SHELF HELP

Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius” by Nick Hornby group OCEARCH, “pinged” in the waters off Layton on Jan. 3. Named after Sable Island National Park Reserve, she was originally tagged in Nova Scotia but last “pinged” on Jan. 27 in the gulf waters off the Florida panhandle – a perfect example of the migration patterns McComb-Kobza described to the Weekly.

The long journeys aren’t unique to sharks in the western Atlantic, either, as McComb-Kobza described her trip in November to tag white sharks being chased away by killer whales in South Africa.

“It’s amazing to see where they’re going,” she said. “We think that those sharks in South Africa might be going all the way over to Australia.”

For all the trepidation a white shark sighting might trigger in most, Ellington and McComb-Kobza agreed: this was awesome.

“I’ve been in the ocean my whole life,” Ellington said. “It’s kind of crazy that in all the hours I’ve been on the water, I’ve only seen one.”

“It’s great news to be able to say that we’re seeing juvenile white sharks off the Florida Keys,” McComb-Kobza added. “It’s a good thing. And it’s indicating to us that management strategies that have been employed in the U.S. are working. In the ’80s, sharks really went down in numbers, and we’re starting to see those numbers rebounding.”

To view a live, interactive shark tracker with current and historical data for tagged animals like Sable, visit ocearch.com/tracker.

Why: Charles Dickens was a white guy who lived in 19th century England and was famous for writing novels. Prince was a black guy who lived in 20th and 21st century America and was famous for making music. On the face of it, they would appear to have little in common. Yet novelist and screenwriter Nick Hornby has written a lovely extended essay about how both were incredible examples of creativity and productivity. They did have a few things in common – both were raised in poverty, with family trauma shaping their lives and art. Both produced their greatest works as relatively young men. And sadly, both died at 58. This book isn’t just compare-and-contrast; it’s a readable profile of each man as an artist, with a dash of personal reflection from Hornby thrown in. And, at 159 (narrow) pages, it’s a quick read – the nonfiction equivalent of a novella. Thank you, Nick Hornby, for recognizing not every work of nonfiction has to double as a doorstop.

Where: This is available as a print book from the Monroe County Library system.

How: You can request books online by logging in to www.keyslibraries.org and get ebooks and eaudiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff. keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org

Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager, Monroe County Public Library