**MANCAT MONDAY at BBHQ** ~ Starring Marvellous Melvyn **AND DID MEW KNOW THIS? HE'S GOT A REALLY BIG SECRET!!!**

 

Happy Monday, Furry Furiends

It's Mancat Monday, and mew know what that means ... It's a mancat zone! MOL  

Today, Melvyn is here sharing all his uber manlycatness, since we don't think he's been featured on MCM in years! 

Isn't he cute! 

BBHQ'S NEXT TOP MODEL

As many of mew know, Melvyn is an aspiring top model and here are a few of his highlights

I mean, come on, any agent would be silly not to sign this hunky chunk of mancat! 

But so far, Melvyn's attempt at getting an agent has failed.

But we said, dude, mew're too good for mainstream.

Mew need something a little more EXOTIC!

Did Mew Know This About Melvyn?

When he first arrived at BBHQ in 2019, his name at the rescue centre was... are mew ready?

MALCOLM

We're going to let mew let mew in a really big secret now; Melvyn loves, and when we say loves, we mean utterly obsessed with unicorns. Yep, mew heard that right...

UNICORNS

There's one particular unicorn toy he has to play with every night. We call this one Corn, and Melvyn takes him on adventures around BBHQ.

In fact, his unicorn obsession has led the P.A. to obtain more Corns, to put into stock just in case, as Melvyn will not play with substitutes! MOL

If mew'd like to see his favourite unicorn, let us know in the comments.

We'll leave mew to bask in the magnificence of all Melvyn's manlycatness, and we look forward to your company on Wednesday when we're back with The Midweek News Round-up. 

Until then...

Wing Commander Basil and The B Team  

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Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

**REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY** The Sunday Selfies and Caturday Art Blog Hops at BBHQ **FEATURING** Wing Commander Basil's Selfie

 

Happy Sunday supurr furiends

Welcome to another BBHQ selfie selection, and today I am here sharing an epic selfie from 2009 when I was in my mega chonk'a'licious phase:

 Wing Commander Basil

Ah, the good old days when I was in my prime, or as I like to call it, my epically epic era! MOL

We're also joining in Athena's Fabulous Art Hop, so do stop by and show off your pawesome arty-farty skills.

The effect was created with Befunky - AI Enhancer + Comic Book GFX. We think it turned out really cute.

 Click here to dive into this cat-tastic puzzle starring me, Basil, in my epic chonk era. It’s a floof-tastic test of feline finesse, and guess what? 

We crushed it in just 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Can mew beat our time? 

Of course, mew can! MOL

Remembrance Sunday

[Wing Commander Basil and his 1943 Ford Jeep]

Today we give thanks to all the brave soldiers and anipals who lost their lives. 

If it wasn't for them, our future today would be furry different. 

We salute mew all

Battle of Passchendaele: 31 July - 6 November 1917

The P.A.'s Grandfather fought in the Battle of Passchendaele; he was shot by German soldiers who thought he was dead, and he was thrown in a mass grave. Luckily, another German soldier saw him move and pulled him free. He was then taken to a German POW camp, where his leg was amputated below the knee. He got gangrene, and a second amputation was carried out; he was finally released after many months as part of a prisoner exchange.   

Upon finally returning home, the remainder of his leg was removed almost to the hip, and he used a wooden leg, enabling him to walk, but he did more than walk; he literally built a business from nothing, had a family, and left a legacy.

Though he never spoke much about his ordeal, the P.A.'s Great Aunty learned of the horrors he suffered, which is why we know his history today. 

Grandpa Fred & Nana

Grandpa Fred died in 1946, when the P.A.'s mum was only 3, and the P.A.'s Grandmother was left with 5 children under 10 and a business to run. The P.A. gives thanks daily for her Grandpa's grit, courage and determination.

In honour of Grandpa Fred 1886 - 1946

On that note, we'll wish mew a blessed day, and we'll be back on the morrow, so do join us then as mew know how much we love your company.

Sunday Purrs, and don't forget to...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team

We are also joining in the pawesome Sunday Selfies Blog Hop with

 Angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer ~ visit them at their pawesome blog:

www.thecatonmyhead.com

Don't furget to subscribe to our blog and never miss another post. 

Graphics created with paid licence @www.canva.com & www.befunky.com

Lest We Forget from glitter-graphics.com & Poppy Graphic 

Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #339 featuring **Rise Of The Draugr** by A.C. Salter **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, meautiful library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks, and today by popular demand I'm sharing more of my Egyptian adventures.

🌺 My Egyptian Adventure #5: Divine Dining at the Temple of Isis 🐾

Location: Temple of Isis, Philae Island

Time: Early afternoon, with the Nile breeze and goddess-level glamour

Dahlings, today I stepped into a realm of enchantment, the Temple of Isis, nestled on the sacred island of Philae. Surrounded by shimmering waters and whispering palms, this temple was once the spiritual heart of ancient Egypt, dedicated to Isis, goddess of magic, motherhood, and mystery. Naturally, I felt right at home.

I arrived by boat, paws tucked beneath a silk throw, my turquoise scarf fluttering like a royal banner. The columns rose around me like ancient sentinels, carved with scenes of devotion and divine drama. I swear one of the Hathor-headed capitals gave me a nod of approval.

My table was set in the temple courtyard, where sunlight filtered through the stone colonnades like golden confetti. 

