Saturday, August 22, 2020

Vampires, Obsession Throughout Eternity Obsession Essays - Fiction

Vampires, Obsession Throughout Eternity Obsession Vampires, Obsession Throughout Eternity Fixation. A diligent, upsetting distraction with a frequently nonsensical thought, feeling, article or individual; extensively: convincing inspiration (Collegiate Dictionary). Numerous accounts have been recounted fixated people who squander their lives on acts of futility, calling them disasters. Be that as it may, imagine a scenario where you were interminable. Imagine a scenario where you were until the end of time. At that point your life would not be squandered, however rather an explanation behind living would get intuitive. What's more, consider the possibility that having a fixation, something condemned by mortal people, was the best way to save your mental soundness and craving for life through forever. When glancing through the vampires eyes in film and writing, we see that the preeminent vampires have a fixation, a calling that drives them. Without this fixation, it appears, vampires would be lost through time, meandering the earth with no inspiration, and however this may sound repetitive, with no life. Vampires, it appears, are progressively fit for experiencing time when they have an enthusiasm. Regardless of whether this energy originates from adoration, information, or force, vampires, for example, the ones from Blade, Bram Stokers Dracula, and Interview with the Vampire are totally determined by their own fixations, without which they become lost, unfilled. As indicated by the film Bram Stokers Dracula (1995), Count Dracula was a man who had promised to shield the congregation from its adversaries until he discovered that his dearest had ended it all since she thought he had been murdered in fight. His affection and fixation for her, Whom he prized over everything on earth, was solid to such an extent that he at that point stayed away from the congregation and along these lines became vampire. At the point when we again observe Count Dracula, he looks old and feeble, and has gotten extremely erratic and apparently crazy. Be that as it may, when unintentionally he finds that his darling is alive in Mina, the fianc? of Jonathan Harker, he sets out on a mission to be with her. He gets young and sly; his brain is by all accounts that of a beguiling and astute aristocrat; rather than that of an older loner. We see the undead spring up, with powers that overpower the creative mind. Be that as it may, when Mina chooses to leave him to marry Jo nathan Harker, he again transforms into a beast, a sorry excuse for his previous self. The life appears to have depleted out of him. This demonstrates it was his adoration for Mina, his everlasting fascination with her that had propped him up through the ages. It is this fixation that constrained him to turn into a vampire, and he at that point trusted that one day he would be brought together with his adoration, since he realized that she would not have had the option to go along with him in paradise. What's more, however he knew about the perils that encompassed him, he gambled everything to be with her, for he would have preferably bite the dust over to lose her once more. Love likewise drives Louis, the saint (or casualty, contingent upon the perspective) of Interview with the Vampire. Louis was a dismal individual when Lestat transformed him into a vampire; his sole explanation behind living was his own blame and hopelessness. He didn't permit himself a definitive delight a vampire has and needs, human blood. He takes care of off rodents and different creatures, and meanders the road carelessly, lost. As he puts it after Lestat reveals to him that there is no heck, But there was a heck, and regardless of where we moved to, I was in it. In any case, when Lestat gives him an undead buddy, a little youngster named Claudia, his entire world is flipped around. He has another hunger forever, actually. He starts to appreciate the very things he had denied himself. As he put it while portraying his story, Time can pass rapidly for humans when theyre cheerful. With us, it was the equivalent. Be that as it may, when his quest for information prompts Claudias d emise because of different vampires, he loses his soul and indeed gets lost. As he portrays his new life: For a considerable length of time I pondered: Italy, Greece all the antiquated terrains. Be that as it may, the world was a tomb to me. A cemetery loaded with broken sculptures. What's more, every one of those sculptures took after her face. There was another main impetus for

Thursday, July 16, 2020

100 Must-Read Books with Cats in Them

100 Must-Read Books with Cats in Them Cats and good literature go together like peanut butter and bananas. If you don’t believe me, check out all of the adorable kitties cuddling books all over Bookstagram. Then take a look at these 100 books with cats across several genres featuring felines. Whether they’re the heroes, antagonists, motifs, or simply cuddly home companions, books with cats always make any story a little bit better. Young Adult/Childrens Books The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows,  Jacqueline West Old Ms. McMartin is definitely dead. Now her crumbling Victorian mansion lies vacant.  When eleven-year-old Olive and her dippy mathematician parents move in, she knows theres something odd about the placeâ€"not least the walls covered in strange antique paintings. But when Olive finds a pair of old spectacles in a dusty drawer, she discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside these paintings to a world thats strangely quiet…and eerily like her own. Alices Adventures in Wonderland,  Lewis Carroll Weary of her storybook, one without pictures or conversations, the young and imaginative Alice follows a hasty hare undergroundâ€"to come face-to-face with some of the strangest adventures and most fantastic characters in all of literature. The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle She was magical, beautiful beyond beliefâ€"and completely alone…The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment they would never forget. But outside her wondrous realm, dark whispers and rumours carried a message she could not ignore: Unicorns are gone from the world.' Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone,  J.K. Rowling Harry Potters life is miserable. His parents are dead and hes stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: hes a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Coraline, Neil Gaiman The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring…In Coralines familys new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.  The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.  Only its different. Bunnicula,  James Deborah Howe Is he or isnt he a vampire?  