February 2023: Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!


"Lion" by Chester Zoo is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/?ref=openverse.

I love animals and have read more than I thought that includes history of them.

In some cases, it’s history of the animals during a specific event (like a war); in some cases, it’s history of a particular type of animal or a particular animal; in other cases, it’s much broader, about species that have gone extinct or evolution of species. So, I’m pretty happy to have more to recommend for this than I originally thought I might.

I think everything I’ve listed here is nonfiction, but if anyone has fiction that fits they’d like to read, that’s ok, too.

Some Suggestions:

Specific species or specific animals:
Seabiscuit: An American Legend / Laura Hillenbrand
What’s a Dog For? / John Homans
Elephant Company / Vicki Croke
Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon / Dickey Bronwen
Pets in America / Katherine C. Grier
From Baghdad With Love / Jay Kopelman
The Curse of the Labrador Duck / Glen Chilton

Zoos
Kingdom Under Glass / Jay Kirk
The Zookeeper’s Wife / Diane Ackerman
Babylon’s Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo / Lawrence Anthony

Extinctions/Evolution:
The Third Chimpanzee / Jared Diamond
The Sixth Extinction / Elizabeth Kolbert
Creatures of the Kingdom / James A. Michener
Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals / Damien Laverdunt

Don’t forget to post to the wiki:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/Reading_Through_Time_Challenge#FEBRUARY:...


"Brown bear portrait II" by Tambako the Jaguar is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/?ref=openverse.

I am planning on reading No Beast so Fierce by Dane Huckelbridge, it's the story of the hunt for a deadly man-eating tiger in India during the early 1900s.

I still need to figure out what I'll be reading. :-)

I have a few options. Some might "fit" better than others, but I also need to take into account what is available at my library!

An Indomitable Beast: The Remarkable Journey of the Jaguar / Alan Rabinowitz
Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster / Allan Anderson
All Things Wise and Wonderful / James Herriot

For fiction there is West With Giraffe's and Water for Elephants that would work.

So the title does not actually mean it has to be about a lion, tiger or bear then

"Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!"

Thinking I might take that quite literally and do a Frank Baum marathon, starting with a reread of The Annotated Wizard of Oz (the first book is all I've ever read of Baum's series) and then go on to books two through ten. (I've got them in two omnibus volumes, I think B&N editions).

Also for consideration, a reads/rereads of Richard Adams. My own favorite Adams (not at all to knock Watership Down, but that's Number Two) is actually Shardik, which I think was Adams's own personal favorite as well. I've never managed to get through The Plague Dogs, so I ought to give that one another try; and I also ought to give Traveller, which I never that much cared for, a reread and a second chance as well. (ETA: Oh, and I've never read Tales from Watership Down, so I ought to include that as well.)

>7 john257hopper: No, I was thinking any animal. It's just a catchy title!

ETA: It occurred to me as I started my book today for this month that anything read for birds this month that catches anyone's eye would fit in February, too.

>6 benitastrnad: Thank you for offering some fiction titles! I'm sure there are more.

I plan to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I started rereading The Chronicles of Narnia last year, and conveniently, that is the next one.

>8 CurrerBell: And as far as Oz is concerned, all I've ever read of Gregory Maguire's series is Wicked, which could do with a reread followed by the remaining three books.

I'd also like to do a reread of Geoff Ryman's Was, a very somber and realistic retake on the whole Oz mythos, except I don't remember if it includes any animals. (And if it does include animals, they may be very peripheral.)

I've been planning on a reread sometime this year of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy as well as perhaps a reread of the short stories and novellas and the so-far two volumes in "The Book of Dust." I've got an unabridged audio on CD of The Golden Compass (I think Pullman himself was the narrator) so I could do a read-and-listen, which might be better than just listening in case Pullman has an English accent that could give me trouble. I wouldn't mind getting the other two volumes in audio too, assuming I could get them on CD and not have to buy through Audible.

