That Little Coffee Cat

I’ve been thinking about how to use this space on a more regular basis and I think I came up with a wee idea, which is to start doing monthly favorites about anything! The focus will still be on books, but I think this could be a good way for me to not only keep track of the books I read, but the places I’ve been to, the restaurants I like, or just whatever comes to my fancy that I want to share with you all!

BOOKS

So, I’m going to start the JANUARY post with a list of books that I’ve read, and note which ones were my favorites:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

The Red Notebook by Paul Auster

Zorro and the Dragon Riders by David Bergantino (re-read)

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver

Post Office by Charles Bukowski (re-read)

Zorro and the Witch’s Curse by John Whitman (re-read)

Zorro by Isabel Allende (re-read)

Pax by Sarah Pennypacker

Walt Disney’s Zorro by Steve Frazee

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Z, A Story of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

Walks with Men by Ann Beattie

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

The Adventures of Zorro by Johnston McCulley

….my reading was definitely all over the place in January and that’s pretty typical for me. Convenience Store Woman and The Red Notebook were both books that I randomly grabbed from the library when I felt like I needed some new inspired reads. I read both of them in two days and loved them both. There is something about Japanese-translated writing that just makes it so easy to read and digest. I have a fierce love for Haruki Murakami, so I’m hoping that Murata will have more translated books out soon! It such an odd little book, but I loved it nonetheless. My random grab of Paul Auster also made me want to read more of his books, so I’ll most likely be picking something of his again soon.

I got into such a mood of wanting to read books set in California/Los Angeles with my re-obsession with my childhood hero, Zorro, hence the two Joan Didion’s and Charles Bukowski. I loved Bukowski since I was in college and am finding a need to read more of him.

Raymond Carver has been sitting on my shelf for a few months and I’m SO glad to have finally read him. I’m not going to lie, I was inspired to read him because I caught a title of his on Nathan Page’s shelf on Instagram (Yes, I’m that person) and became determined to read him. Hey, we all get inspired from different places, right? Now he’s a newfound favorite that I’ll definitely be re-visiting soon.

FOOD

  Mr. Cat and I went on a quick adventure in Glastonbury and discovered a new favorite burger bar, Plan B. Their burgers were to die for, and I had the most amazing breakfast hash. I also love their drink list! I ordered a “Benjamin Button” which had bourbon, orange blossom honey and lemon juice. It fitted perfectly with me reading Fowler’s Z, A Story of Zelda Fitzgerald.

If you’re a fellow Connecticuter, I highly recommend Plan B!

Music

Photo Credit: readdork.com

I’m not usually a picky music listener. I typically chose my music based on what era I’m reading from or just my mood, which is ALL OVER THE PLACE. But January had me become OBSESSED with Lewis Capaldi. I fell in love with “Someone You Loved” and “Before You Go.”

*January was also the month where I discovered the beauty that is PRETZEL POPTARTS. I highly recommend the cinnamon sugar one 😀

All the Goode vibes, Cat

CBFP’S Top Ten Reasons why Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is a Kick Ass Show

Essie Davis as the Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher. Photo courtesy of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll be familiar with my recent obsession with the Australian TV show, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. If you’re not on Instagram, it doesn’t matter BECAUSE I’M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MY OBSESSION WITH MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES!

A minute into…

My Favorite April Reads!

I know, it’s the end of May and I’m just talking about my favorite books that I read in April. It was a really good reading month and I could ramble on about all the books that I read. But that would turn this post into a Tolstoy-esque piece, and no one wants that. I decided to narrow it down to my top six favorites with no specific ranking. I also seemed to have picked up books with “houses” as…

A LITERARY ENGLAND JAUNT PART V – THE JANE AUSTEN HOUSE MUSEUM

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Jane Austen fan in possession of an opportunity to go visit the Chawton House, must, in fact, take this chance at any cost.

Ok, maybe not as dramatic. But the dramatic sentiment was certainly there when I was planning my itinerary in England. The moment I realized it was feasible to visit Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, Hampshire, I inked in onto my…

A LITERARY ENGLAND JAUNT: PART IV – 48 DOUGHTY STREET, THE LONDON HOME OF CHARLES DICKENS

My interest in Charles Dickens was piqued when I was in my early twenties. I vaguely remember reading Oliver Twist in high school like every other student in America. But I can’t say I recall much of it besides the ubiquitous-quote-turned-Internet-meme, “Please sir, may I have some more?” uttered by the famous orphan.

