James Herriot was a country vet in Yorkshire, England. His stories, popularized in the PBS series, "All Creatures Great and Small" are charming, funny, and very entertaining. This series is one of my favorites. Check the publication dates and read them in order. The characters develop over time, so you will miss something if you read them out of sequence.

Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who..." books are, by far, the best cat mystery series I've come across. Ms. Braun started this series in 1966 with the publication of "The Cat Who Could Read Backwards". This book was followed by "The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern" in 1967 and "The Cat Who Turned On and Off" in 1968. The fourth book, "The Cat Who Saw Red" was published 18 years later in 1986. Since then, Ms. Braun has written at least one "Cat Who..." book each year.

Jim Qwilleran and his siamese cats, KoKo and Yum Yum, make a formidable team of detectives. The mysteries are fun to read and the descriptions of siamese behavior will make any cat-lover smile.

These books are best read in sequence since the characters develop over time. Click here for a complete list of the "Cat Who..." books in order of publication. Oh...and a word of warning. Ms. Braun is not above killing off some of her main characters, so be prepared.

Lilian Jackson Braun's latest book, "The Cat Who Saw Stars", will be published in January, 1999.

Okay, I'll confess. This isn't a cat book. It is a delightful dog book by Peter Mayle, author of "A Year in Province" and "Toujours Province". The dog, Boy, wanders into Peter Mayle's life in Provence and decides to stay.

When Laura Gould discovered that her calico kitten was a boy, she became interested in the genetics that made this such a rare occurance. This book is both entertaining and informative. It contains a layman's explanation of cat genetics peppered with amusing anectdotes about George, the calico. "Cats Are Not Peas" is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered why (almost) all calicos are girls and why red tabbies are usually boys.

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