Tyson, Neil deGrasse Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (523.01 TYS) The astrophysicist reveals just what people need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines, from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe. —Recommended by Joe and Jean
Walker, Matthew Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (612.821 WAL) The author offers a look at sleep and dreaming that incorporates discoveries of the last two decades regarding their purpose, and addressing their importance in such functions as learning, logical thinking, emotional regulation, and metabolism. —Recommended by Trish
Ward, Geoffrey C. Ward and Burns, Ken The Vietnam War: An Intimate History (959.8043 WAR) Drawn from interviews in America and Vietnam to offer the perspectives from those involved, including soldiers and their families, high-level officials, and protestors, explains why the war happened the way it did and the rationale behind America's involvement. —Recommended by Joe and Andrea
Weinersmith, Kelly and Zach Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything (601.12 WEI) The authors present an illustrated investigation into the technologies of the near future, from deep-space travel to 3D organ printing, to offer insight into how they will work and what is needed to advance their readiness. —Recommended by Joe
20 Taylor, Kathryne Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi Love Real Food: More than 100 Feel-Good Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Vegetarian Favorites to Delight the Senses and Suggestions (305.42 ADI) A few years ago, the author received a letter from a Nourish the Body (641.5636 TAY) dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise The path to a healthy body and happy belly is paved her baby girl as a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is with real food—fresh, wholesome, sustainable Adichie's letter of response. food—and it doesn’t need to be so difficult. —Recommended by Ellen B. and Haley —Recommended by Nate
Alexie, Sherman Terakado, Kazuo You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: The Art of the Dinosaur: Illustrations by the Top Paleoartists in the World (Oversize 567.9 ART) A Memoir (Biography Alexie, S.) The author presents a literary memoir of poems, The author compiles elaborate dinosaur art by essays, and intimate family photos that reflect on contemporary paleoartists. These astonishing the author's complicated relationship with his images will overturn our conventional ideas about mother and his disadvantaged childhood on a dinosaurs. Native American reservation. —Recommended by Mark and Ellen B.
—Recommended by Andrea Todd, Barbara Feinman Pretend I'm Not Here: How I Worked with Three Avlon, John Newspaper Icons, One Powerful First Lady, and Still Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's managed to Dig Myself Out of the Washington Warning to Future Generations (973.41 AVL) Swamp (070.92 TOD) The almost-forgotten Farewell Address of America's An accomplished ghostwriter and book researcher first president conveys warnings about the forces goes behind the scenes of America's capital to Washington believed were endangering the nation's document the story of how she discovered her voice democracy and is complemented by text placing the at the sides of such figures as Bob Woodward, Carl address against a backdrop of the dynamics of its Bernstein and Hillary Clinton. time. —Recommended by Ellen J. —Recommended by Mary
Baird, Julia Tur, Katy Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Woman who Ruled an Empire (Biography Victoria) Campaign in American History (324.973 TUR) A biography of the longtime English monarch offers The NBC news correspondent assigned to cover the insight into the passionate and sensuous aspects of Trump campaign for the 2016 presidential election her character, placing her reign against a backdrop shares her perspective on witnessing Trump's of dynamic world events while sharing insights into unexpected campaign successes. her relationship with Albert and her pivotal role in —Recommended by Melissa building the British empire. —Recommended by Susie
2 19 Sartore, Joel Bakewell, Sarah The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the At the Existentialist Café (142.78 BAK) World's Animals (779.32 SAR) The author introduces the major existential The author collects 600 photographs of the world's philosophers of mid-20th century Europe, with brief animals, many of which are endangered, to create summaries of their philosophies, personal an argument for saving all species that call the anecdotes, and an examination of their complex planet home. relationships with each other. —Recommended by Andrea —Recommended by Nate
Bartlett, Bruce
The Truth Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to Separating Schwalbe, Will Facts from Lies and Stopping Fake News in Its Books for Living (028.9 SCH) Tracks (070.9051 BAR) The author of The End of Your Life Book Club offers An economist, best-selling author, journalist and both a celebration of reading in general and an Capitol Hill veteran provides tips, tricks, shortcuts impassioned recommendation of specific books that and recommendations for seeing through the can help guide us through our daily lives. “alternative facts” and “fake news” to find the truth —Recommended by Jo behind the government officials and new media
sources intentionally spreading lies. —Recommended by Haley
Sedaris, David Bauerschmidt, Tim Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 (817.54 SED) Driving Miss Norma: One Family's Journey Saying An anthology of personal favorite diary entries "Yes'' to Living (917.304 BAU) features excerpts that have inspired Sedaris' famed When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine autobiographical essays and shares insights into the cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, intimate arenas of his life. radiation, and chemotherapy. But Miss Norma rose —Recommended by Jo to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, “I’m 90 years old. I’m hitting the road.” —Recommended by Sonia
Spence, Annie Bruder, Jessica Dear Fahrenheit 451 (028.9 SPE) Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First A funny, deeply personal collection of love letters Century (331.398 BRU) and break-up notes to the books in the librarian A journalist sets out on the road to explore the new author's life explains the complicated reasons why phenomenon of “workampers” who are migrant libraries are keeping or removing books that either workers made up of transient older Americans who are no longer checked out by readers or have poor took to the road after discovering that their social literary value. security came up short and their mortgages were —Recommended by Sonia, Nate, Joe, Jean, Ellen B. underwater. and Jane —Recommended by Joe
18 3 Charleyboy, Lisa and Leatherdale, Mary Preston, Douglas #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Lost City of the Monkey God (972.85 PRE) Women (YA 970.00497) The co-author of the FBI Agent Pendergast series presents a high-suspense account of the discovery The authors present an eclectic collection of of a lost civilization, contemporaries of the Mayans poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to who lived deep in the Honduran jungle. express the experience of being a Native American —Recommended by Jean woman.
