10 Favorite Cat Books of 2016

'Tis the season for a wide variety of "best of" posts, so in the spirit of the season we've put together a list of our 10 favorite cat books of the year.

This list easily could have been twice it's length and paring it down to 10 was very difficult. For clarification, we only chose books that were released in 2016. When you click on each book's link you will be taken to our Tortie Shorties review, and in some cases an interview with a fantastic feline!

10. Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian. Full review to come in the new year!

9. Christmas at the Cat Cafe by by Melissa Daley. A heartwarming Christmas story focusing on family, forgiveness, friendship, food...and some pretty unforgettable cats. The only thing better than visiting a cat cafe is having the opportunity to visit one at Christmas, and this book allows readers to do just that.

8. To Catch a Cat: How Three Stray Kittens Rescued Me by Heather Green. The story of a New Jersey couple who brings a little feral family into their hearts and home and end up learning more about themselves and their relationship in the process. This book make me so grateful that there are people out there making a difference and being a voice for the most innocent among us.

7. Catlantis by Anna Starobinets. When asked to review this book I had my doubts that I'd enjoy it because I'm not a fan of fantasy, but I found it to be absolutely enchanting and a must-read for cat lovers of all ages. The story of Baguette the lovesick tabby and his treasured Purriana and everything he goes through for the honor of winning her paw in marriage is a pure delight, as are the adorable drawings that accompany the text.

6. Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission. Sula's "meowmoir" is part story of a very special cat, part history lesson, part travelogue. She's proof that if there is such a thing as angels on earth, they come in the form of fur and four legs.

5. Cat Shout for Joy by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the publishing of the very first Joe Grey mystery. Like so many other long-running series I've fallen woefully behind in reading, I still found myself completely engrossed in Joe, Dulcie, and their sidekick Kit "the flightly tortoiseshell". From new beginnings to a heart-breaking goodbye, this mystery has it all.

4. The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World by Jan Louch and Lisa Rogak. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that until this book I had never heard of the Baker and Taylor cats. My only excuse is that their heyday was in the 1980's, my childhood years when I was a frequent patron of my local library but not as enmeshed in cat culture as I am today. This beautiful memoir is a love letter to cats and books and I felt such a kinship with the author as she detailed the connection that so many of us feel to both.

3. Tortitude by Ingrid King. This book is pure catnip for the soul of a tortie lover, or any aficionado of feline beauty. It will have a permanent place on my coffee table because I am such a proud tortie mom. (I'm also a tad partial because Angel Truffles is in it, while Mudpie is hoping for a sequel so she gets her turn in the spotlight!)

2. Kit Kat and Lucy: The Country Cats Who Changed a City Girl's World by Lonnie Hull DuPont. A tortie on the cover drew me in as well as the fact that Kit Kat was a name I had considered for Mudpie. The story inside about how a woman's life was changed by two very special cats following a drastic move to the country landed it in runner-up status on my 2016 list.

1. The Ghost of Christmas Paws by Mandy Morton. Over the past year I've fallen in love with Hettie Bagshot and her sidekick Tilly as they live their cozy little lives in a back room apartment of a bakery. Their Christmas adventure taking place in a manor house on the Cornish coast will be a holiday re-read in my home for many years to come. One of my favorite cat cozies *ever*!!!

What was YOUR favorite cat book of 2016?