Nonfiction Roundup: October 2019

Posted on Monday, October 7, 2019 by Liz

Welcome back to another post for our monthly nonfiction roundup! We have several exciting new titles coming out in October. Check our catalog for a more extensive list.

Top Picks

The Body: A Guide for Occupants” by Bill Bryson
In the bestselling, prize-winning “A Short History of Nearly Everything,” Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe. Now he turns his attention inwards to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, “The Body” is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up. This book will have you marveling at the form you occupy, and celebrating the genius of your existence, time and time again. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: October 2019”

50th Anniversary: Monty Python’s Flying Circus

Posted on Friday, October 4, 2019 by Liz

Monty Python's Flying Circus

And now for something completely different.

October 5 marks the 50th anniversary of when the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired on television in 1969. Monty Python is a British surreal comedy group. The television show was conceived, written and performed by its members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. Besides the television show, there were several well known movies made by the Monty Python group. To learn more about Monty Python check out the suggestions below. You can also find a more extensive list on our catalog. Continue reading “50th Anniversary: Monty Python’s Flying Circus”

Read Harder 2019: A Book With Fewer Than 100 Reviews on Goodreads

Posted on Monday, September 30, 2019 by Reading Addict

Big Muddy Blues book coverThe Read Harder Challenge, task #9 is for a book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads. What makes this task hard is that it’s a moving target. But I promise you, it’s easier than you might think to find a book that fits the task. Whether or not you have a Goodreads account, you can find qualifying books that you probably already have on a shelf or a to-read list somewhere and I will show you how to find them. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Book With Fewer Than 100 Reviews on Goodreads”

Who Have You Become?: Docs Using Reenactments

Posted on Friday, September 27, 2019 by DBRL_Katie

who is dayani film stillReenactment isn’t only for the Renaissance Fair. It’s a powerful method of storytelling, particularly when it can elicit authentic reflection by the participants. In the audience, we can learn not only about long-forgotten, suppressed or distorted events but also interpret a character’s ability to confront that past. Check out these documentaries that use reenactment to bring muted narratives to life.

Who is Dayani Cristal dvd coverWho is Dayani Cristal?” (2013)

This documentary seeks to humanize the immigrants who cross the U.S. southern border by retracing the fatal journey of a migrant worker whose body was found in the Sonoran Desert. We see migrants hike through vast landscapes and hitch rides on train tops, all the while the Pima County coroner’s office encounters an unprecedented case load. Continue reading “Who Have You Become?: Docs Using Reenactments”

Author Interview: Jill Orr

Posted on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 by Decimal Diver

Jill Orr lives in Columbia, MO, and is the author of the Riley Ellison Mystery Series. The series follows millennial Riley Ellison as she falls into the role of amateur sleuth while balancing her career and love life in the small town of Tuttle Corner, Virginia. The series started off with “The Good Byline,” followed by “The Bad Break,” and the third in the series, “The Ugly Truth,” was just released this summer. I recently emailed some questions to Jill about her books and she was kind enough to take time out of her schedule to write back some answers. Continue reading “Author Interview: Jill Orr”

Books by a Journalist or About Journalism: Read Harder 2019

Posted on Monday, September 23, 2019 by Dana S

photo of typewriter with paper pulled through it

Before embarking on task #5, I immediately thought of a few options waiting in my ever-expanding to-read shelf, and quickly I realized there’s no shortage of books to choose from. Given that those in journalism profession are storytellers and many write in some format, it is no surprise that journalist-authored books are everywhere, and are especially prevalent in the nonfiction genres. Thus, many books that fit this task focus on current events, engaging social issues and scandals. Alas, I can only highlight a few! Continue reading “Books by a Journalist or About Journalism: Read Harder 2019”

National Voter Registration Day: September 24

Posted on Monday, September 23, 2019 by Reading Addict

Close up photo of Thomas Jefferson on Mount Rushmore
“We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”      ~Thomas Jefferson

National Voter Registration Day has been celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of every September since it was first observed in 2012. It falls on September 24 this year. The holiday was established in order to bring awareness to the registration process through a coordinated field campaign so that every voter who wants to vote has that opportunity. Volunteers and organizations all over the country will be out and about to register as many people as possible. According to the National Voter Registration Day website, there were over 800,000 voters registered in a single day nationwide in 2018. One of the stated goals for National Voter Registration Day is for it to be “a day of civic unity … an opportunity to set aside differences and celebrate democracy and the rights and opportunities we all share as Americans.”  Continue reading “National Voter Registration Day: September 24”

Reader Review: Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter

Posted on Friday, September 20, 2019 by patron reviewer

Never too Busy book coverI found “Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter” to be full of helpful, practical, non-judgmental information, presented in a fun style, and not so prescriptive or rigid that it made me chafe at the idea of it. And the author definitely understands that people are busy and not (probably) interested in taking tons of time to get rid of clutter and organize.

Each part of the house has its own section, and suggestions for things you can do if you have 30 seconds, one minute, five minutes, or 15 minutes, plus longer weekend project ideas. There are a few fun quizzes throughout, to determine things like your suggested closet organizing style (mine is “visual,” even though my actual closet is closer to the “super-organized” description). Though I don’t agree with everything (I’m NOT getting rid of my physical books/media/photo albums in favor of digital versions, though I may weed them), there are a LOT of things in this book I’m going to try. In the intro, the author says to take what you like and leave what you don’t, so I feel like I’m totally in line with that!

Three words that describe this book: practical clutter control

You might want to pick this book up if: You could use some fun tips on keeping your house clean and uncluttered in whatever kind of time you have.

-Debbie