—Recommended by Jocelyn
Chast, Roz Riggs, Nina Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying (Graphic Novel Chast, R.) (616.99449 RIG) The native Brooklynite presents an uproarious The author presents a full-length account of her graphic-novel tribute to Manhattan that reflects on experiences with terminal metastatic breast cancer the culture clash between her suburban-raised as documented in her blog Suspicious Country, a children and herself. journey that reshaped her views about marriage, —Recommended by Andrea motherhood, friendship and memory. —Recommended by Becky
Chernow, Ron Grant (Biography Grant, U.) Rothstein, Richard Ron Chernow resents a portrait of the Civil War The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our general and eighteenth president, challenging the Government Segregated America (305.8 ROT) views of his critics while sharing insights into his The author argues that laws and policies created by prowess as a military leader, the honor with which local, state, and federal government deliberately pro- he conducted his administration, and the rise and moted segregation in metropolitan areas during the fall of his fortunes. twentieth century, creating long-lasting —Recommended by Mary consequences.
—Recommended by Joe
Clinton, Hillary Rodham Sandberg, Sheryl, and Grant, Adam What Happened (324.973 CLI) Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and The former secretary of state relates her Finding Joy (155.937 SAN) experiences as the first woman candidate Combining personal insights with research on finding nominated for president by a major party, strength in the face of adversity, the COO of discussing the sexism, criticism, and double Facebook and a top psychologist explore how to standards she had to confront, and how she coped move beyond hardships, grief, and loss to persevere, with a devastating loss. build resilience, and rediscover joy. —Recommended by Jo —Recommended by Mary
4 17 Omalu, Bennet Coates, Ta-Nehisi Truth Doesn't Have a Side: My Alarming Discovery We Were Eight Years in Power: An American about the Danger of Contact Sports (616.8 OMA) Tragedy (973.972 COA) The doctor describes his childhood in war-torn A portrait of the historic Barack Obama era features Nigeria and the forensic pathology studies that led essays originally published in "The Atlantic," to his much-criticized findings about the role of including "Fear of a Black President" and "The concussion in brain disease. Case for Reparations," as well as new essays —Recommended by Sonia and Mary revisiting each year of the Obama administration. —Recommended by Joe
Perelman, Deb Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Davis, Stephen Unfussy New Favorites (641.5 PER) Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie The award-winning blogger reveals the de-stressing Nicks (782.42166 NIC) and transformative qualities of cooking good food, An in-depth portrait of the classic-rock artist covers sharing recipes specifically designed for taking her role in the stardom of Fleetwood Mac, the indulgent culinary breaks. affairs that inspired her greatest songs, her —Recommended by Erica, Andrea and Haley struggles with addiction, and her successful solo career. —Recommended by Susie
Perry, Sarah After the Eclipse: A Mother's Murder, A Daughter's Delisle, Guy Search (362.88 PER) Hostage (Graphic Novel Delisle, G.) The author recounts the murder of her mother at their The author recounts in graphic novel format the home in rural Maine, her struggle to rebuild her life harrowing story of Christophe Andrâe, an during the twelve-year search for the killer, and her administer with Doctors without Borders who was mission to know the woman who gave her life. kidnapped and held by armed men while working in —Recommended by Jean the Caucasus region. —Recommended by Heather
Poundstone, Paula The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Doughty, Caitlin Human Happiness (792.76 POU) From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find The comedienne conducts a series of irreverent the Good Death (363.75 DOU) "scientific" experiments to discover the secret to Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, happiness, from learning martial arts and speeding mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how in a Lamborghini to communing with nature and other cultures care for the dead. volunteering. —Recommended by Erica —Recommended by Jane
16 5 Nevins, Sheila Duckworth, Angela You Don't Look Your Age … and Other Fairy Tales Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance (791.430.233 NEV) (158.1 DUC) The president of HBO Documentary Films shares The author argues that focused persistence is more advice for women on how to navigate the challenges important than talent in enabling high achievement, of pursuing a career in a man's world, balancing the drawing on pioneering research and experiences responsibilities of a working parent, and aging in a as the daughter of a hard-to-please parent. youth-obsessed culture. —Recommended by Rob —Recommended by Becky
