One Line
Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books featuring cats, ranging from magical princesses to murder mysteries.
Key Points
- Books featuring cats have been popular for centuries, with recent examples ranging from magical princesses to murder mysteries.
- Examples of books featuring cats include Rosemary and Rue, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Pet Semetary, The Black Cat, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Sentinel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Mission to Universe, Storm Front, Tailchaser’s Song, Lyrec, Star Ka'at, Catalyst, Time Cat, The Color of Magic, The Cats of Ulthar, A Beautiful Friendship, and more.
- Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books with cats in them, including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Coraline, and The Last Unicorn.
Summaries
139 word summary
Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books featuring cats. Titles include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Coraline, The Last Unicorn, and more. Other books not featuring cats include Franny and Zooey, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The Master and Margarita, I Am A Cat, and The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly. Books featuring cats include The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Mission to Universe, Storm Front, Tailchaser’s Song, and more. Recent examples are Poetry for Cats, Honorable Cat, The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, I Could Pee on This, and The Great Cat: Poems About Cats. These stories cover a range of topics from magical princesses to murder mysteries.
351 word summary
Recent examples of books featuring cats include Poetry for Cats, Honorable Cat, The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, I Could Pee on This, and The Great Cat: Poems About Cats. These stories range from magical princesses and superheroes to murder mysteries and awkward sexual encounters.
Other books featuring cats include Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog, Gordon R. Dickson's Mission to Universe, Jim Butcher's Storm Front, Tad Williams' Tailchaser’s Song, Gregory Frost's Lyrec, Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee's Star Ka'at, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catalyst, Lloyd Alexander's Time Cat, Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic, H.P. Lovecraft's The Cats of Ulthar, David Weber's A Beautiful Friendship, Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue, Matt Ruff's Fool on the Hill, H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, R.K. Narayan's A Tiger for Malgudi, Stephen King's Pet Semetary, Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat, Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Jeffrey Konvitz's The Sentinel and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
Other books not featuring cats include J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, Tomoyuki Hoshino's We, the Children of Cats, Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Sōseki Natsume's I Am A Cat, Luis Sepúlveda's The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly, Peg Kehret and Pete the Cat's Spy Cat, Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space, Peter S. Beagle's Tamsin, The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood, S.F. Said's Varjak Paw, Lynne Reid Banks' The Indian in the Cupboard, Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife, Rick Riordan's House of Hades, Brian Jacques' Mossflower, Richard Adams' Watership Down, James and Deborah Howe's Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books featuring cats. Titles include Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Neil Gaiman's Coraline, and Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, spanning multiple genres.
581 word summary
Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books with cats as characters across multiple genres. These include Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Neil Gaiman's Coraline, and Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman feature magical worlds, while House of Hades by Rick Riordan and Mossflower by Brian Jacques involve characters on epic quests. Richard Adams' Watership Down and James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula follow creatures in danger due to human interference. Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey follows three house pets on a journey home, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins features a televised event with teenagers fighting to the death.
In Peg Kehret and Pete the Cat's Spy Cat, Pete must rescue Benjie from burglars. Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space follows Mia Winchell as she learns to accept her unique ability of synesthesia. In Peter S. Beagle's Tamsin, Jenny helps a 300-year-old ghost break free from an evil force. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan follows siblings Carter and Sadie on an adventure to stop the Egyptian god Set, while Cassandra Clare's City of Bones follows Clary Fray as she discovers a hidden world of Shadowhunters. Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood follows Cas Lowood, who has inherited an unusual vocation of killing the dead, and S.F. Said's Varjak Paw follows a Mesopotamian Blue cat trying to save his family.
J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey follows an undergraduate becoming disenchanted with the world around her, Tomoyuki Hoshino's We, the Children of Cats blends an ethical vision with formal experimentation, and Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a collection of grotesque, comic scenes set in the American South. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita is a mix of wild theatricality and somber scenes set during Stalin's reign, Sōseki Natsume's I Am A Cat is an allegorical novel about a kitten observing human nature during the Meiji era, and Luis Sepúlveda's The Story of a Se Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog, Gordon R. Dickson's Mission to Universe, Jim Butcher's Storm Front, Tad Williams' Tailchaser’s Song, Gregory Frost's Lyrec, Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee's Star Ka'at, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catalyst, Lloyd Alexander's Time Cat, Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic, H.P. Lovecraft's The Cats of Ulthar, David Weber's A Beautiful Friendship, Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue, Matt Ruff's Fool on the Hill, H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, R.K. Narayan's A Tiger for Malgudi, Stephen King's Pet Semetary, Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat, Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Jeffrey Konvitz's The Sentinel and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell are all books featuring cats.
