Reported by Garry
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. This
little book is chock-full of fascinating information about these often
overlooked and reviled little creatures. Bailey shares an inspiring and
intimate story of her encounter with a Neohelix albolabris—a common woodland
snail. Taking the time to observe the snail in its surroundings, she discovers
the incredible life including its decision-making, hydraulic locomotion, and
defenses. Our reader enthusiastically loved this book and stated how it is a
beautiful, hopeful book that she strongly recommends. KM
OCME: Life in America’s Top Forensic Medical Center by Bruce
Goldfarb. Goldfarb worked at Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where
every sudden or unattended death in the state is scrutinized, for 10 years as both
a public information officer and forensic investigator. During his time at the
office, it was embroiled in numerous scandals, including Derek Chauvin's trial
for the murder of George Floyd, and the tragic killing in police custody of
Freddie Gray. Things got so bad at the OCME that in 2022, they had to ask FEMA
to step in and assist with the huge backlog of autopsies. Goldfarb digs into
this incident as well as others in this informative, witty memoir. CD
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. This work of speculative
fiction revolves around the lives of four main characters over a period of 500
years, tied together by the sound of a violin. St. John Mandel is the highly
acclaimed writer of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel, and as
with her previous books, this one is full of interwoven storylines and beautifully
constructed characters. Our reader commented that this book, on top of being
very well written had many quotable passages and a great amount of wisdom, and
highly recommends it. PP
Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts and Other Miniatures by George H.
Schenk. We all have mosses in our yards and this book has a plethora of ways to
use these ubiquitous pioneers (mosses are at least 470 million years old) in
your gardening and landscaping, including tips on how to replace your lawn with
mosses. Schenk lists approximately 60 varieties alphabetically by genus, with
advice on propagating, cultivating, and transplanting them, and includes 97
color photographs. AH
Also Mentioned:
Fairy Tales of Appalachia edited by Stacy Sivinski
Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin
Earth Colors by Sarah Andrews
The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Schott Wilbanks
The Book of Killowen by Erin Hart
Weyward by Emilia Hart
The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
House of Wolves by James Patterson and Mike Lupica
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru by Hugh
Bonneville
The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland
The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound
Pucky, Prince of Bacon: A
Breaking Cat News Adventure by Georgia Dunn
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry
Pratchett
