Monday Musings: Gardens, Books, Cats

In a previous post, I mentioned how much I was enjoying Terry Windling's View From My Window posts.  We have some wonderful views...so bear with me as I share a few more views from the living and dining room windows.  The tiny garden provides such a calming influence; it is kind of like watching a fish tank, and it is relaxing and comforting to look out of the windows and appreciate the benefits of nature.

 Sitting outside reading is a great pleasure right now.  I've been back into the reading cycle lately, reading about a book a day for the last week.  Fantasy, mysteries, adventure...Calgon, take me away!  I've not been keeping up with my book reviews, though, and have at least 9 books that need to be reviewed. 

For you cat lovers, I just finished Catalyst: A Tale of the Baroque Cats by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.  A sort of science fiction/fantasy featuring some charming cat characters.  Love the way the two authors captured Chester's voice--he's such funny kitten, and I loved the way his egocentric kitten personality jumps off the page.  The next in the series is Catacombs, and I'm looking forward to it.

Last month, I also read the first in the Warriors series:  Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.  What fun!  I reviewed it here.  This one is specifically for young people and is evidently extremely popular, but it is one of those books that is suitable for any age and another series I plan to pursue.

Both books are sheer fantasy, but the authors definitely know cats, and anyone who loves cats will have no problem entering into their fantastical adventures.