Eisinger, Jesse The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives (364.168 EIS) Noah, Trevor From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes a Born a Crime: Stories from a South African blistering account of corporate greed and impunity, Childhood (791.45028092 NOA) and the reckless, often anemic response from the The host of the Daily Show tells his hilarious and Department of Justice. moving coming-of-age story during the twilight of —Recommended by Rob apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. —Recommended by Ellen J., Jean and Haley Finkel, Michael and Sonia The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Nosrat, Samin (Biography Knight, C.) Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of The author documents the true story of a man who Good Cooking (641.5 NOS) endured an isolated existence in a tent in the Maine A master class in cooking distills decades of woods, never speaking with others and professional experience into four elements: salt, fat, surviving by stealing supplies from nearby cabins acid, and heat, which when properly applied in the for 27 years, and illuminates the reasons behind his kitchen will produce delicious meals, and includes solitary life. recipes to put the lessons into practice. —Recommended by Dave and Jo —Recommended by Nate, Haley and Erica
Ohler, Norman Foer, Franklin Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich (940.53 OHL) World without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big The author uncovers the full extent of drug use in Tech (303.483 FOE) Nazi Germany, from Hitler's reliance on a number of The author argues that in spite of the conveniences substances to the drugs that played an integral role of their products, today's technology corporations in Germany's military performance and ultimate are creating consequences in the form of privacy downfall in World War II. compromises and intellectual property loss. —Recommended by Joe and Mary —Recommended by Rob
6 15 McCullough, David G. Friedman, Thomas L. The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Stand For (973 MCC) Thriving in the Age of Accelerations (303.483 FRI) A timely collection of speeches by one of the most A field guide to the 21st Century shares strategies honored historians in the United States aims to for surviving today's hectic technological, environ- remind readers of fundamental American principles. mental, and economic challenges, contrasting pre- —Recommended by Rob sent-day environments with the working model of an earlier generation. —Recommended by Jean McGirr, Michael Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleeping (612.821 MCG) The author explores the mysterious world of sleep Gay, Roxane reveals its benefits and what happens if we don’t get Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (814.6 GAY) enough of it, and takes us on a tour through the odd The author of Bad Feminist explores the devastating sleep patterns of some of history’s greatest minds. act of violence that triggered her personal —Recommended by Susie challenges with food and body image, sharing advice for caring for oneself and eating in healthful and satisfying ways. —Recommended by Susie and Lindsay McLaughlin, Rhett and Neal, Link Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity and Tomfoolery Gladstone, Brooke (791.430280922 MCL) The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination of Moral The creators of "Good Mythical Morning" present a Panic in Our Time (302.23 GLA) guide to adding Mythicality to life, in a lighthearted Why do facts do little to change an individual’s reference that features stories and photographs closely-held idea of reality? How does the media from the authors' lifelong friendship as well as a reinforce these blind spots? And how did our lack of range of activity suggestions for laughing and consensus about reality pave the way for a new po- learning more. litical era, one in which subverting truth has become —Recommended by Jocelyn an act of political power? —Recommended by Nate
Moore, Kate Good, Phyllis Pellman The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Shining Women (363.1799 MOO) Recipes (641.5884 GOO) Hundreds of women were exposed to radium while The author brings together a fresh collection of 100 working factory jobs during World WarI, misled by easy-to-prepare recipes with variations allowing their employers and became embroiled in a battle for readers to customize the dish according to their workers' rights. dietary needs. —Recommended by Susie —Recommended by Ellen B.
14 7 Grann, David Lukasik, Gail Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and White Like Her: My Family's History of Race and the Birth of the FBI (976.6 GRA) Racial Passing (305.8 LUK) The author presents a true account of the early 20th- In the historical context of the Jim Crow South, century murders of dozens of wealthy Osage and law Lukasik explores her mother’s decision to pass as enforcement officials, citing the contributions and white, how she hid her secret even from her own missteps of a fledgling FBI that eventually uncovered husband, and the price she paid for choosing one of the most chilling conspiracies in American whiteness. history. —Recommended by Mary, Sonia and Nate —Recommended by Becky, Joe, Ellen J. and Jean Mack, Doug The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the territories and other Far-flung Outposts of the Griffeth, Bill USA (909.0971 MAC) Stranger in My Genes (929.1092 GRI) The author shares his explorations of lesser-known When a genealogy buff takes a DNA test indicating U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, the family he had spent years documenting was not Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands to genetically his, he undertakes a quest to solve the juxtapose their blends of culture against the mystery of his origins, a quest which will shake his expansionist views of the Founding Fathers. sense of identity. —Recommended by Erica —Recommended by Ellen J. Marzano-Lesnevich, Alexandria The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir Ha, Robin (364.1523 MAR) Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes The author documents how a summer job at a (Graphic Novel Ha) Louisiana law firm and the case of a convicted The author provides an introduction to the basics of murderer and child molester changed the author's Korean cooking in graphic novel form, includes 64 views about the death penalty and forced her to recipes, ingredient profiles, and more, presented confront traumatic secrets in her own family. through light-hearted comics. —Recommended by Becky —Recommended by Jean