Recent examples include Poetry for Cats, Honorable Cat, The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, I Could Pee on This, The Great Cat: Poems About Cats, Cat on the Edge, Born A Crime, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, A Street Cat Named Bob, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, The Woman in the Window, What the Cat Saw, A Local Habitation, Seeing A Large Cat, Sam the Cat Detective, Felidae, The Norths Meet Murder and Catnap. These stories range from magical princesses and superheroes to murder mysteries and awkward sexual encounters.
988 word summary
Books featuring cats have been popular for centuries, with recent examples including Poetry for Cats, Honorable Cat, The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, I Could Pee on This, The Great Cat: Poems About Cats, Cat on the Edge, Born A Crime, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, A Street Cat Named Bob, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, The Woman in the Window, What the Cat Saw, A Local Habitation, Seeing A Large Cat, Sam the Cat Detective, Felidae, The Norths Meet Murder, and Catnap. These stories cover a wide range of topics from magical princesses and superheroes to murder mysteries and awkward sexual encounters. Seanan McGuire's "Rosemary and Rue" follows Toby as she investigates the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose and resumes her role as knight errant. Matt Ruff's "Fool on the Hill" is set in a world of talking animals, sprites and Bohemians. H.G. Wells' "The Island of Dr. Moreau" explores evolution, creation and human nature and culture, while R.K. Narayan's "A Tiger for Malgudi" tells the story of a tiger's life, combining Hindu mysticism with comedy. Stephen King's "Pet Semetary" is about a family that discovers a blood-chilling truth in the nearby woods. Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" is a memorable story about a black cat and a man's deterioration, while Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle follows Merricat Blackwood's family after a fatal dose of arsenic killed seven Blackwoods. Jeffrey Konvitz's The Sentinel features a young model who moves into an old brownstone apartment, and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is about two rival magicians in 19th century England.
Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls follows Dr. Richard Ames as he is thrown into danger, intrigue and other dimensions. Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog follows Ned Henry on his holiday to Victorian England, and Gordon R. Dickson's Mission to Universe follows Ned Henry on a trip to Victorian England. Jim Butcher's Storm Front follows Harry Dresden, the go-to wizard, and Tad Williams' Tailchaser’s Song follows Fritti Tailchaser, a brave tom cat. Gregory Frost's Lyrec follows two inter-dimensional travelers on a quest to hunt down and destroy Miradomon, while Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee's Star Ka'at introduces two cats that communicate with Jim and Elly Mae. Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catalyst follows the crew members of space vessels known as Barque Cats, Lloyd Alexander's Time Cat features Gareth, a talking cat with the power to travel through time, Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic is the maiden voyage through Discworld, and H.P. Lovecraft's The Cats of Ulthar is about a law forbidding the killing of cats in a town called Ulthar. Lastly, David Weber's A Beautiful Friendship follows Stephanie Harrington on her home Charlaine Harris' Midnight Crossroad is set in a small, western town and follows Manfred Bernardo. Julie Kagawa's The Iron King follows Meghan as she discovers her mythical faery king heritage. Robert A. Heinlein's The Door Into Summer follows Dan Davis, whose partner and fiancée have stolen his revolutionary household robot. Takashi Hiraide's The Guest Cat follows a couple in their thirties whose relationship is strained by a visiting cat. John C. Holman's Luminous Mysteries follows Grim Power and his sister Rita through their lives in the New South.
J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey follows an undergraduate becoming disenchanted with the world around her and her brother coming to her aid. Tomoyuki Hoshino's We, the Children of Cats blends an ethical vision with formal experimentation. Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a collection of grotesque, comic scenes set in the American South. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita is a mix of wild theatricality and somber scenes set during Stalin's reign. Sōseki Natsume's I Am A Cat is an allegorical novel about a kitten observing human nature during the Meiji era.
In Peg Kehret and Pete the Cat's Spy Cat, Pete must use his detective skills to rescue Benjie from burglars. Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space follows Mia Winchell as she learns to accept her unique ability of synesthesia. In Peter S. Beagle's Tamsin, Jenny helps a 300-year-old ghost break free from an evil force. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan follows siblings Carter and Sadie on an adventure to stop the Egyptian god Set. Cassandra Clare's City of Bones follows Clary Fray as she discovers a hidden world of Shadowhunters and is pulled into Jace's world. Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood follows Cas Lowood, who has inherited an unusual vocation of killing the dead. S.F. Said's Varjak Paw follows a Mesopotamian Blue cat trying to save his family from a fate worse than death. Luis Sepúlveda's The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly tells the story of Zorba the cat and his promise to watch over a seagull egg and teach the baby gull to fly The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman feature two different magical worlds. House of Hades by Rick Riordan and Mossflower by Brian Jacques both involve characters on epic quests. Richard Adams' Watership Down and James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula follow creatures in danger due to human interference. Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey follows three house pets on a journey home, while The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins features a televised event where teenagers must fight to the death. In Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, a widowed mouse must move her family.
