What I HATE from A to Z/Roz Chast/57 pages

     I'll admit it--it was the cover of this book that drew my attention!
     Starting with Alien Abduction, Balloons and Carnivals the author makes a good case  for each of her selections.  Most people would not like Quicksand, Rabies or Spontaneous Combustion.  Straight through to X-rays, Yellow and Zero each page has a winning argument as to why everyone should hate these things and is illustrated with the author's signature style often seen in the New Yorker magazine.  This type of book is a good conversation starter if you leave it out on your coffee table when you are having guests.

Creeps: A Deep Dark Fears Collection/Fran Krus/134 pages

     The Creeps is an entertaining collection of 97 different fears (or those worrisome thoughts that you get at odd moments) completely illustrated and ready for you to relax for a hour, smile at some and wrinkle your brow and think twice about others.  One of my favorites is #33, the fear of falling asleep when you are worried or upset or depressed and waking up feeling happy and relieved--and worrying that maybe you died while you were asleep and woke up in your afterlife!  The one that could be every mother's greatest worry is #88 that every baby is born a genius and every time a mother bangs their little heads or lets them take an unnecessary bump, they lose intelligence! 

     I've already shared some of this book with my family and I'm sure I'll continue to share with friends.  This is the type of book I like to leave out when people are coming over.  Its good for a few laughs and definitely a conversation starter!

Baby Don't Hurt Me: Stories & Scars from Saturday Night Live/Chris Kattan/288 pages

     Baby Don't Hurt Me is an autobiographical book by SNL legend Chris Kattan.  Kattan is an eight year veteran from Saturday Night Live and played characters like the missing link, Mr. Peepers, Suel Forrester and one of the bobbing Roxbury Guys.  The book briefly covers his early years, his time at the Groundings where he met many of his co-performers from SNL, the years at Saturday Night Live and what he has done since. 
     I enjoyed watching Kattan when he was on SNL so I expected to be falling off my chair laughing while I read this book--I was not.  There are amusing spots but by and large it is a very depression story of a sad childhood, a truly struggling career and then a devastating injury that has left him with multiple surgeries and more pain in his future.  There were a few photos but not enough to be of any real interest.  Very disappointing book.

Planetarium: Welcome to the Museum Series/Raman Prinja/95 pages

                                                          Planetarium is a beautiful book!  It contains all the facts mixed in
                                                     with legend and science about the galaxies, the planets, black
                                                     matter, the Milky Way, black holes, constellations and more and it is
                                                     presented in a very readable form with absolutely beautiful
                                                     illustrations!
                                                          What started out as a book for two of my grandkids to look at
                                                     when I brought this home morphed into them reading aloud to me
                                                     because they were so fascinated and rushing to show me each new
                                                     picture as they turned the pages and ended with me taking the book
                                                     when they had left and reading it non-stop until I finished.
                                                          It contains more facts and statistics than anyone could remember
                                                     but also enough history and legend to make it fascinating--especially with the gorgeous illustrations!

Rolling Stones in Comics/Ceka/192 pages

                                               Rolling Stones in Comics is a different sort of book!  It starts off at the

                                          start of their career and takes the reader through to their concert tour of

                                          2017.  While not an all inclusive "everything you always wanted to know"

                                          type of book, it does a pretty good job of telling an interesting and enter-

                                          taining tale about how the group came to be, managed to evolve over                                   over time and became the music legends that they are!

                                               I loved this book's design.  There are 20 some odd comic sections

                                          relating part of the Rolling Stones history mixed in between printed

                                          sections of traditional text plus photos of RS and their fans through the

                                          years.  A fast, fun read for anyone who is a fan!