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Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law | Mary Roach
One of Bookpage's Most Anticipated Nonfiction Books of 2021 Join "Americas funniest science writer" (Peter Carlson, Washington Post), Mary Roach, on an irresistible investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. Whats to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peters Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque. Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about natures lawbreakers. When it comes to "problem" wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problemand the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.
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TEArificbooks
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#naturalitsy #fridatnightshare here is my pic for nonfiction because I am currently reading it on my spring road trip. It is about what happens when animals pester humans from wild animal attacks to eating garbage and more. It includes non predators and species from all over the world and plants and how different countries have different policies. @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88 @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie

monalyisha I‘m listening to this right now, as well! 👯 6d
AllDebooks Sounds great. Stacked! Enjoy your break away x 6d
Chrissyreadit 🎉🎉🎉🎉 6d
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HeyT
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Mehso-so

The stories and ways people navigate the world of animal human conflict were interesting I just found the author's humor a bit off-putting. It seemed like she was determined to fit her interview subjects into sterotypical characters rather than real people.

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HeyT
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#BookReport
I didn't manage to finish anything this week but I did manage to make progress. I'm at least 50% in two of my three current reads.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish Fuzz because I need to be prepared to moderate the discussion at work at the end of the month. I also think TLtL is due in ten days so I need to get close to finishing that as well.

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HeyT
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Starting the selection for the book club I moderate at work during the slow periods.

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HeyT
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#BookReport Happy New Year Edition!
I managed to finish off two books in the final week of 2023. One on accident while trying to catch up with ReadingWesteros and the other on my commute. I've also made some headway into my two holdover reads.

#WeeklyForecast
Goal this week is to start 2024 strong and finish either Raven Tower or Fevered Star which is my commute book so that I can start on the tagged for work book club.

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OrangeMooseReads
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Got these from my brother and SIL for Christmas. We decided to do a $15 limit this year, we all got books LOL. All 3 of us a fairly prolific readers.

Tamra I recently picked up Fuzz - it sounds good! Perfect to dip in and out of periodically. 3mo
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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"It's 5:00 a.m. The sky is still black, the Milky Way at maximum milk. A half dozen men from a road crew mill around in the headlights of trucks, carrying bags of Austin Powder Company explosives."

I love Mary Roaches writing, and how she can find poetry in everything she sees, including groups of loggers in the woods.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Weekend plans
#booked

I have been trying to read Fuzz all month, hoping to make a dent in it this weekend. Somehow I am interested but also avoiding it?

TheBookgeekFrau The most beautiful weekend plans I ever saw!! Enjoy 😊 4mo
dabbe Looks like someone is waiting to cuddle! 🖤🐾🖤 4mo
Chelsea.Poole Lovely spot! 4mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @dabbe I love cats, they all have such interesting personalities. This one needs to be next to you but please don't touch! Not a cuddler. 😹 4mo
dabbe @ChaoticMissAdventures 🤩😃🤣 4mo
33 likes5 comments
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fredthemoose
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Tagline is, “When nature breaks the law,” which is addressed by exploring places and situations where animals being being animals is a nuisance for humans, and what the humans do to try to prevent or stop it. It covers bears in Colorado, rats in the Vatican, monkeys in India and a lot in between. Interesting topic and wry writing, but also felt more like a series of mostly separate essays.

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catiewithac
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Pickpick

I finished this before I moved but then it got packed away. Mary Roach just always delivers a good read!

JamieArc Uh oh! I recently sent you a package not realizing you moved! Hopefully it gets forwarded to you! 🤞🏻 6mo
catiewithac @JamieArc I got it! I still need to take a picture. But it was a wonderful surprise! Thank you!!! 🍒 6mo
AmyG You moved!!!! How wonderful. Wishing you and the family only good health and much happiness! 🙌🏻🎉❤️ 6mo
JamieArc Oh good! Hope you are well, friend! 6mo
61 likes4 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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Pickpick

Anywhere that nature & humans live together, there is conflict. Whether deadly trees, bear attacks, or invading mice, there has to be a way to coexist.

