I follow Dean and Nala on YouTube. They never fail to cheer me up. So it was interesting to read how it all began. May they continue for many years :) ( )

An uplifting story of a young Scotsman who finds himself whilst travelling across Europe on a bike, after he adopts a stray cat, Nala, whilst travelling through Bosnia. The two become inseparable, interdependent and an Instagram hit internationally as Dean documents their travels. ( )

Dean Nicholson is a bighearted Scottish bloke biking his way down the coastline from Bosnia, when he and his buddy have a spat and part ways. At a rest in Montenegro, he sees a scrawny, malnourished kitten crawling on some rocks and decides to save her. Of course, they become inseparable almost immediately, and have some scary adventures together as they travel south to Greece, spend a summer in Santorini, and start crossing Turkey before routes through India and Iran and Russia become too challenging, and they turn back. Dean and Nala (the cat) become social media darlings, with hundreds of thousands of followers, and Dean becomes a source of inspiration for many, using his status to raise funds to protect animals and nature. Then, the coronavirus sinks his grand plan to circumnavigate the globe on his Trek bicycle. Nala is a delight, whether playing with others, kissing Dean, clowning around, riding in front of the bike, rear or on Dean's shoulder. A heart warming story, with the classic "who saved who" theme as Dean admits straight up that she made him a better person. ( )

I read a recommendation for this book and without knowing more than the premise of a likeable young man riding his bike around the world with Nala, a cat he rescued in the mountains of Bosnia, I started reading. I'm not a "cat person" but for some reason this book appealed to me - maybe the idea of doing some armchair traveling. This is a memoir, but really more of a coming-of-age story, about a 30-year-old Scottish self-described "foolish class clown" whose adoption of a wee kitten by the side of the road turns him into a responsible and conscientious person. Written in the first person, Dean describes the ups and downs of traveling by bicycle through foreign countries including Bosnia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Hungary and many more small towns and cities. Dean often camps by the side of the road, in forests, or deserted construction sites, once even sleeping in an empty swimming pool on the road to Izmir (a city in Turkey). He alternates camping outside with staying in hotels and hostels, couch surfing, and staying with friends he meets on his travels.

Having a smart phone and laptop make all the difference, as Dean can take photos and videos of his cat Nala, access his bank account, make hotel reservations, keep on top of the news and weather, and keep his Instagram page and YouTube channel updated.

He and Nala unknowingly become international media stars when a video of Nala that he posted to Instagram is picked up by the animal site The Dodo. Dean isn't altered by this fame, but instead wisely uses his influence to help animal rescue organizations and other charities. Before reading this book, I had no idea Dean and Nala's adventures were chronicled online, and that millions of people follow them daily. To me it was just a lovely story about a rescue cat who helps a young man look outside of himself and discover his purpose in life.

The book is co-written with author Garry Jenkins, who keeps Dean's authentic accent and word phrasings, though there were too many cliché phrases that I don't think Dean would actually have said such as "by the skin of my teeth" or "famous last words." There are plenty of color photos, and cute cartoon illustrations. The book dramatically concludes with the world's lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I just may have to follow him on Instagram to see what happens next. ( )

So I am one of the five gazillion people who started following Dean Nicholson and his cat Nala on Instagram when The Dodo made a video about how they met. I thought I should buy the book of the social media account - and the calendar! - out of a weird kind of loyalty. The pair are impossibly cute, biking around Europe - Dean rescued Nala when she was a stray kitten in Bosnia - and saving the lives of other animals along the way. He is a big, bearded Scot, she is an affectionate tabby cat with big green eyes who likes to ride on his shoulders and sleep on his chest. What's not to love? ( )