A Tale of Two Cities was recommended to me in college. I read it, liked it,…

A LITERARY ENGLAND JAUNT: PART III – THE SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM

“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet

 What Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has done with his creation of Sherlock Holmes is to convince the world that he is real. That if you address your letter of inquiry to Mr. Sherlock Holmes at the famous 221B Baker Street address, the…

A LITERARY ENGLAND JAUNT: PART II – ST. GEORGE’S GARDENS

When I travel with my husband, we like a little spontaneity in our days. We don’t tend to plan everything out. Getting lost together in a new place is one of my favorite things and often find it to be the best way to get to know a city. With that in mind, as we wandered aimlessly around London, we stumbled across a beautiful green space called St. George’s Garden.

I remember seeing a little peek…

A LITERARY ENGLAND JAUNT: PART I – LONDON

London, the city of Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, is a place that I have long called home in my overly-stimulated literary mind. Native Londoners may laugh at this American’s obsession with their city’s brick houses and alleyways, but one cannot simply ignore the fact that London has one of the richest literary history and impacts in the world.

Hence the power of Dickens’ and Conan…

REVIEW – WARLOCK HOLMES: A STUDY IN BRIMSTONE

“Sherlock Holmes is an unparalleled genius who uses the gift of deduction and reason to solve the most vexing of crimes.

 Warlock Holmes, however, is an idiot. A good man, perhaps; a font of arcane power, certainly. But he’s brilliantly dim. Frankly, he couldn’t deduce his way out of a paper bag. The only thing he has really got going for him are the might of a thousand demons and his stalwart…

HEAR IT FROM MY FRIENDS: THE POWER OF REPRESENTATION

If you’ve been following my Instagram and blog posts, you know how unexpectedly emotional I felt after seeing Crazy Rich Asians in theatres. If you missed those reflections, you can find my posts here:

THANK YOU, CRAZY RICH ASIANS

WHAT VINCENT VAN GOGH, JON M. CHU, COLDPLAY, AND I HAVE IN COMMON

This is one of the first times I experienced the power of representation on a very personal level.…

WHAT VINCENT VAN GOGH, JON M. CHU, COLDPLAY, AND I HAVE IN COMMON

When I finished reading The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, a collection of letters shared between Vincent and his brother, Theo, from 1873 -1890; the experience was so melancholic and poignant that I wanted to write a review to share that experience. What I didn’t expect was finding a common thread between three very different artists from very different backgrounds during the process – Vincent…

THANK YOU, CRAZY RICH ASIANS

I’m still riding high on emotions after seeing the film, Crazy Rich Asians on opening weekend, and I thought to myself, maybe I should wait a few days and let my emotions settle, then reflect on what those emotions actually mean rather than go on a rambling rampage. Then I thought, no. There comes a time when those raw emotions should be expressed as they are – real, timely, and passionate.

The…

Classic literature readers, listen up: If reading Jane Austen or F. Scott Fitzgerald has changed your life in some way, imagine being a part of a movement that could bring that same empowering change to disadvantaged kids across the world.

Let me introduce MET, a social enterprise established by three friends and literature lovers from Melbourne, Australia. Matthew Taylor, a commercial lawyer…

BOOK REVIEW: HOUSE OF SHADOWS by Nicola Cornick

Calling to all historical fiction fans – House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick is a thought-provoking, fast paced, and very well-researched story that is filled with historical intrigue, atmospheric romance, and a touch of the supernatural.

Cornick has created what I believe to be a classic haunted house story that explores the tensions of social responsibilities, personal relationships, and the…

Book Review: Get the Hell Over It by Sarah Beth Moore

“This book is going to give you permission to believe in a dream that you’ve always thought was small, silly, unrealistic or unworkable.”

I began a new week by reading Sarah Beth Moore’s Get the Hell Over it, and boy, what an inspiring way to start! The book is short but packed with beautiful motivations of making your dreams come true, bringing legitimacy of being or wanting to be a creative,…

REACTION: READING SLUMPS AND THE DISCOVERY OF GRAPHIC NOVELS

I’m not sure if it’s because of post-Middle Earth March (@coffeecoffeecat on Instagram) that I felt a sense of loss that led me into the longest book slump ever, but April was definitely not a productive book-reading month. I read a handful of novels, but none of them captivated me enough to keep turning the pages. In fact, I even abandoned one! I very seldom abandon books – but I also feel…