When Life Interrupts Reading....

An ode to my beloved cat & the books waiting for me when I'm ready

Hello! I’ve been debating on whether I wanted to write a post this week or just stay quiet for a few days and then pop back on with some sort of book content and move on as if all is fine behind the scenes. But I love this Substack community and I know many of you are animal lovers, so it’s with a heavy heart that I share with you that my trusted feline reading companion of almost 15 years, my cat Toby, passed away Monday. And the truth is, I’m sad and feeling grief over the loss of him. His absence was felt immediately. The house is not the same. My kitchen counters are quiet without him trolling around looking for chicken or tuna. Our daily routines are not the same. I couldn’t watch The Bachelorette this week because he always laid on my lap to watch, every single Monday for all these years. He was also my nightly reading companion, on my lap for as long as I stayed up reading- and I’m a night owl so it was often until after midnight:) I’m very much missing his furry companionship. I know people often say cats are loners and some may be, but Toby was always around us, we often said he thought he was a dog because he acted so much like one. He was at the door when we came home and LOVED all the attention he could get.

Toby loved lounging outside watching birds, he was the best lap cat, a reluctant book model and he loved Vinny even though he was often chased by him haha

I share this because, while we often share pictures of our pets, we don’t often talk about losing them and the grief that can accompany this loss. I’m giving myself the time and space to just pause, reflect, and remember the years of good times we had with Toby. I’m doing some journaling and organizing pictures for a scrapbook I’ll make of him. Typically, I turn to reading in times of stress, but I’m not really feeling like it right now. And that’s ok! I know I’ll feel like reading again soon. For now, I’m doing something else I enjoy and that helps me anticipate reading so that when (in the next few days) I decide to pick up a book, I’ll have some great options - I’m adding to my shelves at home some newly purchased books:)

I ordered a few books from Blackwell’s and forgot about them until they arrived yesterday and seeing one in particular gave me a spark of excitement. I also made a very fun trip to a new local independent bookstore last week -

The Storyline

- and bought books recommended to me by the owner Janine, as well as one that caught my eye from the shelf talker.

I’m sharing them with you below, so be sure to tell me in the comments which one(s) you think I should prioritize.

Before the books…. a few life lessons I’ve learned from my cat

• Even on the days there’s pain, it’s possible to find a moment of joy and peace in the warmth of the sun

• Best friends can come into our lives in the most unexpected ways

• Loss will happen, allow space for grief, but don’t let it keep you from living life to the fullest

• Know my limits and stand my ground. Don’t let “bigger” people intimidate me

• Carving out alone time and space to just be is one of life’s necessitites

• Bird watching is the best entertainment

• Providing comfort and companionship is often the best thing you can do for those you love

The Books

I’ve been feeling a strong desire to cultivate my to be read print shelves at home- and then I plan on shopping my own shelves throughout the fall. These are the recent books I’ve bought…I’m so excited to browse my own shelves. Book treasures await!

• Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink (Blackwell’s) *this is the book I’m super excited to read

• You Be Mother by Meg Mason (Blackwell’s)

• Private Rites by Julia Armfield (Blackwell’s)

• The Couples by Lauren Mackenzie (Blackwell’s)

• My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (recommended by Janine, the owner of Storyline Bookshop )

• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (recommended by Janine)

• Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen (Storyline Bookshop Shelf Talker)

• Ordinary Monsters by J.M Miro (a book I’ve wanted to read in the fall)

• What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama (from Athena Books - I bought this solely based on the cover - a black cat and books = sold!)

  

If you have thoughts on any of these books, I’d love to hear them! Or if you have pet stories you’d like to share, the comments are open 🐾