November's Book: A Street Cat Named Bob

[Metropolitan]

Talk about it here.

[Amanda]

Bob has got to be the coolest cat on the planet. He is SO adaptable and fearless. None of my cats would follow me around London and sit around while I played guitar. And, he wore clothes! Not your ordinary cat. James, unfortunately, lives in Bob's shadow. It is nice that they found each other because they were both in need of a friend. There used to be a picture of Bob and James on the cover, but James got nixed. He just doesn't look as good in a scarf. I really liked reading of James' and Bob's adventures. The book is pretty simply written; makes you wonder if James has lost a few brain cells due to his drug abuse. I hope Bob and James have a long and healthy life together. Spoiler alert: Bob does not die at the end of the book :)

[Metropolitan]

Thanks for the spoiler alert! When I was a kid, I totally stopped reading books about animals because it seemed like they were just in the book to teach kids a lesson about mortality.

[Metropolitan]

Here are some discussion questions from litlovers.com about the book:

http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guid...

1.) Talk about the strange connection that exists between humans and animals. What makes us bond with one another? James was barely able to care for himself, as he admits, so what prompted him to undertake the care and added expense of a sick animal?

2.) On the publisher's book trailer one man says that James and Bob's story changed his perception of homeless people. He came to see them differently than he had in the past. How do you react to the homeless? Do you ever stop to talk, learn their story, offer money, a word of encouragement, a cup of coffee? Has this book made you see homeless people differently?

3.) Talk about your own relationships with your pets. Perhaps not as dramatically as Bob has done for James Bowen, but have animals in any way shaped your life?

[Amanda]

If you liked this book, you may also enjoy "Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat" by David Dosa.

[Metropolitan]

Thanks for the suggestion, Amanda!

I'm loving Bob! I was quite surprised to read that he gladly wore a scarf and vest--no cat I have ever met would tolerate that. And I keep imagining what my cat would do in the situations Bob and James get into. Probably she'd freak out and run away at the first startling thing that happened. So Bob really seems like a special cat.

I was curious about why the police bothered the buskers so much, and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_p...
"In London, busking is prohibited in the entire borough of the City of London. The London Underground provides busking permits in tube stations." So even though James said there are areas where it's permitted, I guess it's really not.

[Metropolitan]

I finished the book last night and I thought it was just lovely. I love the close relationship between James and Bob, it's so sweet!

I loved how Bob gave James a sense of purpose, something to live for, and even helped comfort him when he was physically sick from coming off of drugs.

[Metropolitan]

It's 11/17, so that means there are only about 2 more weeks to discuss this lovely book! Share your thoughts here!

[Becki]

Are there no copies of this available via Overdrive?

[Metropolitan]

It's not currently. It's in large print, audio CD, and regular size print. I think when I made my big list of books it was in eBook format, but now it's not showing up. Sorry.

[Metropolitan]

Here are some videos of Bob and James in action! One follows them on a day out, and another is a talk show interview.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

[Amanda]

Amazing video! I love Bob!

[Metropolitan]

Glad you liked it, Robyn! There's a second book about Bob and James too, called The World According to Bob. In it, James tells how they moved from selling magazines to writing books.