Play Book Tag discussion
November 2016: Animals
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Announcing the Tag for November
Anita wrote: "I was going to explicitly mention Black Beauty. Loved that one beyond measure, but not sure how it will hold up to an adult read...."It made my favourites list a few years back (and that is why it is one of my recommended ones above!).
Anita wrote: "Thank you so much for your honest assessment of Life List: A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds. I am still interested, but I really don't need dry this month ..."I didn't find it dry. Maybe check some of the other reviews?
Booknblues wrote: "Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution - nonfiction talks about establishing animal corridors and key species..."That sounds interesting!
Michael wrote: "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be: Farley Mowat--autobiographical tale of a most outrageous dog from his childhood in Sascatchewan, full of comic tall tales..."This has been on my tbr for a while, as well!
Michael wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "I'm excited by the tag of animals. It is one of my favorites...."Wonderful list. And no overlaps with mine. I would second Brazzaville Beach. Red Dog, and Coal Black Horse. I'l..."
I'd love to try Providence of a Sparrow...You are on! I know that you will love Wisdom of Donkeys.
For someone who was staunchly opposed to this tag, I now find myself with a third option! I think I just might read To the Bright Edge of the World with Susie. That sounds my speed and interest. All of those three have been requested from the library. My assumption is that just because a animal is named in a title does not qualify it, if it's not actually about the animal. Like Cat on a hot tin Roof, nor Lions of Al Rassan, as there is neither an actual cat, nor actual lions. However, now that I think about it, speaking of lions, the Dovekeepers works.
What of my idea if a book is read by at least 5-7 others in a month, like we have for a number of books in October. I think it would be neat to know how many people read Gentleman, Bright Edge, Underground, and Frankenstein.
Susie, My daughter is 8, I think she reads a bit above her grade level, but it's definitely a children's book. DiCamillo also wrote, Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn Dixie, which would both also count for this tag.
Our son is 8 and also reads above his grade level, so perfect!
AJ wrote: "Does Water for Elephants count?"I would say so! It takes place at a circus.
Amy wrote: "What do people think about Edgar Sawtelle?"5***** and a ❤ from me!
Amy wrote: "For someone who was staunchly opposed to this tag, I now find myself with a third option! I think I just might read To the Bright Edge of the World with Susie. That sounds my speed and interest. Al..."Amy, the general rule is that if it is tagged animals on GoodReads then it will count for the monthly read. So, it is likely that books that just have an animal in the title but are not actually about animals still have the animals tag; however, we do encourage members to challenge themselves and read books that prominently feature animals.
Alternatively, if it is not tagged animals but you feel like it deservedly should be, then feel free to read it and add the animals tag!
Jennifer P. wrote: "I will recommend an author, Kate DiCamillo, she's a middle grade author..."Absolutely! I love her works - Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux and The Magician's Elephant are all wonderful.
Amy wrote: ".What of my idea if a book is read by at least 5-7 others in a month, like we have for a number of books in October. I think it would be neat to know how many people read Gentleman, Bright Edge, Underground, and Frankenstein."Hoping Cindy will chime in on this one - - if and when we can tell how many PBTers have read a given book for a specific tag based on the shelving activity. I like the idea of announcing the most popular book for each tag after the month is over and who read it and the corresponding ratings. . .I know sometimes quite a few people do read the same book, and it would be interesting to know.
Um, now I have eight potential reads that I'm pretty much equally excited about for animals. Great? How am I going to choose?
Michael wrote: "Top recommendation:Watership Down--review
He really nailed the rabbits. Their rabbitiness comes through even with our human imagination invested in their quest for safe warrens.
Other recommenda..."
A Providence of a Sparrow sounds really good to me.
Ach. I'm overloaded.
One nonfiction animal book I like that hasn't yet been recommended is Last Chance to See.It's a humorous take on a serious subject. For me I'll read the next Chet and Bernie book and see what else I have here that will fit.
A lot of my favorites have already been recommended (particularly Watership Down), so I will go with My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. I read this long long ago when I was a kid, and laughed my head off. Over the years I would re-read it, and I even donated to Durrell's Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Between him and James Herriot it was inevitable I chose to study veterinary medicine in college.
