A Whale of the Wild, by Rosanne Parry

     A newer, but not necessarily new, book by Oregon author Roseanne Parry. Like A Wolf Called Wander, Parry did her research in A Whale of the Wild and documents the life of a whale pod in the Pacific Northwest, with all of its beauty and wonder as well as it's terribleness. She creates a story from the point of view of a young female whale, Vega, who will someday become a salmon finder. Vega gets separated from her pod during two drastic events and must help herself and her brother find the safety of the whale family once again. Parry places you, the reader, squarely into the mind and life of this young whale, and through Vega's eyes we experience the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and start to understand some of the challenges that face whales in our world's oceans. 

    It is a science/nature/animal/environmental story sure to catch the interest of every animal lover out there! Written similarly to Wolf, Parry documents the current condition of our fragile water system and the animals that rely on the system's balance to live. Another good book from one of my favorite authors! 4 paws!

Remain in Love, by Chris Frantz

     Once or twice each year, I find myself needing an adult book to read. Not that I don't LOVE YA and teen books - I do! But now and then I want to read something that doesn't involve kids or teens at school, losing a parent, wrapped up in some romantic trauma, or just dealing with drama in general. So, in those times, I can usually find something odd, written for adults, that tickles my fancy (another way of saying it interests me). This winter season I found this book, Remain in Love, which was written by the drummer of a 70s alt rock band named Talking Heads. I'm a Talking Heads fan, but usually everything about that band centers around the lead singer David Byrne. Being the curious pug that I am, I know that getting various perspectives on any topic offers a more well-rounded view of things, so I was drawn to this book, written in another, but valid, perspective, and I found it used on a library bookstore shelf!

    I don't think this will be a book any of you go looking for, unless you have some curious draw to 70s and 80s punk or alt rock music. Maybe you do?! But this is a decent book, not amazing. Chris dates and later marries Tina Weymouth, who is the bass player in Talking Heads, so his writing of the story of the band, and beyond, is interesting. Perhaps the most interesting parts were all of the musicians, actors, artists, and creative types Chris and Tina meet and work with over the years. I'll link a Talking Heads song here, and a Tom Tom Club song, as that is their side band, when Talking Heads were not touring or writing together during the bands' years. If nothing else, enjoy the tunes!

Talking Heads - Burning Down the House

Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love

Happy New Year!