Before its too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe householdâ€"a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits…and fangs! Into the Wild,  Erin Hunter For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dyingâ€"and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty…who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all. The Incredible Journey,  Sheila Burnford Instinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness. Separately, they would soon have died. But, together, the three house pets faced starvation, exposure, and wild forest animals to make their way home to the family they love. The Hunger Games,  Suzanne Collins The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The tributes are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert C. OBrien Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks At first, Omri is unimpressed with the plastic Indian toy he is given for his birthday. But when he puts it in his old cupboard and turns the key, something extraordinary happens that will change Omris life for ever. For Little Bull, the Iroquois Indian brave, comes to life The Subtle Knife,  Philip Pullman Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Willâ€"a boy on the run, a murdererâ€"a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels. Each is searchingâ€"Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing fatherâ€"but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together…until they are split apart. House of Hades,  Rick Riordan At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? Mossflower,  Brian Jacques The thrilling prequel to Redwall. The clever and greedy wildcat Tsarmina becomes ruler of all Mossflower Woods and is determined to govern the peaceful woodlanders with an iron paw. The brave mouse Martin and quick-talking mouse thief Gonff meet in the depths of Kotir Castles dungeon. The two escape and resolve to end Tsarminas tyrannical rule. Joined by Kinny the mole, Martin and Gonff set off on a dangerous quest for Salamandastron, where they are convinced that their only hope, Boar the Fighter, still lives. Watership Down,  Richard Adams Set in Englands Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society. Spy Cat,  Peg Kehret Pete the Cat Pete the cat cant actually talk to his owner, Alex, but hes a crime-solving cat, and he knows when things arent right. And now, Pete knows something is wrong. Someones been breaking into houses in the neighborhood, and theyre not just stealing peoples propertyâ€"theyre kidnapping pets! When the burglars come to Alexs house, they nab Pete! Lucky for Pete, Alexs brother, Benjie, comes to the rescue, but gets himself kidnapped by the thieves. Can Pete and Alex uncover the clues and rescue Benjie? A Mango-Shaped Space, Wendy Mass Mia Winchell appears to be a typical kid, but shes keeping a big secretâ€"sounds, numbers, and words have color for her. No one knows, and Mia wants to keep it that way. But when trouble at school finally forces Mia to reveal her secret, she must learn to accept herself and embrace her ability, called synesthesia, a mingling of the senses. Tamsin,  Peter S. Beagle Arriving in the English countryside to live with her mother and new stepfather, Jenny has no interest in her surroundings, until she meets Tamsin. Since her death over 300 years ago, Tamsin has haunted the lonely estate without rest, trapped by a hidden trauma she cant remember, and a powerful evil even the spirits of night cannot name. To help her, Jenny must delve deeper into the dark world than any human has in hundreds of years, and face danger that will change her life forever The Kane Chronicles, Rick Riordan Since their mothers death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.   One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a research experiment at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.  Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of themâ€"Setâ€"has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globeâ€"a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. City of Bones,  Cassandra Clare When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder? much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. Its hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothingâ€"not even a smear of bloodâ€"to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clarys first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Its also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jaces world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters wo uld like to know Anna Dressed In Blood,  Kendare Blake Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his fathers mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay. Varjak Paw,  S.F. Said Mesopotamian Blue cat, Varjak Paw, has never been Outside before; he and his family have always lived in the isolated house at the top of the hill. But Varjak is forced out into the city when the sinister Gentleman and his two menacing cats take over his home. With help from his mystical ancestor, Jalal, Varjak manages to overcome challenges such as self-survival and a threat from the gangland cats, and he ultimately discovers the terrifying secrets behind the Vanishings. But can he save his own family from their fate? The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly,  Luis Sepúlveda Her wings burdened by an oil slick, a seagull struggles to the nearest port to lay her final egg. Exhausted, she lands on a balcony where Zorba the cat is sunning himself. She extracts three extraordinary promises from him: that he will watch over the egg, that he will not EAT the egg, and that, when its time, he will teach the baby gull to fly. The first two promises are hard enough, but the third one is surely impossible. Isnt it? Blueskin the Cat,  Daniel Nanavati  Blueskin enjoyed being a highwayman. He found being reincarnated as a cat terrifying. But when he sees the two brothers responsible for this transformation, he decides to plot his revenge. So begins his adventure as a cat on the High Seas, avoiding grumpy sailors, fighting pirates and surviving a storm, until they all finally arrive in America. There he learns the true nature of being a cat and how much better it is than being a highwayman. Literary Fiction 25.  Life of Pi, Yann Martel Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor Pi Patel, a Tamil boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. 26.  Kafka on the Shore,  Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore  is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder.  Kafka on the Shore  displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers. 27.  The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,  Haruki Murakami In a Tokyo suburb a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wifes missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous things he witnessed during Japans forgotten campaign in Manchuria. 28.  Breakfast at Tiffanys, Truman Capote In this seductive, wistful masterpiece, Truman Capote created a woman whose name has entered the American idiom and whose style is a part of the literary landscape. Holly Golightly knows that nothing bad can ever happen to you at Tiffanys; her poignancy, wit, and naïveté continue to charm. 29.  As Bright As Heaven,  Susan Meissner In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughtersâ€"Evelyn, Maggie, and Willaâ€"a chance at a better life. But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live withoutâ€"and what they are willing to do about it. 30.  Shiloh and Other Stories,  Bobbie Ann Mason In Shiloh, Bobbie Ann Mason introduces us to her western Kentucky people and the lives they forge for themselves amid the ups and downs of contemporary American life, and she poignantly captures the growing pains of the New South in the lives of her characters as they come to terms with feminism, R-rated movies, and video games. 31.  The Elegance of the Hedgehog,  Muriel Barbery We are in the center of Paris, in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. Renée, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, Renée is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. Then theres Paloma, a twelve-year-old genius. She is the daughter of a tedious parliamentarian, a talented and startlingly lucid child who has decided to end her life on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday. Paloma and Renée hide both their true talents and their finest qualities from a world they suspect cannot or will not appreciate them. They discover their kindred souls when a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building. Only he is able to gain Palomas trust and to see through Renées timeworn dis guise to the secret that haunts her. 32.  