Roach is always a genuine delight to read. Her in depth research is amazing and her comments are so insightful while trying to answer the questions we didn‘t even know we had. A little disheartening to read all the problems. Not my favorite of hers, but still brilliant. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 #Lucygirl

JenReadsAlot Oh kitty looks like my Frankie! 9mo
BookmarkTavern @JenReadsAlot Obviously, we have excellent taste in cats. 😁 9mo
See All 8 Comments
JenReadsAlot Obviously! 9mo
dabbe Da sweet, fluffy kitty! 🖤🐾🖤 9mo
Tea_and_Starstuff Fuzz with your fuzzy one! 9mo
Leftcoastzen 😻👏 9mo
RaeLovesToRead Oh my gosh Lucy is so beautiful 🥰🥰🥰 9mo
98 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Susanita
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I never got around to finishing this for a book club meeting last year, and now I‘m letting it go. I‘m sure it‘s fine, but the moment has long passed. #yellowcolor #maymontage

Eggs ❤️❤️Mary Roach❤️❤️ 11mo
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rwmg
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Pickpick

Anecdotes about the conflicts that arise when humans and animals or indeed plants go about their lives in more or less the same space.

Amusing in parts and hopeful that at least sometimes a way to coexist might be found, but still a lot more problems than answers.

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rwmg
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batsy An excellent cover. 13mo
bthegood the cover 😂 13mo
23 likes2 comments
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Hilary427
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Pickpick

I like Mary Roach! I always learn things from her books, and they‘re so interesting!
⭐️: 3.5/5

perfectsinner I also love Roach! 14mo
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Aims42
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‘Illinois Libraries Present‘ is hosting a free virtual event with Mary Roach on Wednesday, March 1st at 7pm CST (this is the link to register: https://bit.ly/ILP_MaryRoach). I have this book on my TBR pile, so I hope by attending it‘ll give me the push to move it to the top of the pile!! 💪

Soubhiville Thanks for sharing! I love her and am very interested! 14mo
Soubhiville @Eyelit making sure you see this! 14mo
Aims42 @Soubhiville You‘re welcome!!! 🙌🤩 14mo
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Humour, environmental awareness, scientific (and just general) curiousity, pragmatism tempered by ethics. Roach is not afraid to talk about the icky or the sad. Unfortunately there's a good deal of both; while the title made me think 'funny animal videos', the reality is 'managing human-wildlife conflict'.
Informative, just not as fluffy as I was hoping. 1/2

Robotswithpersonality I appreciated the consultation of experts, researchers, engineers, in the field, office, lab and archives, clear facts tempered with hilarity.
Sometimes straight reportage of what comes out of the outdoorsman's or bureaucrat's mouth is the funniest shit, sometimes its the author's off the wall asides or observations. [The footnotes!]
General warning for fellow vegans, there's a fair amount of animal experimentation and death throughout. 2/2
1y
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Robotswithpersonality
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PARKS ✅ not golf courses! ✖️

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Robotswithpersonality
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I'm certain this chapter will be full of facts and science, but right now I'm picturing a noir with Murder Beans in trench coats and fedoras and it is SENDING me.

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Robotswithpersonality
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OMG that boingy-boingy move has an official name! Several even! 🦌

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jen_hayes7
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Pickpick

Parts of this book were particularly hard to read, but there were also many parts that were absolutely hilarious. I made sure to read each and every footnote. Fuzz is well written, informative, and entertaining. Be warned there‘s a lot of talk about animal deaths.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Bougie bears.🐻🍨

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Robotswithpersonality
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*Reads first sentence* Oh, hey, BC represent! *Reads further*...Oh no! This is NOT what I want my province to be known for. 🤦🏼‍♂️

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TorieStorieS
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Pickpick

I‘ve been a fan of Roach‘s books for years now and her latest one doesn‘t disappoint as she dives into the absurdities and heartbreaks of the “legal” dealings of humanity and nature- B&E bears, murderous leopards, bullying monkeys, danger trees, vandal gulls and more- in her usual blend of fascinating facts and amusing anecdotes. Roach herself narrates the audio which is great, but the footnotes are clumsily handled, unfortunately.

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rwmg
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Christmas 2022/New Year 2023 bookhaul

Ruthiella Nice! 🤩 1y
Bookwomble Sweet! And 🎉 Treacle Walker 🎉😀 1y
29 likes2 comments
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Kelican17
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Pickpick

My attention would wander throughout this book. But overall I enjoyed the stories of the different animals, the different and sometimes creative methods of control, as well as the author‘s dedication to research, history, and her “feet on the ground” method throughout. #bookdump3

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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Breaking and entering bears, trees that topple to crush humans, and animals humans introduced into new habitats taking over to the detriment of native species, Mary Roach writes about how humans strike back against nature when we feel it‘s gotten out of our control.