Emily Martin has compiled 100 must-read books with cats in them across multiple genres, including Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Neil Gaiman's Coraline, and Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn. These stories feature cats as heroes, villains, symbols, and more.
1962 word summary
Cats and books have a natural connection, and Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books with cats in them across multiple genres. From Jacqueline West's The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, these stories feature cats as heroes, villains, symbols, and more. In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry discovers he is a wizard and is taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Neil Gaiman's Coraline follows a young girl as she discovers a flat with fourteen doors, one of which leads her to another house. In The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, a magical unicorn living in a forest discovers that unicorns are gone from the world.
In James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula, Harold the Dog and Chester the Cat must discover if their newest pet is a vampire. Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey follows three house pets as they traverse the Canadian wilderness to get home. In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 12 districts must select one boy and one girl aged 12-18 to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised event where they must fight to the death, leaving only one survivor. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien is about a widowed mouse with four children who must move her family but her youngest son is ill.
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks is about a plastic Indian toy that comes to life when placed in a cupboard. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman follows Lyra and Will as they search for Dark Matter and Will's missing father. In House of Hades by Rick Riordan, Annabeth and Percy fall into the Underworld and the other five demigods must find the mortal side of the Doors of Death and seal them to prevent the giants from rising. In Mossflower by Brian Jacques, Martin and Gonff escape prison and set off to find Boar the Fighter at Salamandastron in the hope of ending Tsarmina's rule. Watership Down by Richard Adams tells of a group of creatures facing destruction due to the intrusion of man. In Spy Cat by Peg Kehret and Pete the Cat, Pete must use his detective skills to uncover clues and rescue Benjie from burglars. Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space follows Mia Winchell as she learns to accept her unique ability of synesthesia. In Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle, Jenny helps a 300-year-old ghost break free from an evil force. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan follows siblings Carter and Sadie on an adventure to stop the Egyptian god Set. Cassandra Clare's City of Bones follows Clary Fray as she discovers a hidden world of Shadowhunters and is pulled into Jace's world. Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood follows Cas Lowood, who has inherited an unusual vocation of killing the dead. S.F. Said's Varjak Paw follows a Mesopotamian Blue cat trying to save his family from a fate worse than death. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda tells the story of Zorba the cat and his promise to watch over a seagull egg and teach the baby gull to fly. In Daniel Nanavati's Blueskin the Cat, a highwayman is reincarnated as a cat and plots revenge against two brothers. Yann Martel's Life of Pi follows Pi Patel as he explores issues of spirituality and practicality while surviving in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore follows two remarkable characters as their paths converge for mysterious reasons. In The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Toru Okada searches for his wife's cat and then his wife in a Tokyo netherworld. Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's follows Holly Golightly and Susan Meissner's As Bright As Heaven is set in Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu. Bobbie Ann Mason's Shiloh and Other Stories is set in the New South and Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog is set in an elegant Paris apartment building. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger follows an undergraduate becoming disenchanted with the world around her and her brother coming to her aid. Tomoyuki Hoshino's We, the Children of Cats blends an uncompromising ethical vision with formal experimentation. Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a collection of grotesque, comic scenes set in the American South. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita is a mix of wild theatricality and somber scenes set during Stalin's reign. Sōseki Natsume's I Am A Cat is an allegorical novel about a kitten observing human nature during the Meiji era.
Charlaine Harris' Midnight Crossroad is set in a small, desolate western town and follows new resident Manfred Bernardo. In Julie Kagawa's The Iron King, Meghan discovers she is the daughter of a mythical faery king. Robert A. Heinlein's The Door Into Summer follows Dan Davis, whose revolutionary household robot has been stolen by his partner and fiancée. Takashi Hiraide's The Guest Cat tells of a couple in their thirties whose relationship is strained by a visiting cat. John C. Holman's Luminous Mysteries follows Grim Power and his sister Rita through their lives in the New South.
