Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield

Simon's Cat is a collection of cartoons featuring Simon's cat, naturally.

The book is hilarious. If you have a cat or know a cat, you'll likely recognize many of these scenarios. Ok, so a few of them are slightly exaggerated, but only a little.

I'd never heard of Simon or his cat before this book made the rounds on the book blogs. I love cats as much as the next person (make that cat lover) so I figured it was going to be something I'd like. As it turns out it was especially good for me. Cats make me...make me...m..ACHOO! Even though I think they are the most fascinating domestic creatures, I can't have one in the house. Having this book around is almost like having a cat. I said, almost. There's definitely less hair (even though my hair seems to get everywhere, no cat hair means no sneezing), no scratched furniture, no litter box to clean, no disgusting cat food to scoop out. Hey wait a minute! This book is BETTER than having a cat around. ;) Just kidding. I love cats and this book.

I can't wait to follow Simon's Cat on YouTube.

Highly recommended.

For more information about this book, please visit the Hachette Book Group website.

For more information about the author, please visit The Official Simon's Cat Website.

I won this book over at A Sea of Books. Thanks Gwendolyn. I'd also like to thank those nice people at Hachette Book Group for sponsoring the giveaway.

Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield, Grand Central Publishing, ©2009. ISBN 9780446560061(Paperback), 240p.

Cartoon Marriage by Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin

Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony by THE NEW YORKER'S Cartooning Couple is a delightful book filled with very funny cartoons dealing with weddings, sex, children, divorces, the opposite sex, and much more. Lisa Donnelly and Michael Maslin, both long-time cartoonists for The New Yorker are married to each other and draw on their relationship for inspiration. In this book, they present a wonderful collection of their works with a sort of "he said, she said" take on all things matrimonial.

This book was brilliant, hilarious and very well laid out. The cartoons are divided into sections each dealing with married life. Each section is prefaced with a comic strip introduction featuring the authors. I read it sequentially, like a book, but there's no reason why you couldn't flip through the book and read the cartoons randomly. I laughed out loud many times and ran over to where my husband was sitting to show him my favourites. He's now interested in looking more closely at it.

Donnelly and Maslin have distinct styles in cartooning. I'd be hard pressed to say which one I favoured over the other. Both are equally good. At first I didn't even notice the difference...I was too busy laughing. However, as I got further into the book I started looking at their styles along with the cartoons. After awhile I could easily identify their works (without looking at the signatures). I especially loved the introductions to the chapters where the couple storyboarded their own lives. This made the book more personal and made it more than just a collection of cartoons.

There's just one little "oops" with this book. It's bound upside down. I wouldn't have even noticed, but when I first opened the book, the contents were upside down. To solve this "problem", I flipped the dust jacket around so it matches the contents rather than the cover. Unless the next reader removes the dust jacket, no one will be the wiser. ;)

I'll be enjoying this one again and again. It's great.

Highly recommended for the married couple, the engaged couple, those who have divorced, even the single person. There's something for everyone.

Want to know more about this book? Visit Random House website for a synopsis or a peek inside.