Okay, I confess. I'm a browser-holic. Say what? There's nothing I like better than zipping over to the new book shelves and choosing whatever strikes my fancy at that particular moment. Nonfiction is my preference, but I'm an equal-opportunity browser and will pick up a novel or two. .or three.

I'm also an eclectic reader—I'm interested in all kinds of subjects, another reason to visit the new book shelves at any of the ten branches of the Springfield-Greene County Library District. The variety is immense. To prove it, here is a nonfiction selection chosen at random on a recent afternoon.

• "The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy," subtitled "How the Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas," is as surprising and dynamic as the fascinating magician/illusionist duo themselves. The story about the white tiger attack on Roy Horn in front of an audience of 1,500 in 2003 was authored by security staff Jim Mydlach and his son, Louis Mydlach, and show consultant Jimmy Lavery.
  
• "Cheer!" is about extreme athletes, who happen to be college cheerleaders, according to author Kate Torgovnick. They fly 30 feet in the air, build ten-deep pyramids and compete in national championships. "These are not just pretty women shaking pom-poms."
  
• "Green Baby" by Susannah Marriott makes the case that "green" is not just about climate change, but a lifestyle commitment affecting the health of our children. I especially liked the suggestion on page 152 (you know I would): "Join your local library, one of the most enjoyable ways to reuse and recycle."
  
• "Dreaming Up America," the first nonfiction work by historical fiction writer Russell Banks, is a philosophical look about this country's origins, values, heroes, conflicts and contradictions.
  
• Psychologist Michael E. McCullough, in "Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct," challenges centuries-old misconceptions about these two perennial emotions.
  
• And then there's "Your Adopted Dog" by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris, who says she's "addicted to raising strays, the "she-followed-me-home" syndrome. I can attest that a book like this is needed--Gracie, my daughter's rescued "Katrina" dog, just like a human, showed signs of her trials after being separated from her "parents."
  

It's easy for me to browse—I work at the Library Center. But, even if you can't get to the physical shelves, you can go to thelibrary.org, click on "new titles" and personalize your choice via categories and genres.

See one you like? Just put it on hold; staff will e-mail or call you when it's ready to pick up at a library of your choice and, voila!, you've just browsed, a great pastime.