Tad Williams' Tailchaser’s Song follows Fritti Tailchaser, a brave tom cat in a world of whiskery heroes and villains. Gregory Frost's Lyrec follows two inter-dimensional travelers on a quest to hunt down and destroy Miradomon. In Star Ka'at, Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee introduce two cats that communicate with Jim and Elly Mae. Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's Catalyst follows the highly prized crew members of space vessels known as Barque Cats. Lloyd Alexander's Time Cat features Gareth, a talking cat with the power to travel through time. Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic is the maiden voyage through Discworld, with Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind. H.P. Lovecraft's The Cats of Ulthar is about a law forbidding the killing of cats in a town called Ulthar. Lastly, A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber follows Stephanie Harrington on her home world of Meyerdahl and her explorations on the planet Sphinx.
Jim Butcher's Storm Front follows Harry Dresden, the go-to wizard Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls follows Dr. Richard Ames as he is thrown into danger, intrigue and other dimensions when a stranger attempts to deliver a cryptic message and is shot dead at his table. Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog follows Ned Henry on his holiday to Victorian England, where he must deal with mysterious cats, love at first sight and pieces of art that could change history. In Mission to Universe by Gordon R. Dickson, Ned Henry takes a trip to Victorian England and finds himself in the middle of danger, intrigue and time-altering pieces of art.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke tells the story of two rival magicians in 19th century England. Rich and reclusive Mr. Norrell uses magic to help the government fight Napoleon Bonaparte, while Jonathan Strange is attracted to wild and perilous forms of magic and sets out to learn more about the legendary Raven King. Their differing philosophies cause a rift between them that threatens to destroy all they hold dear.
Seanan McGuire's "Rosemary and Rue" follows Toby as she investigates the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, which binds her to resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. Matt Ruff's "Fool on the Hill" is set in a world where dogs and cats can talk, sprites live in the shadows, and Bohemians hold all-night revels. H.G. Wells' "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is a riveting tale about evolution, creation and the tension between human nature and culture, while R.K. Narayan's "A Tiger for Malgudi" tells the story of a venerable tiger and his life from cubhood in the Indian jungle to his dramatic bid for freedom, combining Hindu mysticism with comedy. Stephen King's "Pet Semetary" is about a family who moves into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, only to find a blood-chilling truth lurking in the nearby woods; Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" is a memorable story about a black cat and the deterioration of a man; Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle follows Merricat Blackwood, her sister Constance, and their Uncle Julian living on the family estate after a fatal dose of arsenic killed seven Blackwoods; The Sentinel by Jeffrey Konvitz features a young model who moves into an old brownstone apartment and Sam the Cat Detective by Linda Stewart follows the titular character as they investigate a case. In Felidae by Akif Pirinçci, Francis, a house cat, looks into the murder of his feline friends. The Norths Meet Murder by Frances and Richard Lockridge has Mr. and Mrs. North uncovering an amazing conglomeration of information with the help of their pet cat Pete. Catnap by Carole Nelson Douglas follows Temple Barr as she investigates the death of a NY editor at a publishing convention, while rescuing two cats from a ransom plot.
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun follows Jim Qwilleran, a prizewinning reporter, as he solves a murder case with the help of Koko, the cat he is cat-sitting. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn has Anna Fox discovering secrets and figuring out what is real when she sees something she shouldn't. In What the Cat Saw by Carolyn G. Hart, Nela must use her unwanted ability to figure out a murder before it's too late. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire follows October "Toby" Daye as she investigates the disappearance of her liege's niece and discovers someone is murdering people close to her. Seeing A Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters has Amelia Peabody and her family investigating a fraudulent spiritualist and a shocking murder connected to an unknown tomb.
Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy follows Joe Grey as he gains the ability to understand and speak human language and uses it to solve a murder witnessed in an alley. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is a memoir recounting Noah's criminal birth in apartheid South Africa and his mother's attempts to hide him. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby is a serio-comic essay discussing her childhood, her desire to be the new Bachelorette, and awkward sexual encounters. Finally, A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen is the true story of a man and his ginger cat friend who helps him heal his life. 79-83. Comics/Graphic Novels offer a range of stories from magical princesses to superheroes and from galactic wars to the Kabbalah. 84-88. Cat lovers can find humorous and insightful books, poems and manga, such as Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, I Could Pee on This, and The Great Cat: Poems About Cats. 95. The Great Cat is a collection of poems from various periods, cultures, and styles about cats and the feline family, including works from Yeats, Chaucer, Shelley, Borges, Neruda, Dickinson, Shakespeare, and Mother Goose. Books featuring cats have been popular for centuries. Here are some recent examples:
The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Anna Pulley – A humorous guide to lesbian sex with haikus and watercolor illustrations of cats. Honorable Cat, Paul Gallico – Examines the cat from every angle, including 60 poems with full-color photographs. Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse, Henry N. Beard – Includes works from cats owned by Dylan Thomas and Edgar Allan Poe.
