One of the great things about writing this column is that I get to share my thoughts about books. And I hope that it’s evident that I love books. I. Love. Books. It occurred to me, though, that like anybody, I have subjects that are of little interest to me. In fact, I don’t like them at all. But I’m sure that somebody out there likes my dislikes, so why should I avoid them in this column?
First up, spiders. I know what good they do, and I appreciate every bad bug they eat, but I just can’t. I’m not a big fan of snakes either, but I can look at photographs of snakes and not react. Show me a spider book (or worse yet, a live spider in my bathroom!), and I will make moves and faces that are just too embarrassing to explain. For those who appreciate arachnids – and insects in general – check out National Geographic Backyard Guide to Insects & Spiders of North America.
Please don’t judge me too harshly when I say I don’t like coconut. The texture, the flavor, oof, thank you, but no. My husband thinks my aversion to coconut is weird, so for those of you who can’t get enough coconut, I offer Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Kitchen.
Will it be a surprise that I don’t like going to the dentist? Does anybody? It’s absolutely necessary, however, and I have learned to, if not embrace my dental appointments, at least portray an air of calmness while tensed up in the dentist’s chair. To show my appreciation for (but not enthusiasm of) the dental profession, I hope you’ll read Nothing but the Tooth: An Insider’s Guide to Dental Health.
My final not-favorite topic is horror movies. I don’t feel like I need to explain why (SCARY!!), so for those who thrill at the chance of experiencing fear, add Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films to your reading list. I also want to give a bibliographic high five to Roz Chast’s What I Hate: from A to Z. I’m a huge fan of her cartoons many of which reflect upon life’s distressing situations like going to the dentist (ah ha! I’m not alone!), spontaneous human combustion (yeah, I don’t like that either) and the not-so-sunshiny sides of the color yellow.
New at the Library
Fiction
- Heartbeat by Sharon Sala
- The Lantern’s Dance: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King
- Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Nonfiction
- Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle
- Stitches and Seams: Essential Sewing Skills for the Beginner Sewist, Tailor, and DIY Crafter by Valeria Carrandi Macias
- Tiny Traumas: When You Don’t Know What’s Wrong, But Nothing Feels Quite Right by Meg Arroll
Children
- The Astro Chimps: America’s First Astronauts by Dawn Cusick
- The Magic Black Belt written by Hanna Kim, illustrated by Emily Paik
- The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn written and illustrated by Shawn Harris
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.
Jan Johnston, Collection Manager
Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
You can email Jan at readingforfun@fvrl.org
