Books to Check Out Vol. 2

This month was for books full of good, heartwarming vibes. It’s nice to read things that don’t require a lot of brain power now and then. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

Odder by Katherine Applegate

I’m a firm believer that you’re never too old to read a middle grade book. This month I stumbled on a book about otters, my favorite animal, and had to buy it immediately. Interestingly enough, this isn’t just a plain story about an otter. This book is told through poetry, and it made for a quick yet engaging read.

Odder is about an otter named Odder. That was such a fun sentence to write, wow. Odder’s story flip-flops between her past rehabilitation at an aquarium as an otter pup, and her return to said aquarium after a shark attack leaves her injured years later. The story is based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s otter rehab program and their mission to help restore the sea otter population. Side note, if you don’t follow the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Twitter, you should. They’re lovely.

What Odder does so well is tell a story with language that’s fun and playful while also maintaining an elevated, poetic style that older readers can appreciate too. I hate when people “dumb down” things too much for kids, but Odder doesn’t shy away from showing some of the difficulties wild animals face. It’s an intelligent and fun read that gave me Sharon Creech vibes from when I was in elementary school.

The Answer is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek

I grew up watching Jeopardy! every night with my grandparents. Alex Trebek was a staple in my house, so much so that his cancer diagnosis a few years back, followed by his passing rocked me pretty hard. It took a while for me to feel like I wanted to dive into this book, and I think I tackled it at the right time.

Alex Trebek’s memoir, as he makes clear from the start, isn’t strictly a cut and dry narration of his life. It’s snippets and key moments he remembers and thinks would make for good stories to tell (which they do). Each story is maybe a few pages long at most, and it’s interspersed with photos from his life, making for a wonderful read about a wonderful person. It’s hard to say a lot about this one given that so much of my emotions with it are wrapped up in years upon years of nostalgia. Trebek’s voice is matter-of-fact, fun, and peaceful, making it a great cozy read for even casual Jeopardy! watchers. I could hear his voice in my head the whole time, and the ending was an emotional one for me. If you’re looking for good memoir reads, this is a fantastic one.

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht

The title really says it all with this one. What you’ve got is a neat little book with information about birds told in a funny way. It’s another quick read, with each bird getting one page of snarky facts to tell the reader a bit about them.

Two of my favorites include the Goddamned Canada Goose (aka the plain old Canada Goose, the scariest bird I’ve ever met) and the American Dickwood (actually called the American Woodcock, you get the idea here).

This book is a riot. I love all the vulgar names, I love the actual bird-watching information shared through this sarcastic tone, I love it all. It’s funny to learn legitimate info even though it’s not delivered in a serious, scientific manner. It’s a small book that’s perfect to lift your spirits, and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Check out last month’s recommendations here.

(Image credits: Goodreads)