Romance: Friend-Zoned, Belle Aurora – Nikolai Leokov falls in love with his only friend, Valentina Tomic. Cats and Cowboys, Ruth J. Hartman – Lanna Kirby and her cat, Gordon, flee Indiana and start a new life in Texas, where they meet a handsome cowboy.
3668 word summary
Books featuring cats have been popular for centuries. Here are some recent favorites:
100. Cats and Cowboys, Ruth J. Hartman – Lanna Kirby and her cat, Gordon, flee Indiana and start over in a small Texas post office. There, Lanna meets a handsome cowboy.
99. Friend-Zoned, Belle Aurora – Nikolai Leokov falls in love with his only friend, Valentina Tomic. Tina attempts to make Nik's day better with affectionate gestures, but he's never had a woman be so kind without wanting something in return.
Romance:
98. Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse, Henry N. Beard – Includes works by Dylan Thomas’s cat, Edgar Allan Poe’s cat and other feline poets.
97. Honorable Cat, Paul Gallico – Examines the cat from every aspect – psychological, social, intellectual, and historical. Includes 60 poems illustrated with full-color photographs.
96. The Lesbian Sex Haiku Book (With Cats!), Anna Pulley – A humorous guide to lesbian sex and relationships with haikus paired with watercolor illustrations of cats.
95. The Great Cat: Poems About Cats, Emily Fragos – A collection of poems from various periods, cultures, and styles about cats and the feline family. Includes works from Yeats, Chaucer, Shelley, Borges, Neruda, Dickinson, Shakespeare, and Mother Goose. Cat lovers will enjoy a variety of humorous and insightful books, poems, and manga. T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) inspired the musical Cats, and Francesco Marciuliano's I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats (2012) offers tongue-in-cheek poetry where cats explain their odd behavior.
Kenji Sonishi's Neko Ramen: Hey! Order Up! (2016) follows Taisho, a former kitten model who is saved from a hard life on the streets by a ramen shop owner. Aoi Hiiragi's Baron: The Cat Returns (2002) is about a girl named Haru who can talk to cats and is offered the Prince's hand in marriage after saving a darkly-colored cat.
Yuji Iwahara's Cat Paradise (2007) follows Yumi Hayakawa and her pet cat Kansuke as they defend their school against an ancient cat demon. Junji Ito's Ito Junji's Cat Diary (2006) follows a dog person who is convinced by his fiancee to adopt two cats, Muu and Yun. 88. Azumanga Daioh, Kiyohiko Azuma – In this comedy, it's tough to tell the difference between teacher and students. Teacher Yukari Tanizaki is oblivious, immature, and emotional, yet she shapes young minds. Her students face difficulties in school, such as having a teacher who won't talk about her bra size. The eclectic mix of pupils range from child geniuses to sports enthusiasts to tough girls, all with more to them than meets the eye.
87. Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima – Celestial wizard Lucy wants to join the Fairy Tail, a club for the most powerful wizards. But she ends up in the clutches of a gang of unsavory pirates. Her only hope is Natsu, a strange boy she meets on her travels, who isn't your typical hero.
86. The Rabbi’s Cat, Joann Sfar – In Algeria in the 1930s, a cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his daughter gains the ability to speak. They consult the rabbi’s rabbi to see if the cat can be Jewish, and the cat insists on studying the kabbalah and having a Bar Mitzvah. Accompanied by the cat, they travel to France to meet Zlabya’s cosmopolitan in-laws.
85. Angel Catbird, Margaret Atwood – Young genetic engineer Strig Feleedus is accidentally mutated by his own experiment and merges with the DNA of a cat and an owl. This leads to a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired superhero adventure with lots of cat puns.
