Play Book Tag discussion
October 2020: Animals
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Announcing the Tag for October
Rachel N. wrote: "Diana H. wrote: "I am going to read The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. Besides, I see that Where the Crawdads Sing has this tag too. Maybe those who re..."I think Crawdads is a great choice for October.
I just found one that looks right in my wheel house! it is titled Tomorrow https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...Historical Fiction AND Fantasy😍
A wise old dog travels through the courts and battlefields of Europe and through the centuries in search of the master who granted him immortality>
Watership Down definitely holds up! It remains one of my favorites from my youth and will continue to be so. I can't count how many times I've re-read it, and how many passages I've memorized. Anyone who hasn't yet read it should certainly do so!I'm glad to see a recommendation for another favorite from my childhood, My Family and Other Animals.
For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not an animal lover. I don't hate animals or anything, but I am not really a pet person. Having said that, I do enjoy nonfiction science books about animals! I think this may be the month that I FINALLY get to The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time.
Then, if I have enough time for another one, I have wanted to read The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals for a long time.
Another possibility if I want fiction or need an audiobook is The Atomic Weight of Love.
Two books that I enjoyed and would recommend are:
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
Remarkable Creatures (soon to be a movie!)
And then, of course, one of my favorite books of all time is Jurassic Park!
Just picked up Miller’s Valley at the library and it’s only 255 pages! A short little thing! I can make 35 states by 11/3!
Diana H. wrote: "I am going to read The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. Besides, I see that Where the Crawdads Sing has this tag too. Maybe those who read it can help me..."I'll be reading "Crawdads" anyway for my f2f book club.
NancyJ wrote: "Has anyone read Watership Down? It seems to be a book that many people read when they were younger, and I'm wondering if it's held up well.I read "Watership Down" for the first and only time as an adult. I quite liked it!
I'm still fresh from saying good bye to Kevin, so all dog books are out. Or anything where the animal dies or is sad.I'm thinking:
The Golden Compass
Winnie-the-Pooh (I have my mom's copy from the 50s)
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Pet Sematary (big maybe... I own it and I know there is death and horror going into it)
Charlotte, I loved women who run with the wolves. I read it years ago, but never forgot it. I’d rather think you would like it.
Amy wrote: "Charlotte, I loved women who run with the wolves. I read it years ago, but never forgot it. I’d rather think you would like it."I've read the introduction for an online book club and figure I can restart it for this. I struggled a bit to get captured and maybe PBT can give me the push.
Charlotte wrote: "I'm still fresh from saying good bye to Kevin, so all dog books are out. Or anything where the animal dies or is sad.I'm thinking:
The Golden Compass
Winnie-the-Pooh (I..."
I'm so sorry about Kevin. I felt that way after we lost Maggie in March, but now I'm craving dog books. (We can't bring ourselves to replace her yet.)
Amy wrote: "Just picked up Miller’s Valley at the library and it’s only 255 pages! A short little thing! I can make 35 states by 11/3!"I recommend it. Anna writes fluid easy to read books. I gave it 4 stars, and here is the beginning of my review: When a friend recommended this book to me, she said that I would know these people, this place. Oh was she ever right! If you grew up in a small failing town in the 1970s and attended public school, you will find yourself here.
It fits perfectly with farming, and there were a number of story points that were eerily shared in my life! But then Anna and I know each other, are of the same generation, and are both active Barnard alums. Maybe she stored in her mind conversations we have had. 😅
For October, I have chosen a fantasy, All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders to fit the animal tag. One of the characters apparently understands animals, birds in particular, and somehow finds herself charged with hmm..saving the world, or, 😲
It is getting really busy around here and so I am only going to read one for sure, this month. I hope to get at least one more, I was hoping animals would win.
Happy Reading 📚💕
It is getting really busy around here and so I am only going to read one for sure, this month. I hope to get at least one more, I was hoping animals would win.
Happy Reading 📚💕
Wow! These recommendations have been a great help but my TBR just grew!!I second many of these that I've read. I highly recommend the The Zookeeper's Wife that I just finished. Plus I remember enjoying Watership Down that I read as an adult but not recently. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog and Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World were among my favorites. Also recommend Dog on It and His Majesty's Dragon and I think I'll check to see if there's one in either of these series that I haven't read yet.
One more suggestion - Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - every dog owner and dog aunt/uncle/grandparent should read this. Horowitz runs a lab studying the behaviour of dogs at Barnard College in NYC. When this book was published, to incredible acclaim that to this day shocks her, I went with friends to hear her speak and one of the things that I particularly remember is how she described that as she learned more, how she spent her time with her dog and interacted with her changed and improved.
Amy wrote: "I love that connection Theresa!"We have a mutual friend. Alexandra's husband is a musician. My copy of the book is, of course, autographed.
They are the loveliest couple.
Theresa wrote: "One more suggestion - Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - every dog owner and dog aunt/uncle/grandparent should read this. Horowi..."Oh! And I forgot to mention that the title comes from a funny famous quote about reading, making it a great choice for this month's tag!
Joanne wrote: "I just found one that looks right in my wheel house! it is titled Tomorrow https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...Historical Fiction AND Fantasy😍
A wise old dog travels through the..."
I've put that on my list too. Sounds interesting.
Theresa wrote: "Theresa wrote: "One more suggestion - Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - every dog owner and dog aunt/uncle/grandparent should r...""Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx if I'm not mistaken!
Theresa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I love that connection Theresa!"We have a mutual friend. Alexandra's husband is a musician. My copy of the book is, of course, autographed.
They are the loveliest couple."
Is that mutual friend married to that trumpeter named Bond?
