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Friday, 19 December 2025

Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #341 featuring **The Spellshop ** by Sarah Beth Durst **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

A digitally illustrated promotional graphic for The Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ features Amber, a white and orange cat wearing a light blue scarf, seated in front of bookshelves filled with colourful books. Decorative elements like holly leaves, a mouse, a quill, and a thimble add festive charm to the top of the image. The bottom text reads "Book Reviews with Amber," indicating Amber is the host of the library’s book review segment. The overall design is cozy, whimsical, and holiday-themed. At www.bionicbasil.com

Hello, gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank you for joining me in the stacks today. 

Well, I am sorry I missed last Friday, but due to severe staffing issues, namely the P.A. with the flu (so selfish) and the library mice saying that they were busy prepping for their annual Chrispmouse Celebrations, I was left suitably overwhelmed and horribly under pressure, so I thought, mew know what, fluff this, I need a mental health day and decided to go to Level 8 and spend the day with Horice in the Biosphere in a balmy 25 degrees celcius. 

I did plan on getting back to my post; however, there was the incident with the coconut nip cocktail, well, the fifth one to be exact. According to the security footage, it appears that I passed out on the beach on a unicorn floaty. Yeah, and I missed the deadline... hmmm... 

Smooch said, "Amber, I told mew no more than four!"

I replied. "Technically, the fifth was medicinal. Horice said it would balance my chakras."

Smooch narrowed his eyes. "Amber, it was served in a pineapple wearing boggly eyes."

I shrugged. "And it worked. I was purrfectly balanced, horizontally, on a unicorn floaty, snoring like a pharaoh. I don't think I've ever felt so zen!"

Smooch sighed. "I’m installing an auto cocktail counter app on your iPaw watch."

I flicked my tail and replied, “Smooch, dahling, if my iPaw watch starts judging my cocktail intake, I’ll simply reset it to factory settings, preferably with a martini in paw.”

Smooch raised an eyebrow. “Amber, it’s supposed to track your health.”

I purred, “It does. It tracks my hydration levels in nip‑tonics, my cardio in floaty paddling, and my mindfulness in unicorn meditation practices. I’m thriving.”

Smooch muttered, “Thriving horizontally, unconscious on a unicorn floaty isn’t exactly wellness.”

I grinned. “Wellness is subjective, dahling. Mine involves glitter, cocktails, and naps in purrfectly heated biospheres.”

Amber, an orange and white tabby cat, sits regally in front of Tutankhamun’s golden death mask at the Grand Egyptian Museum. She wears a flowing midnight silk robe with a sapphire sash, a crescent‑moon pendant, and a golden lotus headdress. Her blue sunglasses add a touch of feline glamour. She holds a cocktail glass filled with a golden drink. The museum glows with twilight light, casting soft shadows across marble floors and ancient treasures. The scene blends majestic Egyptian history with whimsical feline elegance. at www.bionicbasil.com

🏛 My Egyptian Adventure #8: Masks, Mystery & Martini Moments 🐾

Location: The Grand Egyptian Museum, basking in the glow of Tutankhamun’s treasures

Time: Twilight, when shadows stretch long, and secrets whisper through gilded halls

Dahlings, today I traded sandstone cliffs for shimmering glass and marble. My paws padded across the polished floors of the Grand Egyptian Museum until I stood nose‑to‑nose with one of the most famous artefacts in history: Tutankhamun’s golden death mask.

“Ah, finally, a mask worthy of mew.”

I arrived draped in a flowing robe of midnight silk, my sapphire sash catching the museum lights, and my crescent‑moon pendant gleaming like a secret shared between gods. A new hat, naturally, a crown of golden lotus petals, because one must never be outshone by artefacts.

The air was cool, tinged with antiquity and mystery. As the mask’s eternal gaze met mine, I sipped a Golden Mask Extra-Nip Martini from a crystal coupe and whispered, “Amber, mew are eternal.” The mask didn’t blink, but I swear the eyes twinkled.

My Evening Essentials Included:

🐟 A platter of Nile perch tartare with edible gold flakes

🍸 A Golden Mask Martini, shaken with saffron and starlight

📜 A scroll of Tutankhamun’s treasures annotated with my paw‑written commentary (“Lovely accessories, dahling, and I love all the turquoise”)

🐾 A silk fan painted with Anubis fluttered dramatically at key moments

I wandered through the galleries, relics glowing under soft light, cats carved into eternity alongside kings and gods. The grandeur was overwhelming, yet I remained composed. After all, I am Amber, head librarian of BBHQ, and I, too, command legacies (and cocktails).

