You CAN Handle the Truth: January Nonfiction Book Picks

Posted by the Information Services Department (Gwen B., Emily W., Lisa E., & Joyce D.) 

Here's the latest list of our new nonfiction book picks! Listed below, along with their Dewey Decimal classification, are our top picks of the nonfiction books that looked most interesting, ultra-informative, or just plain fun. Many of these are so new that we're still working on getting them out on the shelf, but you can request them now by clicking on the titles and placing a hold.

181.112 SCH Confucius : and the world he created by Michael Schuman
Confucius is perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Today, his teachings shape the daily lives of more than 1.6 billion people. Throughout East Asia, Confucius's influence can be seen in everything from business practices and family relationships to educational standards and government policies. Even as western ideas from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the region, Confucius's doctrine has endured as the foundation of East Asian culture. It is impossible to understand East Asia, journalist Michael Schuman demonstrates, without first engaging with Confucius and his vast legacy.
Touching on philosophy, history, and current affairs, Confucius tells the vivid, dramatic story of the enigmatic philosopher whose ideas remain at the heart of East Asian civilization.

 


190 REE On the Future: Prospects for humanity by Martin Rees
Humanity has reached a critical moment. Our world is unsettled and rapidly changing, and we face existential risks over the next century. Various outcomes--good and bad--are possible. Yet our approach to the future is characterized by short-term thinking, polarizing debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism. In this short, exhilarating book, renowned scientist and bestselling author Martin Rees argues that humanity's prospects depend on our taking a very different approach to planning for tomorrow.






 

284.4 RAY Chasing Contentment: Trusting God in a discontented age by Erik Raymond
The biblical practice of contentment can seem like a lost art--something reserved for spiritual giants but out of reach for the rest of us. In our discontented age--characterized by impatience, overspending, grumbling, and unhappiness--it's hard to imagine what true contentment actually looks (and feels) like. But even the apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in any and every circumstance. Paul's remarkable contentment was something grown and developed over time.
 

294.342 HAG Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
This book offers a clear, straightforward approach to Buddhism in general and awareness in particular. It is about being awake and in touch with what is going on here and now. When the Buddha was asked to sum up his teaching in a single word, he said, "Awareness." The Buddha taught how to see directly into the nature of experience. His observations and insights are plain, practical, and down-to-earth, and they deal exclusively with the present. In Buddhism Plain and Simple, Steve Hagen presents these uncluttered, original teachings in everyday, accessible language unencumbered by religious ritual, tradition, or belief. 






 
303.5 DOD Deviced: Balancing Life and Technology in a Digital World by Doreen Dodgen-Magee
With current statistics suggesting that the average American over the age of 14 engages with screens upwards of 10 hours a day, the topic of our growing dependence upon technology applies to nearly everyone. While the effects differ at each point of development, real changes to the brain, relationships, and personal lives are well documented. Deviced! explores these alterations and offers a realistic look at how we can better use technology and break away from the bad habits we've formed.







325.73 SAL Melting Pot or Civil War? by Reihan Salam
For too long, liberals have suggested that only cruel, racist, or nativist bigots would want to restrict immigration. Anyone motivated by compassion and egalitarianism would choose open, or nearly-open, borders--or so the argument goes. Now, Reihan Salam, the son of Bangladeshi immigrants, turns this argument on its head.
In this deeply researched but also deeply personal book, Salam shows why uncontrolled immigration is bad for everyone, including people like his family. Our current system has intensified the isolation of our native poor, and risks ghettoizing the children of poor immigrants. It ignores the challenges posed by the declining demand for less-skilled labor, even as it exacerbates ethnic inequality and deepens our political divides.
If we continue on our current course, in which immigration policy serves wealthy insiders who profit from cheap labor, and cosmopolitan extremists attack the legitimacy of borders, the rise of a new ethnic underclass is inevitable. Even more so than now, class politics will be ethnic politics, and national unity will be impossible. 

364.1060973 OLD Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society: America's original gangsters and the U.S. Postal detective who brought them to justice by William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce
The incredible true story of the US Post Office Inspector who took down the deadly Black Hand, a turn-of-the-century Italian-American secret society that preyed on immigrants across America’s industrial heartland—featuring fascinating and never-before-seen documents and photos from the Oldfield family’s private collection.
 








