Book Review: Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

Homer, the Greek poet who wrote the great epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, was blind. The Odyssey concerns the hero’s return home after the fall of Troy.

Homer, the star of Gwen Cooper’s memoir Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat, is a blind kitten. He is brought to the vet with a very bad eye infection. The vet removes his eyes, and sets about finding Homer a forever home.

Enter Gwen Cooper, who already has taken in two stray cats. Gwen is smitten with Homer, not so much because he is blind but because he has such a courageous spirit. He comes into her life at just the right time, after a breakup with her long-time boyfriend. As Cooper says:

I adopted him because when you think you see something so fundamentally worthwhile in someone else, you don’t look for the reasons – like bad timing or a negative bank balance – that might keep it out of your life. You commit to being strong enough to build your life around it, no matter what. In doing so, you begin to become the thing you admire.

Homer is full of spunk and character. He defends Gwen against an intruder who breaks into her home. Along with her other two cats, they survive for several days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, after Cooper is unable to return to her apartment near the World Trade center.

Homer is utterly lovable. He leaps tall bookcases, hangs from curtains, and shoves tuna cans out of the kitchen cabinet. He loves life with a joyous innocence. It is very easy to fall in love with him! Everything he does takes a leap of faith.

Gwen Cooper is a very talented writer. The book is cleverly put together, with quotes from The Odyssey heading each chapter. Cooper writes about how Homer gave her the courage to move to New York when she was almost 30 years old, and how Homer’s influence changed how she viewed her relationships with men.

Even if you aren’t as crazy about cats as I am, you will love Homer. You can order a copy right now from Amazon, or you can have it downloaded on your Kindle in less than a minute!







If I haven’t convinced you to read this book, just look at these videos about the book, in the first video. Cooper talks meeting Homer, and in the second video she reads an excerpt from the book.



You can read more about Homer on his blog: Homer's Odyssey.

Rating:

State Of The Blog Address 2012

I have been missing in action for awhile because I needed to take a break from blogging for various reasons. Throughout December and January I was continually sick with colds and various little illnesses. Being continually doped up with amoxicillin, Vicodin, Pepto-Bismol, and Milk of Magnesia -- not all at the same time of course -- is not fun! I was exhausted throughout the holiday season and during January. I also suffer and struggle with carpal tunnel syndrome and osteopedia (or osteopenia) (which means I may develop osteoporosis) and I hurt ALL OVER. I could barely type a sentence. Whenever my immune system shuts down from illness, the carpal tunnel comes back with a vengeance.

When I started blogging I had no idea how much time ONE blog could take, let alone TWO blogs. I love taking photographs for New Jersey Memories, but my poor health and painful arms and legs have made it difficult. Even walking a short distance is difficult. So, for now I will be showing photographs I took last year on New Jersey Memories. I will be keeping that blog as mostly a photo blog about interesting places in New Jersey, although I may occasionally post about personal issues. As for The Literary Lioness, I was in a quandary. It is basically a book blog, and so I usually post book reviews. However, I really take my time reading books for review, and was far behind on my TBR list! While I was sick, I took full advantage of my time to read, but even I can’t read all day every day. I also put a lot of time and thought into my reviews. I am in awe of those book bloggers who can write a review almost every day!

I kept thinking that I was a failure because I don’t post enough book reviews, but then I decided that it’s MY blog and I can write what I want to write! I have decided that while I will continue to write book reviews on The Literary Lioness (including reviews on writing books and New Jersey books, which I read but have not written many reviews about), I will also write about my life as a writer, and other subjects that interest me, such as home decorating and design, music, fonts and typography, bookstores, cats, etc. I also want to become involved in writing memes.

I also want to announce a couple of changes on this blog. First, I will be giving book ratings from one to five stars. You can see the rating system on the left sidebar. Also, I have installed Intense Debate with Comment Luv! When you make a comment, please add your Site URL underneath and click the checkbox next to the Comment Luv button (with the heart). When your comment shows up so will the URL of your latest blog post! Hopefully, that will bring more readers to your blog!

Yule Log!

For many years Channel 11, WPIX in New York City (one of the oldest TV stations in the country), would present the "Yule Log" on Christmas Eve. While the Yule Log burned, Christmas carols would play. Now my childhood home did have a fireplace, but there was something about the Yule Log on Channel 11 that made us happy. It became a New York area tradition. I hope you enjoy it! This particular Yule Log was shown in 1983.

After a few years off the air, the Yule Log was restored back to Channel 11 a few years ago, and now is seen on many stations around the country.

There is, of course, a fan website devoted to The Yule Log.

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I'm taking a short break from my blogs to concentrate on the holidays, catch up on my reading and to focus my energies on some work projects.

So I'll see you sometime early next year!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!