The museum may hold echoes of dynasties and curses, but tonight it held me: a cat of legend, strutting past golden masks, sipping martinis, and rewriting history with impeccable taste.

Mood: Mysterious, glamorous, and slightly smug (but only because my crown sparkled brighter than Tutankhamun’s).

Quote of the day: “Mystery is not hidden in tombs, but in the paws that unveil it.”

A stylized illustration of two black cats sitting back-to-back, facing opposite directions. Each cat is adorned with gold accents on the ears and eyes, red and gold collars, and gold hoop earrings, evoking the aesthetic of ancient Egyptian art. Their symmetrical pose and regal detailing suggest inspiration from Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of protection and home. The image blends cultural symbolism with elegant feline design.

✨ Next week, I’ll be whisking mew away to a place of mystery and masquerades, expect intrigue, elegance, and cocktails with a twist. 😸🌙

Two views of The Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ showcase a beautifully organized home library. The top half reveals a long wall of white bookshelves filled with colorful books, magazines, and decorative items. A chair and a cat add a cozy touch to the aisle. The bottom half features another section of the library with shelves lined with older, leather-bound volumes, suggesting a collection of classics or historical texts. The caption in the center reads: "Part of The Mewton-Clawson Library ©BionicBasil®"
A black and white illustration shows two mice interacting with a trio of vertically standing books. One mouse stands atop the middle book, appearing to speak or observe, while the other mouse is on the ground facing the books, as if listening or approaching. The book spines feature decorative horizontal bands, and the overall scene evokes a whimsical, storybook charm with themes of curiosity and learning.
Today, the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. I still need to _________________ before Christmas.
2. Don’t forget to acknowledge ___________________ at Christmas.
3. _________ is my Christmas miracle.
4. I _________ on Christmas Eve and _________ on Christmas Day.

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

1. I still need to do everything before Christmas. This flu has completely scuppered all plans, so I have a lot of catching up to do!

2. Don’t forget to acknowledge everyone who brings you joy at Christmas.

3. A surprise snowfall on Christmas morning is my Christmas miracle. There's nothing like a white festive season... it doesn't happen very often where I live.

4. I watch Scrooged on Christmas Eve and eat far too much pudding with custard on Christmas Day.

A black-and-white illustration features a vintage typewriter at the center with a paw print symbol on its paper holder. On either side of the typewriter are neatly stacked piles of four books each. A small mouse figure sits atop the left stack, while a tiny elephant figure perches on the right. The scene blends literary charm with whimsical elements, evoking themes of storytelling, imagination, and creativity.

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

A cosy library scene featuring Amber, a large white and orange cat sitting on a white chair in front of a desk. The desk is surrounded by books, a feather quill in an ink pot, a rolled parchment, a desk lamp, and a small mouse perched atop a stack of books. A sign on the desk reads “SHHHHH!!!” in bold letters. Behind the cat, wooden bookshelves filled with books and green potted plants line the background. Above the cat, a banner reads “THIS WEEK’S TOP BOOK PICK!” with the website URL “www.bionicbasil.com.” In front of the cat is the featured book The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, showing a magical shop surrounded by greenery and glowing lights.
Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

The Spellshop 


by
 
Sarah Beth Durst

A symmetrical cartoon-style illustration featuring four mice and two pieces of Swiss cheese. The mice are arranged in pairs on either side of the cheese, all facing toward the center. Each cheese wedge is illustrated with classic holes, and the playful layout creates a balanced and whimsical visual.

📚 This Week’s Paw‑Approved Top Pick: The Spellshop 

Curl up in your cosiest nook, tail tucked, whiskers twitching, because this week’s read is a cozy fantasy that proves libraries hold more than dusty tomes; they’re for magic, mischief, and the occasional sentient plant who knows how to steal the spotlight. FYI, there are cats in this, but they are not front and centre, just part of the scenery, but they are still there, so this is still technically a book with cats! MOL

❓ What’s the Genre?

A whimsical, heart‑warming fantasy that can be read as a stand‑alone, but also is part of a trilogy that blends cottage‑core charm with magical adventure, a dash of romance, and plenty of bookish delight.

