So I hadn’t really planned on reviewing books on this blog so I am keeping it pet related but since I have 2 years of experience of being a book blogger, I thought I would keep it up as I am enjoying it and it is an easier way of easing myself back in to writing more.
The World According To Bob is the second book in the trilogy of James Bowens ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’ books you can read my review for the first book in the trilogy by clicking here. It follows directly on from the story of A Street Cat Named Bob but I wouldn’t necessarily say that you have to read these books in order. They are easy to read books and Bowen without repeating the first book does a brief recap. The World According To Bob tells the story of how the events during the first book have shaped his life after happening. I find it very interesting delving into someone else’s life whilst reading a book and seeing the world through someone else’s life which is why I chose to read these books in the first place. Obviously being a cat lover also played a part in that decision too.
I must admit part of me was a little worried that the second book may be exactly the same as the first with very little added to the story and I wondered whether reading these stories back to back may not have been a good idea. But I can say that honestly it is a great book and does have a completely different story line from the first book and does reference back without it being a huge dejavu.
Bob and James are still living of the streets of London, now selling The Big Issue to make ends meet. But as one can only imagine, working on the streets of London isn’t easy for the two and Bowen describes how even though there are some great and memorable moments, there is always the possibility of trouble lurking around the corner. James Bowen’s books about his life with Bob can only be described as bitter sweet. It is not a happy little story about a man and his cat. It has its quirks and funny little stories about Bob and his antics but it also does a 180 degree and talk about the struggles that faced in their every day life whether that was due to lack of money, coming in to contact with shady characters in London or James dealing with his addiction and coming clean.
There is a very powerful sense of love in these books and no one on Earth can deny the affection that these to share. It is almost as if they were a match made in heaven. And I have so much respect for Bowen for always putting Bob’s needs before his own and doing his best to give Bob the best life. One thing that I really loved about this book and it might sound a bit trivial. But after each chapter there was the sweetest little illustrations depicting out a scene from that chapter. They are all beautifully drawn and a great little feature that the first book didn’t have and I hope to see them in the final book of the series.
Wirral Woof Pack 