The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey - A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary

by Deborah Barnes, Pamela Bushnell (Editor), Madalina Iordache-Levay (Illustrator)

Can cats fall in love? Do they mourn? Can they feel anger or joy? Can they count? Do they understand parenthood and responsibility? The answer to these questions and many more are explored in “The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary,” a 5 star-rated book that will steal your heart with a compelling storyline and hundreds of vibrant photos as the author recounts the story of her two charismatic cats (Zee and Zoey), the lives they shared, the owners that loved them, and the true meaning of life, love, and happiness. You'll look at cats (and animals in general) in a whole new way!

Written in a warm and conversational style that makes you feel like you are sharing a cup of coffee with a dear friend, coupled with stunning photographs and charming custom artwork, readers are deeply immersed into the world of Zee, a lovable male Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, a high-spirited female Bengal cat, as they share their amazing relationship and bond that formed between the two of them in The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey.

The story captures your heart from start to finish as the author narrates the journey of the two starring cats and their feline counterparts through the personal trials and tribulations of her own life. Readers will easily be able to relate to the many moments the author shares and her spot on accuracy in understanding the many nuances of a cat is so realistic, one might think the author was a cat herself! You will be certain to smile and laugh on more than one occasion and maybe even cry as you share this touching, humorous, and honest journey of everyday life with Zee and Zoey and learn the ultimate message they teach us – to embrace the ordinary in life and dare to make it extraordinary.

Genres: Cats

178 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2011

About the author

Deborah Barnes resides in the tropical paradise of South Florida with her fiancé and feline family of seven. She is the author of the 5-star rated books, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary and Purr Prints of the Heart - A Cat's Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond as well as the award winning blog, Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles that continues to cover the everyday journey she shares with her cats along with topics from the humorous behaviors of cats to very serious subjects on pet responsibility. Deborah was awarded 2013 “Writer of the Year” by Friskies Purina on behalf of the Cat Writers’ Association and she is also the Secretary of the nonprofit, Pawsitively Humane, Inc. of Miami, Florida, whose mission is to create public awareness and reduce the numbers of animals on the streets and in shelters through an extensive educational campaign.

Reviews

[Heavensent1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey: A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary is a Literary Adventure.

Author, Deborah Barnes, chronicles her life and that of her cats via engaging and heart-warming stories. Each chapter shared tells the journey of her cats and how they interact with everyone and their surroundings.

While there are many animals included in this story, it truly revolves around Zee, a huge male Maine Coon cat and Zoey, a highly-spirited Bengal female who bond together and share the show.

After a home renovation project, Zee becomes bored with his surroundings and aggressive with the other animals. Deborah and Dan decide to adopt a Bengal female for Zee to have a companion. What transgresses is a love that knows no bounds as the two become inseparable in their devotion to each other.

The reader shares the ups and the downs of keeping cats as companions. They can be mischievious, devious, charming and loveable. The story shared within these pages captures the life a of a cat in all its glorious detail and life.

I thought this was a enchanting read, filled with delight, laughter and sorrow. I loved the characters of each of the cats and how the author shared them with the reader. Oftentimes would could almost see the antics being shared and much giggling ensues after reading most of the passages found within.

I enjoyed the love gushing from the pages as the author conveys her special joy in the cat family. I loved how each of the cats has their own personalities and the author captured them with great detail. I've had a few remarkable cats in my lifetime and a few of the stories shared often lead me down a trip through memory lane. Like my Bowser, he had six toes on each foot, could open doors, play fetch and loved to bring me some of the grossest things to show his "love" and "appreciation" for me, I am told it is an honour to have such gifts bestowed, but they always made me shriek, how I miss that boy of mine!

Each of the chapters are magical and descriptive and charming to read from front to cover. I would give The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey a five out of five stars for being a perfect cat companion and this would make an excellent gift for the cat lover in your life. Cats are truly hilarious creatures!

[Beauty in the Binding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zee and Zoey. Two completely different cats. One unlikely couple.

Zee, a large male Maine Coon cat, found the love of his life when he met Zoey, a spirited Bengal cat. Together they shared their food, their days, their humans and even a litter of kittens. As the cats grew, changed and lived, author Deborah Barnes recognized the similarities between their lives and her own situations. Drawing on Zee, Zoey and their companions, the author creates a true story about embracing the extraordinary parts of our so-called ordinary lives.

I greatly enjoyed reading The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey: A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary by Deborah Barnes. Obviously, the main audience for this type of book is cat lovers. However, I think other pet lovers and general audiences would also enjoy this book. I could even see this book being used as bedtime stories for an older child. The book does include stories about the author's other cats and dogs. It is not just limited to Zee and Zoey, though they are the main stars of the book.

Barnes' writing style consists of openness mixed with humor. As a fellow cat owner and lover, I could relate to the author's experiences. I literally laughed out loud at some of the cat antics. There was definitely an underlying message about examining our ordinary days and deliberately looking for the extraordinary. I don't think it would have hurt if the author had made this message a little stronger.

I absolutely loved the design of this book. The pictures of the cats enhanced the narrative and helped me to experience it more deeply. Even the non-cat pictures and designs contributed to making the book a very pleasureable reading experience. I recommend The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey to any cat lover!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author as part of the virtual blog tour by PumpUpYourBook. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I will say this book is Amazingly Beautiful inside and out. The quality is top of the class, the photos and illustrations are exceptional, the colors are beautiful, the font is pleasing to the eyes, it’s just a book that you gotta love!