84. Saga, Brian K. Vaughan – Two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love and risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Comics/Graphic Novels: 83. Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu is set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia with a steam punk aesthetic, telling the story of a teen girl and her powerful, psychic monster companion. 82. Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon follows Usagi Tsukino, a magical princess from the future who, with the help of the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, protects the Solar System from the Negaverse. 81. Making the Cat Laugh by Lynne Truss is a collection of single life journalism. 80. In The Cat Inside, William S. Burroughs shares his experiences with cats and explores their relationship with humans. 79. Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family by Helen Brown follows a family whose life is changed when they adopt a runt kitten. 78. A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen is the true story of a man and his ginger cat friend who helps him heal his life. 77. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Samantha Irby – Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form, humorously discussing her difficult childhood, her desire to be the new Bachelorette, a disastrous pilgrimage, awkward sexual encounters, and offering advice on how to navigate friendships. 76. Born A Crime, Trevor Noah – Noah's memoir recounts his criminal birth in apartheid South Africa, his mother's attempts to hide him, and their journey of liberation after the end of white rule. 75. Cat on the Edge, Shirley Rousseau Murphy – Joe Grey gains the ability to understand and speak human language, and must use it to help solve a murder he witnessed in the alley behind Jolly’s Deli to save his own life. 74. Seeing A Large Cat, Elizabeth Peters – Amelia Peabody and her family must contend with a mysterious warning and an assassin as they investigate a fraudulent spiritualist and a shocking murder connected to an unknown tomb. 73. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire is a story about October "Toby" Daye, a changeling and knight of the fae who is sent to Fremont, CA to investigate the disappearance of her liege's niece, Countess January O'Leary. When Toby arrives, she discovers someone has been murdering people close to the countess and must find the killer before she becomes the next victim.
72. In What the Cat Saw by Carolyn G. Hart, Nela discovers the death of a former tenant was not an accident and begins to do some research. Strange events occur, leading back to a foundation, until a detective becomes suspicious of Nela's sister and a second murder occurs. Nela must use her unwanted ability to figure out what's really going on before it's too late.
71. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn follows Anna Fox, a recluse in her New York City home who spends her days drinking wine, watching old movies, and spying on her neighbors. When she sees something she shouldn't, secrets are laid bare and Anna must figure out what is real and who is in danger.
70. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun follows Jim Qwilleran, a prizewinning reporter who takes a job as feature writer for the Daily Fluxion. He soon finds himself living in a tiny apartment belonging to George Bonifield Mountclemens, the paper's art critic, and cat-sitting for Koko. When Mountclemens and another are found stabbed to death, Qwilleran must rely on Koko to help him solve the case. 69. Catnap, Carole Nelson Douglas: When Temple Barr and her cat Midnight Louie investigate the death of a NY editor at a publishing convention, they must also rescue the convention mascots, a pair of Scottish Fold library cats, from a ransom plot.
68. The Norths Meet Murder, Frances and Richard Lockridge: Mr. and Mrs. North discover a dead man in a vacant studio in their house, and with the help of their cat Pete, Detective Weigand investigates to uncover an amazing conglomeration of information.
67. Felidae, Akif Pirinçci: Francis, a house cat, investigates the murder of his feline friends and meets a bizarre cat cult, a computer whiz, and a perceptive Persian in this internationally acclaimed suspense novel.
66. Sam the Cat Detective, Linda Stewart: Justice is Sam's business when "She" walks into his office seeking help with her case. Sam must uncover the truth before it's too late.
65. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson: Mikael Blomkvist and genius hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate the forty year old disappearance of Harriet Vanger, uncovering an astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism.
64. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn: On their fifth anniversary, Nick Dunne's clever and beautiful wife Amy disappears. As mounting pressure from police and media mount, Nick must prove he is not a killer. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson follows Merricat Blackwood, her sister Constance, and their Uncle Julian living on the family estate after a fatal dose of arsenic killed seven Blackwoods. In The Sentinel by Jeffrey Konvitz, a young model moves into an old brownstone apartment and encounters grotesque creatures. Twists of the Tale: An Anthology of Cat Horror by Ellen Datlow features 24 master storytellers exploring the inscrutable eyes of cats. In Just After Sunset by Stephen King, the supernatural is explored through a Port-O-San, a hitchhiker, and a bicycle ride. In The Tommyknockers, Stephen King tells a story of Bobbi Anderson and the town of Haven, Maine, who gain powers after stumbling across an ancient metal object. 58. Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" is a memorable story about a black cat and the deterioration of a man. It is often compared to "The Tell-Tale Heart" due to their psychological elements. 57. Stephen King's "Pet Semetary" is about a family who moves into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, only to find a blood-chilling truth lurking in the nearby woods. 56. R.K. Narayan's "A Tiger for Malgudi" tells the story of a venerable tiger and his life from cubhood in the Indian jungle to his dramatic bid for freedom. It combines Hindu mysticism with comedy. 55. H.G. Wells' "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is a riveting tale about evolution, creation and the tension between human nature and culture. It also predicts ethical issues raised by genetic engineering. 54. Matt Ruff's "Fool on the Hill" is set in a world where dogs and cats can talk, sprites live in the shadows, and Bohemians hold all-night revels. 53. Seanan McGuire's "Rosemary and Rue" follows Toby as she investigates the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, which binds her to resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. 52. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke tells the story of two rival magicians in 19th century England. Rich and reclusive Mr. Norrell has regained some of the power of England's magicians and uses it to help the government fight Napoleon Bonaparte. His opposite, Jonathan Strange, is attracted to wild and perilous forms of magic and sets out to learn more about the legendary Raven King. Their differing philosophies cause a rift between them that threatens to destroy all they hold dear.
