On the Shelf

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramYoutubeMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

Humor

Mindful Mr. Sloth

by Leave a Comment

Title: Mindful Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson
Format: Picture Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Do you know someone who just won’t slow down? Well, you might just need a friend to help you see the world at a different pace!
Sasha Patience Pruitt is a little girl with little patience and little time for stillness until a newly made friend enters her life with a new perspective. Mr. Sloth is slow at talking, playing, and everything else Sasha loves to do. Maybe a bike race will bring her new friend up to speed, or maybe Sasha will learn that enjoying the moment is worth the “waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiittttttt.”

This adorable picture book is a great read aloud for young movers and shakers as a gentle introduction to self regulation (the ability to pause between thought and action to respond appropriately to a situation) and practicing mindfulness (the ability to be aware and present with thoughts and feelings in the moment). Slowing down can be difficult and that’s why we have friends to show us that taking time to enjoy life can be exactly what we need. If you have a little one in your life who only knows one speed, this picture book is for you! Find Mindful Mr. Sloth in the catalog!

The Housewives: The Real Story behind the Real Housewives

by Leave a Comment

The Housewives: The Real Story behind the Real Housewives by Brian Moylan
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

It is time to admit my biggest guilty pleasure: reality television. This book is narrated by the author and involves a deep dive into the world of The Real Housewives franchise on Bravo. I listened to this audiobook and as Brian, the author, chats about the history of The Real Housewives, it is just like having coffee with a friend the day after watching an episode. Although Bravo wouldn’t allow the author a lot of access to the housewives, Moylan did a great job giving readers and listeners the behind-the-scenes scoop on our favorite housewives moments. The book had a great mix of everything, the history of the show, who really pays for those housewives’ trips, and even an inside look at Moylan’s vacation with one of the housewives. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves reality shows and wants to get a small glimpse of the inside of the Bravo phenomenon.

Find The  Housewives in the catalog

The New LiBEARian

by Leave a Comment

The New LiBEARian by Alison Donald; illustrated by Alex Willmore
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Kids

What happens when the librarian is late to storytime? Why is the librarian’s desk covered in honey and paw prints? Who will read for storytime? How about the new librarian- who happens to be a bear! In this adorably illustrated picture book, you’ll be “beary” surprised by the magic of the library and its newest librarian! Library lovers will enjoy this special twist on how imagination comes to life at storytime and can even bring forth some very special guests! If storytime sparks your imagination- visit your library branch today and peruse a copy of librarian (and liBEARian) approved stories and activities! Find it in the catalog!

This Zoo is Not For You

by Leave a Comment

This Zoo Is Not For You by Ross Collins
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Did you know you need an interview to be seen at the zoo? When one platypus answers the call for hire, they may find that the zoo is not as welcoming as it seems. After multiple rejections from the current zoo residents for not meeting their very particular requirements, perhaps the most a platypus can do is continue being themselves and make sure that the place that they belong is welcoming to everyone.

This adorably illustrated story in rhyme is a wonderful message for being inclusive and welcoming when meeting new people. Sometimes we can be quick to judge whether or not someone is “enough” for our established circles. Sometimes we wonder whether we can fit in or contribute something special to a new group. Sometimes it takes one brave and unique person to break down barriers and create a place where the uninvited are always invited! Whether you’ve been the platypus or a current member of a zoo looking for someone new, this picture book will remind you that even if the zoo is not for you, there’s always room for you on the platybus!

Find This Zoo is Not For You in the catalog here!

The Eyre Affair

by Leave a Comment

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Format: Book, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

The Eyre Affair introduces Thursday Next, a literary detective living in a parallel universe with a time traveling father and an uncle experimenting with literal bookworms. Thursday works for SpecOps 27, the division that investigates manuscript forgeries and other literary crimes. The Eyre Affair sees Thursday battling with literary villain Acheron Hades. Hades has stolen the Prose Portal, allowing him to enter manuscripts and kidnap characters for ransom. He starts with Martin Chuzzelwit, but his ultimate goal is to remove Jane Eyre from the pages of Jane Eyre. If he succeeds, Jane will be removed from all copies of the novel. It’s up to Thursday to stop him and save Jane Eyre. 

The first book in the Thursday Next series (there are seven in total), The Eyre Affair immerses the reader in Thursday’s alternate universe. The Crimean War never ended, Russia still has a tsar, and cloning animals is widespread (Thursday’s pet is a dodo v1.2 named Pickwick). This sets the stage for the rest of the series – we learn in the second book about the BookWorld, occupied by literary characters with its own police force (Jurisfiction). 

For readers with an interest in classic literature (Fforde constantly drops in references to classic novels and poems) and inventive, sometimes absurd alternate realities, The Eyre Affair is a fun and exciting introduction to a great series.

Find The Eyre Affair in the catalog.

Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World

by Leave a Comment

Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker
Format: Book, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

What do you get when you cross a stand-up comedian with a math enthusiast? You get Matt Parker, and his chuckle-inducing book Humble Pi. Math typically works quietly behind the scenes of life, ensuring that your internet works, your train runs smoothly on its tracks, and the calendar marches steadily onward…until, suddenly, it doesn’t.

Parker reveals the math mistakes behind some of the world’s most spectacular failures, from a bridge collapse to a stock market meltdown to an election debacle. For an entertaining tour through humanity’s mathematical stumbling blocks, find it in the catalog.