>9 LibraryCin: Thanks, though I think I will stick to the thread title as it enables me to narrow down the vast array of fiction and non-fiction TBRs that might be relevant. Animals is just too broad a category for me (birds was actually easier for January, though!).

I have several on my TBR, probably off the beaten path: Sheep for Beginners: A dip into the world of wool, H is for Hawk, and A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm. Also have not yet read the last 2 books in Baum's Oz series.

Do the animals have to be real, even if extinct, or can they be fantasy animals? Like dragons and were's, etc.

>15 cfk: I think everyone can interpret as is easiest for themselves.

>11 MissBrangwen: I had The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe but my granddaughter saw it on my book shelf and took it home with her. I read it for the first time last year. I know she will like it.

I don't normally read Nora Roberts, but read a review of her Dragon Heart Legacy Series and decided to try it. Breen Siobhan Kelly travels to Ireland and rediscovers herself and her destiny in an alternate world called Talamh. The dog, Bollocks, is very much a character in the series sent by the Grandmother
Breen has forgotten to 'bring her home.'

It's a lovely series filled with well defined characters and a richly drawn world set before the Industrial Revolution and all that followed. *****

I plan on reading When The Sky Falls by Phil Earle, based on a true story about the animals in London Zoo during the Blitz.

I appreciate the books shared. I also enjoyed The Zookeeper's Wife and Seabiscuit. Here's some other titles I've read that fit this theme:

The tiger : a true story of vengeance and survival (nonfiction)
Elephant company : the inspiring story of an unlikely hero and the animals who helped him save lives in World War II (nonfiction)
Horse by Geraldine Brooks (fiction, but a lot of information about the history of the horse)
James Herriot memoirs should work, too, though they cover more of a variety of animals. But they fit nicely into their place in time.

I'm still thinking through what I'll be reading for this. Love the theme.

I plan on reading a bit narrower than most who have already posted. I am going to read Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant and Down From the Mountain: The Life and Death of a Grizzly Bear by Bryce Andrews. Both are nonfiction. The first book is historical in that it deals with events that took place in 1997. That was 25 years ago and that is history.

The second book was published in 2019 and deals with events that are more recent and timely. However, I am sure that there is going to be lots of history about policy and custom regarding top predators in the wild. I am looking forward to this category.

>19 JayneCM: Oooh, that sounds good!

>20 countrylife: Thanks for the added suggestions/recommendations!

>21 benitastrnad: I've read the Tiger book. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the Grizzly Bear book.

>20 countrylife: Oh, James Herriot is a great idea! I might sneak that in.

I have loved reading about Elsa the Lioness, Joy & George Adamson, and Elsa's cubs, plus Christian the Lion, who stole my heart ( I cried at the scene on the dvd, where he is reunited with the two guys, who bought him from Harrods). But this time, I might look for a book about a tiger and a bear. Something unique:-)

I will read horseI hadn't been interested in horses since jr hi, but boy this sparked my interest all over again.

I have posted March's thread and it can be found here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/348245#n8057158

>27 cindydavid4: C.S Lewis? The Horse and His Boy? Suggestion. Start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's the first (of seven) in Narnian publication order and you'll have backstory.

The Magician's Nephew is the first in Narnian chronological order though sixth in order of publication; but I think most Narnians would say that you should read in order of publication since Narnian time is out-of-sync with quotidian Earthly time, and this hits you when you read the books in publication order and suddenly get The Magician's Nephew out-of-sync with your Earthly expectations.

At least that's how I see it, publication order preferred over chrono order. But Narnians might disagree with me; and at heart, I'm not a Narnian but rather a Middle Earther.