Handy, Bruce Maupin, Armistead Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Logical Family: A Memoir (813.54 MAU) Literature as an Adult (808.89282 HAN) The author of the Tales of the City series chronicles A nostalgic ramble through classics of children's his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San literature explores the stories of their creators while Francisco, a personal journey that shaped his revealing the wisdom that can be found in evolution from a curious youth to a ground-breaking masterpieces ranging from The Cat in the Hat and writer and gay rights pioneer. Charlotte's Web to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. —Recommended by Jane and Susie —Recommended by Nate
8 13 Levy, Ariel Harman, Chris The Rules Do Not Apply: A Memoir A People's History of the World (909 HAR) (Biography Levy, A.) The author examines the human history of the A New Yorker staff writer shares a hopeful memoir world through the lens of a narrative of ordinary of her own experiences with devastating loss to people forming and re-forming complex societies in counsel fellow survivors about the healing aspects pursuit of common human goals. of accepting difficult life challenges that are beyond —Recommended by Rob one's control. —Recommended by Jean Hathaway, Oona A. and Shapiro, Scott J. Lewis, Michael The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed War Remade the World (327.172 HAT) Our Minds (612.8233 LEW) The authors provide a history of the Peace Pact in The author examines the history of behavioral 1928 Paris while exploring how the often-overlooked economics, discussing the theory of Israeli treaty outlawed wars of aggression and brought psychologists who wrote the original studies undoing unprecedented stability to the world map. assumptions about the decision-making process and —Recommended by Joe the influence it has had on evidence-based regulation. —Recommended by Sue Hess, Monica Lockwood, Patricia American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Priestdaddy (811.6 LOC) Land (364.1642 HES) The author shares her memories of life with a The author documents the trial of a man charged Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she with dozens of counts of arson in a rural Virginia and her non-religious husband were later forced to county, sharing insight into his struggles with move back in to her parents' rectory for eight months addiction, his relationship with his accomplice due to a crisis. girlfriend, and the impact of the fires on their —Recommended by Becky community. —Recommended by Becky
Luft, Sid Judy and I: My life with Judy Garland Hochschild, Arlie Russell (791.43028092 GAR) Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning The third of Judy Garland's five husbands, Sid Luft, on the American Right (320.52 HOC) was the one man in her life who stuck around. He In an effort to understand why low income was chiefly responsible for the final act of Judy’s conservatives seem to hate the idea of liberal meteoric comeback after she was unceremoniously government intervention, a sociologist embarks on a booted off the MGM lot. journey to Louisiana bayou country, a stronghold of —Recommended by Susie the conservative right. —Recommended by Nate and Haley
12 9 Hodgman, John Kotkin, Stephen Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 (791.45028092 HOD) (Biography STALIN) The author recounts his cursed travels through the This biography presents a history of the world during woods of Massachusetts and coastal Maine, the build-up to World War II, exploring how in the describing his midlife transformation from an aftermath of achieving dictatorial power over the idealistic youth to an eccentric family man. Soviet Empire, Stalin formally ordered the —Recommended by Jane systematic collectivization of the world's largest peasant economy. —Recommended by Rob Isaacson, Walter Leonardo da Vinci (709.2 LEO) Kurlansky, Mark The renowned biographer draws on da Vinci's Paper: Paging Through History (676.09 KUR) notebooks as well as new discoveries about his life The author provides a history of paper and the and work in a narrative portrait that connects the unexpected ways it shaped a modern world master's art to his science, demonstrating how da transitioning toward digital technologies, tracing the Vinci's genius was based on ordinary qualities, role of paper and papermaking in education, media, including curiosity and imagination. religion, commerce, and art. —Recommended by Mary —Recommended by Rob
Jones, Dylan Larsen, Josh David Bowie: A Life (782.42166 BOW) Movies are Prayers: How Films Voice Our Deepest The author traces the life of the late music superstar Longings (791.436823 LAR) through almost 200 interviews with his producers, NPR Filmspotting co-host Josh Larsen brings a bandmates, managers and lovers, from his English critic's unique perspective to how movies can act as childhood to key points throughout his career, prayers—expressing lament, praise, joy, confession, including early 1970s New York and the hedonism of and more. late 1970s Los Angeles. —Recommended by Nate —Recommended by Susie
