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huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,732
7,097
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
Sir Compton Mackenzie's Cats' Company.

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883 - 1972) was a prolific Scottish writer (he wrote nearly 100 books on a variety of topics), broadcaster, political activist, historian, social critic, and pipe-smoker. He wrote Sublime Tobacco in 1957, a copy of which was thoughtfully presented to me a few years back by Forums member Klause. He was also a cat-fancier, and was President of The Siamese Cat Club of Great Britain.

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Cats' Company tells of his experiences with these marvelous creatures, and is accompanied by delightful photographs of his cats by G. Harrison Marks.
 

hasser

Lurker
Jul 28, 2023
20
27
View attachment 279201
Only into the first few chapters but it is very similar to "Water for Elephants" in a lot of ways if you've read that one. The main character is a dust bowler whose family succumbed to the dust bowl pneumonia. He heads east to New York to find work as a dock worker with the only family he has left. Shortly after his arrival in New York a terrible hurricane rips through the area resulting in nearly killing him, and definitely taking his cousin...the last bit of his family and the only job security he has. In the aftermath of this storm, still in a daze he wanders to the dock to witness the arrival of a pair of giraffes who've just arrived on a ship from Africa. A bewildering and also somehow inspiring moment for him. He is drawn to these wondrous creatures and so follows thier convoy without knowing exactly why.

The story is part fiction and part true. The story of two giraffes surviving a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic en route to the San Diego zoo is true, and recieved a lot of press in the 1930s. The book is good so far...but as I've said, I'm only a few chapters in. BooksRun's AutoBuy feature https://bоoksrun.com/books/autobuy is perfect for avid readers like me. It simplifies acquiring books by automatically purchasing titles on my wish list, ensuring I never miss out on must-reads. The convenience and efficiency it offers are invaluable for maintaining and expanding my collection effortlessly.
I’m enjoying this novel so far, finding it reminiscent of "Water for Elephants" in its atmosphere and character depth. The protagonist’s journey from the Dust Bowl to New York, followed by his encounter with giraffes, adds a unique and captivating twist. The blend of fiction with the true story of giraffes surviving a hurricane makes for a compelling read. Looking forward to seeing how the story develops!
 
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Reactions: RonB
Dec 3, 2021
5,334
45,567
Pennsylvania & New York
Sir Compton Mackenzie's Cats' Company.

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883 - 1972) was a prolific Scottish writer (he wrote nearly 100 books on a variety of topics), broadcaster, political activist, historian, social critic, and pipe-smoker. He wrote Sublime Tobacco in 1957, a copy of which was thoughtfully presented to me a few years back by Forums member Klause. He was also a cat-fancier, and was President of The Siamese Cat Club of Great Britain.

View attachment 332352

Cats' Company tells of his experiences with these marvelous creatures, and is accompanied by delightful photographs of his cats by G. Harrison Marks.

I collect books and photos by Harrison Marks, but have never seen the ones in this book—I will have to look for it.
 

khiddy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 21, 2024
251
1,433
South Bend, Indiana
blog.hallenius.org
"52 Stories" by Anton Chekhov is my current listen. A so-far wonderfully funny collection of short stories, including the earliest of his career. From the description on Audible:
Chekhov's genius left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote, but none more so than short fiction. Now, renowned translators and longtime house authors Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their peerless renderings of 52 Chekhov stories - a full deck! These stories, which span the full arc of his career, reveal the extraordinary variety and unexpectedness of his work, from the farcically comic to the darkly complex, showing that there is no one type of "Chekhov story". They are populated by a remarkable range of characters who come from all parts of Russia, all walks of life, and who, taken together, have democratized the short story. Included here are a number of never-before-translated stories, including "Reading" and "An Educated Blockhead".

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Pooh-Bah

Can't Leave
Apr 21, 2023
393
4,241
32
Central Maryland
Still reading through Umineko. Book Five, "End of the Golden Witch".
Uminekoep5l.jpg

The murderous Golden Witch having finally conceded in a battle of wits against the stupidly-named protagonist, one would think that would be the end of the story.
One would think wrong - Before falling catatonic, Beatrice gave Battler one last mystery to solve ("Who am I? You are all alone on this island, no living creature or anything from off the island can affect you. And I am going to kill you. ...Who am I?").
While he tries to work through the thought processes of his pitiable one-time foe to answer that last question, two more witches have commandeered the game board and begin a fresh round of homicides on the island.

...this is a murder mystery, and the question is looking less and less like "Whodunnit?", than "Whydunnit?"
 
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