With a woof-woof here, and a meow-meow there,
Here’s a woof, there’s a meow, everywhere a woof-meow!
Old MacDonald may have had a farm, but did he have a pet dog or cat like 66% of U.S. households? I have to thank Forbes for that statistic, and it doesn’t surprise me one bit. People love to share their lives with fur babies, and that includes me and my husband. Our cat boys, Dewey and Leo, who love to romp with each other, keep us highly entertained. And when they get quiet and snuggly with us, well, the cockles of our hearts feel warm and fuzzy.
Sharing our home with animals has been rewarding and a true learning experience. Cats in particular have chameleon-like qualities. Independent, dismissive and proud on one hand; quirky, silly and demanding on the other. Through their behavior we have learned to be patient (for the umpteenth time, you’ve already been fed!); to appreciate basic pleasures (a patch of sunlight on the floor, an empty box); and to go with the mood (back turned means I need a moment to myself, skittering down the hallway with a half-crazed look means, watch out – I’m on the move!). There is no doubt that being a cat parent has made me a better human being.
Today’s reading choices focus on cats and dogs, but rest assured that the library has a variety of pet- friendly titles. If your best friend falls into another category - feathers, scales, hooves, antennas – we have a book for you. No matter the species you care for and love, I hope you will celebrate with me all creatures great and small.
- The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa by Jonathan B. Losos
- How to Raise a Happy Cat: So They Love You More Than Anyone Else by Sophie Collins
- The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality by Karen Fine
- Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond by Alexandra Horowitz
- The Particulars of Peter: Dance Lessons, DNA Tests, and Other Excuses to Hang Out with My Perfect Dog by Kelly Conaboy
- Pets and the City: True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian by Amy Attas
New at the Library
Fiction
- Beep by Bill Roorbach
- Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews
- The Lost Coast by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman
Nonfiction
- Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great by Rachel Meredith Kousser
- PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet by Carleigh Bodrug
- Tiger, Tiger: His Life, as It’s Never Been Told Before by James Patterson
Children
- Little Shrew written and illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi
- The Quacken written by Justin Colon, illustrated by Pablo Pino
- This Book is Full of Holes: From Underground to Outer Space and Everywhere in Between written by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Robert Meganck
This is just a small sampling of the many new titles added each week to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District collection. Visit the district’s 15 locations, our website at www.fvrl.org, or call (360) 906-5000 to reserve titles or find additional listings.
You can email Jan at readingforfun@fvrl.org.