500 NOV The Skeptics Guide to the Universe by Steven Novella
It's intimidating to realize that we live in a world overflowing with misinformation, bias, myths, deception, and flawed knowledge. There really are no ultimate authority figures-no one has the secret and there is no place to look up the definitive answers to our questions (not even Google). But, by thinking skeptically and logically, we can combat sloppy reasoning, bad arguments and superstitious thinking. It's difficult, and takes a lot of vigilance, but it's worth the effort.
In this tie-in to their incredibly popular "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe" podcast, Steven Novella, MD along with "Skeptical Rogues" Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths, fallacies and conspiracy theories (Anti-vaccines, homeopathy, UFO sightings, etc.) They'll help us try to make sense of what seems like an increasingly crazy world using powerful tools like science and philosophy.

636.7376 EGG Training your German Shepherd Dog by Brandy Eggeman and Joan Hustace Walker
Books in Barron's Training Your Dog series offer breed-specific advice on virtually every aspect of canine training, including housetraining, obedience to basic verbal commands and hand signals, and walking on a leash. Also covered are humane methods of breaking a dog's bad habits. The German Shepherd is intelligent and a quick learner, which makes him highly trainable. However, training this fine dog should begin early in life. German Shepherds are best suited to owners who can offer gentle, positive leadership and consistent training methods. Includes full color photos throughout, as well as some instructive step-by-step color photos.

 


641.591822 BAL The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave-Daly
Bowls of pasta, abundant seafood, roasted vegetables, bread dipped into olive oil, and even a glass of wine―the Mediterranean diet is easy to follow because it’s also a lifestyle. The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook makes it easier than ever to get your fill of the Mediterranean diet and all of its health benefits with quick, satisfying recipes for health and longevity.
Table-ready in 30 minutes or less, these classic Mediterranean diet meals combine easy-to-find ingredients with quick prep and cook times, so that you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your food. From Breakfast Bruschetta to Baked Chicken Caprese to Chilled Dark Chocolate Fruit, The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook makes the Mediterranean diet a staple for everyday schedules.



B TRAVIS The Challenge Culture: Why the best successful organizations run on Pushback by Nigel Travis
The executive chairman and former CEO of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins reflects on the unique, results-oriented discipline he's developed over decades of leadership, which provides a blueprint for any organization to achieve prosperity.

We live in an era in which successful organizations can fail in a flash. But they can cope with change and thrive by creating a culture that supports positive pushback: questioning everything without disrespecting anyone.

Your Next Great Read? Amy and Irv's Book Reviews

Amy's Reviews

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
4 out of 5 stars

Heartstone is a fantastical retelling of the classic Pride & Prejudice. Elle Katharine White’s version takes place in the land of Arle, most specifically, in Hart’s Run. Aliza Bentaine is an aspiring artist who lives in a world plagued by the threat of the Tekari—lamias, banshees, gryphons, direwolves, and lindworms—creatures who hate humans. Those that fight to protect the humans, Riders, work/bond with the Shani—wyverns, dragons, beoryns—creatures that are friendly to humans.

Alastair Daired is part of the legendary House Pendragon. A contract commissioned by the Lord of Hart’s Run to help rid them of a problem with a gryphon horde brings Daired, among other Riders, to Aliza’s front door, where the two almost immediately butt heads. Besides their early animosity towards one another, it soon becomes apparent that something evil is awakening in Arle, something that will force everyone to stand up and fight. For Aliza, not a warrior herself, she’ll have to rely on her inner strength and the strength of her heart.

Right away, being a revamping of Pride & Prejudice, Heartstone presents itself as extremely accessible seeing as how many people are familiar with the source material.

However, I found this both a blessing and a curse for Heartstone. A blessing, obviously for the reason mentioned above. If you enjoyed Jane Austen’s classic, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’ll enjoy this updated version as well. I loved kind of having a stepping stone to follow, and I enjoyed the anticipation in seeing how beloved scenes played out in Elle Katharine White’s words.