Franny and Zooey, J.D. Salinger The short story,  Franny, takes place in an unnamed college town and tells the tale of an undergraduate who is becoming disenchanted with the selfishness and inauthenticity she perceives all around her. The novella,  Zooey, is named for Zooey Glass, the second-youngest member of the Glass family. As his younger sister, Franny, suffers a spiritual and existential breakdown in her parents Manhattan living roomâ€"leaving Bessie, her mother, deeply concernedâ€"Zooey comes to her aid, offering what he thinks is brotherly love, understanding, and words of sage advice. 33.  We, the Children of Cats,  Tomoyuki Hoshino   By turns teasing and terrifying, laconic and luminous, the stories in this anthology are drawn from sources as diverse as Borges, Nabokov, Garcia-Marquez, and traditional Japanese folklore, and yet they ultimately reside in a slyly subversive literary world that is all their own. Blending an uncompromising ethical vision with exuberant, free-wheeling imagery and bracing formal experimentation, the five short stories and three novellas included in  We, the Children of Cats  show the full range and force of Hoshino’s imagination. 34.  A Good Man Is Hard to Find,  Flannery OConnor This now classic book revealed Flannery OConnor as one of the most original and provocative writers to emerge from the South. Her apocalyptic vision of life is expressed through grotesque, often comic situations in which the principal character faces a problem of salvation: the grandmother, in the title story, confronting the murderous Misfit; a neglected four-year-old boy looking for the Kingdom of Christ in the fast-flowing waters of the river; General Sash, about to meet the final enemy. 35.  The Master and Margarita,  Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Bulgakovs devastating satire of Soviet life was written during the darkest period of Stalins regime. Combining two distinct yet interwoven partsâ€"one set in ancient Jerusalem, one in contemporary Moscowâ€"the novel veers from moods of wild theatricality with violent storms, vampire attacks, and a Satanic ball; to such somber scenes as the meeting of Pilate and Yeshua, and the murder of Judas in the moonlit garden of Gethsemane; to the substanceless, circus-like reality of Moscow. Its central characters, Woland (Satan) and his retinueâ€"including the vodka-drinking black cat, Behemoth; the poet, Ivan Homeless; Pontius Pilate; and a writer known only as The Master, and his passionate companion, Margaritaâ€"exist in a world that blends fantasy and chilling realism, an artful collage of grotesqueries, dark comedy, and timeless ethical questions. 36.  I Am A Cat,  Soseki Natsume Richly allegorical and delightfully readable, I Am a Cat is the chronicle of an unloved, unwanted, wandering kitten who spends all his time observing human natureâ€"from the dramas of businessmen and schoolteachers to the foibles of priests and potentates. From this unique perfective, author Soseki Natsume offers a biting commentaryâ€"shaped by his training in Chinese philosophyâ€"on the social upheaval of the Meiji era. 37.  Luminous Mysteries,  John C. Holman A novel set in the New South, Luminous Mysteries follows the lives of Grim Power and his sister, Rita, from their youth to early middle age. In prose that has been compared to that of Raymond Carver, John Holman tellingly paints a portrait of the lives of middle-class African Americans today. 38.  The Guest Cat,  Takashi Hiraide A bestseller in France and winner of Japan’s Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wifeâ€"the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens… Sci-Fi/Fantasy 39.  The Door Into Summer,  Robert A. Heinlein It is 1970, and electronics engineer Dan Davis has finally made the invention of a lifetime: a household robot with extraordinary abilities, destined to dramatically change the landscape of everyday routine. Then, with wild success just within reach, Dans greedy partner and even greedier fiancée steal his work and leave him penniless, and trick him into taking the long sleepâ€"suspended animation for thirty years. 40.  The Iron King,  Julie Kagawa Something has always felt slightly off in Meghans life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything shes known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truthâ€"that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far shell go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. 40.  Midnight Crossroad,  Charlaine Harris Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town. There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own). Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth 41. A Beautiful Friendship,  David Weber Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her home world of Meyerdahl…until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new homeâ€"a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie’s explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision! Yet Stephanie is a young woman determined to make discoveries, and the biggest one of all awaits her: an intelligent alien species. 41.  The Cats of Ulthar,  H.P. Lovecraft The Cats of Ulthar is a short story written by H.P. Lovecraft in June 1920. In the tale, an unnamed narrator relates the story of how a law forbidding the killing of cats came to be in a town called Ulthar. The Cats of Ulthar was a personal favorite of Lovecrafts, who was an ardent cat lover. 42.  The Color of Magic,  Terry Pratchett The Color of Magic  is Terry Pratchetts maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all beginsâ€"with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind. 43.  Time Cat,  Lloyd Alexander Gareths definitely no ordinary cat. For one thing, he can talk. For another, hes got the power to travel through time. And the instant he tells this to Jason, the two of them are in ancient Egypt, on the first of nine amazing adventures that Jason will never forget. 44.  Catalyst,  Anne McCaffrey Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Pilot, navigator, engineer, doctor, scientistâ€"ships cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel, when Tuxedo Thomas, a Maine coon cat, showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew, the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomass carefully bred progeny, ably assisted by humansâ€"Cat Personsâ€"with whom they share a deep and loving bond, now travel the galaxy, responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin, for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards, and for acting as morale officers. 45.  Star Kaat, Andre Norton Dorothy Madlee Two intriguing stray cats communicate with Jim and Elly Mae, convincing them that the cats are aliens from another planet. 46.  Lyrec,  Gregory Frost Lyrec and Borregadâ€"two inter-dimensional travelers on a quest to hunt down and destroy the creature named Miradomon, who bestrides whole worlds and drinks the life of everything upon them. If they dont stop him on this world, the next one hell devour is ours 47.  Tailchasers Song,  Tad Williams Fifteen years ago, a young author surprised and enchanted readers with his first novelâ€"the story of Fritti Tailchaser, a courageous tom cat in a world of whiskery heroes and villains, of feline gods and strange, furless creatures called Man.The book was Tailchasers Song, the author was Tad Williams.The legend was born. 48.  Storm Front,  Jim Butcher Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, hes the  only  at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the everyday world is actually full of strange and magical thingsâ€"and most dont play well with humans. Thats where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch aâ€"well, whatever. Theres just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harrys seeing dollar signs. But where theres black magic, theres a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harrys name. And thats when things start to get interesting. 49.  