200 listings found.
Displaying 1 - 20
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Girl Walks Into a Bar
Dratch, Rachel
This turned out to be the perfect kick-off to a summer of pleasure reading--hilarious, touching, relatable and charming. Dratch is a born storyteller, able to weave through the bumpy patches in her person life with self-deprecating grace and seemingly effortless wit. After loving Dratch on Saturday Night Live, you will find that she is even more enjoyable as herself.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Anne P., Washburn Library
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The First 20 Minutes
Reynolds, Gretchen
Reynolds is the author of the Phys Ed column in the New York times and has compiled the latest research of current exercise dos and don'ts. Do: weight training, High Intensity Interval Training, squats. Don't: stretch before exercise, drink too much water, get a massage after a workout. I was happy to read that a short time of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can accomplish the same amount of conditioning as much longer workouts with a constant pace, but dismayed to read that the Intensity Intervals "have to hurt." In a funny and engaging manner, Reynolds carefully spells out the latest research while cautioning that it will probably all be wrong tomorrow.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Jan G., Penn Lake Library
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I Feel Great About My Hands
Graydon, Shari
Inspired by Nora Ephron's best seller, I Feel Bad About My Neck, Shari Graydon wrote an essay about how much she has come to appreciate her hands. Then Ms. Graydon invited other women to write and submit essays on the unexpected joys of aging. The resulting book is a wonderful collection of women's writings on the humbling, funny, challenging and life-changing experiences of aging. If you are, as one writer put it,a woman "on the shady side of fifty", do yourself a favor and read this book!
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Laura M., East Lake Library
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The Farm City: Education of an Urban Farmer
Carpenter, Novella
You do not have to live in the country to be a farmer. Novella Carpenter recounts her trials and successes as an urban squatter farmer in Oakland, California. From growing vegetables to raising turkeys, rabbits, and pigs, this urban farmer creates a paradise of green within the rough inner city. A memoir of self-growth and renewal, Novella shows that anyone with a passion for sustainability and help from their community can become a successful farmer.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Crystal H., Long Lake Library
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A walk in the woods : rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Bryson , Bill
A surprisingly funny book that is part memoir and part natural history lesson. A Walk in The Woods tells the story of Bill Bryson's attempt to hike from Georgia to Maine with his eccentric friend from college, Stephen Katz. This a great read for anyone that is interested in American history, meditations on natural beauty or funny "fish out of water" travel tales.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Anna D., North Regional Library
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On Looking:Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes.
Horowitz, Alexandra
Take a walk around the block and look around--What do you see?--What don't you see? Cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz says that most of us fail to see a lot of the world around us. Horowitz, the author of "Inside of a Dog" has now turned her attention to human perception. To explore how we people perceive the world. She walked around her Manhattan block dozens of times, often with different people, including a geologist, a naturalist, a blind woman, a sound designer, a toddler, and a dog. She found that we all see things differently and most of us would be surprised at what remains hidden in plain sight. Horowitz is a professor of psychology at Barnard College.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
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Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption
Gorant, Jim
Do remember where you were when you heard the news of football star Michael Vick being busted for running a dog-fighting ring?
Expanding on his December 29, 2008 Sports Illustrated article, Gorant offers a chilling investigation into Vick's dog-fighting operation and the men and women who brought him to justice and rescued his 51 dogs. All but a few of Vick's dogs have been rehabilitated as family pets and even therapy dogs, which Gorant details. Riveting, heartbreaking, and finally hopeful, Gorant's exemplary reporting is essential reading for anyone who cares about animal welfare or what it means to be responsibly human.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
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A Three Dog Life
Thomas , Abigail
Thomas frankly relates her life in the aftermath of her husband’s traumatic brain injury and gives sweet appreciation to the pack of dogs that provide her comfort and diversion. Particularly compelling are her husband’s perplexing but poetic—sometimes prophetic—statements from somewhere beyond rational thought. The writing is touching and accessible.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Erin C., Plymouth Library
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Strong is Your Hold
Kinnell, Galway
Did you know that April is national poetry month? Enjoy the lyrical and profound poems in this collection by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Galway Kinnell. His words capture human emotions with unforgettable ease. Nature lovers and poetry enthusiasts alike will find pleasure in this poetic collection.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Crystal H., Long Lake Library
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Lost in Shangri-La
Zuckoff , Mitchell
Near the end of WWII, 24 enlisted men and women climbed into a military plane on the island of New Guinea to go on a sightseeing tour of a beautiful remote valley – only three returned to civilization 46 days later. Mesmerizing! An incredible true-life adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat!
