A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History

 A Cat's Tale: A Journey through Feline History

by Baba the Cat as told to Paul Koudounaris

Pages: 288

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

This is a history of domestic cats through history, all around the world, told from a cat's point of view by Baba the Cat. The author describes different famous cats through history and why and how cats and humans relationships have changed throughout time due to politics, religion and agriculture. Baba also is  a very agreeable cat and poses for fun photos in costumes related to the culture and time period being discussed. The book also includes photos and news articles about cats around the world. 

Interesting facts and fun for any cat lover. 

Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District by Hannibal B. Johnson

 I had first heard of Greenwood about two years ago when I read the YA novel, Dreamland Burning (which was fantastic, btw), and I've ended up finding more and more reference to it lately. I've been watching Lovecraft Country (which is a really good show loosely based around a really good novel), and a lot of the characters' stories are related to the 1921 Greenwood massacre. However, I started to wonder what the actual Greenwood was like, not just the tragedy. This book was perfect for that. The character and resiliency of the community is clear in the photos showing Greenwood in its early days through the present. I enjoy the Images of America series because I feel like I can actually step back in time to get a feel for very specific communities and their histories.

 

213 pages

Close to Birds: An Intimate Look at Our Feathered Friends by Mats Ottosson, Asa Ottosson, and Roine Magnusson

 I love nature photography. I find it so calming. This book pairs gorgeous photos of birds with short collections of facts and personal experiences interacting with them. Although the book only highlights birds found in Sweden (it's translated into English), the stories are relatable just the same. I had such a big grin on my face while reading this. Some of the tiny birds are just too cute!

272 pages

Don't Know Much About History...

Heavenly Bodies by Paul Koudounaris

In the late 16th century, a new section of the Roman Catacombs were discovered. The Church recognized the skeletons as those of Early Christian martyrs, and sent them to Catholic churches as saints across Germanic Europe. The relics were then richly adorned with jewels and costumes, and the laity came on long pilgrimages to pray at their shrines. While the tradition fell out of practice by the 19th century, many of these relics are still found in churches across Europe. Koudounaris presents this photographic history with his beautiful, and enthralling images. This book is just way too cool!

189 pages


Kinloch: Missouri's First Black City by John A. Wright

Longtime resident John A. Wright has collected photos and interviews to tell the story of Kinloch, located north of St. Louis. Going from wealth and luxury, white flight, school desegregation, as well as church and community life, the book gives an overview of this city's history. While Kinloch itself is in decline, a population shift has retained much of its heritage in nearby Ferguson.

128 pages




An American Plague by Jim Murphy

I wasn't sure I wanted to read a plague history right now, given.... you know. But this book on the 1793 Philadelphia plague felt distant enough that I didn't mind reading it. Although it is technically juvenile nonfiction, this is definitely a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Murphy is very good at telling the stories of the main doctors and public officials involved in the crisis, as well as the vital role of the Free African Society. The discussion on the various theories of causes for the (pre-germ theory) plague were telling-placing blame on foreigners is certainly not new. This book is an engaging and informative read. I've also read his book, The Great Fire of Chicago, which is also fantastic!

165 pages


Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

You know, for the most part I really liked this one. You see Laura really start to grow up and participate in the social conventions of the era. The sociable! Lunatic fringes! Name cards! I couldn't imagine having to wear a corset. I made the mistake of googling "corset damage" and the images gave me nightmares. The story is quite pleasant until the end. That minstrel show... Yikes.

307 pages



Don't know much Biology...
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

This book is definitely not to everyone's tastes, but I freakin' loved reading about the history and cultures around fungi, mushrooms, lichens-everything! Did you know fungi were the first to colonize land, forming giant towers as prototaxes? Or that mychorrhizal fungi form vital connections in a forest, swapping nutrients and "feeding" younger and weaker trees? Scientists are testing the chemicals in psilocybin mushrooms for potential treatments for anxiety and depression! And yes, Star Trek collaborated with Paul Stamets, an actual mycologist, to develop Discovery's fictional mycelial network, designed by Lt. Commander... Paul Stamets.

352 pages



Conservation Trails by Teresa Kight/ MO Dept. of Conservation

So many great trails and Conservation Areas to explore in Missouri! While this publication is a bit dated, most of these trails haven't changed much in the past decade or so... It gives me some ideas of places to explore once this whole mess has blown over...

96 pages





A Guide to Missouri's Snakes from the MO Dept. of Conservation

Sneks. Everybody loves snakes, right? No? Only me? ... okay. We have sooo many watersnakes. And unfortunately they get killed for no good reason because folks assume any snake in the water is a cottonmouth. Copperheads are nasty. I remember killing one once with a garden hoe. And baby rat snakes are the cutest thing ever!

59 pages





The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane

This oversize book focuses on words disappearing from children's lives, pairing poems with pages and pages of colorful paintings. Each poem focuses on a word-bramble, wren, acorn-that may or may not enter children's vocabularies with our increasingly indoor culture.Beautiful poetry. Gorgeous artwork.

128 pages





Don't know much about geography...

