(This column is dedicated to some fabulous felines:  Stumpy, Tux, Atlas, Harrison, Sherlock, Taz, and yes, even you, Rambo)

  At an earlier time we talked about books that feature dogs or cats as a prominent part of the storyline. Since this proved to be too much for one sitting, we’re going to talk more about cat books today and dog books next time.

  If you’re in the mood for something silly and light, pick up a cat mystery by Marion Babson. I just finished “Only the Cat Knows,” a story involving fraternal twins. The sister is in a coma after an “accident” that could have proven fatal, and the brother goes undercover – pretending to be his sister – to find out who was responsible. He’s got everybody involved fooled except for Gloriana, his sister’s cat, who could easily endanger his life by outing him. Not exactly a believable plotline but fun nonetheless. Babson has written many mysteries, a good number of them featuring cats.  

  Way back in the 1970’s there was “Harry and Tonto,” both a book and a movie by Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld. They tell the story of Harry, a widower and retired teacher, who  is forced from his New York City apartment when his building is about to be demolished. Harry and his marmalade cat Tonto go on the road to visit his three children while making their way to California. He meets and befriends many types of people along the way – and finds out that life can begin anew at any age. Now I’m going to say something that I’ve said maybe three times in my life: the movie is better than the book (!).

  The book seems more like an outline for the movie script, so you’ll therefore get more depth of character and plot detail in the movie. Art Carney won an Oscar for his portrayal of Harry. 

  A very quirky and heart-tugging story is told in “The Good Luck of Right Now” by Matthew Quick. It’s odd because, although cats are mentioned, there is not a particular cat in the story-line. Quick appears to specialize in characters that are society’s misfits. Thirty-something Bartholomew Neal, who has always stayed home and taken care of his mother, finds himself at a loss when she dies. The story tells about Bartholomew’s long process of working through his grief and finding how to move on. He has to learn to make friends, to talk to women, to find a job, and to have confidence in himself. The story is told through a series of fan letters to actor Richard Gere (and that’s just one of the reasons I use the word “quirky”). It’s a sad but ultimately optimistic tale. Be warned that it’s not for you if foul language offends you.   

  Another series which I’ve always loved features Florida pet-sitter Dixie Hemingway, a damaged ex-cop who now prefers a solitary life with animals. The author is Blaize Clement, and really this series could be mentioned in my dog-centric recommendations as well, because Dixie pet-sits for cats, dogs, rabbits, iguanas … you get the idea. She narrates her own story in a voice that reminds me of the Kinsey Milhone character in the alphabet murder mysteries of the late Sue Grafton. Titles in the Dixie Hemingway series are “Curio-sity Killed the Cat Sitter,” “Duplicity Dogged the Dachs-hund,” and “Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues.” These are all wonderful books for the die-hard animal lover.  

  “Guest of a Sinner” by James Wilcox brings together many, many diverse characters living in 1990’s New York City. The impetus for the story is an apartment building in which an elderly lady begins taking in stray cats and doesn’t stop until she goes over twenty. Her upstairs neighbor Eric (the book’s main character) gets fed up with the noise and smells and feels compelled to move in with his sister until the situation can be resolved. But Eric hasn’t anticipated how this contentious encounter will get so many others involved on both sides of the issue. James Wilcox’s narration and tone are similar to one of my favorite writers, Richard Russo. Both authors often poke fun at middle-aged characters who find themselves surprised by life’s twists and turns. Two other titles by Wilcox that I’ve enjoyed are “North Gladiola” and “Modern Baptists.” 

  So we’ve covered a few more books in which cats are involved. The next column will do the same for dogs. In the meantime, happy reading!