The Cat Who Walks Through Walls,  Robert A. Heinlein When a stranger attempting to deliver a cryptic message is shot dead at his table, Dr. Richard Ames is thrown headfirst into danger, intrigue, and other dimensions, where a plot to rescue a sentient computer could alter human history 50.  To Say Nothing of the Dog,  Connie Willis When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Neds holiday anything but restfulâ€"to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history. 51.  Mission to Universe,  Gordon R. Dickson When too many jumps back to 1940 leave 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry exhausted, a relaxing trip to Victorian England seems the perfect solution. But complexities like recalcitrant rowboats, missing cats, and love at first sight make Neds holiday anything but restfulâ€"to say nothing of the way hideous pieces of Victorian art can jeopardize the entire course of history. 52.  Jonathan Strange Mr. Norrell,  Susanna Clarke At Hurtfew Abbey in Yorkshire, the rich, reclusive Mr Norrell has assembled a wonderful library of lost and forgotten books from Englands magical past and regained some of the powers of Englands magicians. He goes to London and raises a beautiful young woman from the dead. Soon he is lending his help to the government in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte, creating ghostly fleets of rain-ships to confuse and alarm the French. All goes well until a rival magician appears. Jonathan Strange is handsome, charming, and talkativeâ€"the very opposite of Mr. Norrell. Strange thinks nothing of enduring the rigors of campaigning with Wellingtons army and doing magic on battlefields. Astonished to find another practicing magician, Mr. Norrell accepts Strange as a pupil. But it soon becomes clear that their ideas of what English magic ought to be are very different. For Mr. Norrell, their power is something to be cautiously controlled, while J onathan Strange will always be attracted to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic. He becomes fascinated by the ancient, shadowy figure of the Raven King, a child taken by fairies who became king of both England and Faerie, and the most legendary magician of all. Eventually Stranges heedless pursuit of long-forgotten magic threatens to destroy not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything that he holds dear. 53.  Rosemary and Rue,  Seanan McGuire The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evenings dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evenings killer. 54.  Fool on the Hill,  Matt Ruff In the world of Fool on the Hill dogs and cats can talk, a subculture of sprites lives in the shadows and underfoot (if you’re the sensitive type, or drunk enough, you might see them cavorting across the lawn), and the Bohemians, a group of Harley- and horseback-riding students dedicated to all things unconventional, hold all-night revels for the glory of their cause. 55.  The Island of Dr. Moreau,  H.G. Wells While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells’s prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing “smarter” human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick’s adventures on Dr. Moreau’s island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read. 56.  A Tiger for Malgudi,  R.K. Narayan A venerable tiger, old and toothless now, looks back over his life from cubhood and early days roaming wild in the Indian jungle. Trapped into a miserable circus career as Raja the magnificent, he is then sold into films (co-starring with a beefy Tarzan in a leopard skin) until, finding the human world too brutish and bewildering, he makes a dramatic bid for freedom. R.K. Narayans story combines Hindu mysticism with ripe Malgudi comedy, viewing human absurdities through the eyes of a wild animal and revealing how, quite unexpectedly, Raja finds sweet companionship and peace. Horror 57.  Pet Semetary,  Stephen King Sometimes dead is better.When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant sonâ€"and now an idyllic home. As a family, theyve got it allright down to the friendly cat. But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truthâ€"more terrifying than death itselfand hideously more powerful. 58.  The Black Cat,  Edgar Allen Poe The Black Cat is one of Edgar Allan Poes most memorable stories. The tale centers around a black cat and the subsequent deterioration of a man. The story is often linked with The Tell-Tale Heart because of the profound psychological elements these two works share. 59.  The Tommyknockers, Stephen King Something was happening in Bobbi Andersons idyllic small town of Haven, Maine. Something that gave every man, woman, and child in town powers far beyond ordinary mortals. Something that turned the town into a death trap for all outsiders. Something that came from a metal object, buried for millennia, that Bobbi accidentally stumbled across.  It wasnt that Bobbi and the other good folks of Haven had sold their souls to reap the rewards of the most deadly evil this side of hell. It was more like a diabolical takeoveran invasion of body and soulâ€"and mind. 60.  Just After Sunset, Stephen King Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-O-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogether too well. Or an exercise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivatingâ€"and then terrifyingâ€"journey. Set on a remote key in Florida, The Gingerbread Girl is a riveting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerableâ€"and resourcefulâ€"as Audrey Hepburn’s character in Wait Until Dark. In Ayana, a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any moment. In one of the longer stories here, N., which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psych iatric patient’s irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countrysideor keep the world from falling victim to it. 61. Twists of the Tale: An Anthology of Cat Horror,  Ellen Datlow In this extraordinary collection, 24 master storytellers look into the inscrutable eyes of the cat and see a reflection of the frightening, the fantastic, and the bizarre. In The Cat From Hell, Stephen King unravels a most unusual killing for hire. Joyce Carol Oates delves into a mothers worst nightmare in Nobody Knows My Name, while Gahan Wilsons Best Friends tells of pampered cats, gentle mistresses, and bloodshed. 62.  The Sentinel, Jeffrey Konvitz A beautiful young model. The old brownstone apartment she simply had to have. The grotesque blind priest who watched down on her day and night from an upper-story window. The pair of perverted creatures who wanted her to join their circle. The mad little old man who gave her tea and sympathy. The cool, calculating, supremely rational lover who first mocked her fears. And the secret you will never be able to forget, even if you try 63.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoodsâ€"until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp. Thriller/Mystery 64.  Gone Girl,  Gillian Flynn On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amys diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.  Under mounting pressure from the police and the mediaâ€"as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parentsâ€"the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitterâ€"but is he really a killer? 65.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden…and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder. It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance…and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her ageâ€"and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with itâ€"who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialismâ€"and an unexpected connection between themselves. 66.  