Staff Picks Adult Nonfiction

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June 2024

“You Just Need to Lose Weight”: and 19 other myths about fat people

by Aubrey Gorgon

I enjoy listening to podcasts, and one of my favorites is Maintenance Phase, a podcast that debunks the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams, and nonsensical nutrition advice. When I saw that co-host Aubrey Gordon wrote a second book I was very interested to give it a read. “You Just Need to Lose Weight” is similar to her podcast as acts to debunk common anti-fat myths. But this book also equips readers with facts and figures to address discrimination ingrained in how we think about and treat fat people. I appreciated Aubrey’s intense research and her passion for information and I felt like this book tried to tackle a lot of difficult and important issues in a short amount of pages. It is a great introduction to the many other companion reads that she recommends on this topic at the end of the book.

Recommended by: Kristen Holding, Graphic Artist

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


How to Keep House While Drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing

by KC Davis

I often feel so overwhelmed with daily life that household chores get pushed to the wayside. K.C. Davis, licensed professional counselor and creator of Strugglecare.com, popped up on my TikTok feed several months ago with simple “life hacks” to make care tasks more manageable.  When I heard that she wrote a book, I was very excited to see what other life-changing and revolutionary ideas she had to share about home care. Written in 31 short easy-to-read chapters, she focuses on removing the moral obligations we feel towards care tasks that are counterproductive and suggests strategies for cleaning a messy space without becoming overwhelmed. I would recommend this book to anyone, even if you do not struggle keeping your space clean, as it has so many helpful ideas that are presented in a validating way.

Recommended by: Kristen Holding, Graphic Artist

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


December 2023

1913: Seeds of Conflict

This documentary movie, offers an illuminating look into the history of Palestine. Starting from the year 1913, historians are sat down and interviewed about different aspects of Palestinian civilization and how it changed during the waves of Jewish immigration to the region. The interviews are accompanied by brief re-enactments of important discourse, by notable leaders and residents, that led to the ongoing situation as we see it today.
Recommended by: Ghada Rafati, Patron Service Clerk

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction, Documentary


November 2023

Dear Me عزيزي أنا Because the way you talk to yourself matters

by Ola Dayoub

Dear Me, is a very sweet bilingual book. Each page is just a cute advice. While I was reading this book, I felt like I’m eating my favorite chocolate cake, it’s a book filled with inspirations you need to live happy. A guide to self-improvement, filled with valuable insights and practical advice that will resonate with readers seeking to make positive changes in their lives.

Recommended by: Ghada Rafati, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


September 2023

The Greatest Beer Run Ever

by John Donohue

A wonderful story. Well written. Chickie Donahue showed his love & respect for his friends serving in Vietnam during the war by bringing them a beer from New York. His adventures that turned what he thought would be a 3 day trip into a much longer adventure makes for a wonderful read.

Recommended by: Chris Schultz, Graphics Information Clerk

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


April 2023

Fasting for Ramadan: Notes from a Spiritual Practice

by Kazim Ali

This book is beautiful to read, not to know about the month of Ramadan as guidance, but as a person’s spiritual practice during this month day by day, as a daily journal and how fasting affects him and reflects his life in daily routine. It is a pleasure to journey with him through this holly month.
Recommended by: Ghada Rafati, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


February 2023

1000 Hours Outside: Activities to Match Screen Time with Green Time

by Ginny Yurich

The perfect book to help you and your children get outside more this year. Challenge yourselves to see how many hours you spend outside each month. Can you reach 1000 in a year? Even if you don’t hit that high of a number, you still win! This book is full of ideas to help get you started with the challenge. There are ideas for all ages and abilities including building bug hotels, forest games, painting with nature and more. Pick it up today and start enjoying outside.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


June 2022

It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree

by A.J. Jacobs

Loved it! Speaking as a genealogist with a good three decades of hunting under her belt, it was refreshing to find myself intrigued to dig deeper. As a librarian, I love a book that makes me stop to jot down resources, authors, book titles, websites. Almost couldn’t decide whether to keep reading or jump online & start searching. A.J. gave me a different perspective when it comes to linking into the bigger trees, this is something that I used to shy away from but now I’m ready.
This book is available in the library and on Hoopla as an e audiobook.
Recommended by: Theresa Hildebrand, Patron Services Manager

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


March 2022

150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids: The Very Best and Easiest Playtime Activities

by Asia Citro

Looking for something to do with your kids? Then check this book out! It is packed with science based ideas and play recipes that will keep you and your little ones active all year long. There’s slimes, doughs, sensory bins and more!

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life

by Richard Louv

Looking for a way to connect to nature? Then this book is for you! It has over 500 activities for adults and children to get you out and about in the natural world. This book will help boost your mental acuity and creativity, promote wellness, and overall help you have a great time outside.

Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian

Posted in: Adult Nonfiction


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