51. In Mission to Universe by Gordon R. Dickson, 21st century Oxford history student Ned Henry takes a trip to Victorian England for a restful holiday, but finds himself in the middle of danger, intrigue and time-altering pieces of art.
50. Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog follows Ned Henry on his holiday to Victorian England, where he must deal with mysterious cats, love at first sight and pieces of art that could change history.
49. Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls follows Dr. Richard Ames as he is thrown into danger, intrigue and other dimensions when a stranger attempts to deliver a cryptic message and is shot dead at his table.
48. In Jim Butcher's Storm Front, Harry Dresden is the go-to wizard for the Chicago PD when they have cases that require supernatural help. He is called in to consult on a case involving black magic, only to find himself targeted by the black mage behind it. Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams tells the story of Fritti Tailchaser, a brave tom cat in a world of whiskery heroes and villains. Gregory Frost's Lyrec follows two inter-dimensional travelers on a quest to hunt down and destroy Miradomon. In Star Ka'at, Andre Norton and Dorothy Madlee introduce two cats that communicate with Jim and Elly Mae, claiming to be aliens from another planet. Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough is about the highly prized crew members of space vessels known as Barque Cats. Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander features Gareth, a talking cat with the power to travel through time. Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic is the maiden voyage through Discworld, with Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind. H.P. Lovecraft's The Cats of Ulthar is about a law forbidding the killing of cats in a town called Ulthar, which was a personal favorite of Lovecraft's. Lastly, A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber follows Stephanie Harrington on her home world of Meyerdahl and her explorations on the planet Sphinx. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris is set in Midnight, Texas, a small, desolate western town. It follows new resident Manfred Bernardo, who has secrets of his own, as he discovers the truth about the town. In The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, Meghan discovers she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein follows Dan Davis, who invented a revolutionary household robot, only to have it stolen by his partner and fiancée. In Takashi Hiraide's The Guest Cat, a couple in their thirties whose relationship is strained gain joy from a visiting cat. Finally, John C. Holman's Luminous Mysteries follows Grim Power and his sister Rita through their lives in the New South. 36. I Am A Cat, Sōseki Natsume – This allegorical novel follows the story of an unloved, unwanted kitten observing human nature during the Meiji era. Through the animal's point of view, the author offers a commentary on the social upheaval of the time period.
35. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov – Written during Stalin's reign, this novel is a mix of wild theatricality and somber scenes, blending fantasy and reality. Its central characters Woland (Satan) and his retinue, including a talking black cat, explore ethical questions about life under Soviet rule.
34. A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Flannery O’Connor – This classic book is a collection of grotesque, comic scenes in which the main character faces a problem of salvation. O'Connor's apocalyptic vision of life is expressed through these stories set in the American South.
33. We, the Children of Cats, Tomoyuki Hoshino – This anthology is a mix of Borges, Nabokov, Garcia-Marquez, and traditional Japanese folklore. It blends an uncompromising ethical vision with exuberant imagery and formal experimentation.
32. Franny and Zooey, J.D. Salinger – The short story Franny takes place at an unnamed college town and follows an undergraduate becoming disenchanted with the world around her. The novella Zooey is about Zooey Glass coming to his sister's aid as she experiences a spiritual and existential breakdown. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery) is set in an elegant apartment building in the center of Paris. The concierge, Renée, appears to conform to stereotypes, but is secretly a cultured autodidact. Paloma, a twelve-year-old genius daughter of a tedious parliamentarian, plans to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. When a wealthy Japanese man arrives in the building, Renée and Paloma find kindred souls.
In Bobbie Ann Mason's Shiloh and Other Stories, the characters come to terms with feminism, R-rated movies, and video games in the New South.
Susan Meissner's As Bright As Heaven is set in Philadelphia in 1918 as the city is hit with the Spanish Flu. Pauline Bright and her family arrive with hope for a better life, but are met with tragedy.
Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's follows Holly Golightly, who knows that nothing bad can ever happen to her at Tiffany's.