Lee Shetterly, Margo Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Kang, Lydia and Pedersen, Nate Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure who Helped win the Space Race (510.9252 LEE) Everything (615.856 KAN) Before John Glenn orbited the earth, a group of A darkly humorous chronicle of medicine's greatest African American female mathematicians known as mistakes incorporates vintage images and ads for "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and historical cures, from morphine for colicky babies adding machines to calculate the numbers that and strychnine for impotence to leeches for the would launch rockets and astronauts into space. common cold and liquefied gold for immortality. —Recommended by Jo and Haley —Recommended by Erica
10 11 Hodgman, John Kotkin, Stephen Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 (791.45028092 HOD) (Biography STALIN) The author recounts his cursed travels through the This biography presents a history of the world during woods of Massachusetts and coastal Maine, the build-up to World War II, exploring how in the describing his midlife transformation from an aftermath of achieving dictatorial power over the idealistic youth to an eccentric family man. Soviet Empire, Stalin formally ordered the —Recommended by Jane systematic collectivization of the world's largest peasant economy. —Recommended by Rob Isaacson, Walter Leonardo da Vinci (709.2 LEO) Kurlansky, Mark The renowned biographer draws on da Vinci's Paper: Paging Through History (676.09 KUR) notebooks as well as new discoveries about his life The author provides a history of paper and the and work in a narrative portrait that connects the unexpected ways it shaped a modern world master's art to his science, demonstrating how da transitioning toward digital technologies, tracing the Vinci's genius was based on ordinary qualities, role of paper and papermaking in education, media, including curiosity and imagination. religion, commerce, and art. —Recommended by Mary —Recommended by Rob
Jones, Dylan Larsen, Josh David Bowie: A Life (782.42166 BOW) Movies are Prayers: How Films Voice Our Deepest The author traces the life of the late music superstar Longings (791.436823 LAR) through almost 200 interviews with his producers, NPR Filmspotting co-host Josh Larsen brings a bandmates, managers and lovers, from his English critic's unique perspective to how movies can act as childhood to key points throughout his career, prayers—expressing lament, praise, joy, confession, including early 1970s New York and the hedonism of and more. late 1970s Los Angeles. —Recommended by Nate —Recommended by Susie
Lee Shetterly, Margo Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Kang, Lydia and Pedersen, Nate Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure who Helped win the Space Race (510.9252 LEE) Everything (615.856 KAN) Before John Glenn orbited the earth, a group of A darkly humorous chronicle of medicine's greatest African American female mathematicians known as mistakes incorporates vintage images and ads for "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and historical cures, from morphine for colicky babies adding machines to calculate the numbers that and strychnine for impotence to leeches for the would launch rockets and astronauts into space. common cold and liquefied gold for immortality. —Recommended by Jo and Haley —Recommended by Erica
10 11 Levy, Ariel Harman, Chris The Rules Do Not Apply: A Memoir A People's History of the World (909 HAR) (Biography Levy, A.) The author examines the human history of the A New Yorker staff writer shares a hopeful memoir world through the lens of a narrative of ordinary of her own experiences with devastating loss to people forming and re-forming complex societies in counsel fellow survivors about the healing aspects pursuit of common human goals. of accepting difficult life challenges that are beyond —Recommended by Rob one's control. —Recommended by Jean Hathaway, Oona A. and Shapiro, Scott J. Lewis, Michael The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed War Remade the World (327.172 HAT) Our Minds (612.8233 LEW) The authors provide a history of the Peace Pact in The author examines the history of behavioral 1928 Paris while exploring how the often-overlooked economics, discussing the theory of Israeli treaty outlawed wars of aggression and brought psychologists who wrote the original studies undoing unprecedented stability to the world map. assumptions about the decision-making process and —Recommended by Joe the influence it has had on evidence-based regulation. —Recommended by Sue Hess, Monica Lockwood, Patricia American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Priestdaddy (811.6 LOC) Land (364.1642 HES) The author shares her memories of life with a The author documents the trial of a man charged Catholic priest for a father, and how as an adult, she with dozens of counts of arson in a rural Virginia and her non-religious husband were later forced to county, sharing insight into his struggles with move back in to her parents' rectory for eight months addiction, his relationship with his accomplice due to a crisis. girlfriend, and the impact of the fires on their —Recommended by Becky community. —Recommended by Becky
Luft, Sid Judy and I: My life with Judy Garland Hochschild, Arlie Russell (791.43028092 GAR) Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning The third of Judy Garland's five husbands, Sid Luft, on the American Right (320.52 HOC) was the one man in her life who stuck around. He In an effort to understand why low income was chiefly responsible for the final act of Judy’s conservatives seem to hate the idea of liberal meteoric comeback after she was unceremoniously government intervention, a sociologist embarks on a booted off the MGM lot. journey to Louisiana bayou country, a stronghold of —Recommended by Susie the conservative right. —Recommended by Nate and Haley
