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Staff Picks for Adult Non-fiction

703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life

Why is it a pick?

This is the true story of a survivor who at one point was trapped in an apartment on an ottoman with limited ability to move herself and take care of basic needs. Despite this, optimism and love from family and friends pulls her through while using her talents to triumph over circumstances.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Diane

Are We There Yet?

Why is it a pick?

Mention "family vacation" to a baby boomer and you're likely to conjure memories of car trips. And that is the tale Sessions tells in this fascinating exploration of family vacations from 1945 to the 70’s. Why did we do that? Sessions tells us in a book full of memories for all of us of a certain age...

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Ann

Ask Jane Austen

Why is it a pick?

"Do Men Like Mr. Darcy really exist?" "It is a truth universally acknowledged." Find the answers to this, and other questions of equal import, when you "Ask Jane Austen" compiled into useful quotes from all of Jane Austen's beloved novels by the exceedingly clever Juliett Shapio. It's the magic 8 ball for Janeites the world over!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Hannah

Baked: New Frontiers In Baking

Why is it a pick?

Everything I have made from this cookbook is to die for... Black Forest Cookies, Plum Pear Crisp! I will definitely be buying it.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Erin H

Banker to the Poor

Why is it a pick?

A page turner, interesting at every step. A college teacher who looked around to see how he could really help local poor people. He started with wells for irrigation and kept on going. The inventor of micro-loans.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Xan

Big Sky Cooking

Why is it a pick?

Tom & Meredith Brokaw bought some property in Montana and came to love the lifestyle and foods of the area. This cookbook is fun to read with descriptions of life in Big Sky country and menus for many different occasions.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Kendra

Buttercup Bakes at Home

Why is it a pick?

Great treat recipes from a Manhattan bakery. Every recipe I tried was delicious!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Kendra

By Faith Alone

Why is it a pick?

Bill Griffeth’s family history spans 400 years of his ancestors’ lives. Their search for religious freedom and experiences as Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Methodists parallel so many of our families’ histories.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Julie

Cosmic Ordering

Why is it a pick?

Revered astrologer Jonathan Cainer has written a guide to help the reader realize their dreams by placing an order with the universe. Some call it prayer or positive thinking. Discover how cosmic ordering can work for you.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Marti

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan

Why is it a pick?

Easy to understand vegan recipes that offer a plate full of flavor!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Jessica

Everyday Italian: 125 simple and delicious recipes

Why is it a pick?

Pasta, chicken, fish, desserts and more! Every recipe that I tried out of this cookbook was a success...and simple to prepare too!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Erin H

Fleeing the Nazis, Surviving the Gulag, and Arriving in the Free World

Why is it a pick?

Although Zarnowitz is a world class economist, this memoir tells instead the story of his youth from his birth in the Polish town of Auschwitz, to exile in the Russian gulag, and his education in post war Heidelberg, Chicago and New York. He is a survivor who lost much in his journey, but has also given very much back.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Ann

French Women Don’t Get Fat

Why is it a pick?

Not a diet book! Convincing, wise and funny common-sense lessons on food, health, and lifestyle.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Erin H

Home Therapy: Fast, Easy and Affordable Makeovers

Why is it a pick?

The author takes a “use what you have” approach to home decorating. Great before and after design plans that help you create a space of your own.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Kendra

Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort

Why is it a pick?

Because winter won’t stop. New hot chocolate recipes are always welcome.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Susana

In A Single Bound

Why is it a pick?

Need a true story to inspire you? Try the memoir of a one-legged girl whose emotionally struggling family raised her as whole, and how she overcame their dysfunction along with the challenges of the rest of the world. Sarah is the first female amputee to complete the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon. And you may have seen her scale the Great Wall of China on television’s “The Amazing Race”!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Robin

It’s Not About the Bike – My Journey Back to Life

Why is it a pick?

Lance Armstrong, 7 time winner of the Tour de France, recounts his struggles as an endurance athlete who beat a life-threatening bout of cancer. Not until I read this book did I realize just how amazing Armstrong’s winning of the “world’s most grueling test of cycling” is. Motivational, inspirational, and sometimes difficult to read, this book and Lance’s comeback is amazing.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Macey

John Adams

Why is it a pick?

An excellent biography of John Adams, patriot, founding father and 2nd president of the US. The descriptions of events in John Adams’ life made me feel like I was there experiencing it too.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Kendra

Joshi’s Holistic Detox

Why is it a pick?

In need of a good detox? This one’s not too bad, especially since it doesn’t cut out meat completely: turkey, chicken and fish are allowed!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Erin H

Kinfolks Falling Off the Family Tree: The Search for My Melungeon Ancestors

Why is it a pick?

This book is a convoluted tale of the author’s research into a mysterious branch of her Southern family tree with origins including Native American, Turkish and Mediterranean mixes as well as carefully documented Virginian descendents, and her results are analyzed translating stories to science in a final DNA report

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Diane

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching

Why is it a pick?

This is an amazingly poetic version of this pithy, Asian classic. LeGuin has been in love with it since reading as a child her father’s richly bound copy of an 1898 translation. Find out what all the curiosity is about.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Xan

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Why is it a pick?

A must-have for contemporary knitters! Beautiful photos, amazing yarns and projects…and gift ideas for everyone!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Erin H

Let Me Stand Alone

Why is it a pick?

The poetic and insightful writings of this young activist chronicle her life until killed on the Gaza strip.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Jessica

Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Why is it a pick?

Following the success of her blog “A Year of Slow Cooking,” O’Dea has produced a cookbook compiled of her favorite and most successful recipes. All completely glutton free!

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Macey

Merle’s Door

Why is it a pick?

This book was Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award and is a good read for anyone who cares for dogs beginning with a raft trip in the San Juan Mountains and a big reddish gold dog appearing at their camp site.

Collection

Adult Non-fiction

Picked by

Diane