So why a curse? Well, Elle Katharine White does a wonderful job in creating this awesomely original world with dragons and wyverns, Tekari and Shani. Heartstones, typically given as tokens of love and commitment, literally come from the hearts of the varying creatures. Where women can train and fight alongside men in battle. A place where you can befriend the hobgoblins living in your garden. I just felt like this awesome world was too constrained by the limits of the storyline it had to follow. I still immensely enjoyed Heartstone, but where it truly shined is when it steps out of the intended path, when Elle Katharine White slightly skews the expected motivations or actions of the characters.

Like Elizabeth Bennet, Aliza is strong. But it’s the addition of Alastair Daired in her life, as well as the impending doom on the horizon that forces her to reevaluate her own preconceptions of the notion of strength. The relationship that develops between Aliza and Alastair does mirror precisely that of Darcy and Elizabeth so I find it a little difficult to talk about it without feeling redundant. But the fact that it does mirror its predecessor means that their relationship is quite satisfactory in the end.
Heartstone is very entertaining, and will please readers of the classic as well as lovers of fantasy.


Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
4 out of 5 stars

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders. Where her grandfather is successful at moneylending, her father not so much. So Miryem takes it upon herself to collect the debt owed to her family, much to the chagrin of the debtors who flaunt their loaned wealth while Miryem’s family starves. However, Miryem’s tenacity draws the attention of the fey-like Staryk who ask Miryem to turn silver into gold, three times. After the third time, Miryem is unwittingly whisked away to the perpetually winter land of the Staryk to be their Queen.

Meanwhile, Wanda and her brother, on the run after a terrible accident at home, happen upon a seemingly deserted cottage in a snow-covered forest. Having nothing to go back to at home, and knowing they’d probably be hanged if they did, they decide to hide out in this seemingly deserted cottage in the woods that seems to anticipate and provide all their needs.

Then there’s Irina whose father, looking to elevate his status and power, marries her off to Tsar Mirnatius. Now Tsarina, Irina discovers her husband is hiding a scorcher of a secret. A secret that could mean Irina’s death.

What I loved most about Spinning Silver was the way Naomi Novik spun (see what I did there!) all these intersecting stories together into one cohesive whole. How these three, strong, different women move seamlessly through each other’s stories while also playing the hero in their own. Also, I loved seeing that they weren’t pitted against each other despite each one ultimately having a different end goal. Too many times, in life and in fiction, I feel like we see the competition between women instead of the support, and it was nice to see that while sometimes one would make a decision that negatively affected another–not out of spite, mind you–there wasn’t any revenge and/or retaliation. They each understood the name of the game, so to speak, and tried to do their best in their respective situations, placing no blame for what the others had to do to succeed.

However, Naomi Novik goes beyond just our three female leads as point-of-view characters. This, if nothing else, made me feel like the story was too jam-packed and brought down a lot of the momentum of the narrative. While I thought she did a good job of making each voice distinctive, I would have liked it better if there weren’t so many.

While I felt like I overall enjoyed Uprooted more than Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik never fails to draw me into her stories with wonderful writing and interestingly unique worlds.

The Lady Traveler’s Guide to Deception with an Unlikely Earl by Victoria Alexander
4.5 out of 5 stars

Harry Armstrong spent years in Egypt at first relishing the adventure of the exotic locale, then later, realizing the sanctity of preserving and protecting the history and art of the relics he was uncovering from those who would sell such artifacts for personal gain. If anything, Harry knows how unforgiving the deserts of Egypt can be, that's why, after the death of a friend about a year ago, Harry left Egypt with no intention of ever going back. Instead, he plans to focus his efforts on writing about his time in Egypt focusing on truth and accuracy, that's why, when he discovers Miss Sidney Honeywell - writing as the widowed Mrs. Gordon - has been regularly penning her Egyptian adventures for a local newspaper, Harry is outraged. Right away he spots inaccuracies in the fanciful way Mrs. Gordon describes her adventures in Egypt. So, Harry does the only thing he can think of, he challenges her to a bet.

Sidney never planned to mislead anyone, she didn't realize that people were actually taking her stories - based upon the journals her grandmother kept of her own adventures in Egypt - as fact, but once she did it was too late to change anything. If it gets out now she'll face great public humiliation as well as possibly losing her writing career, which she loves. That's why she can't ignore Harry Armstrong's challenge to accompany her to Egypt to see for himself how well-acquainted she is with the country. Now, as both Harry and Sidney embark on this journey, they'll both have to keep the secrets they carry from one another.

