Library Stock Services Secrets (and National Pet Month madness!)

I have the pleasure of working alongside our lovely Library Stock Services colleagues and thought you might like to hear some of their secrets/confessions. Colleagues in Stock Services have the enviable task of processing all the new stock and I asked them to tell me some of their foibles:

“If there’s a picture book here (especially if there are cats, penguins, dragons…okay most animals…or robots…) I have to pick it up and read it.”

Myself, I like a good Picture Book – this is the kind of obsession I understand – even the Classics still hold appeal, with their shiny new jackets and pristine pages. I don’t think I am alone in admiring the beauty of a good Romance cover – you know the ones I mean… The combination of title and image has to be just right in order to make it onto my noteworthy list (you will note I did not say TBR pile, that’s a whole other confession!). They just make me smile.

“Or travel books about places I want to go, or would never go but like to look at. Cookery books with pictures (cook books without pictures are a crime, all I want is to look at the pictures, I don’t want to actually cook anything).”

The thought of looking at pictures of food just makes me hungry so I think I will leave all the cookbooks well alone. Having said that I did just see this:

I now have sandwich envy and feel like I failed my food creativity parenting module… It does fit nicely with our pet theme, however… There’s an animal out there for all of us – I can think of at least one colleague who has a soft spot for sharks.

“Gardening books for my dream garden, which will never become a reality.”

Before hearing this I would never have considered that Gardening books had any other purpose than that of boring manual for established gardeners! Admittedly I am biased, having only ever managed to keep one solitary house plant alive, in all my long years (he was called Bob. Note the use of was…)

“Anything with a lovely/quirky cover. I’m that person, I totally judge a book by its cover.”

I don’t think my esteemed colleague is alone in this – lovely books make the world go round. Who can resist this for example? A Handful of Happiness

As for the quirky, I have dutifully kept my sharp little eyes out this week for something out of the ordinary and I was not disappointed, I found this: Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese way of Forest Bathing

I don’t know about you but I love the idea of forest bathing, I have zero idea of what it involves and guess that means I need to read this book. Who knew?

I will leave you to ponder forest bathing and favourite pets (hopefully we can gloss over dead houseplants). Do leave your comments – what would be your ideal pet? Have you ever heard of forest bathing?

Someone here obviously dreams of a more non traditional pet than most, as upon my pile of National Pet Month books I found:

When I am making my sons packed lunch this evening, I will spare a thought for the beautiful shark sandwich gracing the front page of Fun Food…

I think it would be cruel to leave you without showing you some of the fantastic new Picture Books featuring animals that we have received over the past few days.

Stephanie. (Look at the books below!)