Illumipet Picks: Pawsome Personalities

Illumipet Picks: Pawsome Personalities

Prefer to take your book recommendations from cute animals? We don’t blame you! The Illumipets have you covered with this selection of reads, each one hand-picked to match the personalities of one of the Illumiteam’s very own furbabies.

Please note that this post contains links to our UK shop. You can find a US version of the post here.

Our Recommendations

Hazael: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Hazael: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Romie says: Hazael is my silly, spooky baby. I like to call her my little vampire as I think she was one in a previous life. I have to tell her at least once a day not to bite the hand that feeds, aka mine, because she regularly tries to chomp on me. She’s also known to spookily look at spots behind me when no one is there, so… maybe my flat is haunted?

Haza’s choice is Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a suitably sinister read filled with eerie goings-on and a very unsettling house. There’s also a certain… appetite involved, which Haza can relate to.

Our edition of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's book Silver Nitrate featured in our first Evernight Horror subscription in July 2023. Find out more about Evernight Horror here.

Darrow and Ezio: The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Darrow and Ezio: The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Hutch says: Darrow is the sweetest, derpiest, most loving boy ever. In contrast, Ezio is always watching and waiting to cause chaos, whether that be baiting his brother into play-fighting or climbing the back of my desk chair for a better view!

Darrow and Ezio want to recommend The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz, because it reflects them perfectly - Darrow is sunny in both colour and nature, while Ezio is his sassy opposite!

Our edition of The Sun and the Void featured in our Illumicrate Fantasy subscription in June 2023. Pick up our matching edition of the sequel, The River and the Star, here.

Phoenix: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Phoenix: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Bec says: Phoenix is a one year old ball of floof whose favourite things include showing off his loud meow, playing with his fluffy rainbow toy, and chasing his sibling cats, Chaplain and Willow. Despite living with two other cats, he prefers to cuddle up with Chloe the cat plush, especially when he can snuggle with her on a beanbag.

Phoenix’s choice is Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood, because when you’ve found your favourite cuddle buddy, there’s no room for anyone else in your heart. Clearly, Phoenix has found the purr-fect match.

Who doesn't love a bit of Ali Hazelwood? Check out our set of two packing cubes inspired by Bride and Mate here.

Monday: The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

Monday: The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig

Loïs says: Monday is a teenage Dalmatian with big emotions! A sensitive soul, she loves to sleep under the covers with her people, boss them around (especially if it's past her bedtime!) and negotiate for treats instead of eating her kibble like the girlboss she is. More than anything, Monday loves adventures and playing with other four-legged friends.

Monday’s pick is The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, as it reminds her of one of her favourite regular walkies haunts. Although usually a big scaredy-dog, she loves the horror of a creepy forest - it’s the only place she’ll really let the zoomies rip! She once dragged her parent allllll the way down this mysterious staircase.

Our edition of The Staircase in the Woods featured in our Evernight Horror subscription in April 2025 and is available here.

Locke: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Locke: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Akash says: Locke is an inquisitive cat, always keen to investigate whatever’s going on around him. He’s curious about his surroundings and loves discovering new things, even when it means sticking his nose in something he probably shouldn’t!

Locke’s choice is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - just like Rocky, Locke likes to explore and learn new things. He’d definitely be the kind of cat to boldly venture into the unknown - though hopefully his adventures don’t take him quite as far as Grace travels in the book!

Starring Ryan Gosling, the film adaptation of Project Hail Mary was a huge hit earlier this year. Gosling was great but Rocky is definitely the main attraction!

Luna and Star: Well Met by Jen Deluca

Luna and Star: Well Met by Jen Deluca

Rayna says: It was definitely an enemies to lovers situation when Luna (resident grumpy cat) met Star (sunshine kitten), but thankfully they are now the best of friends! They even cuddle up together in their shared cosy bed.

Luna and Star recommend Well Met by Jen Deluca, as they can relate to a little bit of forced proximity leading to bonding over a lot of play. Not so much pirate / wench roleplay like in the book, but that didn’t stop Rayna from trying to put tiny hats on them…

Well Met is available along with Well Played, Well Matched, and Well Travelled as part of our Afterlight Exclusive set here.

Rhys: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Rhys: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Rowan says: A seasoned criminal, Rhys is always looking for inspiration for his next spree of mischief and mayhem. His favourite crimes include murdering Tony (his favourite mouse toy), eating plastic, and biting human elbows at 3am to ask for breakfast. In between crimes, he’s a sweet boy that loves to sit in the window.

Rhys has picked A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holy Jackson, as he’s looking for tips on how best to murder the pigeons that taunt him from the garden. He watches them from the window just waiting for his moment (this moment will never come due to the fact that he isn’t allowed outside).

Did you know we now have a quarterly crime subscription perfect for crime and mystery aficionados like Rhys? Find out more about Mindsight Crime here!

Beans: I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

Beans: I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

Lena says: Beans is a 1 year old Bernese Mountain Dog / Collie Cross. He’s a big goofball who enjoys wreaking havoc in my life and getting lots of cuddles. He’s always ready to cause a little chaos, but he’s equally happy to make up for it by being as lovable as possible.

Beans has picked I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War, but has no idea what it is about this book that speaks to him. He has never done anything bad in his whole entire life. And he has certainly never committed a murder.

Our edition of I Did Something Bad featured in our Afterlight Romance subscription in December 2024 and is available here. You can also pick it up in our Intro to Romance Book Bundle here.

Sanyi: He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

Sanyi: He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

Matt says: Sanyi is a bit of a scaredy cat, but he can overcome his fear in his relentless pursuit of food. He talks in his sleep and makes a mess with any water he can get his paws in! For some reason, he also prefers drinking from my glass rather than his own water fountain.

Sanyi’s choice is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan, a tale of ambition, power and the lengths people will go to in pursuit of greatness. Much like the characters in the book, Sanyi knows exactly what he wants - and when there’s food involved, not even his fears can stand in his way!

Our edition of the first book in this duology, She Who Became the Sun, featured in our Illumicrate Fantasy subscription in July 2021. Pick up our matching edition of He Who Drowned the World here.

Morticia: You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

Morticia: You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

Tiffany says: Morty is a black void cat who rules the household with an iron paw. She’s happiest when she has a human at her beck and call, preferably providing pets, a warm lap, and her favourite food. 

Morticia’s pick is You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White, because she is very much the cat equivalent of a freaky worm hive cult. She demands absolute loyalty (pets and a lap), views outsiders with suspicion, and offers her minions salvation (from her loud meowing) if they feed her fresh corpses (Fancy Feast).

Our edition of You Weren't Meant to Be Human featured in our Evernight Horror subscription in October 2025 and is available purchase here. You can also check out our Andrew Joseph White set of his three YA novels here.

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