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Marni B., Eden Prairie Library
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The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Weiner, Eric
What is happiness? Discover some of the happiest and unhappiest places on earth in this geographical exploration of human emotion. The self-proclaiming grump, Eric Weiner, travels the world in search of happiness and adventure. Pessimists and optimists alike will enjoy this romp through culture and place.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Crystal H., Long Lake Library
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A Dog for All Seasons: A Memoir
Sherlock, Patti
Patti Sherlock's working relationship with her Border Collie, Duncan, got her through the ups and downs of 16 years on a sheep farm in Idaho. During this time, Duncan was an unwavering companion through the destruction of Patti's marriage, her children inevitably leaving home one by one, and eventually, her decision to stop raising sheep. Patti's life on the farm is a reflection of beginnings and endings, and the cycle of seasons in all of our lives. This is a story that will stay with you long after the last page is read.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
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29 gifts: how a month of giving can change your life
Walker, Cami
Only one month after her wedding, Cami Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her body failing her, in pain, depressed and angry, she didn't know how to cope. A friend and healer said she needed to stop focusing on herself and suggested Cami give 29 gifts in 29 days. At first the idea seemed crazy to her but Cami thought she really had nothing to lose. The book covers the 29 days, the gifts (not necessarily monetary) she gave, and the changes that occurred in one month. She then started a movement of giving. Check out 29gifts.org I enjoyed the book and especially loved the stories from other givers in the epilogue. I'm on my second day now of giving.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
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Under the Banner of Heaven
Krakauer, Jon
Acclaimed nonfiction writer Jon Krakauer delivers a truly fascinating and uncompromising account of religious fundamentalism. In this case, he examines a brutal murder committed by Mormon fundamentalists and goes on to explore the small, but fervent Mormon communities who have broken off from the mainstream Mormon Church and live by their own rules. It is extremely well-written, gripping and fascinating in its prose, but also thought-provoking and powerful in its exploration of religion and its ability to drive people towards both good and evil.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Anne P., Washburn Library
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Soul of a Lion: One Woman's Quest to Rescue Africa's Wildlife Refugees.
Bennett, Barbara
Imagine a place where you can sleep with a cheetah, bottle-feed a young giraffe, be a surrogate mother to a troop of baby baboons, cross paths with a meerkat, mongoose or warthog, and find a crocodile basking in the swimming pool. There is such a place. Barbara Bennett, a English professor at North Carolina State University, recounts with affection and humor her volunteer sabbatical at Namibia's Harnas Wildlife Foundation, where she worked with orphaned, injured and abandoned wild animals alongside Harnes' inspiring founder, Marieta van der Merwe.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
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Rickwood Field: a century in America's oldest ballpark
Barra, Allen
What a terrific find! I highly recommend it for even a casual fan of baseball. The story is a history of baseball that easily connects to baseball today,and reveals a history of the city of Birmingham, Alabama unknown to me. "Batter up" and get this book from your library.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Lee K., Minneapolis Central Library
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Wait for Me! : memoirs
Mitford, Deborah
If you happened to catch the Chatsworth House documentary on PBS or love Downton Abbey, this book is for you! Deborah Mitford is the youngest of the famous Mitford sisters and the Duchess of Devonshire. This autobiography is the perfect winter escape! Want to know what it was like growing up in one the great aristocratic families, being a young adult during the second world war or just curious what it is like to live at Chatsworth House then add this to your reading list! The audio version is especially well narrated.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Samantha J., Washburn Library
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1861: The Civil War Awakening
Goodheart, Adam
Goodheart jumps around the United States during the early months of 1861 giving local perspective to the events that would shape the war to come. We all know how it ends. Here, immersing oneself in a pivotal moment in the country’s history, with the outcome still unknown, is the fascinating part. Even Civil War buffs may learn something new.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
John K., Eden Prairie Library
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Rock and roll will save your life
Almond , Steve
Snarky fun, fun, fun! Author is like a combination of Nick Hornby and David Sedaris. A great memoir about the importance of music in life. Best part? Author loves to deconstruct bad pop songs – watch out Air Supply!
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Marni B., Eden Prairie Library
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King Peggy : An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village
Bartels, Peggielene
Peggy Bartels moved to Washington D.C. from Ghana and worked at the Ghanaian embassy for almost three decades, eventually becoming Secretary to the Ambassador. Then in 2008 her Uncle Joseph passed away, and Peggy was selected as the new king of Otuam, her home town of 7000 people. I was fascinated by the long process of assuming the kingship and full of admiration for Peggy’s fierce dedication to her people. Alexander McCall Smith called King Peggy "an astonishing and wonderful book about a real-life Mma Ramotswe." and said "It is an utter joy", an opinion I heartily second.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Kay D., Maple Grove Library
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