Sam the Cat Detective, Linda Stewart Justice is Sams business, his only business. Its not a pretty job or an easy one, but its a job Sam can do. Then She walks into his office, purrs out her unhappy story, and begs him to take her case. Sam doesnt play the sap for anyone, but shes pretty, scared, and needs his help. Or does she? 67.  Felidae,  Akif  Pirinçci   An internationally acclaimed suspense novel features the adventures of Francis, a house cat who, in trying to catch the murderer of his feline friends, meets up with a bizarre cat cult, a kitty computer whiz, and a perceptive Persian. 68.  The Norths Meet Murder,  Frances and Richard Lockridge The Norths meet murder in the top-floor studio of the old house in which they live. Long left vacant, Mrs. North decides it is just the place for a party and takes her husband up to check it out. They open a doorâ€"and find a murdered man in the bathtub! With no clue, not even the identity of the corpse, nothing to start from but the Norths and their black cat Pete, Detective Weigand begins spinning his web and gathering into it the most amazing conglomeration of information. With the aid of Mrs. Norths hunches he carries through to a brilliant, entertaining and fascinating conclusion. 69.  Catnap,  Carole Nelson Douglas When Temple Barr, five-feet-zero of feisty redhead, goes in hot pursuit of a stray black cat streaking through a publishing convention exhibit hall, she stumbles over a big-time NY editor lying dead. While Temple and Midnight Louie are on the case, the famous publishing mascots, a pair of Scottish Fold library cats named Baker and Taylor, are kidnapped for ransom. The pair must sniff out a murderer before Murder by the Book describes their fates. 70.  The Cat Who Could Read Backwards,  Lilian Jackson Braun Jim Qwilleran is a prizewinning reporter whos been on the skids but is now coming back with a job as feature writer (mostly on the art scene) for the Daily Fluxion. George Bonifield Mountclemens, the papers credentialed art critic, writes almost invariably scathing, hurtful reviews of local shows; delivers his pieces by messenger; lives with his all-knowing cat Koko in a lushly furnished house in a moldering neighborhood, and has a raft of enemies all over town. He offers the newcomer a tiny apartment in his building at a nominal rent, and Qwilleran grabs it, surmising the deal will involve lots of cat-sitting. Meanwhile, a gallery whose artists get happier treatment from Mountclemens is owned by Earl Lambreth. The acerbic critic has praised paintings there by a reclusive Italian named Scrano; the junk assemblages of Nino, who calls himself a Thingist, as well as works by Lambreths attractive wife Zoe. Its Zoe who, one nig ht past closing, finds her husband stabbed to death in the vandalized gallery. Days later, Qwilleran, guided by an insistent Koko, finds Mountclemenss knifed corpse on the patio behind his house. 71.  The Woman in the Window,  A.J. Finn Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier timesand spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumbleâ€"and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no oneâ€"and nothingâ€"is what it seems. 72.  What the Cat Saw,  Carolyn G. Hart Nela wants to ignore what the cat saw, but the idea that the death of former tenant Marian Grant wasn’t an accident is something she can’t ignore. As Nela begins to do some research into Marian’s life, strange events begin to occur, all seeming to lead back to the Haklo Foundation. But when a detective becomes suspicious of Nela’s sister and a second murder occurs, Nela realizes she’ll have to make the most of her unwanted ability to figure out what’s really going on, before she meets her own untimely end… 73.  A Local Habitation, Seanan McGuire October Toby Daye is a changeling, the daughter of Amandine of the fae and a mortal man. Like her mother, she is gifted in blood magic, able to read what has happened to a person through a mere taste of blood. Toby is the only changeling who has earned knighthood, and she re-earns that position every day, undertaking assignments for her liege, Sylvester, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills. Now Sylvester has asked her to go to the County of Tamed Lightningâ€"otherwise known as Fremont, CAâ€"to make sure that all is well with his niece, Countess January OLeary, whom he has not been able to contact. It seems like a simple enough assignmentâ€"but when dealing with the realm of Faerie nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Toby soon discovers that someone has begun murdering people close to January, whose domain is a buffer between Sylvesters realm and a scheming rival duchy. If Toby cant find the killer soon, she may well become the next victim. 74.  Seeing A Large Cat, Elizabeth Peters According to an ancient Egyptian papyrus, dreaming of a large cat means good luck. And thats just what Amelia Peabody could use, as her growing family matures in the new century. Whats more, Amelias dashing husband Emerson has received a mysterious warning not to enter the Valley of the Kings. To Emersons annoyance, Amelias meddling distracts her attention as she exposes a fraudulent spiritualist, saves a marriage, and plays matchmaker. But diabolical forces are at work when an unknown tomb reveals a shocking murderâ€"and the Peabody family dodges bullets from an assassin determined to put an end to their discoveries. 75.  Cat on the Edge,  Shirley Rousseau Murphy Its been quite a week for Joe Grey. First the large, powerful feline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language. Then he discovers he can speak it as well! Its a nightmare for a cat whod prefer to sleep the day away carefree, but Joe can handle it. That is, until he has the misfortune to witness a murder in the alley behind Jollys Deliâ€"and worse, to be seen witnessing it. With all of his nine lives suddenly at risk, Joes got no choice but to get to the bottom of the heinous crimeâ€"because his mouse-hunting days are over for good unless he can help bring a killer to justice. Non-Fiction 76.  Born A Crime,  Trevor Noah Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 77.  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life,  Samantha Irby Sometimes you just have to laugh, even when life is a dumpster fire. With We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, bitches gotta eat blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making adult budgets, explaining why she should be the new Bacheloretteâ€"shes 35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-somethingâ€"detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged fathers ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban momsâ€"hang in there for the Costco lootâ€"shes as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths. 78.  A Street Cat Named Bob,  James Bowen The moving, uplifting true story of an unlikely friendship between a man on the streets and the ginger cat who adopts him and helps him heal his life. 79.  Cleo: The Cat Who Mended A Family,  Helen Brown Helen Brown had no intention of adopting a pet when she brought her sons, Sam and Rob, to visit a friends new kittens. But the runt of the litter was irresistible, with her overlarge ears and dainty chin. When Cleo was delivered weeks later, she had no way of knowing that her new family had just been hit by a tragedy. Helen was sure she couldnt keep herâ€"until she saw something she thought had vanished from the earth forever: her sons smile. The reckless, rambunctious kitten stayed. Through happiness and heartbreak, changes and new beginnings, Cleo turned out to be the unlikely glue that affectionately held Helens family together. Rich in wisdom, wit, heart, and healing, here is the story of a cat with an extraordinary gift for knowing just where she was needed most. 80.  