In The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Haruki Murakami), Toru Okada searches for his wife's cat and then his wife in a Tokyo netherworld. He encounters a strange group of allies and antagonists. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami follows two remarkable characters, Kafka Tamura and Nakata, as their paths converge for mysterious reasons. The story is filled with fantastical elements as cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies.
Yann Martel's Life of Pi follows protagonist Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel as he explores issues of spirituality and practicality while surviving 227 days in the Pacific Ocean after a shipwreck with a Bengal tiger.
In Daniel Nanavati's Blueskin the Cat, the main character is a highwayman who has been reincarnated as a cat. He plots revenge against the two brothers responsible for his transformation as he embarks on an adventure on the High Seas.
The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda is about a seagull who makes three promises with Zorba the cat: that he will watch over her egg, not eat it, and teach the baby gull to fly.
S.F. Said's Varjak Paw follows a Mesopotamian Blue cat who is forced out of his isolated home by a sinister Gentleman and his two cats. With help from his ancestor, Varjak manages to save his family from a fate worse than death.
Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood follows Cas Lowood, who has inherited an unusual vocation: killing the dead. Cas travels with his mother and spirit-sniffing cat to follow legends and local lore and destroy murderous dead. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare follows 15-year-old Clary Fray as she discovers a hidden world of Shadowhunters—warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. After witnessing a murder, Clary is pulled into Jace's world and must find out why demons are interested in her and her mother.
In The Kane Chronicles, Rick Riordan tells the story of siblings Carter and Sadie who must embark on a dangerous journey across the globe to stop the Egyptian god Set from destroying their family.
Tamsin by Peter S. Beagle follows Jenny as she helps Tamsin, a ghost who has been trapped for 300 years, remember her past and break free from a powerful evil.
Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space follows Mia Winchell, a kid with synesthesia, as she learns to accept her unique ability and embrace it.
In Spy Cat by Peg Kehret and Pete the Cat, Pete knows something is wrong when burglars come to his owner's house and kidnap him. With help from Alex, his owner's brother, Pete must uncover the clues and rescue Benjie. Watership Down by Richard Adams tells of a group of creatures facing destruction due to the intrusion of man. Led by a pair of friends, they travel through obstacles to a promised land. In Mossflower by Brian Jacques, the wildcat Tsarmina rules Mossflower Woods with an iron paw. Martin and Gonff escape prison and set off to find Boar the Fighter at Salamandastron in the hope of ending Tsarmina's rule. In House of Hades by Rick Riordan, Annabeth and Percy fall into the Underworld. The other five demigods must find the mortal side of the Doors of Death and seal them to prevent the giants from rising. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman follows Lyra and Will as they search for Dark Matter and Will's missing father. They discover a dangerous secret and a knife of untold power that binds their destinies together. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks is about a plastic Indian toy that comes to life when placed in a cupboard. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien is about a widowed mouse with four children who must move her family but her youngest son is ill. She meets the rats of NIMH who provide a solution to her dilemma. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is set in a post-apocalyptic North America, now known as Panem, and is composed of a wealthy Capitol region and 12 poorer districts. As punishment for a rebellion, each district must select one boy and one girl aged 12-18 to compete in the Hunger Games, a televised event where the participants must fight to the death, leaving only one survivor.
Sheila Burnford's The Incredible Journey follows three house pets, a Labrador Retriever, a Bull Terrier, and a Siamese, as they traverse the Canadian wilderness on their way home.
Erin Hunter's Into the Wild follows four Clans of wild cats in danger from the sinister ShadowClan. An ordinary house cat named Rusty may be the bravest warrior of them all.
James and Deborah Howe's Bunnicula tells the story of Harold the Dog and Chester the Cat's mission to discover whether their newest pet, a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits and fangs, is a vampire.
Neil Gaiman's Coraline follows a young girl as she discovers a flat with fourteen doors, thirteen of which open and close, and one which leads her to another flat in another house.
In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter discovers he is a wizard and is taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle tells the story of a magical unicorn living in a forest untouched by death until whispers and rumours reach her that unicorns are gone from the world.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll follows Alice as she follows a hasty hare underground and encounters strange adventures and fantastic characters. The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows, by Jacqueline West, is a young adult/children’s book about 11-year-old Olive who moves into an old Victorian mansion with her parents. She discovers a pair of old spectacles that allow her to travel inside the strange antique paintings in the house.
Cats and books go together like peanut butter and bananas. To prove this, Emily Martin has compiled a list of 100 must-read books with cats in them across several genres. These books feature cats as heroes, antagonists, motifs, or simply cuddly home companions.