12 9 Grann, David Lukasik, Gail Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and White Like Her: My Family's History of Race and the Birth of the FBI (976.6 GRA) Racial Passing (305.8 LUK) The author presents a true account of the early 20th- In the historical context of the Jim Crow South, century murders of dozens of wealthy Osage and law Lukasik explores her mother’s decision to pass as enforcement officials, citing the contributions and white, how she hid her secret even from her own missteps of a fledgling FBI that eventually uncovered husband, and the price she paid for choosing one of the most chilling conspiracies in American whiteness. history. —Recommended by Mary, Sonia and Nate —Recommended by Becky, Joe, Ellen J. and Jean Mack, Doug The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the territories and other Far-flung Outposts of the Griffeth, Bill USA (909.0971 MAC) Stranger in My Genes (929.1092 GRI) The author shares his explorations of lesser-known When a genealogy buff takes a DNA test indicating U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, the family he had spent years documenting was not Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands to genetically his, he undertakes a quest to solve the juxtapose their blends of culture against the mystery of his origins, a quest which will shake his expansionist views of the Founding Fathers. sense of identity. —Recommended by Erica —Recommended by Ellen J. Marzano-Lesnevich, Alexandria The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir Ha, Robin (364.1523 MAR) Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes The author documents how a summer job at a (Graphic Novel Ha) Louisiana law firm and the case of a convicted The author provides an introduction to the basics of murderer and child molester changed the author's Korean cooking in graphic novel form, includes 64 views about the death penalty and forced her to recipes, ingredient profiles, and more, presented confront traumatic secrets in her own family. through light-hearted comics. —Recommended by Becky —Recommended by Jean
Handy, Bruce Maupin, Armistead Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Logical Family: A Memoir (813.54 MAU) Literature as an Adult (808.89282 HAN) The author of the Tales of the City series chronicles A nostalgic ramble through classics of children's his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San literature explores the stories of their creators while Francisco, a personal journey that shaped his revealing the wisdom that can be found in evolution from a curious youth to a ground-breaking masterpieces ranging from The Cat in the Hat and writer and gay rights pioneer. Charlotte's Web to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. —Recommended by Jane and Susie —Recommended by Nate
8 13 McCullough, David G. Friedman, Thomas L. The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Stand For (973 MCC) Thriving in the Age of Accelerations (303.483 FRI) A timely collection of speeches by one of the most A field guide to the 21st Century shares strategies honored historians in the United States aims to for surviving today's hectic technological, environ- remind readers of fundamental American principles. mental, and economic challenges, contrasting pre- —Recommended by Rob sent-day environments with the working model of an earlier generation. —Recommended by Jean McGirr, Michael Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleeping (612.821 MCG) The author explores the mysterious world of sleep Gay, Roxane reveals its benefits and what happens if we don’t get Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (814.6 GAY) enough of it, and takes us on a tour through the odd The author of Bad Feminist explores the devastating sleep patterns of some of history’s greatest minds. act of violence that triggered her personal —Recommended by Susie challenges with food and body image, sharing advice for caring for oneself and eating in healthful and satisfying ways. —Recommended by Susie and Lindsay McLaughlin, Rhett and Neal, Link Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity and Tomfoolery Gladstone, Brooke (791.430280922 MCL) The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination of Moral The creators of "Good Mythical Morning" present a Panic in Our Time (302.23 GLA) guide to adding Mythicality to life, in a lighthearted Why do facts do little to change an individual’s reference that features stories and photographs closely-held idea of reality? How does the media from the authors' lifelong friendship as well as a reinforce these blind spots? And how did our lack of range of activity suggestions for laughing and consensus about reality pave the way for a new po- learning more. litical era, one in which subverting truth has become —Recommended by Jocelyn an act of political power? —Recommended by Nate
Moore, Kate Good, Phyllis Pellman The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Shining Women (363.1799 MOO) Recipes (641.5884 GOO) Hundreds of women were exposed to radium while The author brings together a fresh collection of 100 working factory jobs during World WarI, misled by easy-to-prepare recipes with variations allowing their employers and became embroiled in a battle for readers to customize the dish according to their workers' rights. dietary needs. —Recommended by Susie —Recommended by Ellen B.
