|
If variety is the spice of life, this newsletter is the spice rack! We'll cover music, film, health and wealth, biographies, sports, clothing, and all the other stuff that makes life interesting. Monthly. Need assistance? For help with accessing digital materials like eBooks and Audiobooks, chat with a librarian or email us with questions through our Contact Us page.
|
|
|
|
| Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary by Shaun BythellWelcome to... The Bookshop, the largest used bookstore in Scotland, run by witty owner Shaun Bythell.
Read it for: a lively account of the charms and challenges of everyday life at the store, featuring a colorful cast of characters, including cunning shop cat Captain.
Series alert: Bythell previously chronicled his Bookshop adventures in Confessions of a Bookseller and Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, both of which were translated into more than 30 languages. |
|
|
Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood
by Jessica Grose
What it's about: how antiquated and unrealistic expectations of American motherhood harm parents and children.
Why you might like it: Featuring extensive research paired with author Jessica Grose's own parenting experiences and those of the mothers she interviewed, this thoughtful and empathetic survey offers insights on how today's mothers can empower themselves and their families.
|
|
|
Two Old Broads: Stuff You Need to Know That You Didn't Know You Needed to Know
by M. E. Hecht
What it's about: making the most of life's later years with curiosity and humor.
Why you might like it: the infectious enthusiasm and irreverent tone are well balanced with reflections on some of the inescapable challenges of aging, such as chronic pain.
Reviewers say: Two Old Broads is “a fun, sassy reminder that no one is just a number” (Library Journal).
|
|
| Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People by Tracy KidderWhat it is: an inspiring portrait of physician Jim O'Connell, who founded the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.
Why you might like it: Journalist Tracy Kidder spent five years following O'Connell and his team as they navigated bureaucratic challenges to administer compassionate care to some of the city's most vulnerable.
Author alert: Pulitzer Prize winner Kidder is the bestselling author of Mountains Beyond Mountains. |
|
|
Bloodbath Nation
by Paul Auster
What it is: a sobering and well-researched rumination on the history of gun violence in America, from the colonial era to the present.
Featuring: stark black-and-white photographs of sites where mass shootings have occurred; author Paul Auster's candid reflections on his own family's history with gun violence.
Reviewers say: "exceptional in its clarity and arresting in its sense of urgency" (Kirkus Reviews).
|
|
|
The Sugar Jar: Create Boundaries, Embrace Self-Healing, and Enjoy the Sweet Things in Life
by Yasmine Cheyenne
What it is: an inclusive, accessible guide to taking care of yourself and healing from the past with an emphasis on learning to set boundaries.
Sugar jar? This is author Yasmine Cheyenne’s handy metaphor for your energy in its many forms -- a resource that is limited but can be replenished as much as it is depleted.
Read it for: the practical tools and exercises that will help you take stock of what saps or restores your energy and teach you a proactive approach to managing it.
|
|
Focus on: Black History Month
|
|
| Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America by Keisha N. BlainWho it's about: Mississippi civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977).
What's inside: an inspiring portrait of a woman whose advocacy against voter suppression and police brutality continues to resonate.
Further reading: Walk With Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer by Kate Clifford Larson. |
|
| To Walk About in Freedom: The Long Emancipation of Priscilla Joyner by Carole EmbertonWhat it is: a thought-provoking look at the limitations of America's Reconstruction era as seen through the eyes of biracial and formerly enslaved North Carolina woman Priscilla Joyner (1858-1944).
Featuring: interviews conducted with Joyner as part of the Federal Writers' Project in the 1930s.
Why you should read it: This richly contextualized blend of biography and history illuminates how Black Americans created their own thriving communities in the wake of emancipation. |
|
| Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature by Farah Jasmine GriffinWhat it is: Guggenheim Fellow Farah Jasmine Griffin's impassioned exploration of the ways in which Black literature has shaped and reflected her life, with referenced works grouped thematically.
Chapters include: "The Quest for Justice;" "Rage and Resistance;" "The Transformative Potential of Love;" "Of Gardens and Grace."
Try this next: anthology Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves, edited by Glory Edim. |
|
| True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson by Kostya KennedyWhat it is: a moving and unconventional biography of groundbreaking Brooklyn Dodgers baseball player Jackie Robinson.
What sets it apart: True focuses solely on four years in Robinson's career: 1947 (his first season playing Major League Baseball); 1949 (the year he won Most Valuable Player); 1956 (his final season in the sport); and 1972 (the year his uniform number was retired and he met an untimely death).
Reviewers say: "Baseball fans shouldn't miss this" (Publishers Weekly). |
|
| Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen by George McCalmanWhat's inside: a celebration of the diversity of Black Americans' accomplishments in politics, education, science, the arts, and more.
Featuring: vibrant illustrated portraits and mini-biographies of 145 trailblazers.
Read it for: "a unique and engaging entry point into Black history that will no doubt inspire further research" (Booklist Reviews). |
|
Visit us online for more great recommendations! |
|
|
|
|
|