I enjoy Roach‘s writing, but this one had me angry at times, as someone who tends to sympathize more with the bears, trees, and other animals than the humans. It‘s still great though

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julesG
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Addition to the yellow non-fiction bookshelf.

Thank you @Mitch for putting it on my radar. 😁

#BookMail

Soubhiville I‘m reading this now 🙂 1y
julesG @Soubhiville Just saw your post of the first line 😁 1y
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Soubhiville
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“On June 26, 1659, a representative from five towns in a province of northern Italy initiated legal proceedings against caterpillars.”

I have had this on my shelf since it released last fall and I‘m finally reading it. I love Mary Roach‘s approach to science writing, and this is just as enjoyable as the past several books by her that I‘ve read.

#FirstLineFridays

ShyBookOwl I really wanted to read Spook this October and forgot until seeing this! 1y
Soubhiville @ShyBookOwl there is still time! 😁 1y
rwmg This sounds intriguing. Wishlisted 1y
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

There‘s something wonderful about sharing a book with someone you love, and Dad and I had a lot of fun listening to this #audiobook together. My family gained a greater interest in animals when I became a veterinarian, and Roach is fun for me too because she covers things I didn‘t learn in school. Her keen eye towards the weird is so fascinating. Fun for the whole family!

(I do wish they‘d included the footnotes in the main audiobook!)

Morton7 Me to . Love Audio Books 2y
Megabooks @Morton7 yes definitely! 2y
TrishB I used to share books with my mum ♥️ good memories. 2y
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Cinfhen Fun pick for #FatherDaughterReadAlong (edited) 2y
Megabooks @TrishB 💜💜💜 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen we do enjoy listening to audiobooks together! 2y
104 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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Megabooks
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Traveling with Dad calls for a fun reread! 🤩🤩

GinaKButler How is this one? I love the cover…I‘ve read Stiff and want to read another one of hers! 2y
BarbaraBB Hi Meg 👋🏽 2y
Megabooks @GinaKButler it is my favorite of hers! Possibly because I‘m a veterinarian but also the animals and situations she chooses to profile are fantastic! 2y
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Megabooks @BarbaraBB hey friend! May be a bit late commenting on camp litsy today because I have to pick out a recliner in Evansville. I‘m just ready for this spate of appliance and furniture disasters to be over! 2y
BarbaraBB Glad you found one! No problem arriving late at camp! Enjoy your day! 2y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB 💜😘 2y
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akfreeborn
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Pickpick

Mary Roach is the best. The chapters on human animal conflict were each so interesting. She is so engaging as she becomes an expert as she dives deep on each topic! Good summer non fiction

mcctrish She is amazing 2y
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QBub
Pickpick

If Mary Roach wrote high school science books more teens would love science. Her first person narrative is both informative and funny. An entertaining read.

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Avanders
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It‘s swap day! *3* swaps have open day today!

For this first, #sliceofsummerswap - what a fun and perfectly summery package!! Thank you @babyruth2510 !! I love the socks and bookmarks, the lilacs candle smells amazing, I looove that you sent full-on S‘mores!! And I can‘t wait to read the book 👏🏽👏🏽 Thank you!!!

💛💙🌳🌈☀️🌈🌳💙💛

And thank you @Catsandbooks for hosting!! 😘☀️

mabell What a fun summery package! The book sounds terrific! And now I want s‘mores 😆 2y
monalyisha What a great package! 💛 2y
Catsandbooks Love the flamingo socks! Have a great summer! ☀️ 2y
Avanders @mabell lol right?! Seeing those bug fluffy marshmallows… 🤤🤤 @monalyisha perfectly summery! 💛 @Catsandbooks you too! 🌳☀️ 2y
65 likes4 comments
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JGadz11
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I can‘t even with this one.🙄
The book itself is🤌🏼

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Mitch
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Pickpick

A really interesting premise, what happens when nature breaks the law? When trees fall and kill, when elephants accidental roll killing villagers, when birds take on fighter jets - and win! There was joy in the quirky, enjoyment in the obscure - what was less enjoyable was spending so much time amongst different ways that animals are killed just because they dare to get in the path of humans.

