The Cat Markings Book Tag

Hello hello and welcome or welcome back to my little bookish corner of the internet. For this last Wednesday of January, I’m sweeping in with The Cat Markings Book Tag, which the lovely Kerri tagged me in. You can find here post here.

I love a good book tag, and I love my beautiful Cassian, my ginger cat. He’s currently living with my parents while we’re homeless, and I miss him like absolutely crazy. I’m snuggled up with him today for a few hours while I visit to collect my post and do my washing – frankly, I’d come up with any excuse to visit him! So let’s talk cats.

The Rules:

• Link back to the original creator (The Corner of Laura) and link back to this page (otherwise, the original creator won’t get a notification).
• Thank whoever tagged you and link back to their post (Thanks for the tag, Kerri!)
• (Optional) Use the graphics and don’t forget to credit the original creator (The graphics were also created by Laura @ The Corner of Laura)
• (Optional) Tag 5 or more other people.

The Prompts:

Black Cats: Pick a book that doesn’t get the love it deserves.

I could pick several books here as the last year especially has really shown me how many underrated works of brilliance there are out there! However, one of the most recent I’ve read is The Mirror: Broken Wish. I only found out about it in connect to the sequel being released, and I completely loved it. I’ll be following the rest of the books, but I’m already sad that this is the only book with these characters.

White Cats: Pick a book with great disability rep.

Ooh this is a great prompt. I’m disabled so live for books with disabled rep! I know for a fact that the lovely Ellie (ReadToRamble) is working hard on a piece about disability in fiction, and here’s just some of the books we’ve discussed:

• A Curse So Dark and Lonely (CP)
• Me Before You (Paralysis, wheelchair use)
• I Know You Did It (Fibromyalgia)
• The Rules of Seeing (Visual Impairment)
• A Study In Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) (PTSD)

Ginger Cats: Name your favourite male character.

I think I’ll have to go for two characters from the same series. Both Peter Grant and Inspector Nightingale from Rivers of London make me cry, laugh, snort, and everything in between. They’re brilliant characters in their own right, and then their interactions are just even better.

Peter starts off appearing to be a typical sterotype of a London copper, and quickly proves he is everything but that, after he takes a statement from a ghost. Soon after that, we meet Nightingale for the first time, and, having read the first of the graphic novels as well, so seeing the visual representation as well as bit more of Nightingale functioning by himself, and not just Peter’s experience… I love them both even more since. I’m planning on reading book eight next month, and I’m already excited for it.

Yesterday I shared my review of the seventh book in the series, and here’s all the links in order:

• Rivers of London #1
• Moon Over Soho #2
• Whispers Underground #3
• Broken Homes #4
• Foxglove Summer #5
• What Abigail Did That Summer #5.3
• The Furthest Station #5.5
• The Hanging Tree #6
• Lies Sleeping #7

Tortoiseshell Cats: Name your favourite female character.

Just like above, I don’t think I can just pick one! I adore Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses, and equally love Bryce from Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood. I can’t wait for the second book in the series to be released in just a few weeks time, and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of Bryce. The first book showed her to have so many layers, and the sneak previews we’ve had of book two show just how much more of her there is to see.

Stepping away from Sarah J Maas and into the thriller / mystery genre, I have all the time in the world for Pippa from A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. I’m sharing my “second viewings” thoughts later this week, and I think I love Pip even more this time around. I also adore Stevie from Truly Devious, and watching her grow throughout the four books we’ve so far had is a genuine privillege. Here’s my reviews of the series:

• Truly Devious #1
• The Vanishing Stair #2
• The Hand on the Wall #3
• The Box in the Woods #4

Calico Cats: Name a character you wish was your best friend.

I loved both Sorcery of Thorns and Vespertine last year, by author Margaret Rogerson. Artemisia comes across as somewhat abrupt and abaisive, coving up for fear and insecurities. I think we’d get on very well, and if she’s not around, I’ll hang out with Elisabeth and Nathaniel from SoT! That’s how it works, right?

Tabby Cats: Name a character who’s the life and soul of the party.

One of the things I really love about the Spellslinger series is the wonderful character that is Ferius Parfax. She sweeps in to every situation, knowing exactly what to do, when to do it, and often whom to do it to, just makes her an utter legend. I’d quite like to be cool enough to hang out with her, frankly. I’m really looking forward to reading the books dedicated to her story this year.

Here’s the books featuring her so far:

• Spellslinger #1
• Shadowblack #2
• Charmcaster #3

A Clowder of Cats: Name your favourite fictional squad.

I’ve already mentioned the brilliant Rivers of London team, the fabulous duo that is Elisabeth and Nathaniel from Sorcery of Thorns, and of course Kellen and Ferius Parfax from Spellslinger.

Running alongside them, I also have a huge amount of love for Daisy and Hazel from Murder Most Unladylike. They might not be quite a “clowder” (what a brilliant word that is!), but they’re sharp, funny, brave, kind and strong. In the later books, they get more support from the other girls in their boarding house, which I think can totally justify them as a squad.

The House in the Cerulean Sea also deserves a mention. The adult characters are enchanting enough, but then when you take into consideration the various magical beings that Arthur is caring for, you can’t help but fall in love. This book ended up easily on my Top 20 of 2021, and the ‘cluster’ of characters is a big reason why.

Finally, I’ll have to mention Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson from A Study In Charlotte. I read book two, The Last of August, this month, and it ended on a total bombshell. Book three, The Case For Jamie, is on my TBR for February. They’re a dynamic, disastarous duo, and that’s why I love them. Reading them bounce off one another is just so absorbing.

Tags:

• Kate – The Quick and The Read
• Kimberly – My Bookish Bliss
• Danni – For Books Sake
• Amy Louise – Shelf of Unread
• And anyone else who wants to be tagged!