He alternates between hilarious anecdotes about his family and his adventures as an amateur naturalist as a child on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, with LOTS of detailed descriptions of animals and their behavior. I loved this book.
As for my reading plans, I hope to finally get to Seabiscuit, but I am tempted by To the Bright Edge of the World.
I cannot believe I didn't think of this one earlier, but I LOVED Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore.Definitely fiction, anthropomorphizes whales, and was laugh out loud funny. Though as a research scientist I was probably amused more by his portrayal of scientist than the average person would be.
My choices for this month were easy decisions. I've been wanting to read A Beautiful Truth since I read and loved We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves a few years ago, I'm also going to try to work in (children's lit so how hard is that going to be?) Into the Wild the first of the Warriors series. Clans of wild cats? Sounds fun to me!Not mentioned and probably in my top 10 lifetime books is The Yearling. I second the suggestion of To The Bright Edge of the World especially if you're looking for something not centered on animals. Watership Down also makes my top 10 lifetime books.
Booknblues wrote: "Regina wrote: "This is a difficult one for me. Guess my one recommendation is The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobePossibilities:
[book:The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane|3718..."
Oh! Thanks for the recommendations!
For true historical fiction fans, I'm going to reiterate the Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman for its literal use of lions and doves as central themes in its tale. A truly beautiful book that hit all the notes for me, as Alice Hoffman dies. Won her next novel Faithful in a giveaway, which makes me think these are somewhat selected.
Nicole R wrote: I have read Origin. And I am an ecologist who thinks Darwin may be the most brilliant man to have ever lived. And this book is so painful. It is incredibly long and dry and I am sure that if I were smarter I would be enraptured from cover to cover..."I have Almost Like a Whale by Steve Jones - it's a "rewrite" of Origin of Species, with updates to take account of the new science at the time it was published (1999) - it's supposed to be a lot more accessible than the original. I have dipped into it, but will read it properly this month.
Something else that has been on the TBR pile for a while is Fifteen Dogs which looked too quirky and interesting not to buy when I saw it.
Kate wrote: "I have read Origin. And I am an ecologist who thinks Darwin may be the most brilliant man to have ever lived. And this book is so painful. It is incredibly long and dry and I am sure that if I were..."Oooh! I didn't think about Fifteen Dogs!
The book I wanted to read is not in my library system and I'm stuck on what I want to read. Something light and humourous wold be good.
Nicole R wrote: "So many great non-fiction books to recommend!!! I am going to recommend [book:Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Eroti..."
Not at all surprised by the list Nicole!
Amy wrote: "What do people think about Edgar Sawtelle?"I really liked it. No doubt for me that this would be animals since it is heavily about a specific dog breed.
Booknblues wrote: "I'm excited by the tag of animals. It is one of my favorites.I'm planning on reading [book:The Perfect Horse: The Daring American Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis|..."
I wasn't planning on reading any non-fiction but this sounds really good - I love history - got my BA in it and my Dad was in WWII
Amy wrote: "For true historical fiction fans, I'm going to reiterate the Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman for its literal use of lions and doves as central themes in its tale. A truly beautiful book that hit all ..."Hmmm - that's been on my list for a long time but I'm not sure I can fit it in. I'm going to keep it in mind though - you never know when it will be the perfect fit next month.
Barbara wrote: "Amy wrote: "What do people think about Edgar Sawtelle?"I really liked it. No doubt for me that this would be animals since it is heavily about a specific dog breed."
Hated this book.
Karin wrote: "The book I wanted to read is not in my library system and I'm stuck on what I want to read. Something light and humourous wold be good."If you want light and humorous, read Spencer Quinn. He's the author of the Chet and Bernie series - Chet is a dog and a very delightful one. :-)
OK, obvious I've been catching up on this thread, hence all the postings above. As far as recommendations, no one has mentioned Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog which I loved, or the Spencer Quinn series (mentioned above) a favorite fiction on mine. As for me - as usual I have a longer list than time to read!
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Perfect Horse: The Daring American Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis (if my library has it)
H is for Hawk
All Creatures Great and Small (unbelievable that I haven't read a Herriot!
annapi wrote: " I will go with My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell..."I was thinking about rereading this as well - I adore his books and own most of them. The ITV television series "The Durrells" starts here tomorrow night - it's based on the book and is supposed to be great!