Barbara M wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Theresa wrote: "One more suggestion - Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - every dog owner and dog aunt/uncle/gran..."YES - Groucho. The full quote is:
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Like, Nicole R, I am NOT an animal lover (except for elephants, of course). And I totally get that Charlotte (and others) won't want a sad "the dog dies" book. But I do want to recommend Susan Wilson. She's an author who has written some wonderful dog stories.
I gave One Good Dog 4 stars ... You can read My Review HERE
Oh ... and a favorite from childhood that was a very quick read
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford ... two dogs and a cat trek across Canada to get back home.
Karin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I love that connection Theresa!"We have a mutual friend. Alexandra's husband is a musician. My copy of the book is, of course, autographed.
They are the loveliest cou..."
Nope. I have a lot of friends ... and clients in the various entertainment and arts fields. The mutual friend with Alexandra is a violist, crossword puzzle constructer, copyeditor, transcriber of oral history interviews, and a needlework designer. Oh and ocxasional polish translator.
I recommend war horse for anyone looking for a couple of nights crying about animals. :(
I thought I would have a long list of adult fiction to recommend for this tag. Turns out that most adult books featuring animals on my 4 to 5 star list are non-fiction. And most of the fiction titles are for children. There are a few but I couldn't eliminate the the ones with a dying animal.To The Bright Edge of the World
The Horse Whisperer
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
The Red Pony
Flowers for Algernon
I'm thinking I might try Flush or one of the many non-fiction birding books on my TBR
Thanks Jgrace for that link! I would recommend The Bees. It's a really interesting story about a female centric society of bees.
Theresa wrote: "Karin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Amy wrote: "I love that connection Theresa!"We have a mutual friend. Alexandra's husband is a musician. My copy of the book is, of course, autographed.
They are the..."
Oh, sure, I know you have many friends--it was just in case I have a less direct connection to the author by having talked with you and also having met the trumpeter.
Another group I am in is reading 142 Ostriches. I will read that book for this also.
Linda, curious about 142 ostriches. It’s on my secret phone list as a maybe. But if you like it it goes higher!
Has anyone here read The Friend? I think that might fit, and I might try it.Another one on my radar is Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds. I feel like non-fiction has been appealing to me more as of late, so that might be the winner.
Anita wrote: "Has anyone here read The Friend? I think that might fit, and I might try it.Another one on my radar is [book:Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds|25470..."
Anita, I think you might like The Friend. It is a book about friendship and literature and a dog.
I loved the dog in this book and he is not exactly a centerpiece, but really necessary.
Great set of recommendations so far. Especially, for me, those of NancyJ and LibraryCin.So many great dog books, of which I liked Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog the best. Travels with Charley: In Search of America and The Dog Who Wouldn't Be in second place.
For wild animals and birds, these were 5 star reads for me:
Vesper Flights—Helen Macdonald
Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel—Carl Safina
Becoming Wild: How Animals Learn Who They Are—Carl Safina
A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons—Robert Sapolsky
Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival—Bernd Heinrich
Eating Stone: Imagination and the Loss of the Wild—Ellen Meloy
The Snow Leopard—Peter Mathiessen
Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds—Chris Chester
The Seabird's Cry: The Lives and Loves of the Planet's Great Ocean Voyagers—Adam Nicholson
I plan to read:
The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology--Bernd Heinrich
My Family and Other Animals--Gerald Durrell
Booknblues wrote: "Anita wrote: "Has anyone here read The Friend? I think that might fit, and I might try it.Another one on my radar is [book:Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wo..."
The Friend sounds great. I added it to my library request list.
Michael wrote: "Great set of recommendations so far. Especially, for me, those of NancyJ and LibraryCin.So many great dog books, of which I liked Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog the b..."
Merle's Door is my husband's favorite books too! It makes a good addition to a fundraising gift basket for dog groups. I'll add something from your list this month.
Anita wrote: "Has anyone here read The Friend? I think that might fit, and I might try it.Another one on my radar is [book:Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds|25470..."
I have read it my review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I really liked it
hbbyy wrote: "Hi am Bello Muhammed"Welcome Bello!
I found another one for those of you who like a memoir, and it is short and looks like quick reading How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
hbbyy wrote: "Hi am Bello Muhammed"Welcome, Bello! Jump right in, you'll find this is a fun group!
Wonderful tag, I am so happy this one won!I have a feeling I am going to be adding more than I can read.
I have 201 Animals books on my shelf, that I have tagged. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
If you like mystery series, I highly recommend the Chet and Bernie books. https://www.goodreads.com/series/4620...
Autobiography/Biography books I have enjoyed.
My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir
Children's books my kids and grandson have enjoyed
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
Skippyjon Jones
Socks
On my TBR I would like to read for the tag.
The Last Woman in the Forest
Goodnight MooHorseshoes, Cowsocks & Duckfeet: More Commentary by NPR's Cowboy Poet & Former Large Animal Veterinarian
Has anyone received or read Constant Rabbit yet? I just got it!
NancyJ wrote: "Has anyone received or read Constant Rabbit yet? I just got it!"Have it but it won't get read any time soon by me. I also have Fforde's Early Riser awaiting my attention. I can buy books faster than I can read them. Of course.
NancyJ wrote: "Has anyone received or read Constant Rabbit yet? I just got it!"I'm still on my library's waiting list for Constant Rabbit. I'm really hoping it lives up to the wait!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis (other topics)Early Riser (other topics)
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (other topics)
The Last Woman in the Forest (other topics)
My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Carl Hiaasen (other topics)Sheila Burnford (other topics)
Susan Wilson (other topics)
Alexandra Horowitz (other topics)
Alexandra Horowitz (other topics)
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I think I gave it a 3, not bad but not outstanding.