The Guncle by Steven Rowley

March 8, 2025

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Patrick is an actor who starred in a successful long-running network sitcom, but when the sitcom ended and he lost his partner in a car accident, Patrick left Hollywood and fled to Palm Springs. After the death of his sister-in-law who was also his best friend, Patrick finds himself looking after his niece and nephew for the summer while their father is in rehab. Having the two children stay with him forces Patrick to face his own unresolved grief.

A heartwarming, funny and uplifting story about family, grief, and second chances. A Guncle is your gay uncle, and Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP for short) is the uncle we all wish we had. Full of great characters, from Patrick and the two kids, to the gay throuple (yes, it's a threesome) who live next door - even Marlene the dog and Patrick's uptight sister Clara (who definitely has a stick up her butt) are great characters. As much as I like this book, I don't plan on reading the recently released sequel because it won't be able to live up to this one, and I have no intention of EVER reading Lily and the Octopus.

Palm Springs, CA

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

June 26, 2019

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

A sweet warm story about a stray cat taken in by a Japanese man.  After living together for five years, Satoru realizes that he needs to find a new home for his beloved cat Nana.  They travel around Japan in Satoru’s silver van, visiting Satoru’s friends to find just the right place for Nana.  The narrative alternates between Nana’s voice, the other animals in the story, and the humans who surround them.  Nana (who is a male cat) is quite an entertaining little guy, making wry observations/comments on the differences between humans, cats, and dogs.  I’m actually a dog person but loved this story about a guy and the cat he loves.

Of course the story isn’t really just about a guy and his cat – it’s about unconditional love, between Satoru and his family, between Satoru and his friends, but mostly between Satoru and his cat.  I lost my beloved golden retriever Luke last year, so I know how an animal can be your best friend, and the bond between the two of you.  Yes, you will be sobbing at the end, but you will also have laughed and taken a wonderful road trip.

Because it’s a very special thing – to have your own cat (or dog) in your home.