Whenever I read a historical fiction / romance book that has a strong Egyptian element to it, it's difficult for me not to make comparisons to and / or see the similarities between whatever book I'm reading and the Amelia Peabody series by one Elizabeth Peters. Maybe it's the fact that even in this day and age there are still so many mysteries surrounding things like the pyramids and there's such a vastness to the desert, but the sense of adventure still resonates. And I felt like Victoria Alexander, even unintentionally and probably more so than others I've read, lives up to Peters's precedent.

Although there were times where I thought the plot played it a little too "safe" with how it proceeded, but it does kind of tie into the fact that Sidney would want to keep things down to basics, so to speak, in order to keep herself from being exposed as a fraud. So the storyline follows a very touristy look at Egypt in the 1800's, but it truly excels when it breaks out towards adventure a bit more. I just wish we got a bit more of the adventure.

I loved the contrast between Harry and Sidney and how, in being thrown together on this journey, they bring out of each other what the other was missing. Case in point: the reason that Harry's writing was rejected is not because Sidney’s was already on the market, but because he was a bit too literal and dry with his information as opposed to Sidney being fanciful and descriptive and also leaving out a few of the more unsavory aspects of time in the desert. On Sidney's side: everything she writes is only what she knows through her grandmother's journal as well as what she's studied in classes and lectures. She's never even been out of London. So Harry helps Sidney bring out a more adventurous, risk-taking side giving her true experiences she can write about and Sidney helps Harry see that if you look deep enough you can find beauty in anything and that it's ok to express it as such, it's ok to be entertaining.

Irv's Review

The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis

The Fifth Risk is not Michael Lewis' best work but is, nevertheless, better than most of its genre and an enlightening and enjoyable read. Lewis explores and explains the missions and workings of several federal agencies and the consequences of the appointment of recent department heads.  He can be (and is) brutally frank where he finds leaders who are incompetent--or worse--and gives appropriate praise to those conscientious public servants who indeed serve the public.

Lewis describes the significant and largely unappreciated work of the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Each provides vital services  to the taxpayers, much of which is unknown to the great majority of us. He also describes the unfortunate choices of their new leaders, e.g., Scott Pruitt whose goal seemed to be the destruction of EPA. 

Significant attention is given to the lack of transition efforts following the 2016 presidential election.  The new administration largely ignored the thick binders prepared by department heads which explained operations and procedures.

The book gives one an appreciation of dedicated public servants and a distaste for those who would  through malice or ignorance dismantle our government.  It is recommended reading for anyone who is genuinely interested in the public welfare--and also for those who question the value and competence of our federal agencies.

Notable LGBTQ Fiction from 2018

Here’s a selection of the “best” fiction books by LGBT+ authors for 2018 as recommended by The Independent.  

“From stories of love and friendship, from gay parenting to trans-identity, and from family to politics, it's heartening to see the scope of LGBT+ lives reflected in the world of literature. 
These titles are relatable stories that focus on a wide range of experiences.  If you're looking to relate, escape, or simply broaden your horizons, check out our curated list -- chosen after hours of reading and whittling down!”
 

Mean by Myriam Gurba

Paper is White by Hilary Zaid

The Clothesline Swing by Ahmad Danny Ramadan 

So Lucky by Nicola Griffith

How to Survive a Summer by Nick White 
 
Little Fish by Casey Plett

Disoriental by Négar Djavadi 

Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
 
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

You CAN Handle the Truth: Nonfiction Book Picks

Posted by the Information Services Department (Gwen B., Emily W., Lisa E., & Joyce D.)

Here's the latest list of our new nonfiction book picks! Listed below, along with their Dewey Decimal classification, are our top picks of the nonfiction books that looked most interesting, ultra-informative, or just plain fun. Many of these are so new that we're still working on getting them out on the shelf, but you can request them now by clicking on the titles and placing a hold.

