Library Loot ~ cats and physics

Windows With Birds ~ by Karen Ritz, 2010, children's, 10/10

A cat discovers a new world.  The cat loves its home, a house with places to climb, places to hide, windows to watch, and a mouse to chase.  There’s a boy who fills his water dish and scratches him in just the right spots.  Best of all, the windows have birds.  One day the boy takes the cat to a strange, new home, high above the ground.  The cat hides, and cries, hoping the boy will bring it back to the old house.  In time, however, the cat discovers that this new world has wonders of its own.

That's from the author/illustrator's web site.  The summary on the book's copyright page is more succinct:  "A cat adjusts to its new home in an apartment, high above the ground, after living in a house."  I walked into the library, turned left to pick up the book on hold for me, and brought to a stop by this book on display.  First, the artwork, which I love.  Second, the cat on the cover.  My Kiki cat, who died in June 2012, loved to watch birds outside our windows, especially one baby bird on the windowsill.  The intriguing "coincidence" is that I'm agonizing over wanting to adopt a 13-year-old cat named Sienna who paws at the glass wall for attention when anyone comes near.  She misses her owner, who died, and obviously misses having a home and someone to love.  I live in an apartment six floors up, just above the treetops.  I would love her.

The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory ~ by Brian Greene, 2003, physics

Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away layers of mystery to reveal a universe that consists of eleven dimensions, where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter ― from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas ― is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.  The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Library Loot may no longer be a group thing, but I've decided to share what I found at the library occasionally anyway, even though I have nowhere to link up with other readers.

CORRECTION:  Linda @ Silly Little Mischief has set me straight (see the first comment below).  Library Loot is still going.  Claire @ The Captive Reader has this week's Library Loot.  Okay, I'm ba-a-a-ack!