Welcome to Serendipitous Sunday! As the manager of the library’s collection I bear a terrible burden — the responsibility of looking at thousands of titles throughout the year. Boo hoo. Just kidding — booyah! Here’s the thing. When writing this column, I tend to favor themes, or I focus on a single title because I just have so much to say. Then I review my ever-growing list of potential “Check It Out” books, and much like a store analyzing inventory, I realize it’s time to roll out a library “blue light special.” So, here’s a random offering of titles just waiting to be read by you, most excellent library patron. Happy fortuitous reading!
• “The Benevolent Bee: Capture the Bounty of the Hive Through Science, History, Home Remedies and Craft,” by Stephanie Bruneau. If you didn’t already know this, bees are cool. Help the bee population — and your local beekeepers — by checking out this bee-rific book full of bee facts and advice for purchasing, using and enjoying bee products.
• “The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells,” by M. G. Harasewych. If Susie sells seashells by the seashore, Susie needs to check out this book. Six hundred seashells. Let me say that again: SIX HUNDRED SEASHELLS. Beautiful photographs, a boatload of information, this book will satisfy any seashell enthusiast. And don’t be selfish: share the seashells with several sidekicks.
• “Heal Your Hips: How to Prevent Hip Surgery and What to Do If You Need It,” by Robert Klapper. When I was in my 20s, I worried about my hips because I didn’t want them to get too big. Now several decades later I am still worried about my hips but for a very different reason: I don’t like it when they hurt. Not being so concerned about body image is a blessing, but the aches and pains that come with age pretty much feel like a curse. Sigh. Time to pay more attention to the joints, I guess, so I’m adding this book to my reading list. Hip, hip, hooray!