211.80973 MOO Godless Citizens in a Godly Republic : Atheists in American Public Life by R. Laurence Moore and Isaac Kramnick
God occupies our nation’s consciousness, even defining to many what it means to be American. Nonbelievers have often had second-class legal status and have had to fight for their rights as citizens.
As R. Laurence Moore and Isaac Kramnick demonstrate in their sharp and convincing work, avowed atheists were derided since the founding of the nation. Even Thomas Paine fell into disfavor and his role as a patriot forgotten. Popular Republican Robert Ingersoll could not be elected in the nineteenth century due to his atheism, and the suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton was shunned when she questioned biblical precepts about women’s roles.




270.092 PAG Why Religion?: A Personal Story by Elaine Pagels
Why is religion still around in the twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various traditions still shape the way people experience everything from sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions.
These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the most difficult challenges we face.

 


323.092 MCK On the Other Side of Freedom : The Case for Hope by DeRay McKesson
From the internationally recognized civil rights activist/organizer and host of the podcast Pod Save the People, a meditation on resistance, justice, and freedom, and an intimate portrait of a movement from the front lines.

Honest, courageous, and imaginative, On the Other Side of Freedom is a work brimming with hope. Drawing from his own experiences as an activist, organizer, educator, and public official, Mckesson exhorts all Americans to work to dismantle the legacy of racism and to imagine the best of what is possible. Honoring the voices of a new generation of activists, On the Other Side of Freedom is a visionary's call to take responsibility for imagining, and then building, the world we want to live in.


 
362.734089 ROO In Their Voices: Black Americans on Transracial Adoption by Rhonda M. Roorda
While many proponents of transracial adoption claim that American society is increasingly becoming "color-blind," a growing body of research reveals that for transracial adoptees of all backgrounds, racial identity does matter. Rhonda M. Roorda elaborates significantly on that finding, specifically studying the effects of the adoption of black and biracial children by white parents. She incorporates diverse perspectives on transracial adoption by concerned black Americans of various ages, including those who lived through Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era. All her interviewees have been involved either personally or professionally in the lives of transracial adoptees, and they offer strategies for navigating systemic racial inequalities while affirming the importance of black communities in the lives of transracial adoptive families. 



641.5612 ALL All Time Best Dinners for Two
Leave it to America's Test Kitchen to help you get a perfectly scaled dinner for two on the table--no guesswork required.
Because small households, newlyweds, empty nesters, college students, and other two-person families shouldn't have to rely on recipes meant to serve four or six, we've re-engineered our favorite dinner recipes from the ground up. We used equipment in unexpected ways, such as ramekins to make individual Chicken Pot Pies, and also found clever techniques for scaling recipes with ease, such as swapping in smaller blade steaks for a large chuck roast to make a streamlined Yankee Pot Roast for just two. An appendix with 15 side dish recipes offers fuss-free options for rounding out your meals, while an introduction full of tips and tricks will help you avoid waste and shop for small-scale recipes more efficiently. (less)


746.443 FLE Feminist Icon Cross-Stitch by Anna Fleiss
Trailblazing women take center stage in Feminist Icon Cross-Stitch, a collection of stylish patterns and capsule biographies that celebrates some of our favorite lady heroes.
With an introduction on the rise of modern feminism, and instructions on the basics of cross-stitch, this book features patterns for embroidering twenty iconic women -- like suffragette Susan B. Anthony, author Virginia Woolf, political icon Hillary Rodham Clinton, and pop superstar Beyoncé -- and ten empowering feminist sayings. This charming book gives today's nasty women everything they need to begin crafting hip, feminist works of art.

786.2092 KIL Chopin’s Piano: In Search of the Instrument that Transformed Music by Paul Kildea
The captivating story of Frédéric Chopin and the fate of both his Mallorquin piano and musical Romanticism from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. 
Chopin’s Piano traces the history of Chopin’s twenty-four Preludes through the instruments on which they were played, the pianists who interpreted them, and the traditions they came to represent. Yet it begins and ends with the Majorcan pianino, which assumed an astonishing cultural potency during the Second World War as it became, for the Nazis, a symbol of the man and music they were determined to appropriate as their own.