The Cat Inside,  William S. Burroughs Best known for the wild, phantasmagoric satire of works like Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs reveals another, gentler side in The Cat Inside. Originally published as a limited-edition volume, this moving and witty discourse on cats combines deadpan routines and dream passages with a heartwarming account of Burroughss unexpected friendships with the many cats he has known. It is also a meditation on the long, mysterious relationship between cats and their human hosts, which Burroughs traces back to the Egyptian cult of the animal other. With its street sense and whiplash prose, The Cat Inside is a genuine revelation for Burroughs fans and cat lovers alike. 81.  Making the Cat Laugh,  Lynne Truss One womans journal of single life on the margins. A brilliant collection of Lynne Trusss journalismâ€"recording the life of a metropolitan refugee from coupledom. Comics/Graphic Novels 82.  Sailor Moon,  Naoko Takeuchi One of the most-beloved of all Japanese manga titles, Naoko Takeuchis Sailor Moon has enthralled millions of readers worldwide since its debut in book form in early 1992. When Usagi Tsukino adopts a stray cat, she gets more than she bargains for The talking cat, Luna, informs Usagi that she is actually Sailor Moon, a magical princess from the future and protector of the Solar System. With the help of her new friends, the Sailor Scouts, and the mysterious Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon embarks on a quest to save us all from the evil powers of the Negaverse. 83.  Monstress, Marjorie M. Liu Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, Monstresss tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. 84.  Saga, Brian K. Vaughan When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. 85.  Angel Catbird,  Margaret Atwood On a dark night, young genetic engineer Strig Feleedus is accidentally mutated by his own experiment and merges with the DNA of a cat and an owl. What follows is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired superhero adventureâ€"with a lot of cat puns. 86.  The Rabbis Cat,  Joann Sfar In Algeria in the 1930s, a cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and gains the ability to speak. To his master’s consternation, the cat immediately begins to tell lies (the first being that he didn’t eat the parrot). The rabbi vows to educate him in the ways of the Torah, while the cat insists on studying the kabbalah and having a Bar Mitzvah. They consult the rabbi’s rabbi, who maintains that a cat can’t be Jewishâ€"but the cat, as always, knows better.  Zlabya falls in love with a dashing young rabbi from Paris, and soon master and cat, having overcome their shared self-pity and jealousy, are accompanying the newlyweds to France to meet Zlabya’s cosmopolitan in-laws. Full of drama and adventure, their trip invites countless opportunities for the rabbi and his cat to grapple with all the importantâ€"and trivialâ€"details of life. 87.  Fairy Tail,  Hiro Mashima Celestial wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But instead, her ambitions land her in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates led by a devious magician. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she happens to meet on her travels. Natsus not your typical hero, he gets motion sickness, eats like a pig, and his best friend is a talking cat. With friends like this, is Lucy better off with her enemies? 88.  Azumanga Daioh,  Kiyohiko Azuma Its tough to tell the difference between teacher and students in Azumas comedy. Teacher Yukari Tanizaki is oblivious, immature, emotional and one of the people shaping young minds. Her students face difficulties in school that most never imagined. For example, as one pupil starts to ask a question, Miss Yukari cuts him off, stating she wont talk about her bra size. Another group of students are ready for their lessons, but instead of learning about social studies or science, they learn how Miss Yukari spent her weekend. Maybe thats not so bad, considering Miss Yukaris not the brightest bulb in the bunch and has her students correcting her on many technical points. Her students arent sure how to react, but their bewilderment is half the charm of this manga. Like the 1980s TV series Head of the Class, Azu has an eclectic mix of pupils ranging from child geniuses to sports enthusiasts to tough girls; each possessing much more than meets the eye. The precocious child genius may be great at academic subjects, but she still draws like a little girl and has the emotions of a kid. The unemotional tough teen melts for tiny animals and longs to have a pet of her own, even if all of the creatures she comes in contact with seem to hate her. 89.  Ito Junjis Cat Diary, Junji Ito The representative of Japanese horror comics, Junji Ito = horror manga author J. J, a dog person, was convinced into adopting two cats by his fiancee A-ko: Muu, a foreign cat, and Yun who has an accused face. Much to the chagrin of J, the cats wont get attached to him. 90.  Cat Paradise,  Yuji Iwahara Nine lives might not be enough to survive this catfight! At Matabi Academy, students are allowed to bring their pet cats to the dorms. For Yumi Hayakawa, whose favorite hobby is making clothes for her kitty Kansuke, Matabi seems like a sure bet. After all, nothing can possibly go wrong with her best friend at her side! But on the first day of school, the two find themselves face-to-face with a murderous demonic minion on campus! Will Yumi and Kansuke be able to defend themselves and their school against an ancient cat demons thirst for vengeance? 91.  Baron: The Cat Returns,  Aoi Hiiragi The story follows a girl called Haru, a quiet, shy and unassuming high school student who has a long-suppressed ability to talk to cats. One day, she saves a darkly-colored, odd-eyed cat from being hit by a truck on a busy road. The cat turns out to be Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom. In return, the cats shower her with gifts of catnip and mice. She is then offered the Princes hand in marriage. 92.  Neko Ramen: Hey! Order Up!,  Kenji Sonishi Taisho was a former kitten model, who ran away from home and had a hard life on the streetsuntil the day he was saved by a kind ramen shop owner who later served as his mentor. Now Taisho takes pride in his noodlesand is easily angered when customers are dissatisfied! So step aside, Soup Nazi theres a new cat in town! Poetry   93.  Old Possums Book of Practical Cats,  T.S. Eliot T. S. Eliots playful cat poems have delighted readers and cat lovers around the world ever since they were first published in 1939. They were originally composed for his godchildren, with Eliot posing as Old Possum himself, and later inspired the legendary musical Cats. 94.  I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats,  Francesco Marciuliano Cat lovers will laugh out loud at the quirkiness of their feline friends with these insightful and curious poems from the singular minds of housecats.  In this hilarious book of tongue-in-cheek poetry, the author of the internationally syndicated comic strip  Sally Forth  helps cats unlock their creative potential and explain their odd behaviour to ignorant humans. 95.  The Great Cat: Poems About Cats,  Emily Fragos The feline has inspired poetic adoration since the days of the pharaohs, and the poems collected here cover an astonishing range of periods, cultures, and styles. Poets across the continents and centuries have described the feline familyâ€"from kittens to old toms, pussycats to panthersâ€"doing what they do best: sleeping, prowling, prancing, purring, sleeping some more, and gazing disdainfully at lesser beings like ourselves. Here are Yeats’s Minnaloushe, Christopher Smart’s Jeoffry, Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat, T. S. Eliot’s Rum Tum Tugger, William Blake’s tyger and Rilke’s panther. Here are tributes from Sufi mystics, medieval Chinese poets, and haiku masters of imperial Japan, from Chaucer, Shelley, Borges, Neruda, Dickinson, and Shakespeare. Here are the cats of Mother Goose, and the one who wore the hat for Dr. Seuss. 