As for Zee and Zoey, they are adorable and I enjoyed their entire journey throughout this book. And I especially enjoyed their four babies. I couldn’t put the book down when I was reading about each week of these four new babies’ lives. And the adorable pictures of these precious little ones were so cute I just can’t stop looking at them. How I wish I could get my hands on one of them! Of course they are grown now! But Zee and Zoey’s story is well worth reading.

But, this book is not only about Zee and Zoey, it is about the life of the author and her family, as well as all of her animal friends down through the years. I couldn’t help thinking how blessed these precious animals were to have this family to live with, and especially the ones the family rescued. This is one amazing family.

So, if you are a dog lover and think this book is not for you, think again! You will enjoy it as much as anyone. And this book is good for anyone who loves animals. Your children will really enjoy looking at the amazing pictures here in this book. Really, I just can’t say enough about this book. So why not grab a copy for your coffee table to have as a great conversation piece when someone comes over. You will not be disappointed, and will have a wonderful addition to your library.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. The moment I looked at the cover, I fell madly in love. The photographs throughout are exceptional and glowing with love (and mischief, lol), the writing is marvelous and delightful. Deborah Barnes does such an excellent job of blending the pictures of the adorable and ornery kitty cats with their story.

The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey is a tale of love between cats as well as the love between the animals and their loving human family. This story captures life's adventures, it's up and down and all of its craziness. This is truly a wonderful treasure for cat lovers or any animal out there. I couldn't help but smile as I read and gazed upon the pictures and illustrations heavily strewn throughout.

Deborah Barnes has a true talent for bringing beauty to the world through her words and her ability to share her life - as well as the lives of her animal fur-family members. I hope that Ms. Barnes has more work in the makings, as I for one would love to see what else this wonderful author comes up with.

[MarytheBookLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Opinion:
I liked this book very much. I loved some of the crazy things that Zee & Zoey did. It was great to read about life with cats and how they change us and bring us so much joy. We are animal people and love both cats and dogs. My kids also like the beautiful pictures and we read some of this book together. Deborah did a fantastic job on this. I loved the pictures. I can’t gush enough about them. The whole book is just beautiful! The book does stir up lots of emotions in you. You laugh. You cry. I loved how Deborah takes us through life’s journey of kids, love, hardship and of course her cats. I think any animal lover out there would love this book. It is great to share even with the kids. They will be amazed at the pictures. If you want a heart felt journey I suggest you pick up a copy of this book.
I give The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey by Deborah Barnes 4.5 of 5 stars.

[Dorothy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The photographs are beyond beautiful. Barnes’ writing style is superb and the storyline keeps you captivated. Owners of Bengal and Main coon cats will particularly love it, but if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to own one of these cats, this book will help guide you and show you what to expect. I do want to also note the cover was the most beautiful cover I have ever seen – kudos to the designer!

Cat lovers everywhere will fall in love with The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey and it makes the perfect coffee table book. The pictures alone are great conversation starters!

[D.C. Blackbird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Very beautiful. So inspiring to see the author take the time to write and design and truly magnificent book.

[Merceda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but I noticed a few errors in wording and grammar. Since this was her first book, I attributed it to that and how it takes a while to get a feeling for writing. I don't know that I could put up with the numerous times that she is awakened by her cats throughout the night.

[ClowderOfCatsSanctuary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing book about a person living in a multi-cat household.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this a fantastic book its a beautiful book that I will cherish forever.

[Deborah Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author of this book and believe it to be a love story on so many levels. It is the love story of Zee, my lovable Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, my high-spirited Bengal. It is also the story of love’s consequences and human fallibility, when, even though I am a strong proponent of spaying and neutering, I miss the window of opportunity to get Zoey spayed in time and had to accept responsibility for the subsequent birth of Zee and Zoey’s kittens. What followed was a truly extraordinary, life changing journey for me that ultimately led me to write the book so that I could share my heartfelt story and the ultimate lesson I learned from my cats – to appreciate the ordinary in life and dare to make it extraordinary.

I write with the style of the late Erma Bombeck in a narrative that is a warm, heartfelt, honest, humorous, sometimes sad, but very compelling as I share the story of my life with my feline and human family – all the highs and lows - with the pinnacle moment occurring after an unexpected lay off that caused me to spiral into a very deep and dark period of my life that my cats gave me the inspiration and courage to dig out of.

The text is enriched with a magnificent gallery of photos making the story even more enticing from the initial point of when Zoey met Zee for the first time, the whirlwind courtship to follow, and the subsequent pregnancy and then birth of four amazing kittens. A week by week update of the growth and progress of the kittens is then detailed with absolutely charming photographs, completely immersing the reader into the world of being a cat, and/or kitten, and how each day, even the most ordinary of events or situations become extraordinary through the eyes and mind of a feline.

The story is meant to be a tribute to the feline species and just how special and unique they are as a pet. While I learned many lessons from my cats, it is my hope that The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey will encourage more people to realize how incredible cats really are, that they are not just a misconceived stereotype of aloof creatures, and that my story will help increase shelter adoptions so that every household has one or more cats in it…

[Cathy Unruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you still need a Christmas gift for the cat lovers in your life, pick up this book!
It is gorgeously illustrated, so the purchase is worth it for the pictures alone. But more than that, it is a story of inspiration, encouragement and hope - and not just for cat lovers.
It's a great book to keep on your desk and take a "nibble" from every now again, especially when your own furry friend is curled up on your keyboard, hampering your work for a few minutes.
If you don't have a furry friend, you may want to get one after reading this book.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like cats, you will love this book. If you don't particularly like cats, but like warmth and humour, you will love this book. If you love beautifully presented photos and well written prose you will love this book. What's not to like?