 


 

794.8 QUI Crash Override: How Gamergate (nearly) destroyed y life, and how we can win the fight against online hate by Zoë Quinn 
You've heard the stories about the dark side of the internet-hackers, anonymous hoards attacking an unlucky target, and revenge porn-but they remain just that: stories. Surely these things would never happen to you.
Zoe Quinn used to feel the same way. Zoe is a video game developer whose ex-boyfriend published a crazed blog post cobbled together from private information, half-truths, and outright fictions, along with a rallying cry to the online hordes to go after her. The hordes answered in the form of a so-called movement known as #gamergate--they hacked her accounts, stole nude photos of her, harassed her family, friends and colleagues, and threatened to rape and murder her. But instead of shrinking into silence as the online mobs wanted her to, she has raised her voice and speaks out against this vicious online culture and for making the internet a safer place for everyone.

 
796.33264 LEI Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times by Mark Leibovich
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Town, an equally merciless probing of America's biggest cultural force, pro football, at a moment of peak success and high anxiety.
Like millions of Americans, Mark Leibovich has spent more of his life than he'd care to admit tuned into pro football. Being a lifelong New England Patriots fan meant growing up with a steady diet of lovable loserdom. That is until the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era made the Pats the most ruthlessly efficient sports dynasty of the 21st century, its organization the most polarizing in the NFL, and its fans the most irritating in all of Pigskin America. Leibovich kept his obsession relatively private, in the meantime making a nice career for himself covering that other playground for rich and overgrown children, American politics. Still, every now and then Leibovich would reach out to Tom Brady to gauge his willingness to subject himself to a profile in the New York Times Magazine. He figured that the chances of Brady agreeing to this were a Hail Mary at best, but Leibovich kept trying, at least to indulge his fan-boy within. To his surprise, Brady returned the call, in the summer of 2014. He agreed to let Mark spend time with him through the coming season, which proved to be a fateful one for all parties. It included another epic Patriots Super Bowl win and, yes, a scandal involving Brady--Deflategate--whose grip on sports media was as profound as its true significance was ridiculous.

942.045092 LEW The Survival of the Princes in the Tower by Matthew Lewis 
The murder of the Princes in the Tower is the most famous cold case in English or British history. Traditionally considered victims of a ruthless uncle, there are other suspects too often and too easily discounted. There may be no definitive answer, but by delving into the context of their disappearance and the characters of the suspects, Matthew Lewis will examine the motives and opportunities afresh as well as ask a crucial but often overlooked question: what if there was no murder? What if Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York, survived their uncle’s reign and even that of their brother-in-law Henry VII? There are glimpses of their possible survival and compelling evidence to give weight to those theories which is considered alongside the possibility of their deaths to provide a rounded and complete assessment of the most fascinating mystery in history.
 


B GINSBURG Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron DeHart 
The first full life—private, public, legal, philosophical—of the 107th Supreme Court Justice, one of the most profound and profoundly transformative legal minds of our time; a book fifteen years in work, written with the cooperation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself and based on many interviews with the justice, her husband, her children, her friends, and her associates.
In this large, comprehensive, revelatory biography, Jane De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, her meticulous jurisprudence: her desire to make We the People more united and our union more perfect. At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs—her Jewish background. Tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to “repair the world,” with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II. We see the influence of her mother, Celia Amster Bader, whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism, insisting that Ruth become independent, as she witnessed her mother coping with terminal cervical cancer (Celia died the day before Ruth, at seventeen, graduated from high school).

Meet the Staff: Krista B.

 


How long have you worked at the library? 3 Months
 
How many items do you have checked out right now? 3

How many items are on your hold list? 3

 





What is your favorite book format (book, audio, mp3, e-reader, etc.)?
I love reading good old fashioned paper books. 

What is your favorite aspect of working at the library?
I love seeing the children developing a love of books. I also love being introduced to so many new books that I otherwise would have never known existed.

Have your reading habits changed since working at the library? If so, how?
Yes, I work in the Children's library, so I find myself reading (and immensely enjoying) a lot more youth and juvenile books.

What is your perfect reading environment?
Sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee nearby and a cat on my lap. 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what single genre of books would you want with you?
This question is difficult. I guess I would be practical and bring some realistic fiction about people who have been stranded on desert islands. That way I would have both a fictional story as well as survival tips.  

