]

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Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book

Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book
by Grumpy Cat [817 Gru]

I had never heard of Grumpy Cat until I saw this book show up on our New Books Display here at the library. A day after I checked out the book, I saw the unsmiling face of this famous feline grace the cover of this month's New York magazine. Surely Glamour and Vogue will be next to feature this celebrity cat! The book is filled with photos of this cat and descriptions of how to achieve grumpiness. My favorite page shows a word search puzzle that dares you to find as many instances of the word grumpy as you can find – Grumpy Cat's comments on this were especially funny. My entire family enjoyed reading this book! -- recommended by Kim J. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Garfield books by Jim Davis. Need I say more?]

[ official Grumpy Cat on Facebook ] | [ official Grumpy Cat web site ]

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A Street Cat Named Bob

A Street Cat Named Bob
by James Bowen [Biography Bowen]

James Bowen's recent bestseller is a sweet "animal and their human" tale, that should appeal to anybody who loved the books about Dewey the Library Cat. Bowen was a recovering drug addict barely making a living at busking in the high-traffic areas of London, when he crosses paths with an injured male ginger cat in the hall of his flophouse. Despite attempting to avoid making the connection, Bowen feels drawn to the cat, and takes the stay in, nursing it back to health and finding a new purpose in his own life. In describing his rewarding new relationship with this extraordinary feline, Bowen reconnects with life -- leaving behind the life of a starving street musician and taking on the challenges of a licensed vendor of news magazines. He also reconnects with friends and family from his past and gets completely off of drugs. In his own works, Bob, the street cat, saves Bowen's life. Bob has become something of an internet celebrity, following the posting of some YouTube clips of James and Bob during their street musician days. You can now follow Bob's adventures on Twitter and Facebook, too! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Dewey.]

[ YouTube videos associated with Street Cat Bob ]  

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How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You
by Matthew Innman [741.5 Inn]

For all the cat owners and lovers out there, this book sums it up! A mix of graphic storyboards, charts, graphs, and illustrations which summarize feline behavior in a humorous tone. For instance, the three ways of dealing with cat litter; if we treated our cats like they treat us; and having a baby vs. having a cat. 130 pgs, but still a short and funny read. Some of the cutesy pictures contain adult humor and language. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Awkward Family Pet Photos, What pets do while you're at work, 101 Pet jokes, Squirrel seeks Chipmunk - David Sedaris.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ official The Oatmeal web site - Innman's web site ]

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File M for Murder

File M for Murder

by Miranda James

Rare books librarian Charlie Harris of Athena College again uses his librarian skills to help solve the murder of his daughter's ex-fiance, quite an unlikable man. Of course, Charlie's cat Diesel, a Maine Coon, features prominently in this continuing series. The assorted cast of characters grows book by book, as one gets to know Charlie, his family, his boarders, and his friends. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Murder Past Due, and Classified as Murder.] -- recommended by Carolyn D. - Polley Music Library

[ official Miranda James web site ]

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website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.

R.I.P. - Lilian Jackson Braun, 1913 - 2011

Best-selling and beloved mystery writer, Lilian Jackson Braun, died yesterday at the age of 97.

Known for her "The Cat Who..." mystery series, featuring report James Qwilleran and his Siamese cats Koko and Yum-Yum, Jackson first broke into the mystery publishing field with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, in 1966. Two additional volumes in the series followed in 1967 and 1968. Braun then took a hiatus from publishing for 18 years, until retiring from her job with the Detroit Free Press. In 1986, "The Cat Who..." series returned to press and she averaged one new book per year until 2007, when The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers was published. That ended up becoming her final novel, as ill health prevented her from continuing work on her promised next volume, The Cat Who Smelled Smoke.

Here are some biographical portraits of Braun and her literary creations:

L.A. Times Obituary for Lilian Jackson Braun

Wikipedia pages for: Braun | The Cat Who series

Lilian Jackson Braun obit at www.legacy.com

New York Times Obituary for Lilian Jackson Braun

Dewey's Nine Lives

Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
by Vicki Myron [636.8 Myr]

This follow-up volume to Myron's mega-bestselling Dewey revisits that loveable cat who called the Spencer Public Library home, with a few more stories of his inspirational interactions with patrons. But the majority of this book is a look at other cats and their special relationships with "their people". Following the publication of Dewey, Myron received thousands of letters from readers who shared their stories of their own relationships with special pets. For this book, she picked a handful, and goes into great detail about how unique those cats were. The stories range from heartwarming to distressing. Myron finishes up the book by telling more about her own personal experiences, and the wonderful man (and his cat) that she fell in love with in recent years. This is a feel-good book, that even non-cat-lovers should be able to appreciate. Not quite as good as the original -- after all, Dewey was a unique and unusual cat, with a degree of empathy that I don't think could possibly be duplicated. But I still enjoyed this one, and think most readers will, too. [If you enjoy this, and you haven't read the original, you may also wish to try Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat That Touched the World.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in book-on-cd format.]

[ official Dewey the Library Cat web site ] | [ another official Dewey the Library Cat web site ]

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