And what a feast it was:

A silver platter of lobster, shrimp, oysters, and caviar, arranged with ceremonial precision

  A bubbling flute of Catnip Champagne, kissed with lotus essence

A scroll of feline mythology and goddess lore, annotated with my own paw-written notes

  A stack of leather-bound books on temple rituals, Nile legends, and ancient cat deities

I lifted a shrimp with my fork and gazed across the sacred lake. The breeze carried the scent of papyrus and possibility. I caught my reflection in the champagne glass and whispered, “Amber, mew are divine.” And in that moment, I truly was.

The Temple of Isis may be a monument to the past, but today it celebrated a new kind of magic, one with fur, flair, and a taste for the finer things.

Mood: Enchanted, elegant, and epically serene

Quote of the day: “Some temples are built of stone. Others are built of spirit, and epic seafood.”

Next week, I’ll be floating down the Nile in a private felucca, charting the stars and sipping catnip cocktails. Expect celestial symphonies and riverbank revelations! 😸🛶📜

Anyhoo, let's look at this week's top book pick.

Today, the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. My November to do list includes _______________ and ________________.

2. I find the song ___________________ annoying.

3. Currently, I’m ahead on _________ but behind on _________.

4. I’m unbeatable at _________.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. My November to-do list includes writing the latest B Team adventure - see #3 - and doing a bit of cleaning up around the garden to get it winter-ready.

2. I find the song ___________________ annoying. Oh, there isn't one, there's a 'LIST', but this week, it would be any Christmas tune ... I'm not ready for that circus yet!

3. Currently, I’m ahead on the new B Team adventure but behind on other writing, ah well, obviously, the other writing isn't as exciting as the B Team! LOL  And yes, I will start serialising it soon, I just wanted to get ahead of the curve before posting, as this one has the biggest cast yet and I need to make sure that all the little plot threads tie up into a nice, neat bow.

4. I’m unbeatable at _________. WOW, not sure what to say to this, it's a toughie, but right now in this moment I would say I'm (almost) unbeatable at creating something epic for cats out of a few cardboard boxes, a hot glue gun, and no plan whatsoever! Don't believe me? Check out the Crafting with Cats page, it's all there.

Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Rise Of The Draugr

Epic Viking Fantasy

The Bane Of The North Book 2

by

A.C. Salter

 Here's a little of the book blurb:   

'We live as men - but fight as gods.'       

  A new threat looms over Garik Castle, forcing Bane and Alruna to once again defy the odds to defend the realm. Their quest begins with finding the key to unlocking the Fug and uniting the fractured clans. As the war between gods intensifies and the end of days draws near, the fate of mankind rests in the hands of a mortal.    

If mew remember, I reviewed Book One in this series last December, and it was epic. If mew love a Viking fantasy with a twist, this is so up your alley, and it does have cats in, well, I say cats, they're actually giant snow leopards.

📚 This Week’s Paw-Approved Pillage: Rise of the Draugr

Snuggle into your fluffiest blanket fort, light a pine-scented candle (or a faux ceremonial torch, I don’t judge), and prepare for a whisker-raising adventure through frostbitten landscapes and undead frights, because this week’s read is a claw-clashing, rune-rattling, tail-twitching Norse adventure that’ll leave your fur standing on end, in the best way.

🪓 What’s the Story?

Bane and Alruna are back, and this time the claws are out and the gods are grumpier than a cat woken from a sunbeam nap. With Garik Castle under siege and the ominous Fug creeping in like a hairball of doom, our mortal duo must rally the clans, unlock ancient secrets, and face down divine drama with nothing but grit, guts, and a huge axe in Alruna’s case.

⚔️ What I Loved:-

🔥 🔥 The Vibes: Think “Game of Thrones” meets “How to Train Your Dragon” but with more snow, more doom, and 100% more undead.

🪓 Bane: Brooding, brave, and resilient in the face of any foe. His journey from man to myth is the kind of arc that makes mew quietly smile, that he's winning against all the odds.

🧝‍♀️ Alruna: Fierce warrior, with a giant snow leopard called Frekkie. She’s the kind of heroine who’d stamp on your enemies and then braid your fur and still have time to roast a god or two.

🌌 The Lore: So rich mew could roll in it like catnip. Prophecies, ancient runes, and enough mythic mayhem to fill a saga.

👁 The Draugr: Undead, unholy, and unbelievably creepy. If mew like your villains with a side of ancient curse and a whiff of grave dust, mew’re in for a treat.

📖 My Final Thoughts:-

This is a saga that sings with steel and sorrow, where mortals clash with gods and legends are forged in fire. It’s a tale of loyalty, loss, and the kind of courage that echoes through the ages. I devoured it faster than Fudge chasing a frost sprite, and it's a purrfectly epic addition to the series, and one that’ll leave mew yowling for Book 3. And yes, I have the box set on my Kindle, so mew know what's happening next! MOL

A Totally Top Paw Addition to the Series!

(Available on Kindle Unlimited at the time of posting, so grab your catnip mead and get reading!)

Paperback: 484 pages

Audio: 13 hours 29 mins

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

Rise Of The Draugr

Overall Enjoyment

     Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today

          Brian's Home   Catblogosphere    Feline Friday   Nature Friday    Flashback Friday   Friendship Friday   

I'm off to prepare for next week's review, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time!

I always look forward to your company every Friday throughout the review season as I share a specially paw-picked book just for mew, my epic readers!

Don't forget if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix.

Until next week...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another review! 

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com