Good Reads & Views

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
Nonfiction

What it is: Bill Bryson takes readers on a tour of his home in England, a former parsonage, and explores how homes reflect history. What is a parlor and why do we have them? Why did people wear wigs? Among lots of other interesting tidbits, Bryson shares that flushing toilets were the most popular feature at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. Who knew?

Reviewers say: “Informative, readable and great fun” (Kirkus Reviews); “explores everything from the spice trade to the toilet bowl, revealing the hilarious and revolting details of our private lives from Roman times to the present (Library Journal).

Want a taste? “If a potato can produce vitamin C, why can't we? Within the animal kingdom only humans and guinea pigs are unable to synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies. Why us and guinea pigs? No point asking. Nobody knows.” “Part of the reason people could eat so well was that many foods that we now think of as delicacies were plenteous then. Lobsters bred in such abundance around Britain's coastline that they were fed to prisoners and orphans or ground up for fertilizer.”

Visit Astrid’s My Librarian Page

Soil: the Story of a Black Mother’s Garden by Camille T. Dungy
Nonfiction

What’s inside: A thoughtful and rambling memoir of a Black mother and poet developing a biodiverse garden in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Unlike naturalists before her--Thoreau, Abbey, or Muir--Dungy relates the mundane and the everyday of her life to the natural one she is growing around her home. The narrative is outwardly connected despite the forced isolation of early 2020, where much of the story is centered; it also reflects on the connections between racial and environmental justice, and on motherhood, current events, and history. Dungy calls it a story of a "Black mother finding peace in the wider-than-human world."

Reviewers say: “Fans of Dungy’s poetry will delight in her sparkling prose, and the wide-ranging meditations highlight the connections between land, freedom, and race. It’s a lyrical and pensive take on what it means to put down roots” (Publishers Weekly); “A poignant portrait of life and its challenges, told through the beauty of nature” (Library Journal).

You might also like: For more nature writing that explores the relationship between women, race and the environment, try World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Wild Girls by Tiya Miles, and We Are Each Other’s Harvest by Natalie Braszile. For additional lyrical and reflective narratives about nature, read Late Migrations by Margaret Renki, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, or Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald.

Visit Laura’s My Librarian Page

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
Nonfiction

What it’s about: If you're familiar with Brene's work, then this book is a profound, multilayered dive into the things we avoid. It has been a wonderful tool for unraveling difficult emotions. Of all Brene's books, this is my favorite! It is an uncomplicated ideal for voicing feelings we often struggle to identify and put into words.

Is it for you? If you seek a map for understanding your feelings and making peace with them, especially the painful ones we usually try to avoid, then this book is for you.

You might also like: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown.

Visit Misty’s My Librarian Page  

You Are a Badass Every Day by Jen Sincero
Nonfiction

What it’s about: This book is easy to read, you can literally read a page or two a day in the morning and it will make your whole day better. It’s wonderfully relaxing, motivating, and inspiring. From taking stock to following up on dreams, making changes or sharpening your goals, this is a fantastic read! It’s like sitting with a very positive friend who is on board, encouraging and funny too!

Is it for you? If you are seeking a truly relatable approach to self-improvement and self-development you should check out this exceptional book.

You might also like: Badass Habits by Jen Sincero

Visit Misty’s My Librarian Page

What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Science writer Ackerman discusses the biology and history of owls around the globe, those mysterious symbols of wisdom and knowledge (and Harry Potter fame).

Reviewers say: “There's fascinating trivia on every page (owls perform "sophisticated mathematical computations" to pinpoint prey by sound, and some owl attacks on humans may be attempts to play), making for a revelatory glimpse into the lives of the "enigmatic" raptors. Bird lovers will be enthralled” (Publishers Weekly).

Suggestion: If you listen to the audio version, also get the book for the owl pictures; if you read the book, get the audio for the owl sounds.

Visit Astrid’s My Librarian Page

The Everyday Gourmet: The Joy of Mediterranean Cooking by Bill Briwa
Nonfiction

Who it’s for: People who like to cook and people who like to watch other people cook. And people who like to eat, of course.

What it is: A combo of one book and 3 DVDs. The DVDs show all the food being made, and the book covers what was shown on the DVDs and includes all the wonderful recipes, with pictures. You'll want to try these recipes. Lessons include food from Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Istanbul, and the South of France.

Good to know: This is part of the Great Courses Everyday Gourmet series which is available for viewing on kanopy, with your Batavia Public Library card.

Visit Astrid’s My Librarian Page

And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham
Nonfiction

What it’s about:  It may be hard for people today to realize how much of our country’s history hung on the slavery/antislavery issue, but it consumed the politics and social life of the US the first 60 years of the 19^th century. Meacham shows how Lincoln’s position on slavery grew over the years leading up to and including the Civil War. He also, with quotations from famous and not-so-famous people, lays out how the sides were drawn.

Reviewers say:  “Richly detailed and gracefully written, this is an essential reminder that ‘progress can be made by fallible and fallen presidents and peoples’" (Publisher’s Weekly).

Visit Kristin’s My Librarian Page

Retirement Reboot: Commonsense Financial Strategies for Getting Back on Track by Mark Miller
Nonfiction 

What's it about? An easy-to-read book that offers nine practical retirement strategies. Includes advice on how to become an “active citizen” and the author’s views on extending, not contracting, Medicare and Social Security.

Who should read it: Anyone who wants to improve their prospects for retirement and get a handle on their finances in their remaining working years and beyond.

About the author: Mark Miller is a journalist, author, and podcaster considered a top expert on retirement and aging. He contributes regularly to the New York Times “Retiring” column, which appears in the Sunday edition, where they are among the best-read personal finance stories in the paper. He also writes monthly national columns on retirement for Reuters, Morningstar, and Wealth Management magazine.

Visit Astrid’s My Librarian Page

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar 
Nonfiction

 What’s it about: Known for her work on Late Night with Seth Meyers and her own show The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar write a humorous collection of stories on racism. Racism is never a funny topic to read about but Amber and Lacey recount stories from their past that has the reader questioning if it really happened. Tales of people touching their hair (never do that), to thinking Lacey looks like Harriet Tubman (she doesn’t), and eye-opening stories on how far we haven’t come when dealing with racism.  

Why you might like it: Suggested for those who enjoy humorous celebrity memoirs or audiobooks read by the author. This was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Humor 2021.  

Visit Mallory’s My Librarian Page

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life by Alice Wong
Nonfiction

What it is: This memoir is an “impressionistic scrapbook” of Wong’s life as an Asian American disabled activist. Wong, who uses a wheelchair and a BIPAP ventilator machine (“I became Darth Vader,” she quips when she acquires the machine) due to a neuromuscular disability, has drawn together a powerful collection of original essays, interviews, blog posts, personal photos, and artwork by disabled artists that address what it’s like to navigate in an ableist society. Wong is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture.

Why you might like it: Alice’s candor and ferocity make space and understanding for people living with disabilities. She shares her family stories, her history of “accidental" activism, and her love of pop culture, food, and cats with humor, playfulness, and creativity. Her wit, honesty and rage create an intimate and enlightening portrait of what it is like to face the obstructions and joys of living in a world made for the able-bodied. Empowering and entertaining.

You might also like: Being Heumann by Judith E. Heumann, an intimate and irreverent memoir by the “mother” of the Disability Rights Movement; Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig, a nuanced and lyrical memoir, and the funny and edgy Golem Girl by Rita Lehrer.

Visit Laura’s My Librarian Page