14 7 Nevins, Sheila Duckworth, Angela You Don't Look Your Age … and Other Fairy Tales Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance (791.430.233 NEV) (158.1 DUC) The president of HBO Documentary Films shares The author argues that focused persistence is more advice for women on how to navigate the challenges important than talent in enabling high achievement, of pursuing a career in a man's world, balancing the drawing on pioneering research and experiences responsibilities of a working parent, and aging in a as the daughter of a hard-to-please parent. youth-obsessed culture. —Recommended by Rob —Recommended by Becky
Eisinger, Jesse The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives (364.168 EIS) Noah, Trevor From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist comes a Born a Crime: Stories from a South African blistering account of corporate greed and impunity, Childhood (791.45028092 NOA) and the reckless, often anemic response from the The host of the Daily Show tells his hilarious and Department of Justice. moving coming-of-age story during the twilight of —Recommended by Rob apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. —Recommended by Ellen J., Jean and Haley Finkel, Michael and Sonia The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Nosrat, Samin (Biography Knight, C.) Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of The author documents the true story of a man who Good Cooking (641.5 NOS) endured an isolated existence in a tent in the Maine A master class in cooking distills decades of woods, never speaking with others and professional experience into four elements: salt, fat, surviving by stealing supplies from nearby cabins acid, and heat, which when properly applied in the for 27 years, and illuminates the reasons behind his kitchen will produce delicious meals, and includes solitary life. recipes to put the lessons into practice. —Recommended by Dave and Jo —Recommended by Nate, Haley and Erica
Ohler, Norman Foer, Franklin Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich (940.53 OHL) World without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big The author uncovers the full extent of drug use in Tech (303.483 FOE) Nazi Germany, from Hitler's reliance on a number of The author argues that in spite of the conveniences substances to the drugs that played an integral role of their products, today's technology corporations in Germany's military performance and ultimate are creating consequences in the form of privacy downfall in World War II. compromises and intellectual property loss. —Recommended by Joe and Mary —Recommended by Rob
6 15 Omalu, Bennet Coates, Ta-Nehisi Truth Doesn't Have a Side: My Alarming Discovery We Were Eight Years in Power: An American about the Danger of Contact Sports (616.8 OMA) Tragedy (973.972 COA) The doctor describes his childhood in war-torn A portrait of the historic Barack Obama era features Nigeria and the forensic pathology studies that led essays originally published in "The Atlantic," to his much-criticized findings about the role of including "Fear of a Black President" and "The concussion in brain disease. Case for Reparations," as well as new essays —Recommended by Sonia and Mary revisiting each year of the Obama administration. —Recommended by Joe
Perelman, Deb Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Davis, Stephen Unfussy New Favorites (641.5 PER) Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie The award-winning blogger reveals the de-stressing Nicks (782.42166 NIC) and transformative qualities of cooking good food, An in-depth portrait of the classic-rock artist covers sharing recipes specifically designed for taking her role in the stardom of Fleetwood Mac, the indulgent culinary breaks. affairs that inspired her greatest songs, her —Recommended by Erica, Andrea and Haley struggles with addiction, and her successful solo career. —Recommended by Susie
Perry, Sarah After the Eclipse: A Mother's Murder, A Daughter's Delisle, Guy Search (362.88 PER) Hostage (Graphic Novel Delisle, G.) The author recounts the murder of her mother at their The author recounts in graphic novel format the home in rural Maine, her struggle to rebuild her life harrowing story of Christophe Andrâe, an during the twelve-year search for the killer, and her administer with Doctors without Borders who was mission to know the woman who gave her life. kidnapped and held by armed men while working in —Recommended by Jean the Caucasus region. —Recommended by Heather
Poundstone, Paula The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Doughty, Caitlin Human Happiness (792.76 POU) From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find The comedienne conducts a series of irreverent the Good Death (363.75 DOU) "scientific" experiments to discover the secret to Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, happiness, from learning martial arts and speeding mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how in a Lamborghini to communing with nature and other cultures care for the dead. volunteering. —Recommended by Erica —Recommended by Jane
16 5 Charleyboy, Lisa and Leatherdale, Mary Preston, Douglas #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Lost City of the Monkey God (972.85 PRE) Women (YA 970.00497) The co-author of the FBI Agent Pendergast series presents a high-suspense account of the discovery The authors present an eclectic collection of of a lost civilization, contemporaries of the Mayans poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to who lived deep in the Honduran jungle. express the experience of being a Native American —Recommended by Jean woman.
—Recommended by Jocelyn
Chast, Roz Riggs, Nina Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying (Graphic Novel Chast, R.) (616.99449 RIG) The native Brooklynite presents an uproarious The author presents a full-length account of her graphic-novel tribute to Manhattan that reflects on experiences with terminal metastatic breast cancer the culture clash between her suburban-raised as documented in her blog Suspicious Country, a children and herself. journey that reshaped her views about marriage, —Recommended by Andrea motherhood, friendship and memory. —Recommended by Becky
Chernow, Ron Grant (Biography Grant, U.) Rothstein, Richard Ron Chernow resents a portrait of the Civil War The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our general and eighteenth president, challenging the Government Segregated America (305.8 ROT) views of his critics while sharing insights into his The author argues that laws and policies created by prowess as a military leader, the honor with which local, state, and federal government deliberately pro- he conducted his administration, and the rise and moted segregation in metropolitan areas during the fall of his fortunes. twentieth century, creating long-lasting —Recommended by Mary consequences.