Yellowstone: A Journey Through America's Wild Heart by David Quammen

Quammen combines tales of his adventures in America's first national park with breathtaking images of wildlife and the landscape. The nature photography is phenomenal! I enjoyed reading about the history of the park and challenges it faces today. I've never been able to visit, but I definitely want to take a road trip now...

222 pages

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I've been recommended this book many times. Then DBRL chose it for the One Read... and I caved. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it! It follows the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest by the Bolsheviks in the Metropol. Across from the Bolshoi, the Metropol is a grand hotel (I've been there, it's huge) yet I'm sure it would feel tiny after 40-ish years. I enjoyed how the Count watched the passage of early Soviet history. The author definitely did his research, which I appreciated. The hype around this novel is not over exaggerated!

462 pages

 
Don't know what a slide rule is for...
Me neither, dude. I had to look it up. Makes me real grateful for calculators.

This song is now stuck in your head!
That, or you're trying to look up the reference.
You're welcome.

What a wonderful world this would be.

Earth at Night: Our Planet in Brilliant Darkness by NASA

Awesome night photography from our own satellites and astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Hurricanes, forest fires, and volcano eruptions are visible alongside highways, gas flares and holiday lights. I think it's so cool that you can watch human development overtime just from aerial and now satellite photography. NASA's satellites are so advanced they can even see a single street lamp from space!

Amazing display of technology and the natural world.

200 pages

Planetfall: New Solar System Visions by Michael Benson

I love space photography. Imagining traveling to new worlds and planets is why I love Science Fiction, but space photography makes all the imagination seem more real. This is top notch work. Benson takes raw data and photo composites from NASA and the ESA (yay gov docs!) and polishes them up to give them life as beautiful glimpses. The images of Saturn's rings and Mars landscapes are especially breathtaking.

Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!

208 pages

Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

  Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays by Eric Greitens

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published in 2008 long before Eric Greitens became the Governor of Missouri, this title not only shows the reader some of his award winning photography, but also gives you a glimpse into how he views the world and all of its people and the experiences that led him to this viewpoint. As the title implies he believes that one needs both strength and compassion to not only be a good leader and person, but in some cases just to survive horrible events. The photos are from his research and documentary photography work with children and families in Rwanda, Albania, Mexico, India, Croatia, Bolivia, and Cambodia and even though some show the horrible side of humanity there is also hope. 

Awards:
New York Book Festival, Winner for Photography and Grand Prize Winner
Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, Gold Medal for Photography
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner for Photography
Silver Medalist for the Nautilus Book Awards for Art/Photography Book
Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Best Photography Book

Pages: 172

"Watching Elijah Fall" by Amy Spector

Jacob Pierce is having a hard time moving past the break-up with his long time boyfriend.  He's depressed and not sure how to be happy again.  His friends talk him into taking a photography class where he finds himself drawn to the instructor, Elijah Fall.  But Elijah has his own heartache weighing him down.  This was a gentle novella with good secondary characters and two very likable leads.  67 pages (Kindle edition).

Palindrome by Stuart Woods

Posted for Paul Mathews

Liz Barwick finds a second life on Georgia's Cumberland Island with all of its mysteries. Love-Death-Hurricane.

Audio:  9 hrs. 36 min.

Print:  432 pages

Jefferson City 150: 150 Years of Jefferson City Through the Eyes of the News Tribune and Its Readers by News Tribune Staff, et al.

Posted for Paul Mathews

Jefferson city ensured its future as the state capital, when a statewide vote held in 1896 defeated a measure to move the capital to Sedalia. The Millbottom was littered with bars until 1920 and now only Paddy Malone’s remains. Being on the river Jefferson has a few floods. A prison riot occurred on Sept. 22, 1954. Jefferson City  and country lives on past Jan.1, 2000 (Y2K).  144 pages.

Available in our catalog here.

"Nocturne: Creatures of the Night" by Traer Scott

I picked up this book on the recommendation of Christa at UCPL and also because I love animals.  I was not disappointed!  The photographer used a homemade "little black box" in which she placed the smaller animals and insects to keep them calm and get better pictures with a black background.  All of these creatures are mostly nocturnal or crepuscular (most active at dusk and dawn), but some have had to become diurnal due to the interference of humans.  The close-up photos are all wonderful, so I just cannot pick a favorite (although the Fennec fox on the cover is super cute)!  There are also explanations of the biggest threats to nocturnal animals as well as a list of organizations that help them and their habitats.  Highly recommended.  128 pages.

"You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes" by Chris Hadfield

While working on the International Space Station, Hadfield took some really amazing photos of different parts of the Earth, and this book is the result.  The unexpected colors and geometric designs were fascinating, and I would like to have large copies of some to hang on my walls.  The crop circles in Libya formed by center-pivot irrigation looked like Braille while other shapes naturally made looked like various animals.  The Tongue of the Ocean, which is a trench between two islands in the Bahamas, was one of my favorites with flowing shades of blue.  I first saw this book posted in the UCPL book blog by Christa.  200 pages.