I'll have my books with pictures, thanks - the anatomy of things you didn't know you needed to know

One of the great joys of working in a library is getting to see all the new books come in for people, which lets me get my name on the hold list early (as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, That New Book Smell). One that passed through my hands was this charming little book by Julia Rothman, called Nature Anatomy. Full of simple but lovely illustrations, Nature Anatomy is little fountain of knowledge, for the readers who want to know a little bit about the world around them, but not the entire periodic table. Of course, it had a few holds on it already, but I patiently waited until I could get my own hold into my grubby paws.

Rothman takes us on a journey through the limited green spaces she wanders in NYC and shows us the tiny details of nature that are usually so easy to ignore - like the differences between a brook and a stream, what happens in the water cycle, how to tell when a storm is coming, what the different edges on leaves are called and why, or which bees are the ones you have to look out for! With adorable but recognisable illustrations and sketches, Rothman pairs design and science together to make this book a memorable read.

It was a quick read, but that was okay because it turns out she had written one previously, Farm Anatomy. Similar in style, this one is more about the different machinery farmers use, what actually happens on a farm and different facts about the animals and plantations (as well as info on soils and growing etc). She's also written a few others, which I have yet to read, as well as some collaborative books (one which I have read, where artists partake in an arty Exquisite Corpse, and others that focus on science and historical figures).

I love arty, sketchy, doodley, comic-key books, and Rothman's books were no exception. Definitely must reads if you feel like you learn best when there's lots of pictures involved (like me!).

Attenborough

David Attenborough documentaries are some of my favorite things in the world. Not only does it involve watching TV, which is the great love of my life, but it also makes you smarter! (Actually I think all TV makes you smarter. My current obsession Supernatural  has taught me a lot about how to kill demons. Which is 1000000% relative to my life). Check out some of David's wonderful documentaries below:

Africa 
This is the world's wildest continent as you've never seen it before - an intense sensory adventure from the
Atlas Mountains, through the Savannah lands to the Cape of Good Hope and from the Roof of Africa and the Kalahari to where the dark rainforests of the Congo meet the Atlantic Ocean. Each episode shifting the focus onto a different region as it contrasts the epic power of the landscape with the dramatic struggles of individual creatures living there

Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild 
Sir David Attenborough has been at the forefront of natural history film making for over half a century, witnessing an unparalleled period of change in our planet's history. In this unique and important series he delivers his testimony in a trio of spectacular films, focusing on three areas which have transformed most profoundly over his career: film making, science and the environment. During his extraordinary career he has seen, first-hand, more of the natural world than anyone else and witnessed how our remarkable planet has changed more rapidly and extensively than ever before.

Kingdom of Plants 
In this sensational series, shot over the course of a year, Sir David Attenborough explores the lives of plants and their fascinating world, from the most bizarre to the most beautiful. Using pioneering techniques in 3D macro and time-lapse photography, he traces them from their beginnings on land to their vital place in nature today, exposing new revelations along the way. He moves from our time scale to theirs, revealing the true nature of plants as creatures that are every bit as dynamic and aggressive as animals. And he does all this in one unique place, a microcosm of the whole plant world where some 90 percent of all known plant species are represented: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The Blue Planet 

Chronicles the mysteries of the deep, coastline populations, sea mammals, tidal and climatic influences and the complete biological system that relies on and revolves around the world's oceans.

Letting the fur fly

This piece is not about WEREWOLVES. Fans of vampires and WEREWOLVES should read no further.

No, honestly, this isn't about paranormal stuff, so stop reading now if you really just saw the word WEREWOLVES in capitals and got excited. (Oo, I'm naughty.) It's about books starring animals, which seem to be popping up like meerkats on Viag - er, a phone advertisement.

Yes, they've been around a while, since Beatrix Potter and The Wind in the Willows, in fact. Aesop, if you're going to be like that about it. However, few aside from William Horwood's Duncton chronicles (talking badgers), were actually for adults. No longer. Rita Mae Brown is guilty of the long-running Mrs Murphy series, starring a cat. Stories about a small-town library cat called Dewey, and destructo-dog Marley, caused a non-fiction explosion. Suddenly it was raining cats and dogs. And it still is.

For you animal lovers, here's a special treat.

Sit.