Have a Meowry Xmas!

Beach or snow?

Here is Australia we are heading off to holidays on the beach. I wasn’t sure whether or not to include sunny Christmas photos or snowy one so I have done both!

New High Clowder Cats Review by Ami Sanghavi 5 out of 5 stars I am inherently a dog person. I love dogs a lot. Second to them are cats. They are cute, fragile, and a little obnoxious, if I may say so. So, when I read the title of this book, I was really intrigued to know how an entire story with a cast full of cats would turn out. This is the reason why I picked up the book “High Clowder Cats” by Ruby Knight. The story started out simple, with a very thoughtful inclusion of a list of the cat characters and their roles or positions in the story. This character introduction gave a sense of familiarity as to how the cats were introduced in the book. The plot of this story revolves around the character Bushytail, who we see walking around feeling very lonely and sad. This orange tom was on his own in the world after his mother left him. All he was left with was his determination. He had a dream to find a safe spot where he could settle for a long period and have a family of his own. But then everything changed when he met Bristle and a couple of outsider toms one fateful day. From that point on, he started living a destiny way larger than his initial, deeply buried, and imagined dreams. Also, the book title makes perfect sense as the story unfolds. A clowder is basically a community of cats, and throughout the book, we see that there are different clowders, like the Tree Clowder and the River Clowder. Bushytail becomes a part of High Clowder, which is a unique mountain society, and later, he even leads the clowder. It was interesting to see this because it showed that the book wasn’t only about one cat’s journey but about an entire clowder and about how it rose, fell, and transformed. I really liked seeing how much Bushytail grew throughout the story. The way the battles were fought, and Brokenear’s harsh rule was broken, was a delight to read about as well. I even loved Brave’s character arc. Once known as Crooked, he had been tortured and blinded, but he still never gave up. He was very loyal to Bushytail, and he was willing to face danger again despite everything that had happened to him. This really moved me. In this book, there are also some very moving moments, such as the one in the narrow tunnel where Bushytail must slowly, and with a great deal of apprehension and inner conflict, progress through a very dark tunnel. He remembered Bristle’s teachings and showed tremendous courage in the scene, and ultimately, he was very brave. That was one of the things I appreciated in this book. Another scene was that of Storm’s experience with the ’Stone.’ It was a simple ritual from the outside, but it brought out a spiritual shift in her. I loved the scene. Lastly, the ambush battle was another highlight, wherein High Clowder was attacked by River Clowder and Tree Clowder at the same time. It was very thrilling and kept me thoroughly invested. In light of all of the above, and also because I like the book very much, I could easily give it a score of 5 stars out of 5. The book felt very honest in terms of the way it was written, and the world of cats was created. All credit for this goes to the author. I have absolutely nothing to dislike about this delightful book. I believe I am even going to read the second part of this book that is already out. I am truly interested in knowing what happens next. I recommend this book to anybody and everybody, regardless of their age, and also to anyone who likes animal stories that are profound and of great meaning.