96.The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!),  Anna Pulley Lesbian sex has been confounding people since the dawn of time. What is it that two women do together exactly? The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (with Cats!) is a humorous guide to lesbian sex, dating rituals, and relationships, and aims to dispel all myths. Haiku paired with hilarious watercolor illustrations of cats in various stages of sexual awkwardness will enlighten, demystify, remystify, and most importantly entertain as you learn about all the aspects involved in girl-on-girl action. 97.  Honorable Cat, Paul Gallico The author of The Silent Miaow examines the cat in all his infinite variety, moods, and from every aspect?psychological, social, intellectual, and historical. More than 60 charming poems are illustrated by beautiful full-color photographs by famed photographer Nishikawa. 98.  Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse, Henry N. Beard   In the vein of his bestselling French for Cats, Henry Beard has assembled a brilliant anthology of treasured works by feline poets. Includes Do Not Go Gentle to That Damned Vet by Dylan Thomass cat, The Human by Edgar Allan Poes cat and other works. Poetry for Cats will prove as thrilling as a stiff shot of catnip. Color illustrations. Romance 99. Friend-Zoned,  Belle Aurora Nikolai Leokov never thought hed fall in love with the only girl hes ever befriended. Valentina Tomic has issues with commitment after the ultimate betrayal. When Tina decides to make broody Niks day better, she never thought she would end up friends with the hard man. Nik has never had a woman be so affectionate to him without expecting something in return. 100.  Cats and Cowboys,  Ruth J. Hartman Lanna Kirby and her cat, Gordon, flee Indiana when her racecar-driver boyfriend publicly humiliates her. A job in a small Texas post office seems far enough away and a good place to start over. Lanna’s through with men, for sure. That is, until a handsome cow-boy strolls in. What are your favorite books with cats?  

Thursday, May 21, 2020

How do symphony orchestras manage their members before a song successfully performed in front of the audience Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Symphony Orchestra as Organisation 3 2 Orchestras and Their Conductors 5 2.2 Symphony Orchestra Organisations 5 3 Organisational Structure of Symphony Orchestras 6 3.1 Symphony Orchestra Musicians 7 3.2 Orchestra Conductors 9 3.3 Leadership 10 4 Conclusion 11 5 References 12 1 Introduction In an age of globalisation and the unprecedented intensification of competition, management increasingly emerges as the dividing line between organisational success and failure. Management and organisational leadership, if effective and efficient, can render the most complex of business processes uncomplicated and, importantly, contributes to the development of a workplace environment characterised by accountability, cooperation between co-workers, rather than competition, and commitment to the organisation and its goals. Proceeding from the aforementioned, this research will take a novel approach to the exemplification of the importance of organisational leadership and management by taking a look at the management of a symphony orchestra. The selection of the mentioned example was influenced by the fact that management of the stated is a highly complex endeavour, requiring extremely high levels of teamwork so that the final product emerges, not as a series of disconnected units, or musical movements, but as a harmonious whole. We will write a custom essay sample on How do symphony orchestras manage their members before a song successfully performed in front of the audience or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Not only is he entirely responsible for the management of orchestra members, musicians, towards the execution of a perfectly timed and completely harmonious and faultless musical performance but his responsibilities include organisational visioning, strategic direction, audience development and fundraising. To be effective, the musical leader/conductor of the orchestra must possess a combination of skills, the most significant of which appear to be artistic and musical skills, organisational skills, and charismatic leadership (Morgan, 1980).

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Rehabilitation for War Veterans - 769 Words

â€Å"One of three returning troops are being diagnosed with serious Post-Traumatic stress symptoms. Less than 40% will seek help† (ptsdusa.org). Many soldiers come home from war with PTSD, these soldiers that suffer from PTSD are known to result in murder and/or suicide cases. PTSD negatively impacts the physical, mental and emotional being of war veterans which puts them in risk of harming themselves as well as harming others. Society stereotypes war as a heroic experience in which soldiers come back feeling like heroes however that is not the case, society needs to give support to soldiers attempting to adjust back to their normal lives. Soldiers come home from war with not only physical scars, but also emotional and mental burdens. As said in Steinbeck’s, Why Soldiers Won’t Talk, â€Å"they did not and do not remember- and the worse the battle was, the less they remember.† During war, soldiers go through very traumatic experiences. It causes damage to their physical bodies as well as their mental states of mind. Soldiers hold the burden of the casualties and tragedies that occur on the battlefield and carry it around for the rest of their lives. What is really significant about the emotional impact that war has on soldiers is that it makes it hard for soldiers to adjust back to their â€Å"normal lives.† â€Å"In all kinds of combat the whole body is battered by emotion† (Steinbeck). All soldiers are different, they have all experienced different traumatizing moments. The way the soldiersShow MoreRelatedRepresentations Of Disability During The 20th Century1727 Words   |  7 PagesDisability in Military Veterans During the 20th Century At the end of the Civil War, Andrew Johnson alleged our nation s supposed investment in our veterans by claiming that â€Å" a grateful people will not hesitate to sanction any measures having for their relief of soldiers mutilated...in an effort to preserve our national existence.† Since then, our changing perception of disabled veterans of military service has affected the success and practice of their rehabilitation. Historians and social scientistsRead MoreWW1 Canadian Vets and Post-War Veterans Assistance1553 Words   |  7 PagesThe assistance that the war veterans receive in Canada today is considered one of the best in the world. With assistance programs that provide support to the veterans in the form of attentive health care, health insurance, health related travel expenses, assisted living, career training, rehabilitation, financial benefits, and much more. But, this wasn’t always the case with the Veterans Assistance Commission in Canada. Very little was done prior to WW1, for the war veterans. Even though much differenceRead MoreAmerican Higher Education Of The Deaf And Dumb At Columbia University1413 Words   |  6 Pagesestablishment of students with disabilities in an American higher education context found its start with the admission of students with sensory disabilities, primarily deaf and blind students. Changes because of the world wars poured federal funding into programs to assist veterans with acquired disabilities return to the workforce. The rise of the disability rights movement resulted in the passage of federal protects that mandate the creation of disability support services and bared institutionalRead MoreVeterans Of The Us Military861 Words   |  4 Pages Veterans of the US military should be some of the most respected men