🕵️ What’s the Story?

Kiela, a librarian hiding forbidden spellbooks, flees the city with dreams of opening a quiet bookshop by the sea. But magic won’t stay shelved, and neither will the villagers’ curiosity. Alongside her unlikely companion, Caz, a sentient plant brought to life by another librarian (this is revealed in book 2), she must navigate secrets, spells, and the challenge of building a new life where danger lurks behind every enchanted page.

⚔️ What I Loved:

🌿 Caz the Spider Plant: Not a cat, but still gloriously snarky and scene‑stealing. Caz is witty, stubborn, and rooted (pardon the pun) in purrsonality, the kind of companion who’d lecture mew about sunlight requirements while saving your life.

🍸 Kiela: A heroine with bookish grit and quiet courage. She’s the kind of woman who’d catalogue your spellbooks, defend your right to magic, and still argue with her plant about watering schedules.

🔥 The Vibes: Imagine cosy seaside cottage meets magical library, sprinkled with enchanted pastries, whispered spells, and winged cats fluttering through the skies as background scenery.

🎬 The Bookshop Dream: The fantasy of running away to start over is infused with warmth, humour, and just enough peril to keep the pages turning.

🏚 The Setting: A seaside village full of quirky characters, hidden magic, and the kind of atmosphere that makes mew want to curl up with a blanket and a stack of spellbooks.

📖 My Final Thoughts:

This is a fantasy that purrs with charm, hisses with danger, and sparkles with bookish magic. Kiela is the kind of heroine mew’ll want to follow through every dusty tome and seaside secret, and Caz is the purrfectly leafy sidekick #epic! It’s a cosy, magical tale that’ll leave mew yowling for more enchanted libraries. MOL

Available in audiobook and print, so grab your catnip cocoa or nip gin, a blanket, and let the magic (and plant sarcasm) begin!

Book Two review coming soon - yes, I have already read it! MOL

A FURBULOUS READ, TOTALLY TOP PAW!

Paperback: 385 pages
Audio: 12 hours 10 mins
A black and white illustration shows two mice interacting with a trio of vertically standing books. One mouse stands atop the middle book, appearing to speak or observe, while the other mouse is on the ground facing the books, as if listening or approaching. The book spines feature decorative horizontal bands, and the overall scene evokes a whimsical, storybook charm with themes of curiosity and learning.
My Rating Scale

A whimsical graphic featuring a triangular arrangement of light blue paw prints on the left side, forming a downward-pointing triangle. On the right side is a playful rating scale for reading material, themed around fluff and animal humor. The five levels are: 1. 	TOTALLY TOP FLUFF — READ IMMEDIATELY 2. 	FURRY GOOD FLUFF — READ AS SOON AS 3. 	ENJOYABLE FLUFF — PUT IT STANDBY 4. 	NOT FLUFFING BAD — EMERGENCY READING 5. 	FLUFF OFF — GO NAP INSTEAD The design is lighthearted and imaginative, perfect for a fun, informal book review setting. At www.bionicbasil.com
Pale Blue Dots Banner ©BionicBasil®

Ratings of:

The Spellshop


Overall Enjoyment

Amber's Book Reviews ©BionicBasil® 5 Paw Rating - Pale Blue
A black-and-white illustration features a vintage typewriter at the center with a paw print symbol on its paper holder. On either side of the typewriter are neatly stacked piles of four books each. A small mouse figure sits atop the left stack, while a tiny elephant figure perches on the right. The scene blends literary charm with whimsical elements, evoking themes of storytelling, imagination, and creativity.
   
Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today

A colorful collage of six square graphics representing themed blog hops and social media events. Each graphic features unique designs and text: 1. 	"Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop" with a cat and the URL "brianshomeblog.com". 2. 	"The Cat Blogosphere" with the URL "catblogosphere.com". 3. 	"Feline Friday" with a playful cat theme. 4. 	"Nature Friday Blog Hop" featuring nature-inspired elements. 5. 	"Friendly Fill-Ins" with the URLs "15andmeowing.com" and "Four-Legged Furballs". 6. 	"Friendship Friday" with the tagline "Create With Joy". The image celebrates community-driven online events centered around cats, nature, and friendship.

Pale Blue Dots Banner ©BionicBasil®

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

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 time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

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 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com  

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