What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child? What is your favorite children’s book now?
As a child, I loved the poems in Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. My favorite children's book now is We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen. This book makes me laugh every time I read it.

Before you worked here, what was your worst library transgression?
The occasional overdue book.

Holiday Hand-Made Gift Giving: New & Notable Non-Fiction

The overwhelming success of online shopping has been a welcome convenience for so many of us—especially those who work all day.  But I doubt I’m the only one who sometimes finds the holiday season lacking in the sentiment and tradition I’ve managed to idealize in my memory but usually can’t reproduce.  This isn’t about trying to live up to magazine-perfect ideals, but rather simply restoring and sharing a semblance of goodwill and comfort.  Sometimes we need to slow down to remember what really matters to us and how we’d like to express our love to family and friends.  I truly believe we don’t need fabulous artistic abilities to find a way to make a gift that will not only be appreciated, but that can be enjoyed for the whole year.  And, the great part is, in the making of gifts to share we re-gain our connection with home-spun, less-hurried moments during the holiday season that might really give us what we all want: peace and joy.  Take a look at some of these titles and see if any inspire you to create a new memory or tradition for your family or friends. 

p.s. – If you’ve already traveled this path and have a “hand-made” book recommendation we might add to our collection, I’d love to hear about it.  

 DIY Aromatherapy Holiday Gifts by Rose Michaels

 Wood Pallet Wonders: DIY Projects for Home, Garden, Holidays and More by Becky Lamb

 Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter by Alison Hansel

Handmade Gifts From the Kitchen by Alison Walker

 Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

 Bound: Over 20 Artful Handmade Books by Erica Ekrem

 Knitting Without Needles by Anne Weil

 How to Make Resin Jewellery by Sara Naumann

 Sew Many Gifts by Karen M. Burns

 The Art of Stone Painting by F. Sehnaz Bac

 Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Crafts 2018

 Lotta Prints: How to Print With anything From Potatoes to Linoleum by Lotta Jansdotter

 Handmade Living: A Fresh Take on Scandinavian Style by Lotta Jansdotter

Which Literary Witch Are You? We Took a Quiz to Find Out

Just in time for Halloween, we took this fun quiz to help us find out which literary witch we are most like.  Unlike many of the previous quizzes we've taken, we were pretty evenly spread out in our responses. The pie chart below shows the percentage of staff members that got each witch. If you'd like to take the quiz, here's the link:

https://bookriot.com/?p=174169

Morgaine

You’re Morgaine from The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley! (Or, like, every telling of Arthurian legend.) You’ve survived some tough circumstances and learned from them. People fear and respect you, and you’ve earned that respect through hard work and determination, even when the cards are stacked against you.

Katherine, Cary, Megan J., Lisa

Diana Bishop

You’re Diana Bishop from A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness! Sure, you’ve got incredible powers, but you prefer the straightforward nature of books and academics. You’d rather learn your magic in the library than experiment with herbs and potions. You’ve also got a thing for vampires.

Jacob, Mason, Emily, Jason, Evan

Sally Owens

You’re Sally Owens from Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman! Kind and warm hearted, you’re known for being down-to-earth when it comes to magic. You are very close to your family and spend much of your time caring for your loved ones. You avoid using your powers unless it’s absolutely necessary

Dawn, Jill, Joyce, Kelsey, Amanda

Sunny Nwazue

You're Sunny from Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor!  Some people think you’re strange, but they just don’t understand your vision for the future. You’re a fast learner and like to surround yourself with unique and talented people. With a little practice and a solid plan, you can take on any villain

Kristen, Krista

Alex

You’re Alex from Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova! You have a strong connection to your family, even if you want to punch them sometimes. You may try to fit in, but you’re too magical to disappear in the crowd. You’ll do anything it takes to protect your loved ones, although maybe you make decisions a little too hastily sometimes.

Tirzah, Jake, Mary, Kaylee

Circe

You’re Circe from Circe by Madeline Miller! (Alright, yes, and Homer's Odyssey.) You’re a lover of nature and animals, especially creatures others consider dangerous. You’re an introvert and maybe a little misunderstood, but no one can beat your knowledge of herbs and flowers.

Sam, Devin, Allie, Hannah