Have you noticed the cats-on-book-covers trend lately? I sure have. Clearly, someone in publishing has decided that cats on covers sell books. Today, there are approximately 600 million cats in the world, and in the United States, 25% of households have cats. So maybe this publishing trend is actually onto something.
As a diehard cat lover, I will pretty much buy anything and everything emblazoned with a cute cat design—household items, clothing, accessories, books and whatnot. Yup, I’m a sucker. So, I cannot stress how disappointing it is to purchase a new book with an adorable cat on the cover, only to find out there are no actual cats in the story. Zero, zilch, none whatsoever. What a total letdown—the same kind of letdown a hungry (or not-so-hungry) cat experiences when staring down at an empty food bowl.
It’s one of the reasons I was compelled to write my debut adult fiction book, Cat’s People—a story for, and about cat people. Not only does my book have a cat-emblazoned cover in the loveliest shade of pink, but in its pages you will also find six points of view filled with heart, love, humor and kindness, one of which is a stray cat named Cat.
This reading list captures the full spectrum of catness, from mischievous troublemakers to wise companions, and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for a heartwarming or heartbreaking tale, a bit of mystery, a rollicking adventure, or even a little romance, these books celebrate cats in all their furry glory. So, if you’re tired of being duped by cat-covered books that have nothing to do with actual cats, this list of memorable feline characters is for you.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Many of you have likely read this extremely popular novel by Backman, but for those who haven’t, it combines two of my favorite tropes: grumpy old man with a heart of gold, and cat hater who begrudgingly transforms into cat lover. The cover is also pitch-perfect, allowing you a glimpse into the story about an old man with his back to the world and a scruffy-looking cat in need of a home Velcro-ed to his legs. As the central character Ove reluctantly allows the world back into his cold, deadened heart, his disdain for the stray creature he fondly calls Cat Annoyance is eventually replaced with care and affection, allowing Ove to fully evolve into the feline servant he was meant to be. Make sure to keep a box of tissues nearby, because I guarantee you will need them.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Over the last decade or so, Japanese authors seem to have cornered the market on ultra-cozy books featuring cats. It’s not all that surprising since cats have long been revered in Japan due to the belief that cats bring good luck and fortune. Who am I to argue with that? In fact, there are so many translations of Japanese cat-centric novels that I could have probably written this entire article about them. For the sake of variety, though, I have chosen to feature my favorite of the bunch. To me, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has it all—a main character named Satoru who is kind, in touch with his emotions, and overall the kind of human being you would want to be lifelong friends with; a cat narrator named Nana, who is funny, full of snark, observant, curious and somewhat in denial of his attachment to his human; a scenic road trip across Japan in a silver van; and a bittersweet ending that will have you once again reaching for that box of tissues. I promise, not all of the books on this list will make you bawl your eyes out.
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman and The Conrad the Cat Detective Series by L.T. Shearer
We all know the saying, “curiosity killed the cat,” so it seems logical that cats and mysteries should go hand-in-hand. Except, in these cozy mysteries full of humor and heart, it isn’t the cats who are killed (thank goodness!). In the case of We Solve Murders, the new series by beloved author Richard Osman, Trouble the cat plays more of a supporting, therapeutic role for his human Steve Wheeler, a retired police officer. Steve, a homebody at heart, yearns for a quiet life where he can spend time at home with Trouble, watching TV, attending weekly pub quizzes with friends, and taking strolls around the picturesque village where he lives. When his daughter-in-law, Amy, is framed for the murders of her former high-profile clients, Steve must leave the creature comforts of home, and Trouble, to help her. As a cat lover, I know how very hard it is to leave my cats for extended periods of time. So it comes as no surprise that Steve will have to solve this mystery in a jiff so he can hurry home to his beloved Trouble.
In the Conrad the Cat series by L.T. Shearer, the first of the series being The Cat Who Caught a Killer, the cat character named Conrad is a former stray who plays a more central role in the mysteries. Conrad spends his days assisting his human, Lulu Lewis, also a retired police officer, as she solves murders. And when I say assist, I mean it in the most hands-on sense, or rather, paws-on sense. Because Conrad is a very special cat, one who can actually talk. Although he only chooses to converse with Lulu. Some readers might find it hard to suspend their disbelief with regards to a cat who can actually talk out loud. But that’s what makes this series so much fun. Haven’t we all looked at our cats or dogs at home and wished they could sometimes speak to us?
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert and Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
Romance lovers rejoice! It turns out that romance and cats are quite the winning combination. And if you’re a cat lover, the idea of strangers meeting and chatting about their mutual affection for cats, or one trying to convince the other that cats are not to be disdained, is likely a familiar scenario. I can’t tell you how often I’ve been in situations from my day-to-day life where I’ve struck up conversations with total strangers about cats. It’s a known fact, really, that cat people have a knack for finding one another. This, of course, creates the optimal condition for a meet-cute.
And a meet-cute is exactly how Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert gets started. In the first scene between the protagonists, Chloe is failing miserably at convincing a stray cat to come down from a tree. She climbs up, and of course, gets stuck. Then along comes Red, not only to help Chloe rescue the cat, but to rescue her as well. It’s the absolute perfect start to this grumpy and sunshine romance.
Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams, a friends-to-lovers romance, features Alexis Carlisle, a main character who is indeed mad about cats. So much so, that she has opened ToeBeans, a cat cafe that becomes a refuge not only to rescue cats, but to survivors of sexual violence as well. Unlike Chloe, Alexis doesn’t have a handsome stranger swoop in to rescue her. Instead, it’s her friend Noah who stands by her side. Except, well, he has been secretly in love with her for a long time—so in love that he has to pretend he isn’t scared of her somewhat deranged cat, Beefcake. The scenes between Noah and Beefcake are the absolute best. This line from the book pretty much sums it up: “Beefcake opened his mouth and dropped the remains of a dead mouse on his chest.”
Starter Villain by John Scalzi and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
If action is more your thing, boy, do I have some recommendations for you. Let’s start with Starter Villain, a wholly original, satirical sci-fi romp by the prolific John Scalzi. This book may just have the best cat-themed cover ever. Have you ever imagined your cat as an evil villain secretly plotting to take over the world? Well, that’s pretty much the vibes of the artwork here. And the plot is exactly that. The narrator, Charlie Fitzer, is a substitute teacher living in his childhood home with a cat named Hera, and another recent kitten rescue he names Persephone. One day, he suddenly inherits a supervillain empire from his recently deceased uncle. He is then whisked off to the volcano lair headquarters, because what is a supervillain empire without its volcano lair? Soon, Charlie will find out who really runs the show—a group of sentient genetically enhanced cats who unbeknownst to him, have been manipulating his entire life. If you’re a fan of the Austin Powers film franchise and popcorn books, this one is definitely for you.
Speaking of popcorn books, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is definitely worthy of a big bowl of buttery popcorn. It features a unique, humorous and action-packed story set in an end-of-the-world scenario, after an alien invasion kills almost the entire human population. The survivors are left with two choices—to try and live on whatever is left on the planet, or to join a cruel and deadly intergalactic reality show. That’s when we meet Carl, a Coast Guard veteran, who was clumsily trying to rescue his ex-girlfriend’s show cat, Princess Donut from a tree when the world annihilating event happened. Half-naked, and wearing a pair of Crocs several sizes too small, he makes the split-second decision to join the games. Needless to say, Princess Donut is the real star of the reality show, with her supremely indifferent attitude and unexpected heroics.