—Recommended by Joe
Clinton, Hillary Rodham Sandberg, Sheryl, and Grant, Adam What Happened (324.973 CLI) Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and The former secretary of state relates her Finding Joy (155.937 SAN) experiences as the first woman candidate Combining personal insights with research on finding nominated for president by a major party, strength in the face of adversity, the COO of discussing the sexism, criticism, and double Facebook and a top psychologist explore how to standards she had to confront, and how she coped move beyond hardships, grief, and loss to persevere, with a devastating loss. build resilience, and rediscover joy. —Recommended by Jo —Recommended by Mary
4 17 Sartore, Joel Bakewell, Sarah The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the At the Existentialist Café (142.78 BAK) World's Animals (779.32 SAR) The author introduces the major existential The author collects 600 photographs of the world's philosophers of mid-20th century Europe, with brief animals, many of which are endangered, to create summaries of their philosophies, personal an argument for saving all species that call the anecdotes, and an examination of their complex planet home. relationships with each other. —Recommended by Andrea —Recommended by Nate
Bartlett, Bruce
The Truth Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to Separating Schwalbe, Will Facts from Lies and Stopping Fake News in Its Books for Living (028.9 SCH) Tracks (070.9051 BAR) The author of The End of Your Life Book Club offers An economist, best-selling author, journalist and both a celebration of reading in general and an Capitol Hill veteran provides tips, tricks, shortcuts impassioned recommendation of specific books that and recommendations for seeing through the can help guide us through our daily lives. “alternative facts” and “fake news” to find the truth —Recommended by Jo behind the government officials and new media
sources intentionally spreading lies. —Recommended by Haley
Sedaris, David Bauerschmidt, Tim Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 (817.54 SED) Driving Miss Norma: One Family's Journey Saying An anthology of personal favorite diary entries "Yes'' to Living (917.304 BAU) features excerpts that have inspired Sedaris' famed When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine autobiographical essays and shares insights into the cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, intimate arenas of his life. radiation, and chemotherapy. But Miss Norma rose —Recommended by Jo to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, “I’m 90 years old. I’m hitting the road.” —Recommended by Sonia
Spence, Annie Bruder, Jessica Dear Fahrenheit 451 (028.9 SPE) Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First A funny, deeply personal collection of love letters Century (331.398 BRU) and break-up notes to the books in the librarian A journalist sets out on the road to explore the new author's life explains the complicated reasons why phenomenon of “workampers” who are migrant libraries are keeping or removing books that either workers made up of transient older Americans who are no longer checked out by readers or have poor took to the road after discovering that their social literary value. security came up short and their mortgages were —Recommended by Sonia, Nate, Joe, Jean, Ellen B. underwater. and Jane —Recommended by Joe
18 3 Taylor, Kathryne Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi Love Real Food: More than 100 Feel-Good Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Vegetarian Favorites to Delight the Senses and Suggestions (305.42 ADI) A few years ago, the author received a letter from a Nourish the Body (641.5636 TAY) dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise The path to a healthy body and happy belly is paved her baby girl as a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is with real food—fresh, wholesome, sustainable Adichie's letter of response. food—and it doesn’t need to be so difficult. —Recommended by Ellen B. and Haley —Recommended by Nate
Alexie, Sherman Terakado, Kazuo You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: The Art of the Dinosaur: Illustrations by the Top Paleoartists in the World (Oversize 567.9 ART) A Memoir (Biography Alexie, S.) The author presents a literary memoir of poems, The author compiles elaborate dinosaur art by essays, and intimate family photos that reflect on contemporary paleoartists. These astonishing the author's complicated relationship with his images will overturn our conventional ideas about mother and his disadvantaged childhood on a dinosaurs. Native American reservation. —Recommended by Mark and Ellen B.
—Recommended by Andrea Todd, Barbara Feinman Pretend I'm Not Here: How I Worked with Three Avlon, John Newspaper Icons, One Powerful First Lady, and Still Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's managed to Dig Myself Out of the Washington Warning to Future Generations (973.41 AVL) Swamp (070.92 TOD) The almost-forgotten Farewell Address of America's An accomplished ghostwriter and book researcher first president conveys warnings about the forces goes behind the scenes of America's capital to Washington believed were endangering the nation's document the story of how she discovered her voice democracy and is complemented by text placing the at the sides of such figures as Bob Woodward, Carl address against a backdrop of the dynamics of its Bernstein and Hillary Clinton. time. —Recommended by Ellen J. —Recommended by Mary
Baird, Julia Tur, Katy Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Woman who Ruled an Empire (Biography Victoria) Campaign in American History (324.973 TUR) A biography of the longtime English monarch offers The NBC news correspondent assigned to cover the insight into the passionate and sensuous aspects of Trump campaign for the 2016 presidential election her character, placing her reign against a backdrop shares her perspective on witnessing Trump's of dynamic world events while sharing insights into unexpected campaign successes. her relationship with Albert and her pivotal role in —Recommended by Melissa building the British empire. —Recommended by Susie
2 19 Tyson, Neil deGrasse Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (523.01 TYS) The astrophysicist reveals just what people need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines, from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe. —Recommended by Joe and Jean
Walker, Matthew Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (612.821 WAL) The author offers a look at sleep and dreaming that incorporates discoveries of the last two decades regarding their purpose, and addressing their importance in such functions as learning, logical thinking, emotional regulation, and metabolism. —Recommended by Trish
Ward, Geoffrey C. Ward and Burns, Ken The Vietnam War: An Intimate History (959.8043 WAR) Drawn from interviews in America and Vietnam to offer the perspectives from those involved, including soldiers and their families, high-level officials, and protestors, explains why the war happened the way it did and the rationale behind America's involvement. —Recommended by Joe and Andrea
Weinersmith, Kelly and Zach Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything (601.12 WEI) The authors present an illustrated investigation into the technologies of the near future, from deep-space travel to 3D organ printing, to offer insight into how they will work and what is needed to advance their readiness. —Recommended by Joe
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