>29 CurrerBell: I read these first as a child, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which was wonderful, and then continuing in no particular order. I started a reread last year in chronological order, but I do understand your point of view and I definitely remember being hit by The Magician's Nephew back then! I think I would agree that starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is best for a new reader to the series.
But then, like you, I am foremost a Tolkienist :-)

For this month, I decided to read The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. It contains a tiger and a bear and lots of other animals, though no lion. Growing up in the 1970s, Disney's animated film version of this late 19th century children's classic was a seminal film. I had never read the book before now though. It's a collection of stories, not a novel, and Mowgli's growing up and adventures in the jungle with Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, the wolves led by Akela, and fighting off Shere Khan the tiger occupy only the first third of so of the book, with notably Shakespearean sounding dialogue from all characters and lots of illustrations. The rest of consists of unrelated tales about the White Seal, the mongoose Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and his battles with cobras, and elephants and some other lesser stories and songs. I thought the Mowgli sections were the best, or perhaps that's just because they are the ones I am most familiar with. I also liked the White Seal leading his fellow seals to an island where they could be free from being culled by humans, the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi story which was quite memorable and bloody, and the elephants' "dance" sequence, but some of the rest made rather less of an impression on me. As a consequence, very good in parts, but felt a little disjointed.

>31 john257hopper: Interesting! I've not read it, either. I didn't not know it was short stories. It's unlikely I'll ever read it, though, as I was incredibly bored by the one book I've read by Kipling ("Kim"). Although, that may - in part - have been due to listening to the audio.

>29 CurrerBell: no, horse is a new one by Geraldine brooks about a famous race horse and the poc jockeys and trainers responsible for his success

Speaking of jungle book, I have a copy of just so stories including the elephant child, afav of mine to read to kids and act out. Will read these again

>33 cindydavid4: The touchstone is linking to the Narnian novel.

I finished my book for this challenge, but it wasn't a work of historical fiction. I had requested Down From the Mountain: The Life and Death of a Grizzly Bear by Bryce Andrews through our Inter-Library Loan program and when it came I got started reading it and couldn't quit. It is am amazing book and I ended up giving it five stars. It is NOT historical fiction. It was written in 2019 about events in 2015. I did learn about some of the problems in the Flathead Valley of Montana as the result of population growth and urban sprawl. I also learned about the Tribal Wildlife programs and how they work in trying to balance the needs of wildlife and those of residents who insist on building houses out in the woods.

Well, not as much history here as I'd hoped. I thought there would be more disasters than just focusing on one.

Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster / Allen & Linda Anderson.
3.5 stars

This book looks at the volunteers and organizations that went to help the animals left behind when people evacuated New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It also looks at disaster planning for animals (which was pretty much nonexistent at the time), and how that could change going forward.

I had it in my head that this would look at more than just the one disaster, but I guess there was enough for the book with just Katrina and aftermath. It was chaos. It was hard to understand why some people were turned away due to not being “trained” (so some volunteers went “rogue”), but later in the book they explained why that would be the case. And untrained people can help elsewhere (as opposed to going door to door in a boat to pull animals out of the houses). Not surprisingly, the stories of specific people and their pets were the most interesting here. Overall, it was good.

I'm glad I found this challenge. I'm working on my ROOTs books this year, and one of the ones at the top of my list to read this year is Seabiscuit: an American Legend. Since that was listed as one of the books fitting this particular challenge, I will take that as my cue to start reading it.

I wasn't sure I had a book for this topic, but I'm just finishing up West with the Night by Beryl Markham (1942), and I think I can fit it in here. Markham's memoir about her life in early 20th century Africa is filled with animals: her dog Bullet, her horse Pegasus, being nearly mauled by a lion, tagging along on a boar hunt, training and racing horses, and using her pilot skills to scour the countryside for elephant herds. Plus lots of disgusting insects, including ravenous mosquitoes, ants and blackflies. Nearly every chapter had a story about an animal or two.

>38 atozgrl: Hope you like it!

>39 kac522: As soon as I saw "Beryl Markham", I thought horses. I guess there are way more animals in that story than I thought!