and women of the United States. They risk their lives for years to fight for the freedom of Americans, and yet when they return home some are left homeless, financially unstable, injured, or worse. These men and women need help and should no longer be left to fight on their own. Veterans should be provided with a center to get back on their feet because many veterans suffer from mental disorders and substance abuse due to the thingsRead MoreVeterans Are Winning The War Of Afghanistan, Losing The Battle At Home1694 Words   |  7 PagesVeterans are winning the war in Afghanistan but, losing the battle at home. Many veterans result from some kind of damage, with mental disability being the most common, because mental and emotional encumbrance comes home with the veterans when they return from war. Many of these affected veterans sign up for an eternal waiting list that does not assure them with the necessary financi al help. Leaving them with little or no help, and without the help the veterans integrate the problems into theirRead MoreEssay On Mental Policy892 Words   |  4 PagesPolicy Analysis Paper Introduction An accumulating body of empirical data suggests that current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatric disability and rehabilitation policies for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are problematic. In combination, recent administrative trends and data from epidemiological and clinical studies suggest these policies are countertherapeutic and hinder research efforts to advance our knowledge regarding PTSD. 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The Future of WiMAX and its Effect on Our Lives Free Essays

On the bad side, which include health concerns that come with these radiation waves, which can affect people’s health. In general, what does WiMAX technology mean? This is very important to know. To explain it well, everyone has to know that WiMAX is not the same as Wi-Fi. We will write a custom essay sample on The Future of WiMAX and its Effect on Our Lives or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the past, the internet was not spread like it is now so this technology was not well-known. Nowadays, it is bigger and effective in society, because this science has become more important than before. In fact, what changed is that now people become more interested in these technologies and look for more development in this field. With development in this field, companies start to invent new technology that can be better than and challenge Wi-Fi, such as WiMAX and LTE. An example of people who might be interested in WiMAX is college students who spend a lot of time working on their projects or research. So, if the education institutions themselves start to provide this technology to their students, they can make the learning experience much better (Tandle, 2010). This spread of technology means more range of wireless internet on-campus, so the students have a better chance to access the internet while learning. The development of WiMAX can be helpful for any group of people. WiMAX is not the only technology in the wireless field; there is also a big challenge with LTE. WiMAX technology descended from Wi-Fi, so it is not part of cellular technology. Even though WiMAX has become a challenger to LTE, LTE is still under cellular technologies. WiMAX starts with home connections and delivers a broadband connection to houses, instead of running expensive cables across long distance hey promised much better compatibility with cellphones. In addition, the LTE standard was approved in America as the first LTE network (Segan, 2012). Effect of WiMAX on our Life According to the HowStuffWorks website, WiMAX provides worldwide access, and the idea of this technology is to make the broadband internet wider than Wi-Fi. Another way to describe it is that can access the internet not only from the hotspot near you, but also in a wide range. How to cite The Future of WiMAX and its Effect on Our Lives, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Native Son Essays (927 words) - Literature, American Literature

Native Son Richard Wright The Theme of fate and free will Prof J Mkhize ECL310 E Kyle Keens 201400329 Plot Summary Bigger Thomas, an African American who lives in an impoverished neighborhood , is employed by a prosperous white family , the Dalton's, who live in the suburbs of a major city. The money Bigger makes at his new job will be used to supplement his mother's income. As a chauffeur, he is directed by the father of the family to take Mary, the daughter, to the university. Instead, Mary decides to pick up her Communist boyfriend, Jan, and to spend the time drinking and partying . Afterward Bigger takes a very drunk Mary home and while attempting to sneak out the house passed a blind Mrs Dalton he accidently smothers Mary and kills her. In his panic he disposes of her body in the house furnace and attempts to frame her boyfriend Jan. Bigger is found out and captured by the police. Mr. Boris Max, a lawyer friend of Jan and also a communist, tries to help Bigger and agrees to defend him claiming that Bigger is a product of his environment. Bigger is ultimately fo und guilty but he is able to view white people as individuals and equals as opposed to how he viewed them as a singular force of oppression before. The Theme of Fate and Free will Wright portrays a character that is bound by fate. Although bigger is given the illusion of choices he is ultimately on a set path. This path is as a result of the racist capitalist society in which he lives. The purpose of the novel is revealed when Mr. Max delivers his speech to the court while defending Bigger's actions. Bigger is said to be a product of his environment, a "native son" who as a result of the oppression of rich whites in America is left with no other choice than to steal or kill. Bigger's murder of Mary Dalton can then be seen as not entirely his fault. It is the fault of society, a society that has pushed American black people so far that their free will is limited to such an extent that it would appear non-existent. This lack of free will is shown in the interaction between Mary, Jan and Bigger. The two force Bigger to take them to a "black" neighbourhood and although he feels incredibly uncomfortable Bigger feels he canno t object to their wishes. Later when Bigger attempts to leave a drunk Mary at her home he is trapped by her blind mother. The racist society and the fact of the situation leaves Bigger to assume he will be in serious trouble if he is caught. This leads to him smothering Mary to keep her from giving him away and accidentally kills her. With no other choice he is left to accept this and try to get away. Bigger is made a murderer by the society in which he lives and that is the argument Wright makes with this novel. Wright being a Marxist argues that capitalist society seeks to impoverish those it can to make others rich and successful. In the novel the city of Chicago is run by a group of white business men who in order to keep black people poor make sure that they cannot live in the predominantly white neighbourhoods and are forced to live in overpriced neighbourhoods that they own including Bigger's apartment building which is owned by his employer Mr Dalton . The capitalist system allows only a few to succeed in life and Wright makes a point to show a character who has been disillusioned by this system and now believes that there is no hope for anything better in their life and so his free will has in a sense been taken away leaving him with little options in life and as Wright believes the inevitability of becoming a murderer. Criticisms Wright has been criticised as writing native son only to promote communism. Wright , at the time of writing the novel , was a member of the communist party and many including Kinnamon believe that Mr. Max's speech in the novel had no