julesG It's a Mary Roach I don't own yet. It's non-fiction with a yellow cover. I think I've found the next addition to my yellow NF bookshelf. 2y
Hooked_on_books I enjoy her books so much and really liked this one. I completely agree about the human response. We‘re so quick to jump to killing rather than coming up with a better solution. It‘s so upsetting. 2y
Mitch @julesG love that shelf! 2y
Mitch @Hooked_on_books it‘s the first I‘ve read of hers and I loved her style! I bet she‘d be a great dinner guest! 2y
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bio_chem06
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Hit one of the worst reading slumps in years. 2021 seemed a bit of a loss for me. But something clicked last week and the next thing I know, I‘m knee deep in these library books. It‘s like a heist movie and I just stole all the money and now I‘m rolling around in the money on the bed. It‘s exactly like that, only less sexy and way more nerdy.

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StellaDz
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Pickpick

Roach writes the books about topics that I didn‘t know I needed to know about! When animals break the law, is more like, when humans get annoyed by nature. While at times, funny, this book was more a discussion on how humans decide when and where nature can show up. And often times, that is ‘never‘.

All that being said, I will forever be wary of ‘danger trees‘. Thank you Roach.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Readswithcoffee
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Pickpick

This book addresses human-animal conflict. There are a wide variety of problems between people and animals, however, not a lot of great solutions. I did learn quite a few things and I find Roach‘s writing style to be entertaining.

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StellaDz
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This one sounded so up my alley, that I jumped over all my backlog of Mary Roach books on my TBR to read this one! #currentlylistening

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traa
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nikirtehsuxlol
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“Feeding wild animals is the quickest path to conflict. The promise of food motivates normally human-shy animals to take a risk. The risk-taking is rewarded, and the behavior escalates. Shyness becomes fearlessness, and fearlessness becomes aggression. If you don‘t hand over the food you‘re carrying, the monkey will grab it. If you try to hold onto it, or push the animal away, Qureshi says, it may slap you. Or bite you.” [pic unrelated]

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Ephemera
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Pickpick

I‘ve read most of the books Mary Roach has written and enjoyed them all. This book is about what happens when humans and wildlife collide. What measures can be taken against a bear that raids your garbage can or breaks into your summer home? What can farmers do about birds that feed on their crops or mice that eat the cattle feed? How to deal with invasive species brought in for sport? Roach wants to know the answers! Five stars

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plemmdog
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“They smell like roots and earth and that is all.” Mary Roach is a national treasure. Highly recommended!

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MidnightBookGirl
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Pickpick

Catching up on January reviews so I can get to my more romantic #Swoonathon reads!
@kimmypete1 picked Fuzz for our Midnight Book Club and while it might not have been my favorite Mary Roach book, I still liked it. I love her style of finding humor in just about anything, and all the interesting facts I learn that I just know *someday* will help me win at trivia night.
#Readin22 #bookclub #Pantone2022

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Eggbeater
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Pickpick

3rd book read for the #JoyousJanuary #readathon @Andrew65

This book examines the science involved in solving human and wildlife issues. Throughout it, the author has a wry sense if humor. It is not for the faint of heart. There is graphic detail about animal attacks as well as brutal pest control methods. Entertaining facts abound with interesting conclusions and solutions.

ChaoticMissAdventures I got this in my January book haul and I am so excited to get to it! Mary Roach is such an engaging writer. 2y
Karisa That cover! 🤣 2y
kimmypete1 The airplane chapter with the birds got to me hard. 2y
Andrew65 Great progress 👏👏👏 2y
49 likes4 comments
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kimmypete1
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Pickpick

Interesting to learn about the different animals that have given us trouble (deer…. I‘m looking at you). I found the monkeys to be the most interesting. There were a couple of parts I found hard to read due to the manner in which they were trying to find their solution.

#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks The cover of this one reminds me how I read a story somewhere where someone was asking a ranger why they had so much trouble making bear-proof trash receptacles, to which he replied “There tends to be an overlap between the smartest bears and the dumbest humans“ and I haven't stopped laughing about it ever since 😂 2y
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

I love this author. She's really funny. Her footnotes are next level. And she makes science super interesting. Not that this is science exactly. But she does a lot of research and it shows.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
40 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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nikirtehsuxlol
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This has been on my to-read list for the LONGEST. Finally cracking it open paired with Shh…It‘s Top Secret! by OPI 💅

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