>40 LibraryCin: Just a few chapters in, and already I love it!

>40 LibraryCin: It's true that the horse-race scene is the most memorable in the book, followed by the birth of a foal. But the more I thought about it, the more animals I remembered. And that's not counting the descriptions of animals mentioned in passing (leopards, wildebeest, giraffes, etc.). Amazingly, the pilot stories don't come until the last quarter of the book.

>42 kac522:
It is an amazing book. I enjoyed reading it. I hope you do as well.

I have completed my read of No Beast So Fierce by Dane Hucklebridge. This is story of a man-eating tiger who in the early 1900s was responsible for over 430 deaths. The book was good, but I would recommend The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant as the better book. This one details the hunt for a man-eating Tiger in Russia.

I completed A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm by W. Phillip Keller. This was quite an interesting read as I was really unfamiliar with sheep and shepherding. I enjoyed the analogies made between sheep and humans....all we like sheep.

I had a hard time finding something that would work for this theme. Some of the books had an animal in the title but there was no guarantee an animal would actually be part of the narrative. So I decided to read Dumb Witness. I knew for a fact there was a dog in that Hercule Poirot mystery. I’m not sure if I actually read the book before but remember the TV adaptation. The dog, Bob who delighted in pushing his ball down the stairs was an integral part of the plot in this who done it. As usually Poirot got to the bottom of things leaving Hastings in the dark until the end.

I usually like to get some history in the books I read for this group. I'm going to say there was a bit of history in when she went to vet school; I think some things have changed since then.

The Other Family Doctor / Karen Fine
4.5 stars

Karen Fine is a veterinarian and this is a memoir that includes her grandfather (human) doctor in South Africa, vet school, her marriage, and the lives and deaths of a few of her pets, in addition to a few stories of clients, as well as connecting with (human) clients, alternate medicines, behind-the-scenes being a vet, and more.

I really liked this. This was so much more than your usual vet stories of clients and their pets, and I especially liked that about this book. Of course, her pets dying had me sobbing, but that’s not a surprise.

What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri. Anthology of nine short stories from animal perspectives and animal-narrated, environmentally centered. Include lions (but donkey is star of that story), tigers, and bears. My fave is the vulture story, but I'm biased there, as a big vulture fan.

I finished Seabiscuit: an American Legend, and I absolutely loved it.

I'm also going to count Dewey's Nine Lives, which I read at the beginning of this month, for this challenge. I had counted it for the Nonfiction Challenge: Favorite Pastimes in February. I only discovered this challenge in the middle of this month, but Dewey's Nine Lives actually fits better here, since it tells the stories of several cats and the people whose lives were touched by them.

Started this in February, but audios take longer. Am counting it, anyway

All Things Wise and Wonderful / James Harriot
3.5 stars

In this book, veterinarian James Herriot is training for the RAF (Royal Air Force) during WWII. So, this one includes stories of that training, alongside stories of treating animals (pets and farm animals) and the lives of some of the humans to whom those animals belonged.

I listened to the audio, and there were times my mind wandered, probably more often during the RAF training anecdotes (though not all of them). The narrator did a very good job with voices and accents. I’m rating it good, but am debating if I should continue on. It looks like there are only two books left, so I likely will.

>50 LibraryCin: The first volume of that series is on my audible wishlist and I hope to get to it sooner or later. I did not realize that there were five volumes, though!

I have finished Animals by Hebe Uhart, an Argentinian writer most of whose works have not yet appeared in English translation. This is a collection of short essays filled with careful observations of all sorts of animals (no tiger, but a jaguar), including human animals. She writes about visits to zoos, interviews with zookeepers and naturalists, people’s pets, and the people, famous 19th century naturalists. I came away from this book with a lot of information about South American animals and their relationships with those who love them and a delightful picture of an author I’d like to be friends with. This book is a treat!

>52 dianelouise100: Oh, that sounds interesting!