Book Club: next 3 reads!

2026 is the first year of Animal Lovers Book Club: our books are all non-fiction and focus on animal studies as well as the human-animal connection. *note: the language of the books is not science-heavy! it's written to help anyone take an interest in the animals around them. the author also gives a background on themselves which helps humanize the studies.

so far, we have read...

jane goodall's "in the shadow of man" describing her first foray into animal studies in africa. she was in her 20's without a college education when she was recruited for the job! what were you doing in your 20's?!

"inside of a dog: what dogs see smell and know" by alexandra horowitz describes common traits across all dog breeds such as their "umwelt." as a pet care professional, i tend to read this book once a year.

"the lion in the living room: how house cats tamed us and took over the world" by abigail tucker describes the evolution of cats as apex predators that have wiped out species, yet, are welcomed into our homes.

"alex and me: how a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence and formed a deep bond in the process" by irene pepperberg is about the ability of parrots to use language with humans, including identifying the color, shape, amount and material of objects. pepperberg wrote another book that is "science-heavy," but "alex & me" includes her journey into animal science when it was introduced in the 1970's, and her struggle as a pioneer woman.

our current read is "the genius bat: the secret life of the only flying mammal" published just last year!

summary: Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and a neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering the secrets of bats. In The Genius Bat, he brings to vivid life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them. From muddy rainforests to star-covered night deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening and entertaining account of a mighty mammal.

we're trying a new approach to our discussion this time: Saturday, October 24, we'll meet on Zoom!

*still seeking someone who can host longer than 40-minuts which is the free option

i'm hoping we can be on the call from 10am-11am, but can adjust!

this format makes the discussion accessible to those outside of Delaware County and those who prefer to be more of a listener than a participant, plus, you can wear your pajamas!

if you are interested in joining the discussion or just want to know the current read, join our Facebook Group: Animal Lovers Book Club, DelCo

in december, we'll discuss “voices in the ocean: a journey into the wild and haunting world of dolphins” by susan casey.

and for our one-year anniversary in february, we'll discuss "animal madness: how anxious dogs, compulsive parrots, and elephants in recovery help us understand ourselves" by laurel braitman

i like how all the books have a sub-title that further explains the topic; maybe because they too know that when people hear "non-fiction," they have to draw them in really fast before they can be told "i don't read non-fiction."

*if you've watched any documentary, including "tiger king," then you have consumed non-fiction.

if these extended titles aren't doing it for you, read this excerpt from "the genius bat," and then try telling me that you won't "read non-fiction"...

"we chose a large navy ship for safety: the sea of cortes is known for its turbulence, and several years earlier a small boat with a group of researchers capsized.

only one researcher survived.

after six months of planning, the students set sail for Partida on a slow navy boat in april 2014. the voyage took many hours: they left at dawn and arrived in the late afternoon, setting anchor a few hundred meters from the coast of Partida. the large ship could not get any closer... Ivailo Barissov, a doctoral student in the lab, volunteered to jump into the first boat that headed to the shore with two mexican navy personnel and heaps of equipment, the boat set off for land but within a few minutes communication ceased. the mexican sailors did not respond to calls on the two-way radio, and darkness descended on the sea of cortes, swallowing them up."

come on! don't you want to know what happens next?! that's the kind of writing i have read in all of these books! so give it a try!

not sure if you'll finish the book in time? that's another great perk of non-fiction: there are no spoilers like a big reveal of the killer. if the group talks about animal behaviors you didn't read yet, it's not a bummer, just a surprise.

so let me know if you'll join us on October 24 to discuss "the genius bat," and if you'll be reading "voices in the ocean" next!

what are you reading lately? share in the comments!