My recommendations are as follows:A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life
Watchers
A Three Dog Life
I'm thinking of reading any of the following:
Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
Salvage the Bones
The Tusk That Did the Damage
The Dog Stars
The Dog
Karin wrote: "The book I wanted to read is not in my library system and I'm stuck on what I want to read. Something light and humourous wold be good."What is the book you wanted to read that your library did not have?
Anita wrote: "Amy wrote: ".What of my idea if a book is read by at least 5-7 others in a month, like we have for a number of books in October. I think it would be neat to know how many people read Gentleman, Bri..."Hmmm, I don't think there is an easy way to figure that out - at least not that I know of (and can think of at this moment). Unless someone wants to go through and manually count
Barbara wrote: "As far as recommendations, no one has mentioned Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog which I loved ..."I mentioned it!
Ladyslott wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Amy wrote: "What do people think about Edgar Sawtelle?"I really liked it. No doubt for me that this would be animals since it is heavily about a specific dog breed."
Hated this b..."
I hated it, too.
Barbara wrote: "Karin wrote: "The book I wanted to read is not in my library system and I'm stuck on what I want to read. Something light and humourous wold be good."If you want light and humorous, read Spencer ..."
Thanks; I have read all of the Chet and Bernie books.
Luckily I picked up Watership Down not too long ago and never got around to reading it, so that's what I'll be reading. Oddly I'm not much of an animal books person but I voted for this tag to stretch myself a bit. I don't have much to recommend except to recommend not reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which I hated, and Water for Elephants, which was over-hyped in my opinion and I think I'm one of the few that didn't like this one. Anyways happy reading! :)
My options are:All Creatures Great and Small
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
Maus II : And Here My Troubles Began
The Year of the Hare
recommend:
The Goose Girl
The Origin
Nicole wrote: "My options are:All Creatures Great and Small
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
[book:Maus II : And Here My Troubles Began|1519..."
I think the animals tag for Hot Zone and Goose Girl is a bit of a stretch...
Here are some of my recommendations:The Magician's Elephant - Kate DiCamillo (juvenile fiction)
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate (juvenile fiction)
Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins (juvenile fiction, great adventure series my son loved when he was 8-10 years old)
Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell (classic)
The Midnight Zoo - Sonya Hartnett (juvenile historical fiction - WWII)
The Way of the Panda: The Curious History of China's Political Animal - Henry Nicholls (adult non-fiction)
I picked up Seabiscuit: An American Legend without even thinking about November's theme, so that turned out well! I recommend Water for Elephants, although it's only slightly about animals & Island of the Blue Dolphins. I guess I really need to get into animal stories more! I intend to read The Art of Racing in the Rain soon & The One and Only Ivan.
I will definitely be reading:Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Thinking about reading:
Lily and the Octopus]
The Dog Stars
Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog
Recommending:
Homer's Odyssey
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The War that Saved My Life- Middle grade novel about a disabled girl who bonds with horses. Won 2016 Newberry Honor
Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I also disliked Water for Elephants.
annapi wrote: "Nicole wrote: "My options are:All Creatures Great and Small
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
[book:Maus II : And Here My Trou..."
I'd count The Goose Girl since the main character can speak with animals.
Nicole wrote: "recommend:The Goose Girl..."
I'll second this!!
These are from three-time Newberry Award winner Gary Paulsen. I have read 15 of his books and very much enjoyed about 95% of them.Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
My Life in Dog Years
Dogsong
Notes from the Dog
Woodsong
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers
This Side of Wild: Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs
Dogteam
Jenni Elyse wrote: "I'd count The Goose Girl since the main character can speak with animals. "I'd forgotten that! Yes, I agree.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Redwall (other topics)Watership Down (other topics)
Rabbit Hill (other topics)
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery (other topics)
Huge Harold (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
David Quammen (other topics)Gary Paulsen (other topics)
Catherine Ryan Hyde (other topics)
Gary Paulsen (other topics)
Gerald Durrell (other topics)
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I hope you like The Zookeeper's Wife!